Q: This island's Lake Akan is famous for its moss balls. The country that controls this island claims that some nearby islands such as Iturup and Kunashir fall under this island's Nemuro subprefecture. This island is the largest of its country's 47prefectures. This island was the site of the (*) 1972 Winter Olympics, which was held in a city that is much larger than its second and third largest cities; those other cities here are Asahikawa, which is in its centre and Hakodate, which is in its south. The Strait of La Perouse separates this island from Sakhalin Island in the north, and the Seikan Tunnel traverses the Sugaru Strait, which separates this island on which the Ainu live from Honshu in the south. For 10 points, name this northernmost of the four main islands of Japan.
A: Hokkaido [or Ezo]
Q: The mythology of this civilization features a birdman cult headed by the chief Make-make. After his expedition to this location, one man postulated that its first inhabitants were South American "long-ears" who arrived much earlier than the opposing "short-ears"; that man was Thor Heyerdahl. Another theory that claims that the people of this island resorted to cannibalism after they drove all of the plants and animals to (*) extinction was conceptualized by Jared Diamond in Collapse. Maunga Terevaka is the high point of this island that contains several monoliths created by its indigenous Rapa Nui people. For ten points, name this island currently controlled by Chile, the location of giant stone heads called "moai".
A: Easter Island
Q: Fourteen member-states formed a 1998 commission to implement the Water Framework Directive for this river. Its delta, located north of the Razim-Sinoe lagoons, is a Ramsar Site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Transport on this river became difficult when NATO bombed three (*) Serbian bridges over it in the Kosovo War. This river is formed at the confluence of the Brigach and Breg at the German town of Donaueschingen, and used to divide the cities of Buda and Pest. For 10 points, name this river that flows through Galati and Vienna on its way to the Black Sea.
A: Danube River [accept Donau or Duna; ask for the English translation if you're given something with the "d" and "n" sounds in the right place]
Q: This nation's largest lake is Lake Alaotra, which provides irrigation for many of its rice paddies. Its highest point is at Maromokotro, in the Tsaratanana Massif, south of the Masoala Peninsula. Its island neighbors include (*) Reunion, Comoros, and Mauritius, and under French rule, it was known as the Malagasy Republic. Borneans crossing the Indian Ocean were the first to populate this fourth-largest island, and it is separated from Africa by the Mozambique Channel. For 10 points, name this island nation, with capital Antananarivo, that is the only native habitat of lemurs.
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: The northern edge of this sea borders the Pontic Steppe. The 1936 Montreux Convention provided free passage for civilian travelers through this body of water, and Scythians lived on the shores of this sea in ancient times. The Don and Kuban rivers drain into this sea, and ports on it include (*) Novorossiysk, and Odessa. Grain reached ancient Greece after crossing this sea, and it connects to the Sea of Marmara by the Bosphorus Strait. This sea is supplied by the Dniester, Dnieper, and the Danube. For ten points, name this sea bordered by Turkey and Ukraine that receives the Danube river.
A: Black Sea
Q: This body is fed by the Pasig and Red Rivers. The Karimata Strait lies at the outskirts of this body of water, and it is cut off by the Natuna Sea. The Macclesfield Bank is a sunken atoll that can be found in this body of water, and lies just east of this sea's (*) Paracel Islands. One nation transformed the Subi Reef in this sea into an artificial island. In 2016, the UN backed the Philippines' claims in part of this sea, including the Spratly Islands. For 10 points, name this body of water in Southeast Asia where its namesake nation has staked a "Nine-Dash Line" claim.
A: South China Sea
Q: A shipwreck in this sea takes its name from the coastal city of Sinop. The Apollonia art and film festival derives from this sea's Greek and Roman name, and takes place on its coastal city of Sozopol. This sea's Snake Island was one of the last hauling-out sites of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seals and its north coast contains the cities of (*) Yalta and Sevastopol. The oil-rich Sea of Azov is connected to this sea by The Strait of Kerch, and it is connected to the Mediterranean by the Bosphorous and the Dardanelles. For 10 points, the Dnieper River flows into what sea north of Turkey?
A: Black Sea
Q: In On the Trail of Ancient Man, Roy Andrews alleged that a "death worm" lives in this region. Large amounts of copper and gold are mined in the Oyu Tolgoi mine in this region. It covers the Omnogovi Province and Khongoryn Els, and the Emin Valley steppe lies to the west of its Dzungarian Basin. This region, the native habitat of (*) Bactrian camels, contains a string of oases called the Northern Silk Road. It is bounded by the Altai Mountains and the North China Plain and is formed by the rainshadow of the Tibetan Plateau. for 10 points, name this desert that covers northwestern China and southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: This river's course is paralleled underneath the earth by a slowly flowing aquifer called the Hamza River. This is the longest river that is a natural habitat of a parasitic fish called the candiru that supposedly swims up urine streams. A tributary of this river flows past the failed industrial settlement of (*) Fordlandia. This waterway flows into the ocean atBelem. Manaus is the capital of the state named for this river, which is the most voluminous in the world. Piranhas and anacondas are examples of the biodiversity of species that can be found in its basin and namesake rainforest. For 10 points, name this longest river of South America.
A: Amazon River
Q: In this state's Arrowhead region, iron ore is mined in the Mesabi Range and shipped to cities such as Hibbing. Though it's not Illinois, Cook County contains this state's highest point, at Eagle Mountain. The largest concentration of Somalis outside of East Africa can be found in this state. Due to a surveying error, the only point in the US outside of Alaska (*) above the 49th parallel is this state's Northwest Angle. This state's population distribution is clustered around its Twin Cities region. For 10 points, name this "Land of 10,000 Lakes" with capital at St. Paul.
A: Minnesota
Q: This river flows through Ubundu and Kisangani, and two hydroelectric dams built on this river are called Inga I and Inga II. The Chambeshi river is its source, though its Lualaba tributary provides this river a greater volume of water. It begins at (*) Boyoma Falls, which was previously named after Henry Morton Stanley, and this river contains cataracts known as the Malebo Pool. This world's deepest river receives water from Lake Tanganyika and separates Kinshasa and Brazzaville. For 10 points, name this second longest river in Africa that flows through a namesake Democratic Republic.
A: Congo River [accept Zaire River]
Q: The Au Sable lighthouse oversees this body of water from its location inside Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The town of La Pointe contains this lake's Apostle Islands, although a much-studied population of moose and wolves lives on its largest island, (*) Isle Royale. This lake is said to "seldom give up her dead" who perished in shipwrecks such as that of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. The St. Mary's River connects this lake's Whitefish Bay to a smaller lake and separates two cities both called Sault Ste. Marie ["soo saint marie"]. Duluth sits on this body of water, which lies to the north of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For 10 points, name this largest of the Great Lakes.
A: Lake Superior
Q: The United States' oldest shaved ice stand, Hansen's, is located on this city's Tchoupitoulas Street. In this city's parlance, extra goodies thrown into a purchase are known as lagniappes , and this city's streetcars can be boarded from a central median called a "neutral ground." (*) Live music shows are put on at Preservation Hall in this city, also home to a pair of bridges known as the Crescent City Connection. Located on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain, this city's notable attractions include Tulane University and the nightlife of Bourbon Street in its French Quarter. For 10 points, name this largest city in Louisiana.
A: New Orleans (accept NoLa)
Q: One nationalist movement based on this island used the Morning Star Flag. This island has a namesake singing dog breed. Its northwestern and southeastern points are known as the Bird's Head Peninsula and the Bird's Tail Peninsula because of its resemblance to a species of bird predominantly found here, the bird-of-paradise. The Owen Stanley Range on this island can be traversed via the (*) Kokoda Track. One region on this island was historically called Irian Jaya. The highest point on this island is Puncak Jaya. This island lies west of the Bismarck and Solomon archipelagos. The Torres Strait separates this island from Australia. For 10 points, name this second largest island in the world, which is split between Indonesia and a nation whose name prefixes the name of this island with Papua.
A: New Guinea [or Papua Island before mention; or Irian Island before mention; accept Papua New Guineaonly after "Indonesia" is read and do not accept earlier; do not accept "Irian Jaya"]
Q: Although not Wisconsin, the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Area is found in this state's Black Range. This state's Zuni Mountains contain El Morro National Monument. The third largest cave chamber in North America is located in this state's Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The Zia red sun flag flies in this state's capital, which is the (*) oldest in the US. The McDonald Ranch House outside Alamogordo was acquired by the US Army for the Trinity nuclear tests in what would become this state's White Sands Missile Range. For ten points, name this southwestern state home to the cities of Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
A: New Mexico
Q: Hanging coffins lie on a cliff adjacent to the Shennon stream, which meets this river at the city of Badong. Dongting Lake supplies water to this river, which originates at Geladaindong Peak. One tributary of this river is named for the large number of gold prospectors it attracts, and it is still currently home to the largest hydroelectric power station in the world, the (*) Three Gorges dam. This river, more commonly known as the Chang Jiang in the country through which it flows, runs through provinces like Sichuan, Hubei, and Jiangsu before emptying into the Pacific at Shanghai. For ten points, name this longest river in Asia which is south of the Yellow River.
A: Yangtze River [accept Chang Jiang before mention or Da Jiang]
Q: This city's Union Bankers Building was the site of a Knights of Pythias temple designed by William Sidney Pittman and is located in one of its art districts, Deep Ellum. Lakes in this city include Bachman Lake and White Rock Lake. This city is the site of the Reunion Tower and it lies on the Trinity River, which isn't navigable to an ocean. One of this city's two largest airports is the largest hub for (*) American Airlines, which is the sponsor of the sports arena that contains this city's hockey and basketball teams, and the other, Love Field, is the corporate HQ of Southwest Airlines. It is the larger of the two cities in the Metroplex; the other is Fort Worth. This city is the site of a Philip Johnson-designed John F. Kennedy Memorial. For 10 points, name this 3rd largest city in Texas after Houston and San Antonio, home to sports teams such as the NHL's Stars and the NFL's Cowboys.
A: Dallas, Texas
Q: This country's oldest national park, Royal Manas National Park protects the Duar landscape it shares with its southern neighbor. The majority of this country, which borders Sikkim to the west, speaks the language Dzongkha. This nation's current Druk Gyalpo, or Thunder Dragon King, is part of the (*) Wangchuck dynasty, and its national implementation of the goh and kira dresses are part of a program promoting Gross National Happiness. Home to the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, Gangkar Puensum, for ten points, name this Himalayan nation with capital Thimphu.
A: Bhutan
Q: A 1610 eruption of the Momotombo stratovolcano in this country caused inhabitants of its city of Leon to relocate. This nation's capital was damaged in a 1972 earthquake caused by the Cocos Plate, and the Tipitapa and San Juan rivers both flow through this nation's namesake lake. The (*) Miskito Coast, named for a local African-Native American ethnic group, makes up the majority of this country's east coast. This nation's largest lake is alternatively called Cocibolca, and would feature heavily in the construction of the Panama Canal. For ten points, name this Central American country with capital Managua.
A: Republic of Nicaragua [or Republica de Nicaragua]
Q: The upright section of the army headquarters building in this city tapers down to meet the rest of the building. Octopus Cards, the Star Ferry, and Stonecutter's Bridge are key to the transportation of this city formerly governed by positive non-interventionism. A former fort in this city was the site of a lawless walled city that was torn down in 1994. The now-closed Kai Tak Airport was the home airport of (*) Cathay Pacific, which is based here. This city, home to Victoria Peak, is south of Shenzhen and lies on the Pearl River Delta. The Special Administrative Zone containing this city includes the New Territories, Kowloon, and its namesake island. For 10 points, name this Chinese city that was returned in 1997 by the British.
A: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region [or Xiang Gang; or HKSAR; antiprompt on Kowloon before mention]
Q: One island in this body of water was commonly described as Europe's last feudal state until a 2008 referendum. The deepest point in this body of water is Hurd's Deep. The world's first large-scale tidal plant was built on the estuary of the Rance River, which flows into this here. The Solent is a smaller, parallel body of water north of this one. The Cotentin Peninsula juts into this body of water which contains islands such as Sark, Guernsey, (*) Jersey, and the Isle of Wight. This is the largest body of water crossed by the Eurostar train. Ports on this body of water include Cherbourg, Le Havre, Portsmouth, and Southampton. The narrowest point in this body of water is between Pas de Calais and the white cliffs of Dover. For 10 points, name this body of water that lies between France and the United Kingdom.
A: English Channel [or La Manche]
Q: The Northern plains region of this country contains Lake Rudolf and another of its regions is the White Highlands. This nation's Ukambani region is home to a large Kamba population, and several smaller rivers in this country begin in the foothills of the Eastern Highlands in the (*) Tana River basin. This country's namesake mountain is the second-tallest in Africa. This country home to the Kikuyu and is bordered to the south by Tanzania and has its largest trading port at Mombasa. For ten points, name this country on the eastern coast of Africa that has its capital at Nairobi.
A: Kenya
Q: This location includes Homey Airport near Groom Lake, where Lockheed established "the Ranch" for engineers working on the U-2 within Nellis Air Force Range. The existence of this facility was admitted in 2013 by the (*) CIA. For ten points, name this Nevada facility where the US Air Force probably tests experimental aircraft and probably doesn't hold the alien remains from Roswell, New Mexico.
A: Area 51 (prompt on "Homey Airport," "Groom Lake," or "Nellis Air Force Range (or Base)" before they are read)
Q: To celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal, this city held a 1915 exposition in its Balboa Park. This city's namesake bay, which opens between Point Loma and (*) Coronado, is home to the United States Navy's Pacific fleet. Mission Bay is home to Sea World in this city, where Balboa Park houses a large open-air zoo. For ten points, name this city in southern California directly across the border from Tijuana.
A: San Diego, California
Q: This city is home to the port town of Jebel Ali, a top-10 port in the world southwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Housing in this city is built on artificial, palm-frond-shaped landmasses that sit along the (*) Persian Gulf north of Abu Dhabi. For ten points, name this most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, the home of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
A: Dubai
Q: The destruction of these places often forms a landscape filled with "cone" or "tower" hills. These places often include "flowers" or "needles" of gypsum. These places often contain delicate, hollow "soda straws." They're not hot springs, but in these places, travertine forms structures called (*) speleothems. These areas form in karst topography when readily available water meets limestone bedrock. Dripping water in these places often makes icicle-like deposits. For 10 points, name these hollow underground landforms that often contain stalactites and stalagmites.
A: caves [accept caverns]
Q: This ingredient is roasted to make the snack leblebi. This is the primary ingredient in the pancake farinata or cecina["cheh-CHEE-nah"] and in the Sicilian street food panelle. Water from this ingredient is often used to make the egg white substitute aquafaba. It's ground to make gram flour, and it's the star ingredient in chana masala. This is the main ingredient in the best-selling product of (*) Sabra. It's not eggplant, but this is the primary ingredient in a dish made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and tahini. Either this ingredient or fava beans is ground and deep-fried to make falafel. For 10 points, name this legume that's ground to make hummus.
A: chickpeas [or garbanzo beans; accept "gram" before it is mentioned]
Q: This state's tallest peak is Mount Elbert, and its official flower, the blue columbine, was discovered during the first ascent of a mountain discovered by (*) Zebulon Pike. Over 50 "fourteeners," or mountains over 14,000 feet tall, are found in, for ten points, what "Mile High" state in the Rockies, with capital Denver?
A: Colorado
Q: Cities on this body of water include Le Havre, Calais, Brighton, and Dover, whose sheer white cliffs sit on the shoreline of this body of water. In 1994, a Eurostar train (*) tunnel underneath this body of water was opened. The islands of Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Wight lie in, for ten points, what channel that separates France from the island of Britain?
A: English Channel (accept English Channel after "channel" is read; accept The Channel before "channel" is read)
Q: This body of water is home to Antelope Island, which becomes Antelope Peninsula when the water level dips too low. This body of water lies in what was, 30,000 years ago, Lake Bonneville. This body of water has no river outflows and only loses water via evaporation, causing its high (*) salinity. This body of water lies just west of Brigham City and northwest of a namesake state capital. For ten points, name this largest body of water in Utah.
A: Great Salt Lake (accept Salt Lake City after "capital" is read)
Q: In this country, the wreckage of a crashed DC-3 can be visited on a black sand beach near the town of Vik. Most tourists to this country drive around it on the Ring Road, although the smaller Golden Circle can be used to visit Thingvellir, the site of the world's (*) oldest parliament. The Blue Lagoon is a series of hot springs in this country, and its other tourist attractions include waterfalls such as Skogafoss and Gullfoss and the original Geysir. This European country generates more than thirty percent of its electricity from hydrothermal power, and its capital is the northernmost in the world. For 10 points, name this island country whose capital is Reykjavik.
A: Republic of Iceland (or Island)
Q: World's End is a 4,000 foot high cliff located in this country's Horton Plains National Park, which is home to an endemic sambar deer subspecies. The Burgher people are a Eurasian ethnic group located in this country, whose longest river, the Mahaweli, empties into Trincomalee Bay. This nation is connected to its northern neighbor's Rameswaram Island by (*) Adam's Bridge, which divides the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. The Sinhalese people make up the majority of this country's population, along with the significant Tamil minority. For ten points, name this island nation south of India, once known as Ceylon.
A: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Q: A flock of wild parrots can be found near one building in this city that was apocryphally constructed to resemble the nozzle of a fire hose. Visitors can hike up the Filbert Steps to that landmark, the Coit Tower, on this city's Telegraph Hill. Districts in this city include the SoMa and (*) Castro neighborhoods, and another icon of this city is the switchback-filled Lombard Street. This city is home to the oldest Chinatown in the United States, and tourists often board ferries from Fisherman's Wharf in order to visit Alcatraz. For ten points, name this California city, home to the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco
Q: This city is home to the Heinz food company headquarters, and tourists often eat sandwiches dressed with coleslaw and fries at this city's (*) Primanti Brothers. Steelworkers traditionally ate pierogis in this city, which sits at the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers. For ten points, name this western Pennsylvania city, the state's second largest city after Philadelphia?
A: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Q: A caldera in this location formed after a series of eruptions at Mesa Falls and Huckleberry Ridge, and contains a supervolcano named after this North American park. This national park contains a (*) geyser known for a very predictable eruption pattern. For ten points, name this protected area in Wyoming whose Old Faithful helped establish it as America's first national park.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: This city is home to Maximo Gomez Park, where people have played competitive dominoes for decades. This city's highest natural point, at 24 feet above sea level, is in Coconut Grove. In March, this city celebrates the Calle Ocho festival in a neighborhood of immigrants from an (*) island country 200 miles south. Little Havana is a neighborhood of, for ten points, what city in southeastern Florida?
A: Miami, Florida
Q: This project included man-made sections like the Gaillard Cut and Gatun Lake, and it was completed in 1914 due in large part to William Gorgas's efforts to control malaria and yellow fever outbreaks. This 48-mile-long structure included three (*) locks to help boats cross between the Atlantic and Pacific. For ten points, name this Central American engineering project.
A: Panama Canal
Q: This island's native Taino people fought the settlers of La Navidad, which was founded after Columbus' Santa Maria ran aground on this island's western shore. In 2010, this island was rocked by a massive earthquake near the city of (*) Port-au-Prince. For ten points, name this Caribbean island that is politically divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and whose name illustrates its possession by Spain.
A: Hispaniola
Q: These mountains contain the saline Chott el Hodna east of the Hautes Plateau. The Noor Solar Power Station outside Ouarzazate will provide energy to this range's Draa Valley. The Chaoui people inhabit the Aures Mountains, the easternmost subrange of these mountains. Due to their Alleghenian Orogeny these mountains are actually distinct from the Baetic system that spawned the (*) Rif to their north. The highest point of these mountains, Jebel Toubkal is located in their high section, but they also include Tell, Anti and Saharan subranges. For ten points, name this North African mountain range named for a Titan tasked to hold up the earth.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: This city contains a house built in 1885 that has a fourth-story cupola and is an example of Queen Anne-style architecture. This city, which is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, is home to the Flavel House and a namesake 125-foot tall column. Members of the Lewis and Clark expedition built Fort Clatsop near this city, which is connected to Megler, Washington by a truss bridge. This city is near the mouth of the Columbia River and was founded in 1811 by its namesake as a fur-trading post. For 10 points, name this Oregon city named for John Jacob Astor.
A: Astoria
Q: In 2010, the International Court of Justice upheld this country's right to operate two paper mills on a river that forms its western border. This country's northern border is marked by the Cuareim River. This country contains the western half of the Merin Lagoon. The only UNESCO World Heritage site in this country is the historic quarter of Colonia del (*) Sacramento. The highest point in this country is theCerro Catedral. This country's namesake river has a tributary called the Rio Negro; that namesake river forms its western boundary. This country has the southernmost capital in the Americas. For 10 points, name this country on the north shore of the Rio de La Plata, across from Argentina to its south.
A: Oriental Republic of Uruguay [or Republica Oriental del Uruguay]
Q: The northern half of Topaz Lake lies in this state, and the Mount Rose highway connects the resort town of Incline Village in this state to its second largest metropolitan area, which includes the city of Sparks. The Black Rock Desert is found in this state, whose (*) Humboldt River runs from its source in Elko County to a sink located east of Pyramid Lake and northeast of Virginia City, a former silver-mining boomtown. Most of the Great Basin as well as the western part of Lake Mead also lie within this state's borders. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Carson City famous for its casinos.
A: Nevada
Q: The Love River flows past Ape Hill in this country's Kaohsiung City. This country's Lanyu nuclear waste storage site was controversial because of the threats it posed to the aboriginal Tao people. Jade Mountain is the highest point in this country's Yushan Range, which makes it the fourth highest (*) island in the world. This island's capital is home to a supertall energy efficient skyscraper said to resemble a stalk of bamboo, which held the title of world's tallest structure until 2009, when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa. For ten points, name this island to which Chiang Kai Shek fled, formerly known as Formosa.
A: Taiwan [accept Republic of China, accept Formosa before mentioned, do NOT accept or prompt on "China"]
Q: This country's Kibale ("kee-BAH-lay") Forest National Park is home to a variety of primates including the red colobus. The Bassese ("bah-seh-seh") people were forced to leave this country's Ssese Islands due to sleeping sickness. Matooke ("mah-TOW-kay") is a dish unique to this nation made up of mashed unripened bananas. SafeBoda is a ride hailing service similar to Uber for boda-bodas exclusive to this nation's capital. A (*) crane is located in the center of this nation's black, yellow, and red striped flag. This country's largest airport is in Entebbe, a city on the shores of Lake Victoria. Also known as the "Pearl of Africa," for 10 points, name this Swahili-speaking country governed by Yoweri Museveni from Kampala.
A: Republic of Uganda
Q: This mountain range is crossed by the 19th-century Barlow Road, which begins at The Dalles. This range is home to fumaroles, mud pots, and a massive lava dome in its Lassen National Park. The semi-arid climate of the Tri-Cities area is caused by this range's rain shadow. This range is formed by the subduction of the (*) Juan de Fuca Plate. Its Mount Mazama is home to Crater Lake. This range lies east of the Willamette Valley, and it's cut into by the Columbia River Gorge. Its peaks include Mounts Shasta, Hood, Rainier, and St. Helens. For 10 points, name this volcanic mountain range of the Pacific Northwest.
A: Cascade Range [or "The Cascades"]
Q: This mountain range is home to a bright orange bird called its namesake "cock-of-the-rock." Most of the world's lithium reserves are found in a massive salt flat in this mountain range. A people in this mountain range was organized in extended family groups called ayllu. This mountain range includes the farthest point on Earth's surface from its (*) center. These mountains, which are formed by the subduction of the Nazca Plate, are home to Lake Titicaca, and they end in Tierra del Fuego. Machu Picchu was found in-for 10 points-what mountain range that runs along the western side of South America?
A: Andes Mountains [or Andean cock-of-the-rock]
Q: One park in this state is home to rock formations called the "Kissing Camels" and Steamboat Rock. Montrose County in this state is home to the Black Canyon, which is carved by the Gunnison River. Mount Harvard and Mount Yale are part of this state's (*) Collegiate Range, and visitors to this state can tour ancient Pueblo ruins at its Mesa Verde National Park. The namesake of this state's tallest peak unsuccessfully tried to summit it, and it overlooks a city that contains the U.S. Air Force Academy. Suburbs of this state's capital and largest city include Aurora. For 10 points, name this state home to Pikes Peak and the "Mile High" city of Denver.
A: Colorado
Q: The world's largest biodiesel plant is located in this nation's western sector of Tuas, and Jurong Island is home to this nation's petrochemical industry. This nation's MRT transit system stops at the Esplanade, home to a durian--shaped performing arts center, and the Johor Causeway connects the town of Woodlands in this country to the (*) mainland, though many people enter through this nation's Changi International Airport. For 10 points, name this city-state located off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, known for its busy port and stringent laws against chewing gum.
A: Republic of Singapore
Q: This city's Museum of the Orient includes a wide range of goods including Indonesian textiles and Chinese snuff bottles. The date of a military coup names the 25th of April Bridge located in this city. This city's oldest district, Alfama, includes the Castle of Sao [soo-way] Jorge, where members of the House of Braganza are buried. A Christ the King statue stands on the southern banks of the Tagus River in this city, and another bridge here is named after the first European to reach India by sea. For 10 points, name this capital and largest city of Portugal.
A: Lisbon [accept Lisboa]
Q: Robert Bateman names an art gallery in this province, which is home to the Girl in a Wetsuit sculpture. Butchart Gardens on the Saanich Peninsula is located near this province's capital. Stanley Park is located in this province, which is the alleged home of the Ogopogo lake monster. Many invertebrate fossils have been found in Burgess Shale in this province. The second-largest Chinatown in North America is located in this province, which is bordered by Alberta to the east. For 10 points, name this province whose capital of Victoria is located on Vancouver Island.
A: British Columbia [or BC]
Q: One city named after this substance is located in Lake Parime. This non-animal derived good was produced in the Indian region of Kolar, and a massive store of it was discovered at Merkers Mine. Skookum Jim and James W. Marshall were best known for their association with this (*) commodity. A law named after this commodity ended slavery in Brazil, and Mansa Musa gave so much of this commodity away during a hajj that worldwide prices were lowered. For 10 points, name this precious metal supposedly found in El Dorado, whose discovery in California in 1849 triggered a namesake "rush."
A: gold (accept Golden Law and other word forms)
Q: The Y Wladfa settlements in this country's Chubut Province are home to many of its Welsh-speakers. The Valdes Peninsula is located on the east coast of this country, and the Los Glaciares National Park is in its Santa Cruz Province. With its western neighbor, this country shares peaks like (*) Mount Fitz Roy along an ill-defined border in the Southern Patagonian Icefield. The city of Ushuaia in this country lies on the Beagle Channel and serves as the capital of this country's portion of Tierra del Fuego. For 10 points, name this second-largest South American country located east of Chile, with capital at Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina (accept Argentine Republic; accept Republica Argentina)
Q: Periwinkle species native to this country have been used to treat illnesses including Hodgkin's disease and leukemia. This country is home to a carnivorous animal similar to cats and mongooses, called the fossa. The traveler's palm is featured on the national emblem of this home to the 19th-century Canal des (*) Pangalanes. Most species of baobab trees are native to this country. Along with Indonesia, this country is the world's largest producer of cloves and vanilla. Mayotte lies southeast to this home of the Merina ethnic group, who speak Malagasy. Lemurs are found on-for 10 points-what large island country that the Mozambique channel separates from southeast Africa?
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: One city in this state holds the Mummers Day Parade on New Year's, and the Twelve Mile Circle forms part of this state's southeastern border. The Monongahela River flows through this state's second largest city before meeting the Allegheny river to form the Ohio. The Mason-Dixon Line forms this state's (*) southern border, and its namesake "Dutch" is spoken by many Amish people. The Battles of Brandywine and Gettysburg were fought in this state, which was also the state in which the Declaration of Independence was signed. Harrisburg is the capital of, for ten points, what state home to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh?
A: Pennsylvania
Q: During the Neolithic period, heavy rainfall in this area attracted animals to this region in a theory named for its "pump." The Chech and Issaouane are examples of ergs located in this geographical feature. Emi Koussi is the highest peak in the (*) Tibesti Mountains in this geographical region. The adorable fennec fox is native to this desert, and cities in it include Agadez, Ghat, Nouakchott, and Timbuktu. Berbers like the Tuareg tribe often led caravans across this desert that is north of the Sahel. For 10 points, name this largest hot desert in the world, which is located in North Africa.
A: Sahara (prompt on North Africa before the first mention of "geographical")
Q: The Greek ship Doula F is beached on the free trade island of Kish in this body of water, while the Hara mangrove forests can be found on this body of water's island of Qeshm. The world's largest airport by land area is located at Dammam on this body of water, which is also the home of the (*) Fifth Fleet of the United States Navy, and the Musandam Governorate exclave grants access to this body of water to Oman. The Shatt al-Arab connects the Tigris and Euphrates to this body of water. For 10 points, name this body of water separated from the Arabian Sea by the Strait of Hormuz.
A: Persian Gulf (accept Arabian Gulf; accept Gulf of Iran)
Q: Prominent brands originally founded for this activity include K2 and Rossignol, and participants in it can unconventionally lift their heels in its "telemark" variant. The federation FIS is named for this activity, and a characteristic "V" is produced when (*) jumping in this activity. Beginners in this activity learn techniques like "french fries" and "pizza," and successful American athletes in this sport include Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn. This is the most popular of the sports that might involve "black diamond" ratings or take place at Aspen. For 10 points, name this winter sport in which people descend "slopes" by using poles and a namesake pair of thin planks.
A: alpine skiing (or downhill skiing)
Q: Overcrowding on this island was partially relieved through the "Transmigration program." This island is namesake of the slower of two types of music that use the scales pelog and slendro. It's the more southern of two islands that name a critically endangered species of rhinoceros. It's home to the massive 9th-century temples of (*) Prambanan and Borobudur. The first Homo erectus fossil was found on this island. In the 16th century, most of this island's Hindus emigrated to neighboring Bali. Krakatoa is located between it and Sumatra. For 10 points, name this Indonesian island home to Jakarta.
A: Java [or Jawa; accept Java man]
Q: This river can now be crossed via the Szechenyi [seh-CHEN-yee]Chain Bridge. The Illuminati were founded in a city on this river. A branch of this river abuts the historic Innere Stadt district of a capital city. A city on this river holds many of Bruegel's paintings at the (*) Kunsthistorisches Museum; that city is also home to Schonbrunn Palace.Another city on this river contains a monument in its Heroes' Square that commemorates the seven chieftains of the Magyar tribes. For 10 points, name this long European river that empties into the Black Sea after flowing through Budapest and Vienna.
A: Danube River [or Donau]
Q: Despite the name, one of these places named "Capitol Reef" is not near an ocean. The largest of these places is named Wrangell-St. Elias. A Georgetown Law Review article suggests that an area inside one of these places could be the site of a "perfect crime," while another of these places has the largest living single-stem (*) tree in the world. One of these areas is named for deposits of petrified wood found in it. These places are featured on the "America the Beautiful" quarters. El Capitan and Old Faithful are popular features found in some of these places. For 10 points, name these places, examples of which include Yosemite ["yo-SEH-muh-tee"] and Yellowstone.
A: national parks (or National Park System; or NPS; prompt on just parks; do NOT accept or prompt on "state parks," "national preserves," or "national monuments")
Q: Factories in this country include the Maison Cailler ["may-ZAWN kai-YAY"] in its municipality of Broc. The Brusio spiral viaduct is located along the Albula and Bernina railways in this country, which are both run by the Rhaetian Railway. Each January, the "World Economic Forum" takes place in a city in this country. A lake in this country has a name literally meaning "lake of four forested settlements," but is more commonly known as Lake (*) Lucerne. The Glacier Express runs across this country from St. Moritz to Zermatt, a resort town close to the Matterhorn. For 10 points, name this European country whose largest city is Zurich, famed for its Alps.
A: Switzerland [or the Swiss Confederation]
Q: Food from this province has been the main focus of author Fuchsia Dunlop. Natives of this province use a broadbean chili paste in a dish whose name literally refers to a "pockmarked lady." Chongqing [chong-CHING] was carved out of this province, which lies north of Yunnan and east of (*) Tibet. This province is home to over 80 percent of the world's wild pandas. Its natives use a namesake "hot and numbing" peppercorn to make dishes like Mapo Dofu and Kung Pao chicken. For 10 points, name this province of China with capital Chengdu, home to a namesake spicy cuisine.
A: Sichuan [or Szechuan]
Q: The name of one town in this country literally translates to "Thirty-Three" and is named after a militant group that fought this country's northern neighbor. This country's highest point is a rocky escarpment called Cerro Catedral. The brackish Mirim Lagoon straddles the border between this country and its northern neighbor. This nation was the site of the (*) inaugural FIFA World Cup and contains beach resorts such as Punta del Este and Punta Diablo. This country's namesake river separates it from the Argentine province of La Mesopotamia. This country's capital city is located on the north shore of the Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, name this South American country with capital at Montevideo.
A: (Oriental Republic of) Uruguay [accept Republica Oriental del Uruguay]
Q: A Beaux-Arts-style art museum in this city's Midtown is home to Henry Fuseli's The Nightmare. This city's International Waterfront is home to a 73-story hotel in its Renaissance Center, as well as this city's Cobo Center. This city lies north of the Rouge River and it's home to Belle Isle Park. Berry Gordy founded a company in this city in a building nicknamed (*) "Hitsville U.S.A." This city is separated from its wealthy suburbs by 8 Mile Road. This city in Wayne County is where Motown Records was founded. It lies across from Windsor, Ontario on a namesake river that empties into Lake Erie. G.M. and Ford are headquartered in-for 10 points-what Michigan city?
A: Detroit
Q: Evidence for ancient dentistry has been found near this river in the form of the earliest bow drills. It's not in Mexico, but the earliest traces of cotton cultivation have been found near this river. People near this river made thousands of square seals decorated with animals and a still-undeciphered writing system. A city on this river sported a huge Great Bath and had the oldest known (*) flush toilets. This river was home to major cities by 3000 BC, or around the same time as at Norte Chico, the Nile, the Yellow River, and Mesopotamia. The cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were centers of a Bronze Age civilization in the valley of-for 10 points-what river of modern Pakistan?
A: Indus River [accept Indus Valley Civilization]
Q: This is the longest mountain chain that was formed alongside the Atlas Mountains by the collision of Laurentia and Gondwana. A culture from these mountains was the subject of a 2016 memoir by J.D. Vance. These mountains are home to a namesake instrument that, despite being plucked, is usually termed a (*) "dulcimer." Its basin is home to the largest bituminous and anthracite coal deposits in the world. Its Blue Ridge province is home to the Great Smoky Mountains. For 10 points, name this mountain chain of the eastern U.S., covered by an extremely long namesake "Trail."
A: Appalachian Mountains [accept Appalachia; accept Appalachian dulcimer or Appalachian Trail]
Q: Amazon subsidiary Zappos is headquartered in this city's former city hall, while this city's current city hall is near the Fremont Experience. The second-tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere is in this city and is named after a layer of the atmosphere. The unincorporated community of Paradise is the location of this city's (*) McCarran International Airport. Bugsy Siegel was a key figure in the development of this city, which includes attractions such as the Stratosphere, The Bellagio, and Caesars Palace. For 10 points, name this largest city in Nevada, famous for its casinos along the Strip.
A: Las Vegas
Q: An endangered species of wolf and the walia ibex can be found in this country's Simien National Park. This home of the red-chested gelada monkey is currently constructing the Grand Renaissance Dam. This country's capital is the endpoint of pilgrimages to St. George's Cathedral. This country is the southern of the two that use the liturgical script (*) Ge'ez.The African Union is headquartered in this country, which became the most-populous landlocked country in the world in 1993 when independence was granted to its neighbor Eritrea. Amharic is the most-spoken language in-for 10 points-what East African country with capital at Addis Ababa?
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia [or ye'Itiyoppya Federalawi Demokirasiyawi Ripebilik]
Q: In October 2015, hikers in this park were stranded near Ubehebe Crater due to flash floods that also damaged a villa named Scotty's Castle. Like the nearby site of Devil's Hole, this park lends its name to an endangered species of pupfish. The original Star Wars film incorporated shots of this park from Dante's View and in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Racetrack Playa in this park is home to (*) "sailing stones" that mysteriously move across its surface. Teams of twenty mules transported borax out of what is now this park. This park is home to Badwater Basin and Furnace Creek, the latter of which reported a record high temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit. For 10 points, name this Californian national park that contains the hottest and lowest point in North America.
A: Death Valley National Park
Q: A set of "syllabics" used to write languages from this country was formalized by James Evans. The longest river in this country is sometimes referred to as Deh-Cho, which is its name in the Slavey [SLAY-vee] language. The name of the Gaspe Peninsula in this country derives from a word in Mi'kmaq, and the Slavey people are the namesakes of its deepest lake. This country's (*) Algonquian languages include Cree, which supplies the name of this country's Lake Athabasca. Farther north, Inuktitut is spoken its territory of Nunavut. For 10 points, name this country in which French is widely spoken in Quebec.
A: Canada
Q: This country's capital contains the widest street in the world, the Ninth of July Avenue. Gauchos herd cattle on this country's pampas plains. This country shares the Iguazu Falls with Brazil and Paraguay, and it fought the UK in the (*) Falklands War. This country shares Patagonia with its western neighbor, Chile. For 10 points, what country is led from Buenos Aires?
A: Argentina
Q: The city of Sukhumi is the capital of a separatist region that borders this body of water. The Strait of Kerch connects the Sea of Azov to the northeastern region of this body of water. The city of Odessa lies on the western border of this body water, which is also bordered on its eastern banks by the (*) Caucasus Mountains. The host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi, borders this body of water, which also surrounds the disputed peninsula of Crimea. For 10 points, name this large body of water, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea by the Bosporus Strait.
A: Black Sea
Q: The Danakil Depression, in this country's Afar Regional State, is home to the world's hottest town of Dallol. This country maintains control of the Ogaden region, which was the object of a war with its eastern neighbor in the late 1970s. This country's Omo River flows in the southern region of this nation. The largest lake in this nation, (*) Lake Tana, sources the Blue Nile prior to flowing into this nation's western neighbor. The nation of Eritrea achieved independence from this nation in 1993. For 10 points, name this mountainous nation located in the Horn of Africa, with capital at Addis Ababa.
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Q: The capital of this European country hosted the World Chess Championship in 1972. One of the participants of that event was granted citizenship of this country in his final years. This country is also notable for its (*) volcanic eruptions, one of which severely disrupted air travel in Europe in 2010. People in this country receive patronymic last names, derived from their father's first name plus the suffix -S-S-O-N.. This country won its independence from Denmark in the twentieth century. For 10 points, name this eighteenth-largest island in the world, with capital at Reykjavik.
A: Iceland
Q: As of 2019, this city is working with Raj Chetty and other economists to encourage low-income families to move to high-opportunity neighborhoods. A mnemonic to remember the order of street pairs in this city is "Jesus Christ Made [this city] Under Protest." This city offers the tallest public viewing area from a building west of the Mississippi at its Columbia Center. This city's Museum of (*) Pop Culture, once known as Experience Music Project, was designed by Frank Gehry. Companies headquartered in or near this city include Microsoft and Amazon. The Space Needle is located in, for 10 points, what largest city in the state of Washington?
A: Seattle, Washington
Q: Caves surrounding one of these objects are the only remaining habitat of the crucially endangered Gorgan salamander. An example of these features is located just above a permanent whirlpool known as the Boiling Pot. One of the four primary stops on the Diamond Circle is one of these objects that originates from the Vatnajokull glacier. An object of this type is the primary attraction of Guyana's Kaieteur National Park. The most powerful of these objects in Europe is located in Iceland and is called (*) Dettifoss. The largest one of these objects is located near the summit of the Auyan-tepui mountain in Canaima National Park. Goat Island and Luna Island separate three adjacent groups of these features in the US and Canada. The tallest one of these features is located in Venezuela and named for Jimmy Angel. For 10 points, name these natural features, a group of which lie along the Niagara River.
A: waterfalls
Q: Smaller wooden versions of these objects were given the name kavakava, meaning "ribs." The British Museum exhibits one of these objects stolen from Orongo by the crew of the HMS Topaze. All of these objects were displaced within the 150 years after Jacob Roggeveen ("YAH-kop RO-guh-vain") became the first Westerner to discover them. These objects were constructed from material mined from the crater of Rano Raraku. Worship of these objects, which were sometimes topped by a red (*) hat-like pukao, gave way to a so-called "birdman cult." These objects were displayed on platforms called ahu and were made from tuff, a rock made of compressed volcanic ash. For 10 points, name these humanoid monoliths venerated by the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.
A: moai [accept Easter Island statues or Eastern Island heads until "Easter Island" is read]
Q: One of these objects found covered in red ocher ["OH-ker"] in Montana that was not under the jurisdiction of the NAGPRA [pronounce as one word] is Anzick-1. One of these objects nicknamed "The Ancient One" was discovered in 1996 in Kennewick, Washington. Donald Johanson's expedition repeatedly played a Beatles song during the (*) discovery of one of these objects in 1974 in Ethiopia, which inspired that object's popular name. Another of these objects discovered in the Alps in 1991 is known as "Otzi." For 10 points, name these objects, including "Lucy," that are studied by forensic archaeologists.
A: human remains (or reasonable equivalents of dead people; accept bones or skeletons; accept mummies; prompt on just people; prompt on early humans; prompt on Australopithecus)
Q: A part of this island was once ruled by the "white rajas" of the Brooke family, and this island's Crocker Range National Park is a critical habitat for several of its endangered species. This island's Dayak people live in a state whose capital is the port of Kuching. That state borders the state of (*) Sabah on this island. This island's Sarawak State is a critical orangutan habitat. A country located on this island is ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the richest men in the world, and another country that shares this island officially calls it Kalimantan. For 10 points, name this island shared by Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
A: Borneo (accept Kalimantan before mention)
Q: The Lumfardo language developed as an Italian-based creole in this city. Bahia Blanca is the second-largest port in this city's namesake province. This city's Ninth of July Avenue is the widest street in the world. The Torre de la Inglaterra in this city commemorates English assistance in its country's war for independence. (*) Boca Juniors are a popular soccer club in this city, and a memorial to the dead in the Falklands War is located in this city. This city's urban masses, the descamisados, formed the political base of Juan Peron. This city is the most populous on the shores of the brackish Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, name this capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: The northwest of this country contains a steppe-like region known as the Hautes Plaines, and its longest river is the 430-mile-long Chelif. The Grand Erg Occidental and Grand Erg Oriental are both located mostly in this country. The northern part of this nation includes a historical region known as Kabylie. This country's highest point is Mount Tahat, located in the Ahaggar mountains. With its western neighbor, this country forms the southern border of the (*) Alboran Sea. Its capital includes the Bab El Oued district as well as a citadel called the Casbah. This country contains the highest point in the Tell Atlas mountain range, and its major cities include Oran and Constantine. For 10 points, name this North African country whose capital is Algiers.
A: Algeria
Q: This state is home to the indigenous Noongar people in its southwestern corner, and its northernmost region is known as Kimberley. This state's Porongurup and Stirling ranges are both designated as national parks, and it is the second-largest producer of iron ore in the world. The Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts are located almost entirely in this state. A port city of this state's capital experiences a sea (*) breeze known as its namesake "Doctor", and that capital is located on the Swan River. Like an eastern neighbor, this state contains part of the Nullarbor Plain. It is bordered to the west by South Australia and the Northern Territory and to the east by the Southern Ocean. For 10 points, name this largest state of Australia with capital at Perth.
A: Western Australia
Q: Three Hawaiians who died while exploring this present-day state are the namesake of this state's Owyhee County. This state's capital has the highest concentration of Basques in America. George M. Willing falsely claimed a Native American origin for this state's name, which he actually just made up. This state contains the ski town of Coeur d'Alene ["kor duh-LANE"] and otherworldly lava fields at the (*) Craters of the Moon. This state is the westernmost to contain a portion of Yellowstone National Park. The city of Pocatello is in, for 10 points, what "Gem State" known for its potatoes with capital at Boise?
A: Idaho <Chu/Myers>
Q: This country's sacred Tuul River passes through its Gorkhi-Terelj National Park before flowing through its capital. This country is home to the only known variety of horse that has never been domesticated, Przewalski's [pshuh-VAL-skee's] horse. Khalkha is the predominant dialect of this country's official language, whose native script is read (*) vertically. This country lies north of an autonomous region known as "Inner [this country]." Yurts are a common form of housing among the nomads of this country, which shares the Gobi Desert with China. For 10 points, name this sparsely-populated Asian country with capital Ulaanbaatar.
A: Mongolia [or Mongol Uls]
Q: Winter weather on this lake is intensified by a wind known as "La Bise." A trip to a castle overlooking this lake inspired the long poem The Prisoner of Chillon. The world's first passenger submarine, the Auguste Piccard, took visitors around this lake. Most of this lake's northern shoreline is part of the region of Vaud. The CGN operates steamboats on this lake from ports such as Vevey. A statue of (*) Freddie Mercury overlooks this lake in a town where Claude Nobs founded an annual jazz festival at a casino that caught fire in 1971. Evian water originates from a resort on this lake, whose other settlements include Montreux and Lausanne. The Rhone River passes through this lake, which lends its name to a set of conventions regulating the treatment of prisoners of war. For 10 points, name this lake in western Switzerland.
A: Lake Geneva [or Lac Leman]
Q: This mountain range contains a church which can only be accessed by boat or by hiking. The Maloja Pass separates two subranges of this mountain range, one of which is drained by the Inn and Adda rivers. The Bernina Range is a smaller part of these mountains, which border the Aosta Valley. In 2016, the cities of Bodio and Erstfeld in this range were connected by the world's longest railway (*) tunnel. The Brenner Pass is located in this range, as is the state of Tirol. The massif of Monte Rosa in this mountain range includes a main summit called Dufourspitze. This range, the source of the Rhone and Rhine rivers, includes peaks like Jungfrau, the Matterhorn, and Mont Blanc. For 10 points, name this largest and highest mountain range in Europe.
A: Alps
Q: The Ainu language is sometimes thought to be part of a "Paleo-" language family named for this region. The Yukaghir people live in the basin of the Kolyma River in this region, and many Buryat people live in a republic in this region with its capital at Ulan-Ude[OO-day]. The closest Old World relatives to Native Americans, the (*) Chukchi people, live in this region. This region lies east of the Ural Mountains. A namesake railway in this region heads north around Lake Baikal, and that railway connects Moscow to Vladivostok, a major port here. Many gulags were once located in-for 10 points-what enormous, frigid Asiatic portion of Russia?
A: Siberia
Q: The woodcarvings of the Bagaya Monastery are on the banks of this river in the former royal capital of Amarapura. Teak logs are often transported along this river, the longest in a country that supplies half of the world's teak supply. The confluence of the Mali and N'mai Rivers into this river was the planned site for the controversial Myitsone Dam. One can find (*) George Orwell's former red brick house along the banks of this river. The Kachin people reside on the banks of this river, whose basin was the site of the Kingdom of Pagan. In one poem, Rudyard Kipling gave this river the nickname "The Road to Mandalay." For 10 points, name this longest river in Myanmar that flows into the Andaman Sea.
A: Irrawaddy River [or the Ayeyarwady River]
Q: This name is given to a river that contains the Da Wan, Nansha, and Madushan dams, and another dam on that river formed the Thac Ba Lake. Another river with this name is formed at the confluence of the Otter Tail and Bois de Sioux rivers, while yet another arises from a namesake North Fork and the Prairie Dog Town Fork. Cities like Grand Forks and (*) Fargo are on the banks of one river with this name; another river with this name names a Manitoba colony in which a rebellion was led by Louis Riel. The largest river given this name marked the US-Spain boundary defined by the Adams-Onis Treaty. For 10 points, give this name of a river in Vietnam and two in North America, one of which forms the border of Texas and Oklahoma.
A: Red River
Q: It's not California, but this state's Ocala National Park contains some of the northernmost remaining colonies of an endemic species of scrub-jay. The largest island in an archipelago in this state is home to an endangered subspecies of white-tailed deer. That island chain is also home to populations of the largest native reptile in North America. The (*) Kissimmee river empties into this state's largest lake, which in turn empties into a national park threatened by an invasive variety of python. That lake's name derives from a Seminole word meaning "River of Grass." For 10 points, name this state that contains Key Largo, Lake Okeechobee, and the Everglades.
A: Florida
Q: This state's Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on an ocean island in the continental US. This is the closest U.S. state to Africa, and its Aroostook County was the subject of a bloodless "war" with Canada. This state's Mount Desert Island contains (*) Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England. The "Pine Tree State" is, for 10 points, what easternmost state of the lower 48?
A: Maine
Q: A Chinese province whose name contains this number is the namesake of a spice made from the fruit of the Prickly Ash tree. That province, whose capital is Chengdu, is named after this number of rivers. Lake Michigan and Lake Erie each border this many US States. Despite the literal translation of "coiced" ["COY-geth"] as "fifths," (*) Ireland only has this many traditional provinces. Excluding the Ryukyu islands, Japan has this many main islands. The United Kingdom consists of this many constituent countries. For ten points, Utah borders New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona at a "tetrapoint" named for how many corners?
A: four (accept si)
Q: In Turkey, this substance is mixed with water and salt to produce the beverage ayran. So-called "Greek" chicken uses this substance as the bulk of its marinade. This substance is mixed with cucumber and mint to produce the South Asian condiment raita. This substance is mixed with (*) spices, water, and sometimes fruit to produce a lassi. This substance is the central ingredient of tzatziki. A strained, protein-rich variety of this substance is marketed in the United States as "Greek" style. For 10 points, name this goop produced when cultures like L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus ferment milk.
A: yogurt [or curd, or dahi]
Q: Three Hawaiians who died while exploring this present-day state are the namesake of this state's Owyhee County. This state's capital has the highest concentration of Basques in America. George M. Willing falsely claimed a Native American origin for this state's name, which he actually just made up. This state contains the ski town of Coeur d'Alene ["kor duh-LANE"] and otherworldly lava fields at the (*) Craters of the Moon. This state is the westernmost to contain a portion of Yellowstone National Park. The city of Pocatello is in, for 10 points, what "Gem State" known for its potatoes with capital at Boise?
A: Idaho
Q: Keweenaw Peninsula in this state was the site of the first copper boom in American history. Part of this state's international border runs through Lake St. Clair, which lies northeast of this state's largest city. A ban on motor vehicles in this state's (*) Mackinac Island makes it a top tourist destination, along with this state's winter sports hub of Traverse City. Residents of cities like Sault Ste. Marie [soo saint ma-REE] and Marquette in the Upper Peninsula of this state are affectionately known as Yoopers. For 10 points, name this Great Lakes state, with its capital at Lansing.
A: Michigan
Q: An island whose English name contains this word celebrates a holiday dedicated to the Patagonian Toothfish. That island and the South Sandwich islands form the southernmost British Overseas Territory outside of Antarctica. It's not Portugal, but a country with this name roughly corresponds to the smaller of two regions historically called Iberia. That country claims sovereignty over the regions of Abkhazia ["abb-KAZZ-ia"] and South (*) Ossetia. Stone Mountain is in a state with this name that also contains the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic. For 10 points, what name is shared by a country with capital Tbilisi and a state with capital Atlanta?
A: Georgia [accept South Georgia; prompt on South before "country"; prompt on Sakartvelo]
Q: This island takes its name from a word meaning "the place for gathering sticks." In 1858, land on this island was developed according to the Greensward Plan. This island's limited-access areas include the Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary and its largest body of water, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. This island's eastern shoreline is occupied by (*) FDR Drive, whose southern terminus is at Battery Park. This island is connected to an eastern neighbor by the Williamsburg Bridge, and it's connected to the mainland by the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels. The East and Hudson Rivers flow past-for 10 points-what densely-populated island home to Central Park?
A: Manhattan Island [prompt on New York]
Q: This river's headwaters are found in the Bayan Har Mountains, and softshell turtles native to this river's basin are often eaten in soup. The basin of this river, whose largest tributary is the Wei, was the birthplace of a civilization that used tortoise shells and the shoulder blades of oxen to create (*) "oracle bones." This river carries large amounts of silt where it descends from the Loess Plateau. This river, which is nicknamed its nation's "Sorrow," was linked to another river to the south by a Grand Canal built during the Sui dynasty. For 10 points, name this colorfully-named river, the second longest in China after the Yangtze.
A: Yellow River [or Huang He]
Q: Many of this city's houses appear to lean forward, and a medieval property tax caused its houses to be characteristically tall and skinny. In this home of the Museum of the Tropics, a medieval religious community surrounds a courtyard called the Begijnhof [beh-GINE-hoff]. Philips is headquartered in this city, whose Jordaan neighborhood is popular for walking. There is almost one (*) bicycle for every person in this city, which is served by the Schiphol airport. Its Rijksmuseum [RIKES-"museum"] sits next to one of its many canals. This city is home to many cannabis-selling "coffeeshops" in its red light district of De Wallen. For 10 points, name this capital of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: A "strictly protected" reserve in this region saw the reintroduction of the previously extinct Przewalski horse. A legendary creature said to live in this region is described as "shaped like a sausage about two feet long" in On the Trail of Ancient Man. The author of that book, explorer Roy Chapman Andrews, claimed to have been the first to discover (*) dinosaur eggs on an expedition into this region. A "death worm" is alleged to reside in this region. This region is bounded to the north by the Altai Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau to the southwest. For 10 points, name this desert that covers a large swath of northern China and southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: A planned town located within this city is modeled on English architecture and is named "Thames Town." The Puhui River (poo-hway) runs through the Qibao (chee-bow) Old Town in this city, and the Nanxiang Bun Shop in this city is famous for this city's namesake soup dumplings. The 88-story Jinmao Tower is located in this city, which is served by Hongqiao (Hong-chee-ow) International Airport. On one side of the Lupu Bridge in this city is the (*) Pudong District, and Jing'an Temple is located on this city's Nanjing Road. A famous section of Zhongshan Road in this city near the Huangpu (Hoo-ong-poo) River is known to locals as the waitan. A famous TV tower in this city has two large spheres and a long antenna spire. That building, the Oriental Pearl Tower, is located across from the Bund in this city. For 10 points, name this city at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the most populous in China.
A: Shanghai
Q: When discovered by the Dutch, this U.S. river was known as the North River, despite the name only applying to the southernmost portion of this river. The source of this river is Lake Tear of the Clouds, a small lake on the southern face of Mt. Marcy, the highest point of Adirondack High Peaks. The tidal estuary of this river extends as far north as the (*) Federal Dam in Troy and discharges around the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. West Point overlooks this river, prior to entering the city of Yonkers. For 10 points, name this New York river, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean at New York City.
A: Hudson River
Q: The Jim Thompson House, located in this city's district of Pathum Wan, is a popular tourist destination due to its importance in this city's silk trade. Rattanakosin Island, this city's historical and cultural center, contains the City Pillar Shrine, the home of this city's lak mueang, or city deity. The (*) Chao Phraya River, which flows north to south through this capital city, also passes the Grand Palace, which was originally constructed in 1782. The district of Patpong in this city is infamous for its red-light districts, despite being illegal. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian city, the capital of Thailand.
A: Bangkok [or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon]
Q: An island in this body of water speaks an antiquated 17th century dialect of English. That island, Tangier Island, is at risk of being swamped by rising sea levels. The port of Havre de Grace is the northern end of this body of water, and this body of water's southern end is marked by the estuaries of the (*) Rappahannock River. One state's eastern shore is formed by its coastline on this body of water. This bay, noted for its crab industry, receives rivers such as the Susquehanna, Potomac, and Delaware. For 10 points, name this bay that separates the Delmarva Peninsula from the remainder of Maryland and also borders Virginia.
A: Chesapeake Bay
Q: The teal carpet design in this city's airport gained a cult following, going so far as to be used on a sneaker design by Adidas, which is based in this city. This city's Washington Park holds its Japanese Garden as well as the International Rose Test Garden. Bridges in this city include the recently-constructed Tilikum Crossing, which is restricted to use by public transit and pedestrians. This city is home to America's largest independent bookstore, (*) Powell's City of Books. This city, which was named for the largest city in Maine, is located across a river from Vancouver, Washington. The confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers is the site of, for 10 points, what city overlooked by Mount Hood, Oregon's largest city?
A: Portland, Oregon [do NOT accept or prompt on "Portland, Maine"]
Q: Tourist attractions in this region include the Sign Post Forest and the "World's Largest Weathervane," an entire Douglas DC-3 aircraft on a rotating pedestal. Visitors to the Sourdough Saloon can try the Sourtoe Cocktail, seasoned with a preserved amputated human toe, in one town in this region. This region's capital is home to a 58-foot-tall, three-story "log skyscraper" which was built during a housing shortage caused by an influx of workers on a World War II project to build a (*) road to Alaska. Tourists in this territory's Kluane National Park can visit Canada's highest mountain, Mount Logan. This territory's town of Dawson City contains historic buildings built during the Klondike Gold Rush. For 10 points, name this westernmost Canadian territory, whose capital and largest city is Whitehorse.
A: Yukon
Q: The Perito Moreno Glacier, located in this country, is one of the only glaciers in the world that is currently expanding instead of shrinking. Rawson is the capital of this country's Chubut province, which is notable for its large population of Welsh speakers. This country's city of Rosario is on the Parana River, which forms part of its natural boundary with (*) Paraguay. This country's Mendoza Province contains the tallest mountain in the western hemisphere, Aconcagua. Uruguay, Brazil, and this country all contain low-lying grasslands known as the Pampas. For 10 points, Buenos Aires is the capital of which South American country?
A: Argentina [or Argentine Republic]
Q: Tourists of this territory often visit a sharp black limestone formation surrounded by verdant landscape, known as "Hell". Local legend claims that this territory's best-known feature originated after villagers near Gun Bay rescued a son of George III during the Wreck of the Ten Sail. Because this archipelago's laws (emphasize) introduced a concept called an SPC, it is often the ultimate destination of the "Double Irish with a Dutch Sandwich" strategy, much like Jersey and (*) Bermuda. Like Guyana, the capital of this British overseas territory is called George Town, which is found on the "Grand" one of its three constituent islands. A type of crocodilian lends its name to, for 10 points, what Caribbean archipelago, which is home to many shell corporations due to its reputation as a tax haven?
A: Cayman Islands [or Caymans; accept Grand Cayman]
Q: The first rogue wave to be recorded by a measurement device occurred off the coast of this country. A Russian expatriate mining community in this country was devastated by the 1996 crash of a Vnukovo Airlines flight into its Operafjellet ["opera-fyel-let"] mountain, which was chartered by Arktikugol. The Galdhøpiggen ["gahld-hoe-pig-in"] and Glittertind peaks are the highest in its (*) Jotunheim ["yoh-toon-haym"] National Park. This non-Russia country's abandoned settlement of Pyramiden is home to the northernmost statue of Vladimir Lenin in the world. The city of Longyearbyen ["long-year-bue-en"] is the capital of this country's northern island of Svalbard. The Sognefjord ["sog-na-fyord"] is the largest of the many fjords of, for 10 points, what Scandinavian country led from Oslo?
A: Norway [or Norge]
Q: A buried message in this country mentioning the Branch Davidian church was found near the head of a nearly 2-mile-long geoglyph which mysteriously appeared in 1998 and is nicknamed "Marree Man." This country's 1844-foot-high Ball's Pyramid is the only remaining habitat of the Lord Howe stick insect. Mount Olga is the highest of the sandstone-covered domes which make up this country's Kata Tjuta ["choo-tah"] rock formation. This country's town of Coober Pedy, an (*) opal-mining center, is known for its underground houses. "The Ghan," a train crossing this country, has its northern terminus in Darwin after passing through the city of Alice Springs. For 10 points, name this country whose "outback" is home to animals like dingos and kangaroos.
A: Australia
Q: A town in this state was officially renamed "PhinDeli Town Buford" between 2013 and 2019 after two unidentified Vietnamese men bought it in an online auction. This state's town of Thermopolis claims to be the home of "The World's Largest Mineral Hot Springs." One large igneous landmark in this state was said by Native Americans to have been carved by bear claws. A famous pre-Columbian medicine wheel is located in the (*) Bighorn Mountains in the north-central area of this state. A state park and a dam across the Shoshone River in this state are named for Buffalo Bill, as is a nearby city, Cody. Devils Tower is located in, for 10 points, what least populous US state, home to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park?
A: Wyoming
Q: The babirusa is a tusked pig species native to parts of this country. This country is roughly divided by a fauna boundary line named after Alfred Wallace. Four peninsulas make up much of the landmass of this country's island of Sulawesi. A long-term volcanic winter may have been caused by the explosion of this country's (*) Mount Toba 75,000 years ago. This country's tallest point, Puncak Jaya, is found on the easternmost of its islands, New Guinea. The Strait of Malacca separates this country's island of Sumatra from its neighbor Malaysia. For ten points, name this Southeast Asian country whose island of Java is the site of its capital of Jakarta.
A: Republic of Indonesia
Q: According to legend, a black counterpart to this structure was meant to be built near it across the Yamuna River. A long rectangular pool is in front of this structure, which includes four minaret towers on its corners. This structure in the city of (*) Agra was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz. For 10 points, name this large, white Indian mausoleum.
A: the Taj Mahal
Q: This country's Darien Gap is a thick section of rainforest impassable by roads which makes it impossible to drive between North America and South America. This country's artificial Lake Gatun was created to serve as the highest point of a (*) waterway which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. For 10 points, name this Central American country which contains a namesake canal.
A: Republic of Panama [or Republica de Panama]
Q: It's not in Italy, but this city is home to a chicken and potato dish cooked in white wine and olive oil known as chicken Vesuvio. This non-Puerto Rican city is home to a steak sandwich made with aioli and tomato and served on fried and pressed green plantains. In addition to the jibarito, this city is home to a brewery that makes the 312 wheat ale is located on its namesake (*) Goose Island. One of this city's most iconic dishes is said to be "dragged through the garden" due to the amount of toppings it has. Italian immigrants in this city invented a roast beef sandwich served au jus with sweet peppers. Those dishes are this city's style of hot dogs and the Italian beef sandwich. For 10 points, name this midwestern city famous for its namesake kind of deep dish pizza.
A: Chicago
Q: The highest peak of this peninsula is Mount Baekdu, and this peninsula's northern boundary is demarcated by the Yalu River. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, the two countries on this peninsula fielded a (*) unified women's hockey team. The DMZ separates the Northern and Southern halves of, for 10 points, what peninsula in Asia that contains the cities of Pyongyang and Seoul?
A: Korean peninsula [or Hanbando, or Hanguk, or Choson; do NOT accept or prompt on North Korea or South Korea, since those are countries and not a peninsula]
Q: The main road from this region to its country's capital passes through the mountain town of Sinaia, which was the site of a 1933 assassination at its train station as well as the royal Peles["peh-lesh"] Castle. Darjiu ["dar-zhee-oo"] and Prejmer ["prayzh-mayr"] are among the cities in this region which are the sites of Saxon fortified churches. This region's Covasna and Harghita counties make up most of Szekely ["SEE-kay"] Land , and its largest city is (*) Cluj ["kloozh"]. This region's southern and eastern borders are formed by the Carpathian Mountains. This region's Bran Castle is often referred to as "Dracula's Castle" as part of a tourism marketing campaign. For 10 points, name this northwestern region of Romania known for its popular association with vampires.
A: Transylvania [or Ardeal, or Erdely]
Q: It's not Brazil, but this region's Luquillo Mountains are home to a namesake Amazon parrot. A mix of islands and cays including Culebra and Vieques are located off the eastern coast of this island. An endemic species of frog known as coqui are located in this island's El Yunque National Forest. This island's central region is home to (*) Arecibo Observatory, one of the world's largest radio telescopes. The successive 2017 natural disasters of Hurricane Irma and Maria damaged much of the infrastructure on this island. For ten points name this island territory of the United States, with capital San Juan.
A: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico [accept Boriken]
Q: A national park in this state includes a ceremonial structure and astronomical observatory known as the Sun Temple. This state's namesake Black Canyon is formed by the Gunnison River. The tallest sand dunes in North America are located adjacent to the Sangre de Cristo Range at this state's (*) Great Sand Dunes National Park. Massive cliff dwellings can be found at Cliff Palace in the southwestern corner of this state at Mesa Verde National Park. "Fourteeners" in this state including Longs Peak can be found in its Rocky Mountain National Park. For ten points, name this state where one can view Pikes Peak from its capital of Denver.
A: Colorado
Q: Ports on this body of water include Dhahran and Dammam. It's not a river, but small sects like the Mandeans historically inhabited marshes around this body of water. The oil-rich Khuzestan province borders this body of water. A group of islands shaped like the (*) countries of the world are located in this body of water. The Shatt al-Arab waterway, which forms an international border, flows into this body of water, and the Strait of Hormuz is its only outlet. A "Cooperation Council" named for this body of water includes countries like Oman and Qatar. For 10 points, what gulf separates Iran from the Arabian Peninsula?
A: Persian Gulf
Q: The results of this phenomenon in Amazonia were incorporated into terra preta. Baba Gurgur, named for this phenomenon, was surpassed in one metric by Ghawar in the 1940s. This phenomenon names "mountains" found at Yanar Dag and the Ateshgah of Baku and occurs due to certain nearby "fields." This process has occurred since 1971 at the "Gate of (*) Hell" in Turkmenistan. Swidden relies on inducing this phenomenon in "slashed" matter. Small instances of this phenomenon preserve old-growth and prevent larger instances of it by removing kindling. For 10 points, Smokey Bear publicized the dangers of what phenomenon in forests?
A: fire [accept descriptions of things burning and clear equivalents]
Q: The Phu Phan Mountains divide this country's Khorat Plateau into two basins in its eastern Isan region. The Tenasserim Mountains run north-south along a thin land bridge this nation shares with its western neighbor. This country's historically important city of Chiang Mai in the north lost a bid to host the 2020 World Expo to a city in this country on the Chao Praya River, Ayutthaya. This nation shares the Isthmus of Kra with Myanmar. FTP name this Southeast Asian nation with capitol Bangkok.
A: Thailand
Q: The largest invasive species eradication project ever planned is this region's ongoing attempt to control an invasive beaver population. An 1884 gold rush in this region led to a large influx of Croatian immigrants and the genocide of the Selk'nam people. A dictionary of the Yaghan language was published in the city of (*) Ushuaia ["oosh-WHY-uh"] in this region. A 20th-century oil discovery in this region led to the Beagle conflict and contributed to Chile's support for the British in the Falklands War. Sometimes called the "end of the world," this archipelago is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, name this "land of fire" off the coast of South America.
A: Tierra del Fuego [prompt on Patagonia; prompt on Chile before "Ushuaia" is read; prompt on Argentina before "Darwin" is read]
Q: This only mosquito-free country is also the world's northernmost producer of bananas. Tourists to this country may visit its highest point of Skaftafell, and travel on the Ring Road. This country contains the cities of Vik, as well as the Dettifoss Waterfall. In 1963 near this country's Westman Islands, a (*) volcanic eruption created the island of Surtsey. The geothermal Blue Lagoon Spa is in this country, which uses 100% renewable energy. This country's Althing is the world's oldest legislative body. For 10 points, name this Nordic island country governed from Reykjavik.
A: Iceland
Q: The Huallata is a duck-like creature known as the "goose" of this mountain range. Another animal common to this mountain range is the camelid called the Vicuna. The highest known crater lake is found on top of the stratovolcano called Ojos del Salado in this range. The range's southern portions were created by the subduction of the Nazca plate, resulting in its tallest peak, Aconcagua. FTP what is this range running down the western edge of South America?
A: Andes Mountains
Q: The high school magazine Foxfire published oral histories from people in this mountain range. The mixed-race Melungeon people live in parts of this mountain range. Its subranges include the Tuscarora and Pocono mountains, and the southern terminus of a famous (*) path in this range is Springer Mountain. This range's highest point is Mount Mitchell, and it includes the Blue Ridge Mountains. Encompassing the Allegheny Mountains, for 10 points, name this mountain chain of the Eastern United States stretching from Georgia to Maine.
A: Appalachian Mountains [prompt on Allegheny before "Springer" is read with "be less specific"]
Q: This city is home to a row of statues which shows such figures as Charlie Chaplin and Mother Teresa wielding RPGs and machine guns. This city's downtown is home to the historical Tower Theater and Adrienne Arsht Center opera house. This city is home to a controversial soccer stadium project funded by David Beckham to be finished in 2018. In March of every year, this city celebrates the Calle Ocho festival. Suburbs of this city include Sweetwater and Kendall, both of which were the most devastated areas of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. For 10 points, identify this largest city in Dade County, Florida.
A: Miami
Q: The town of Hokitika, on this island's west coast, was site of an 1860s gold rush, and the nearby Arahura River is still a major source of pounamu, or greenstone. North of Hokitika is Greymouth, the western terminus of the Tranzalpine Railway, which provides views of Aoraki, this island's highest point. The wine-producing region of Marlborough is in this island's north, near its resort beach city of Nelson. The Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers lie at the south of this island, west of the southernmost extent of the Southern Alps. Christchurch is the largest city on what island, FTP, which with North Island comprises New Zealand?
A: South Island (prompt on "New Zealand" before end, but look unhappy about it)
Q: The Soca River begins in Triglav National Park in the eastern part of this mountain range. The Salzach flows north of this range whose central eastern subrange contains Hohe Tauern, which in turn contains the Grossglockner. The world's longest non-metro land tunnel, or (*) Lotschberg Base Tunnel, cuts beneath the Bernese subrange of these mountains. Meltwater from the Aletsch Glacier in these mountains feeds the Rhone River, and the Rhine also has its source in this range. These mountains contains the highest points in France and Italy. For 10 points, name this highest mountain range entirely in Europe, home to Mont Blanc.
A: The Alps (accept specific subranges like "Julian Alps," "Eastern Alps," "Central Eastern Alps," etc.)
Q: Artifacts discovered in this country depict the Oculate Being, which possesses huge eyes. Julio Tello discovered monoliths depicting severed heads at the Cerro Sechin site in this country. Chan Chan and Chavin de Huantar are other archeological sites in this country. Thousands of animal figures and straight lines that extend for miles are found in this country and were created by the Nazca culture. Yale professor Hiram Bingham rediscovered the ruins of a "lost city" in this country. For 10 points, name this country where Machu Picchu is home to many Inca artifacts.
A: Peru
Q: The Chagga people live near this mountain, which contains Stella Point. This mountain's highest point was named for King Wilhelm II during its country's colonial period. Visitors to this mountain pass the Barranco Wall, and a landslide on this mountain created the Western Breach. The Furtwangler Glacier is on this volcano, whose (*) three cones are Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo. The border between British and German East Africa was adjusted to place this mountain on the German side. The highest free-standing mountain in the world is, for 10 points, what stratovolcano in Tanzania?
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: Mount Melbourne and Berlin are active volcanoes on this landmass. The American Highland is a region of this landmass featuring a large number of exposed rocky surfaces called nunataks. The Sentinel Range runs along this landmass and culminates near a peninsula called Graham Land. That peninsula's eastern coast is on the Weddell Sea. The highest point on this landmass is named for a Georgia senator. Vinson Massif is the tallest mountain on, FTP, what continent governed by seven countries and featuring the Ross Ice Shelf.
A: Antarctica
Q: This state's flag depicts its state bird "in her piety" feeding three of its young. The Calcasieu River is in this state's Kisatchie National Forest, and the Sabine River makes up this state's border with its western neighbor. A former salt mine on this state's Avery Island is where Tabasco sauce is manufactured. Lake Maurepas and Lake (*) Pontchartrain are in this state, which is divided into 64 parishes. A dish from this state contains spiced meat or shellfish mixed with vegetables in a thick soup. Gumbo and other Cajun dishes are from, for 10 points, what US state containing the city of New Orleans.
A: Louisiana
Q: This city's Frontier Closed Area can only be accessed with a police permit. A "walled city" located inside this city had a dense enough network of staircases and tunnels that one could walk across it without touching the ground. This city is home to the 4th tallest building in the world, the International Commerce Centre, and a (*) Disneyland in this city is located on Lan Tau Island.regions in this city include the New Territories and Kowloon. This city located at the mouth of the Pearl River was handed over to a colonial power after the Opium Wars. For ten points, name this city that was transferred from Britain to China in 1997.
A: Hong Kong
Q: This country's village of Karasjok ["kah-RAH-shok"] is home to the largest national branch of the indigenous Samediggi ["SAM-eh-DIG-gee"] parliament. Located in the same county is the town of Kirkenes ["SHEER-keh-ness"], the northern end of this country's daily Hurtigruten ["HOOR-tee-ROOT-en"] shipping line. This country finances the world's single largest sovereign wealth fund with revenue from its oil industry. The (*) Troldhaugen museum is in this country's "city of seven mountains," Bergen, which was its largest city until Christiania overtook it. This country's largest island is Spitsbergen, the chief member of its Svalbard archipelago. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country known for its fjords, whose capital is Oslo.
A: Norway [or Kingdom of Norway; or Kongeriket Norge]
Q: [NOTE TO MODERATOR: Please review answerline carefully before reading] The red-roofed city of Kotor is a popular cruise destination on this body of water. Gold, silver, bronze, and iron name the gates of a palace in ancient Salona on this body of water. The port of Rijeka lies on this body of water's Istrian Peninsula. The Strait of (*) Otranto separates this sea from the Ionian Sea, while its northern end is at the Gulf of Trieste. Split and Dubrovnik lie on this sea's northern coast, in Dalmatia. Montenegro and Croatia lie on, for 10 points, what arm of the Mediterranean that divides Italy from the Balkan Peninsula?
A: Adriatic Sea [accept Mare Adriaticum or Mare Superum; prompt on Mediterranean Sea with "be more specific"; do NOT accept or prompt on "Ionian (Sea)" or "Aegean (Sea)" or other branches of the Mediterranean]
Q: One statue in this city depicts a famous author sitting on the shoulders of an empty suite and is based off of his first novel, Amerika. According to legend, a skeleton figure nods as an omen of bad times if a certain clock in this city stops running; that clock is the world's oldest astronomical clock. The (*) Pisek Gate is located in this city's Hradcany neighborhood and this city's Wenceslas Square was the site of demonstrations during the Velvet Revolution. Other attractions in this city include the Dancing House, the Franz Kafka museum, and Charles Bridge, which crosses the Vltava River. For 10 points, name this capital of the Czech Republic.
A: Prague, Czech Republic
Q: This state was the origination point of the freight train that exploded in Lac-Megantic in 2013. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in this state, which is home to the center of the North American continent. Garrison Dam is located on the Missouri River in this state, and the city of Grand Forks contains its namesake university. This state is divided from its eastern neighbor by the Red River of the North, and is home to a source of shale oil called the Bakken formation. The capital of this state is named for a former German chancellor. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Minot, Fargo, and Bismarck.
A: North Dakota
Q: A European landowner class called prazeiros came to prominence after establishing farms on this river. The Shire [SHEE-ray] and Kafue are among the largest tributaries of this river. This river flows through a landmark whose native name, Mosi-oa-tunya, translates to "the smoke that thunders". The (*) Kariba and Cahora Bassa Dams are on this river, which also forms the eastern boundary of the Caprivi Strip in Namibia. This river is the longest that flows into the Mozambique Channel. For 10 points, name this river on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border that flows through Victoria Falls.
A: Zambezi River
Q: Ancient Levantine cities built from this substance are elevated on characteristic "tells." Lahars [lah-HARZ] are volcanic events involving violent movements of this substance. Shale is one example of a class of sedimentary rocks named for this substance. Azerbaijan contains half of the world's "volcanoes" named for this substance, which produce not lava but slurry. The largest building made of (*) "bricks" named for this substance is the Great Mosque of Djenne; the Spanish word for such bricks is adobe. "Flows" of this substance occur when a steep slope is oversaturated. For 10 points, name this substance formed when soil mixes with water.
A: mud [accept mudbrick; prompt on soil or clay on first line]
Q: This body of water was formed during a glacial retreat 10,000 years ago, when Lake Minong absorbed its western neighbor. Copper deposits around this body of water were most extensively mined on its Keweenaw Peninsula. French Jesuit missionaries referred to this body of water as Lac Tracy, while its Ojibwe name is (*) Gichi-Gami. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in this lake near its arm of Whitefish Bay, which drains into the St. Marys River between the two cross-border cities of Sault Sainte Marie ["SOO-saint-muh-REE"]. The cities of Thunder Bay and Duluth and the island of Isle Royale abut, for 10 points, what largest of the Great Lakes?
A: Lake Superior [accept Gichi-Gami or Kitchi-Gami before "Gichi-Gami" is read]
Q: This country is home to the world's second deepest canyon, Colca Canyon, as well as the highest permanent settlement in the world, the gold-mining town of La Rinconada. Mount Huascaran is in this country, whose second largest city is Arequipa. This country controls the rainforest town of (*) Iquitos, as well as the western portion of Lake Titicaca, located in the Altiplano. A collection of large geoglyphs made by the ancient Nazca civilization is in this country. For 10 points, name this South American country whose other attractions include the Incan sites of Cuzco and Machu Picchu.
A: Peru
Q: The Gulf of San Jorge encompasses this country's port city of Comodoro Rivadavia. A city within this country was the site of the largest freshwater oil spill in history; that city was Magdalena. It's not Spain, but this country's Mar Chiquita lies in its Cordoba province. Passing through this country's city of (*) Corrientes, the Parana River is part of the natural border between this country and Paraguay. This nation's tallest mountain is Aconcagua, and the Mapuche tribe inhabits its pampas and Patagonia regions. For 10 points, name this South American country that borders Chile and Brazil with capital at Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina [accept Argentine Republic]
Q: The source of this river is commonly held to be Lake Tear of the Clouds, but Henderson Lake is its cartographic beginning. The Walkway over this river has been the world's longest footbridge since 2010. Springwood is an estate in Hyde Park, a town on the east bank of this river. The (*) Mohawk is the longest tributary of this river, which forms the Tappan Zee west of Sleepy Hollow. This river is actually a tidal estuary below the Federal Dam at Troy, which is often incorrectly referred to as the first lock of the Erie Canal. For 10 points, name this river, which flows west of Manhattan before emptying into New York Harbor.
A: Hudson River
Q: The closing of what is now this waterway in the Miocene Epoch led to desiccation in a nearby sea known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The foothills of the Baetic Cordillera lie on the northern shore of this waterway and include El Estrecho Natural Park. Its southern shore includes an exclave belonging to the nation the lies across it, one of only two locations where the EU has a land border with Africa. Ceuta (thee-oota) abuts Morocco on the southern shore of what narrow body of water, FTP, a strait separating Africa from Spain.
A: Strait of Gibraltar
Q: This country's town of Tinerhir ("TIN-gur") has grown as tourists flock to nearby Todra Gorge. A replica Colosseum used to film Gladiator is in the world's largest film studio in this country. A medieval city in this country entered through the Blue Gate is home to al-Qarawiyyin ("al-KAH-lah-wee-in"), the world's oldest university. Caravans once passed through the Telouet ("TELL-oo-ay") Kasbah in an (*) Amazigh ("ah-mah-ZICK")-controlled part of this country. This kingdom's Toubkal National Park contains the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains. This country surrounds the autonomous city of Ceuta ("THOO-tah"), the closest point between it and Spain. A tasseled hat also called a tarboosh is usually named for this country's city of Fez. For 10 points, name this North African country home to Casablanca and Rabat.
A: Morocco [or Kingdom of Morocco]
Q: A plan to introduce lions from this country to Iran in 1977 was successfully blocked by locals around Arzhan National Park. The Chambal River drains the eastern slopes of the Aravalli Hills in this country. A city in this country is the namesake of a type of riding pants and is nicknamed the "Blue City." The world's only sources of diamonds were in this country until 1726; its city of (*) Surat is still a center for diamond polishing today. The city of Cherrapunji in the state of Meghalaya in this country is a contender for the rainiest place on Earth. The Narmada River is the traditional cultural dividing line between this country's North and its Dravidian South. For 10 points, identify this country governed from New Delhi, the world's second most populous.
A: (Republic of) India [or Bharatiya Ganarajya]
Q: The Three-North Shelterbelt Program was created to curb the desertification of this desert. The world's only desert-dwelling bear lives in this desert, along with other wildlife such as the Bactrian camel and Marble Polecats. The eastern steppes of this desert also hosts the Yin Mountains, while the Tian Shan Mountains separate this desert's Dzungarian basin from the Taklamakan Desert. For 10 points, name this East Asian desert that lies in Northwestern China and Southern Mongolia
A: Gobi Desert
Q: An unfinished castle that is now a tourist attraction in this country was built by the Scottish plantation owner William Kellie. That castle is near a city that is home to a historic street called Concubine Lane and to many buildings and an airport named after Azlan Shah. Northam Road is a commercial hub in a city in this country founded by Francis Light. This Asian country's second largest city, George Town, was founded by the British East India Company on (*) Penang Island. From 1998 to 2004, the world's tallest building was one that Cesar Pelli designed for this country's oil company Petronas. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Kuala Lumpur.
A: Malaysia
Q: A museum in this metropolis was founded by the British-Armenian oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. Poets in this city frequented a cafe in its Chiado [shee-AH-doo] neighborhood, whose Bertrand bookstore is the oldest bookstore in the world. Pastel de nata is an egg tart originating from a part of this city where its iconic Tower of Belem is located. This city built the longest bridge in Europe for its hosting of Expo 98. (*) Humberto Delgado Airport serves this city, whose lower town, or Baixa [BYE-shah], is named after the Marquess of Pombal. This port lies on the mouth of the Tagus River, which the longest in Iberia. For 10 points, what city is the capital of Portugal?
A: Lisbon [or Lisboa]
Q: This body of water is home to most of the world's largest offshore wind farms. A sandbank in this body of water gives its name to the hypothetical land bridge Doggerland. This body of water is the west end of the Kiel Canal. The Brent field in this body of water produces the leading price benchmark for the world's (*) oil. This body of water lies to the west of the Heligoland Bight and the Skagerrak. This sea is bounded to the north by the Shetlands and Orkneys. The English Channel sits between the west end of this sea and the Atlantic. For 10 points, name this sea between Britain and Scandinavia.
A: North Sea
Q: In this location, Lake Untersee, which is located in the Queen Maud Land region, was the site of a NASA mission to investigate its highly alkaline waters. The highest point on this landmass is Vinson Massif, and its McMurdo Sound shares its name with this landmass's largest (*) scientific base. Lake Vostok is located on this landmass, and Ross Island, which lies off its coast, houses the active volcano Mount Erebus. This landmass contains 70% of the world's fresh water in the form of ice. For 10 points, name this least populous continent that contains the South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: Mount Massive is ironically the second highest peak in this mountain range, which contains the sources of the Blaeberry and Athabasca Rivers. Subranges of these mountains include the Salish and Wind River ranges. Kicking Horse Pass houses a railroad in Yoho National Park in this range that straddles the (*) Continental Divide. This range predominates in Banff, Glacier, and Grand Teton National Parks. For 10 points, name this mountain range containing Pikes Peak which runs through western Canada and the United States.
A: Rocky Mountains [accept Rockies]
Q: This modern country is home to Fort Jesus, built in 1596 by the Portuguese. An early president of this country advocated unity through working together, or harambee. The well-preserved skeleton of a hominid boy from a million and a half years ago was named for this country's Lake Turkana. Its capital is home to a 2.5 million-person slum called Kibera, and its namesake (*) mountain is the second-highest in Africa. This country is home to the Luo and Kikuyu peoples. This country's southern neighbor, Tanzania, is also home to its Maasai people. For 10 points, name this East African country whose cities include Mombasa and Nairobi.
A: Republic of Kenya
Q: This river is divided in half by the Khone Falls. This river's basin is home to an Iron Age burial site called the Plain of Jars. In Yunnan, this river briefly flows parallel to and between the Yangtze and the Salween. Many people who live along this river worship a giant catfish found in it. This river receives a (*) river-lake that flows backwards during the monsoon season. The Tonle Sap flows into this river, which flows past Vientiane en route to the South China Sea. For 10 points, name this river that flows past Ho Chi Minh City and the capitals of Laos and Cambodia, the main river of Southeast Asia.
A: MekongRiver
Q: The Rau River arises on this mountain's slopes, and the Mweka trail can be used to descend from its summit. Stella Point is located on this mountain, whose ancient lava flows created the Great Barranco Wall and the Western Breach. The Furtwangler and Rebmann glaciers are both receding ice masses atop this mountain, which was first scaled by Ludwig Purtscheller and Hans Meyer. This (*) dormant volcano has the three volcanic cones Kibo, Shira, and Mawenzi, and its summit is known as Uhuru peak. For ten points, identify this mountain located near the border of Tanzania and Kenya, the highest in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: Jardine Matheson fires a cannon every day at noon in this city's Causeway Bay neighborhood. Only the Yamen building remains from this area's notoriously crime-ridden "walled city," which was torn down in 1995. Residents use Octopus cards to ride the MTR subway in this city, which is home to the Big Buddha and Star Ferry. This city's regions include the New Territories and Kowloon, and its features include (*) HSBC headquarters and Victoria Peak. This Cantonese-speaking city lies on the Pearl River delta opposite Macau. For 10 points, name this special administrative zone in Southern China that was once leased by the U.K.
A: Hong Kong [accept Xiang Gang]
Q: Nazi engineers designed the Varda Viaduct along one of this country's main rail lines, which traverses the Taurus Mountains on the way to Adana. That mountain range lies to the south of the Pontic Mountains, which lie on this country's northern coast. The Atakule Tower gives a view of Kocatepe Mosque in this country's capital, and its largest city features the harbor of Yenikapi where "millions" reportedly rallied behind the Justice and Development Party after an event that closed that city's Fatih (*) Sultan Mehmet bridge and Bosporus Bridges. For ten points, name this country on the Anatolian peninsula whose most populous city is Istanbul.
A: Republic of Turkey [or Turkiye Cumhuriyeti]
Q: This state was once dominated by the appropriately-named Anaconda Copper Mining Company. The Crow Nation is officially named for living in this state. A city in this state is named for being near a smallish mountain with steep sides and a flat top. A huge reservoir in this state is formed by Fort (*) Peck Dam. The flight of the Nez Perce began and ended in this state, and Custer made his "last stand" at the Little Bighorn River in this state. This state is home to Glacier National Park and the northernmost part of Yellowstone National Park. The source of the Missouri is in this state, whose university is located in Missoula. For 10 points, name this large state with capital Helena.
A: Montana
Q: The Sepulveda Dam lies on a river in this state that originates at Canoga Park. The northern part of this state is home to Suisun Bay, which is located at the confluence of this state's longest river and the San Joaquin river. Potato Harbor is located on one of this state's eight Channel Islands, and its largest city lies in the San Fernando Valley. This state's highest peak, Mount (*) Whitney, is located partly in Sequoia National Park, famous for its giant redwoods. The Salton Sea lies in this state's southern part, where the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin, can be found. The border between this state and Nevada contains the largest alpine lake in the continent, Lake Tahoe. For ten points, name this U.S. state that contains San Francisco and Los Angeles.
A: California
Q: It's not Lake Nicaragua, but the Bull shark is endemic to and sometimes named for this body of water. The Mopane tree and a namesake woodland biome grow near this body of water. This river splits into the Muselo, Inhamissengo, and Melambe Rivers. The Kabompo and Lungwebungu Rivers are the largest tributaries of this river, which forms near Kalene Hill. The Kariba and (*) Cahora Bassa dams are on this river. The Kwando, Chobe, and Okavango Rivers, along with this river, border the Caprivi Strip. This river, which includes the "Devil's Cataract," flows from Zambia into the Indian Ocean through Mozambique. David Livingstone named a feature that he "discovered" on this river after his queen. For 10 points, name this fourth longest river in Africa, the site of Victoria Falls.
A: Zambezi River
Q: A time capsule buried in 1992 lies beneath an LED-lit cross at the peak of one landmark in this city. This city's downtown contains the "Underground City" known as RESO, which is integrated with its metro system. A housing complex in this city designed by Moshe Safdie for the 1967 (*) World's Fair is visible from this city's "Biosphere". This city is home to St. Joseph's Oratory and the Place Ville Marie. The "Big O" nicknames the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics held in this city, which is also the home of McGill University. For 10 points, name this largest city in Quebec, named for a royal mountain.
A: Montreal, Quebec, Canada [do not prompt on just "Quebec"]
Q: On January 11, 2013, four volcanoes simultaneously erupted on one of these landmasses known as "the Land of Fire and Ice." The western side of one of these is known as the False Bay Coast, as it does not separate the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The Thai Canal was planned to run through the (*) Isthmus of Kra, the narrowest part of one of these geographic features. The Apennine mountain range runs down one of these landforms, where it is bordered by the Ionian and Adriatic seas. The state of Michigan is comprised of two of these, and Florida is one of them. For 10 points, name these land features that are surrounded by water on three sides.
A: peninsulas [accept headland and cape]
Q: In 1922, Ralph Samuelson invented water skiing on a part of this river called Lake Pepin. A huge flour milling operation was once based at this river's only waterfall, Saint Anthony Falls. The pioneering hydroelectric plant at Lock and Dam No. 19 was built on this river near the city of (*) Keokuk. The New Madrid earthquake briefly made this river run backwards. A series of control structures and spillways prevent it from mostly flowing into the Atchafalaya. This river meets the Arkansas and Tennessee after originating at Minnesota's Lake Itasca. For 10 points, name this river that flows past New Orleans en route to the Gulf of Mexico.
A: MississippiRiver
Q: During warfare, local tribes on this island hid their women on a certain hill, but after they returned one day to get them and found only red plants symbolizing blood, that area was dubbed the Forbidden Plateau. The natives of this island surrendered their land by the Douglas Treaties, named for the governor who set up a base here at Esquimalt. This island, once named in honor of Juan Bodega y Quadra, is home to the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation, which creates the Insular Mountain range and its highest peak, the Golden Hinde. The construction of Fort Camosun on this island occurred after three conventions here resolved the Nootka Crisis. This island, home to Royal Roads University, sits to the west of the Discovery Islands, and is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Georgia. For 10 points, name this island north of the Juan de Fuca Strait, which shares its name with the largest city in British Columbia.
A: Vancouver Island
Q: A valley named for these things on the Kamchatka Peninsula was partially destroyed by a 2007 mudslide. A nonprofit that tracks these things offers rebuild stats for American examples such as Daisy and Beehive. A "cold" one of these things in Germany called the Brubbel is unusually powered by carbon dioxide. The English word for these things comes from a "Great" one in (*) Iceland located near another one called Strokkur. One of these things known as Steamboat was dormant from 1968 to 1978 but has a higher peak than a nearby cone example that has a consistent interval of 44 minutes. For 10 points, name these natural features exemplified by Yellowstone's Old Faithful.
A: geysers [accept cold-water geyser]
Q: A recent book by Ed Caesar documents Maurice Wilson's fatal visit to this place via biplane in 1933. An event called the "Tao of [this place]" sought to restore dignity to the pioneering American woman Francys Arsentiev and to "Green Boots." Tourists visiting this place forfeit their $4,000 deposit if they do not return with at least 8 kilograms of trash. Google executive Dan Fredingburg was killed at this place following a 2015 (*) earthquake that left many people stranded near Khumbu ("KOOM-boo"). Traffic jams often develop at this place's Hillary Step. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee is working with Sherpas to reduce this mountain's garbage problem. For 10 points, name this tallest mountain in the world.
A: Mount Everest [accept Sagarmatha before mention; prompt on the Himalayas or Nepal]
Q: Locals rallied to save a candy-colored structure of this type above the Kamata train station, the last rooftop example in Japan. A "grand" one of these structures in Vienna was the setting for a speech about "little dots" from Carol Reed's film The Third Man. A record-setting one of these structures opened on Bluewaters Island in 2021 and is called the Ain Dubai; the previous record holder, the (*) High Roller in Las Vegas, could service 1,120 people at once. The first of these structures was the tallest structure built for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. A trend for building these structures on renovated waterfronts was kicked off with the completion of the London Eye. For 10 points, name these circular amusement park attractions.
A: Ferris wheel [or observation wheel; or giant wheel; or big wheel; prompt on amusement park ride; prompt on wheel; prompt on Eye before mentioned]
Q: Franco Zeffirelli's Tea With Mussolini was partially filmed in an "English" one of these places in Florence actually owned by the Swiss. Viennese classical music tours often stop at one of these places with numerous Ehrengrabs. The manager of one of these places in Paris may have removed the testicles from a Jacob Epstein sculpture. A 1784 decree from Joseph II shut down a crowded one of these places in Prague's Jewish Quarter for health reasons. One of these places in Paris is home to the (*) Communards' Wall and is called the Pere Lachaise ("pare la-SHAYZ"). A national one of these places in the US comes from land owned by Robert E. Lee's wife and contains a memorial to the "unknowns." For 10 points, name these locations typically filled with gravestones.
A: cemetery [or necropolis; or tomb; accept national cemetery; prompt on memorials; prompt on parks on the grounds that cemeteries often double as parks] (Epstein's sculpture was for Oscar Wilde's tomb)
Q: This U.S. state is home to the town of Winner, allegedly named because it was chosen as the site of a railroad right-of-way. Its state flower is the pasqueflower, and some of its religiously-affiliated schools include Mount Marty College. This state contains the Moreau River, which flows into the man-made reservoir called Lake Oahe, which is dammed at Mobridge. This state's sights include the National Music Museum in its southeastern town of Vermillion, as well as its highest point at Harney Peak. It's also home to the Corn Palace and Wall Drug, as well as both Jewel Cave and Wind Cave National Park. For 10 points, name this U.S. state whose cities include Aberdeen, Rapid City, and Pierre.
A: South Dakota
Q: The motto of one city in this state, "We'll Try," alludes to its rebuilding in the aftermath of an 1843 fire. This state was home to the national champion soccer club Ponta Delgada S.C. This state is home to the annual Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, celebrating the culture of its Portuguese immigrants who originally arrived in its whaling centers of New (*) Bedford and Fall River. The unusually high rate of deafness on an island in this state led to its development of a unique form of sign language. This state's Myles Standish State Forest lies near the historical Plymouth Plantation. For 10 points, identify this New England state in which the Mayflower landed.
A: Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Q: The southern reaches of this mountain range has been given the contested appellation of the "Country of Towns" for the several fortified Bronze Age settlements found in the area. The existence of the Classical "Riphean Mountains" was validated by the writings of Sigismund von Herberstein on this mountain range. A steel-producing town in this mountain range was modeled after Gary, Indiana. A route crossing this mountain range using a series of rivers and portages began at the town of Cherdyn until it was eventually supplanted by a path blazed by (*) Artemy Babinov. The Stroganov family funded a military expedition east of this mountain range, leading to Yermak's conquest of the Khanate of Sibir. For 10 points, name this Russian mountain range, the conventional northern division between Europe and Asia.
A: Ural Mountains
Q: This region is home to the Qapqal ["kap-kal"] News, the only newspaper to be published in Xibe ["shee-bay"], the most-spoken Tungusic language. The first chairman of this region declared that "autonomy is not given to mountains and rivers" in a demand that its official name recognize one of its ethnic groups. Ethnic minorities in this region generally obey a (*) time zone two hours behind that followed by the majority. Ethnic-minority neighborhoods in cities in this region like Tumxuk ["toom-shook"] and Kashgar have been bulldozed and their inhabitants sent to "re-education camps" in recent years. Urumqi ["ue-ruem-chee"] is the capital of, for 10 points, what "Autonomous Region" of northwest China home to the Uyghurs?
A: Xinjiang [or Sinkiang, or the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or XUAR; prompt on Uyghurstan or East Turkestan by asking "what is the official name of that region?"; anti-prompt on Dzungaria or the Dzungarian Basin or the Tarim Basin by asking "what political region is that a part of?"]
Q: This state is home to the Hoh Rainforest, the only temperate rainforest in the United States. Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier are among this state's active volcanoes. This state contains Puget Sound, and along with its southern neighbor, (*) Oregon, it is bisected by the Cascade Range. Olympia is the capital of, for 10 points, what state whose largest city is Seattle?
A: State of Washington [do not accept or prompt on "Washington, D.C."]
Q: The leaves of this plant are used as food wrappings in an Indonesian cooking technique known as pepes. In Puerto Rican cuisine, this food is sliced and fried twice to make tostones. Traditional Indian meals are served on the leaves of this plant, whose "Gros (*) Michel" variety was wiped out by disease in the 1950s. Chiquita is a common producer of this foodstuff, which are considered to be good sources of potassium. In Colombian cuisine, this food is fried and combined with beef broth and vegetables in a plantain soup. For ten points, what fruit is cut in half in an ice-cream based dessert known as its namesake "split?"
A: banana [accept plantain until mentioned]
Q: Glacial grooves carved during the Ice Age can be found in this lake's Kelleys Island. This lake's Pelee Island is home to an annual fall pheasant hunt that attracts tourists from all over the world. The Maumee and Sandusky rivers empty into this lake which is home to Presque Isle, the site of a crucial (*) Oliver Hazard Perry victory during the War of 1812. The Ontario city of Port Stanley can be found on the shores of this lake, which shares its name with a city in northwest Pennsylvania. The Niagara River is the main outflow of this lake. For ten points, Cleveland is situated on what Great Lake?
A: Lake Erie
Q: One of these structures which doubles as a giant aquarium was installed by Turkish businessman Mehmet Ali Gokceoglu ["goek-cheh-oh-loo"] at his villa in Cesme ["chesh-may"]. Christo and Jeanne-Claude created a "Running" one of these structures in the Bay Area which was comprised of nylon sheets, and was totally disassembled after 14 days. A novel partially titled for one of these structures describes indigenous (*) Australian girls following it to return to their ancestral home. That one of these structures was built in Western Australia in order to curtail the movement of rabbits. For 10 points, identify these structures which are often used to separate plots of land.
A: fences [prompt on walls, I guess?]
Q: This state was home to a railroad crossing signal installed in the 1930s that comprised neon lights reading "STOP - DEATH - STOP" accompanied by an air raid siren. This non-Texas state is home to the grave of Douglas the Camel, who was part of a Civil War regiment from it. A government-sponsored scientific marijuana research program is headquartered at this state's flagship university, in the city of (*) Oxford.This state's Yazoo River demarcates part of an agricultural region known as its "delta". The southern portion of the Natchez Trace, a historic early road, passes through this state. This state's flag is the only one to still bear the Confederate battle flag on it. For 10 points, name this southern state with capital at Jackson.
A: Mississippi
Q: This country is home to the world's largest walnut forest, Arslanbob, part of a tourist center with small and large waterfalls. The Toktogul Reservoir is located in its province of Jala-Abad in this nation, while its Batken province lies to the west of Osh provice, which contains this nation's exclave of Barak. This country's flag depicts a sun with forty yellow rays on red background, and its highest point occurs on the eastern border at Jengish Chokusu. This country is also home to Lake Issyk-Kul, the world's second largest mountain lake, on its largest river, the Naryn River. It was the site of the 2005 Tulip Rebellion which forced President Askar Akayev out of office. For 10 points, name this landlocked nation located east of Uzbekistan and north of Tajikstan, with capital at Bishkek.
A: Kyrgyzstan or Kyrgyz Republic
Q: A statue in this city called the "giant corkscrew" designed by Victor Contreras sits in its central plaza, which also contains a statue of its coat of arms showing two lions climbing an oak tree. However, the largest statue in this city located in the Atemajac Valley is a depiction of Minerva which guards a highway roundabout. Home to the Degollado Theatre and a monument known as the Rotunda of Illustrious Men, residents of this city are colloquially referred to as "tapatios," as reflected in the name of its central plaza. Referred to as the "Pearl of the West," this city is the birthplace of Dr. Atl and is the capital of the state of Jalisco. Situated inland and east of Puerto Vallarta, for 10 points, name this second largest city in Mexico.
A: Guadalajara
Q: Description acceptable. A 2014 paper found that this landmass was likely the original homeland of the common ancestor of the purported Dene-Yeniseian language family. Human remains found at the Upward Sun River site represent a population native to this landmass, which was also the site of a namesake population "standstill." This landmass was the easternmost extent of the mammoth steppes, and eastward migration from it was enabled by the melting of glaciers on the (*) Pacific coast. The Chukotka and Seward Peninsulas were once part of this landmass, the majority of which now lies under either the Chukchi Sea or its namesake body of water. For 10 points, identify this landmass that enabled the human settlement of the Americas and formerly linked Alaska and Siberia.
A: Beringia [or the Bering land bridge; accept any answers indicating a land bridge between Siberia or Russia or Asia and Alaska or (North) America or similar, prompt on answers indicating a land bridge without identifying the location, prompt on Siberia or Alaska by asking "what landmass are they a part of?"]
Q: Following the drowning of a young woman in this city's canals, Julian Santana moved to an island in this city and hung thousands of dolls on it to appease her spirit. Massive interlocking suspended shelves characterize this city's Alberto Kalach-designed Vasconcelos Library. This city's metro system associates a unique image with each station due to widespread illiteracy when it was built. Museums and a zoo are found in this city's Bosque ["boss-kay"] de (*) Chapultepec, a large public park which also contains its former imperial castle. The volcano Popocatepetl overlooks this city, where you can attend soccer matches at the Estadio Azteca. For 10 points, identify this capital city of America's southern neighbor.
A: Mexico City [or Ciudad de Mexico]
Q: The Belgian comic artist Francois Schuiten designed one of these locations to resemble a submarine from the works of Jules Verne. One of these locations in Cambridge, Massachusetts is home to a series of suspended bells and hammers designed by Paul Matisse and collectively known as the "Kendall Band". The largest colored glass work in the world, the "Dome of Light", decorates one of these locations in Kaohsiung ["cow-shung"], Taiwan. Hector (*) Guimard designed a number of entrances to these locations in the Art Nouveau style in Paris. Romanesque Revival architecture characterized the first of these locations in New York, which closed due to its too-short platforms. For 10 points, identify these locations in which passengers board subterranean trains.
A: subway stations [or metro stations, or underground rail or train stations; prompt on train stations or transit stops]
Q: Graduate student Donald R. Currey controversially obtained permission from the National Forest Service to cut down a tree in this state named Prometheus, which turned out to have been the world's oldest known living organism until it was cut down. The Wheeler Bristlecone Pine Grove is licated in this state, which is traversed by the so-called "Loneliest Road in America", its portion of US Route 50. A "Sky Beam" in this city is the most (*) powerful beam of light in the world, and is located atop a pyramid-shaped building known as the Luxor and named for its most populous city. Casinos and other entertainment can be found along the "Strip" in, for ten points, what state, whose most populous city is Las Vegas?
A: Nevada
Q: In this polity, the Gedong Kirtya museum houses an important collection of Lontar manuscripts which were used to record its history. The Klungkung monarchs, who once ruled over this polity, were weakened in a 1908 conflict that spared the Kertha Gosa pavilion in its city of Semarapura. Galungan is a 10-day festival analogous to Dasara that is celebrated by the majority Hindu population of this island. The highest point on this island is the active volcano Mount Agung, and the Lombok strait separates this island from an eastern neighbor. The difference in the Fauna between Lombok and this island was observed by Alfred Wallace, and its seaside city of Kuta was the target of two bombings in 2002 and 2005. For 10 points, identify this member of the Lesser Sunda Islands which lies to the east of Java.
A: Bali [prompt early on Indonesia]
Q: In 2001, followers of this people's mother goddess Chaxiraxi founded a neopagan church named for them. They believed in an underworld called Echeyde in which the sun god Magec was imprisoned, plunging the world into darkness until their chief god Achaman rescued Magec and imprisoned the evil deity Guayota under Echeyde's entrance. The fish-shaped Zenata stone is an artifact of these people featuring inscriptions in the Tifinagh (*) script, linking them to a mainland people. Some Europeans have written that these people, whose legends feature kings called menceys, are descendants of or escapees from a sinking Atlantis. These people, whose pre-Christian myths revered Mount Teide, include residents of La Gomera famed for their whistle speech. For 10 points, name these people genetically related to the Berbers, who reside on islands such as Tenerife off the western coast of Africa.
A: Guanche [or indigenous Canary Islands peoples]
Q: One ethnicity from the northern portion of this country is divided into "hard" and "soft" types depending on the dialect they speak. In addition to the Kankanaey, this country is home to a group of lowland people called the Bukidnon, which means"of the mountains" This country's indigenous people include the Lumad and the Igorot, whose ancestors in the (*) Ifugao region built the Banaue rice terraces. This country is home to the isolated Tasaday people, which were previously believed to be a hoax created to generate tourism. The ongoing Moro conflict in this country is centered on it's southern island of Mindanao. For 10 points, name this southeast Asian island nation home to the island of Luzon, with capital Manilla.
A: The Philippines
Q: This country contains a man-made island chain shaped like a map of the world. An airline based in this country sponsors the soccer team Arsenal, whose stadium is named after it. Another airline in this country, Etihad, is based in its city of (*) Abu Dhabi. The world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, is found in, for 10 points, what country whose largest city is Dubai?
A: United Arab Emirates [or the UAE or al-ʾImarat al-ʿArabiyah al-Muttahidah; prompt on Emirates]
Q: One river of this name is fed by the Concho River, which is named for its abundant Tampico pearly mussels. That river of this name flows through the reservoirs of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Lake on its way to Matagorda Bay. That river of this name flows through Austin and is the longest river entirely within Texas. Another river of this name flows through De Beque Canyon and waters the (*) Grand Valley Region. The Salton Sea was created by a river of this name, which also forms Lake Powell behind the Glen Canyon Dam. Lake Mead is formed along a river of this name behind the Hoover Dam. For 10 points, give this name of the river that carved out the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: A species of woodpecker known as this region's namesake flicker can be found at Sajama National Park. A bright orange and black bird species known as the Cock-of-the-Rock can be found in cloud forests of this mountain range. A prime flamingo breeding ground is located in a massive salt flat in this mountain range known as (*) Salar de Uyuni. Vicunas can be found living in a plateau region of this mountain range known as the altiplano. This mountain range contains Lake Titicaca, which straddles the border of Bolivia and Peru. For ten points, llamas are native to what mountain range that runs along the western side of South America?
A: the Andes Mountains
Q: This body of water is the subject of an international dispute over the dredging of the Martin Garcia Canal, named for a diplomatically contentious island in it. One city on this body of water is home to a 22-kilometer avenue running along it called the "Rambla". The Jorge Newberry Airport, which abuts this body of water, is the domestic airport serving the largest city on it. The so-called "Superclasico" soccer rivalry is contested between Boca Juniors and a team (*) named for this body of water, which is fed by the Parana River. Silver trinkets acquired from indigenous people gave this river its name. Montevideo and Buenos Aires lie on, for 10 points, what large estuarine body of water separating Uruguay and Argentina?
A: Rio de la Plata [or the River Plate or the Plate River]
Q: The "Basque [bask] Block" of this state's capital is one of the largest Basque neighborhoods in the US. A river in this state is nicknamed "The River of No Return," and flows near this state's Lost River Range. The Clearwater River flows through this state's city of Lewiston, and three lava fields can be found in its (*) Craters of the Moon National Park. The cities of Twin Falls and Pocatello are in this state, where Salmon and Clearwater Rivers flow into the Snake River. Lake Coeur d'Alene is in the panhandle of this state, which produces one-third of the nation's potatoes. For 10 points, name this state governed from Boise.
A: Idaho
Q: After doing community service in this country, Wayne Carlson began growing one of its native crops in Idaho where climates are similar. The endangered Walia ibex lives in the Simien Mountains in this country's north. This home country of the Irob people is currently building a namesake "Grand ... Renaissance Dam." Despite extracting oil there and watching two neighbors dispute it, this country has never claimed the oil-rich (*) Ilemi Triangle for itself. Bole International Airport serves this country, where the Awash River dries up in the volcanic Danakil Depression. The largest of this country's nine ethnically-based states, Oromia, borders its second largest city, Dire Dawa. In 2015, its government loosened a ban on exporting its native teff grain. For 10 points, name this country along the Great Rift Valley, which lost control of the ports of Massawa and Assab upon becoming landlocked in 1991.
A: Ethiopia [or Itiyoppya; or Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; or yeʾItiyoppya Federalawi Demokirasiyawi Ripebilik]
Q: This city's wealthy Ikoyi neighborhood is sometimes nicknamed "Beverly Hills by the slum", and its metro area extends into neighboring Ogun state. The planned area of Eko Atlantic is being built in this city on land reclaimed from the Atlantic Ocean. This city's central Victoria Island is located on its namesake lagoon. Musicians like King Sunny (*) Ade and Fela Kuti pioneered the Afrobeat genre in this city. This largest Yoruba-speaking city is the base of the Nollywood film industry. This city was its country's capital before the capital's relocation to Abuja. For 10 points, name this largest city in Nigeria.
A: Lagos, Nigeria
Q: In this region, the factor Patrick Sellar ordered the burning of a cottage and a 90-year-old woman who refused to leave it, a crime of which he was acquitted in just 15 minutes. The plight of this region's residents was investigated by the Napier Commission, whose findings were incorporated into an 1886 Holdings Act that improved security of tenure. In this region, the Duke of Sutherland oversaw a policy of destroying homes and ordering their occupants to take up fishing. Mass waves of emigration away from this region occurred during 1792, the "Year of the Sheep," and during a non-Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s. Crofters protesting the namesake "clearances" of this region were sometimes dispersed by this region's Black Watch regiment. This region is home to the Grampian Mountains. For 10 points, name this area whose traditional clan system declined after the Jacobite rebellions, a region of Scotland that lies in the north.
A: the Scottish Highlands and Islands [prompt on "Scotland"]
Q: 2: In 2007, 1 million year old human footprints were found in this country's Margalla Hills. This country's Potohar Plateau is bounded to the east by the Jhelum River. The former Omani colony of Gwadar is located in this country. This country's most populous city is the capital of (*) Sindh Province, while its second-most populous city, Lahore, is the capital of Punjab Province. The city of Peshawar lies in this country at the Eastern end of the Khyber Pass near this country's border with Afghanistan. Karachi is the largest city in, for 10 points, what country whose capital is Islamabad?
A: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Q: One island in this body of water was once known as Orphan Island because it was inherited by a group of orphaned grandkids - that island was connected to the mainland by the Waldo-Hancock Bridge and is now called Verona. This body of water is the namesake of a military action in which Commodore Dudley Saltonstall and General Solomon Lovell attempted to dislodge the British from the town of on this river - the chief of artillery Paul Revere was court-martialed as a result of that doomed naval expedition in 1779. It flows into a namesake bay near the town of after originating near Millinocket in western and eastern branches and passing through the " of the East." For 10 points, name this river that flows through Bangor and is the largest river entirely in Maine.
A: Penobscot River
Q: This river contains the Anavilhanas Islands and passes through the eastern portion of Jau National Park, in a region where it passes through the villages of Ayrao and Barcelos. Its largest tributary is the Vaupes, although it's also joined from the north by the Branco, with which it shares a moist forest ecoregion. It is connected to another river to the north by the Cassiquiare Canal, prior to which this body is called the Guainia River. Its confluence with the Solimoes occurs at the so-called "meeting of the waters," or encontro das aguas, where this river passes through the city of Manaus. For 10 points, name this river known for its distinctive color, which is itself the largest tributary of the Amazon.
A: Rio Negro (or Black River)
Q: The Huincul fault forms the northern boundary of this region, which is home to the Cave of Hands. Many Welsh immigrants settled this region's Chubut Valley in the 1870s. This region is native to guanaco. Mount Fitz Roy is the tallest peak in this region, which contains the (*) Perito Moreno Glacier. Antonio Pigafetta wrote that this region was named for its "Giant" inhabitants by Ferdinand Magellan, who also names a Strait separating this region from Tierra Del Fuego. For 10 points, name this cold and windy region encompassing much of Argentina and Chile that shares its name with an American clothing company.
A: Patagonia
Q: A peanut vendor's cry from this city was adapted into a hit song by Don Azpiazu whose name means "the peanut vendor". The Colon Cemetery and Malecon Boulevard can be found in this city's affluent Vedado district. This city's Miramar district contains its sword-like Russian Embassy. The Almendares River traverses this non-US city. This city's old town was founded in 1519 as a stopping point for (*) Spanish Galleons traveling back to Europe. The Castillo de la Real Fuerza and Morro Castle overlook this city's namesake harbor, which was the site of the 1898 explosion of the U.S.S. Maine. For 10 points, name this capital of Cuba.
A: Havana [or La Habana]
Q: A tree in this country was shown on 1 to 4 million-scale maps and was formerly the only living tree for 250 miles, before it was killed in 1973 by a drunk truck driver. The southwest corner of this country is home to part of the W National Park, named for a river bend on the border between its Dosso and Tillaberi regions. This country's Air ["ah-eer"] Mountains overlook its city of Agadez, a major center for the (*) Tuareg people, of whom this country has the largest population. This country is named for the river that flows through its southwest and for which its southern neighbor is also named. Niamey is the capital of, for 10 points, what country, the northern neighbor of Nigeria?
A: Niger ["nee-ZHAIR"]
Q: A paste made of this ingredient and brine is added to gochujang, sesame oil, and garlic to make ssamjang; that doenjang paste can also be used in a stew whose English name refers to this ingredient. Karashi mustard greens can be used to top a fermented and slimy dish made from this ingredient, natto. Another umami paste made with this ingredient comes in (*) white and red varieties and is used in a seaweed-containing soup. After being ground and strained into a sort of milk, this ingredient can be processed into a food which comes in "silken" and "firm" varieties, tofu. For 10 points, name these legumes eaten as edamame or processed into a salty namesake sauce.
A: soybeans [or soya beans; accept daizu or kong; prompt on soy alone; prompt on beans alone; prompt on doenjang, tofu, or miso before mention by asking "what main ingredient is used to make that?"]
Q: This country's land south of the Sibun River is claimed by its western neighbor. This country contains the world's only jaguar preserve. Hurricane Hattie destroyed this country's former capital city in 1961, causing its new capital to be placed inland. Jacques Cousteau helped to popularize this country's Great Blue Hole as a diving spot. This country's namesake (*) barrier reef is the world's second-largest behind the Great Barrier Reef. This country is east of Guatemala and south of the Yucatan Peninsula. For 10 points, name this only English-speaking Central American country whose capital is Belmopan.
A: Belize [buh-LEEZ]
Q: Following a 2021 landslide at this national park, an executive at oil company ConocoPhillips staged a fundraiser to fix a road named for Governor George Parks. An object in this National Park named for topographer Robert Muldrow was "surging" at 9 feet per day in 2021. Many tourists to this park hike the Stampede Trail to see a bus once owned by Christopher McCandless from the book (*) Into the Wild. In 2015, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced that a mountain in this national park would be renamed to its Koyukon name. A 2013 improvement act that allowed a gas pipeline to run through this national park was sponsored by Senator Lisa Murkowski. For 10 points, identify this national park in Alaska, named for the highest mountain in North America.
A: Denali National Park and Preserve [accept Mount McKinley National Park]
Q: This body of water is notable for only having only one bridge over its main section, at Matadi. This body of water lends its name to a subspecies of dwarf crocodile, and it's also home to the predatory goliath tigerfish. This river's catfish-rich Pool Malebo was once named after the English explorer Henry Morton (*) Stanley. After Boyoma Falls, the Lualaba becomes this river, and its longest tributary is the Chambeshi that flows from Zambia. Lakes Mweru and Tanganyika feed this second-deepest river in the world. Kinshasa and Brazzaville are separated by this river and are the capitals of two countries which share the name of, for 10 points, what river formerly known as the Zaire?
A: Congo River [or Zaire River before it is read]
Q: This island is where the mimic octopus, which can mimic sea snakes and jellyfish, was first discovered. The cave-dwelling species of crab Cancrocaeca xenomorpha is native to this island's region of Maros, where 30,000-year-old hand stencils were found at Pettakere cave. This island's name may refer to the iron deposits surrounding its Lake Matano. Houses called tongkonan with saddle-shaped roofs are built by this island's Toraja people, who converted to Christianity in the early 1900s. This island is home to the Moramo Waterfalls, and its Minahassa Peninsula is indented by the Gulf of Tomini. The Gowa kingdom built a castle on this island that later became Fort Rotterdam, located in its most populous city, Makassar. This island is west of the Moluccas and directly east of Kalimantan. For 10 points, name this island of Indonesia, alternatively known as Celebes, which is east of Borneo and known for its odd shape.
A: Sulawesi [accept Celebes until it is read]
Q: This region contains a 30-mile-wide blue geological dome in its Adrar Plateau. Storms from this region's Bodele Depression are a major source of nutrients for the Amazon Rainforest. This region is theorized to have been a prehistoric land bridge for many species in its namesake "pump" theory. This region's highest point, (*) Emi Koussi, is in its Tibesti Mountains. This desert contains ergs like the Great Sand Sea. This region is bounded to the south by the semiarid Sahel region. The world's largest hot desert is, for 10 points, what desert that spans North Africa?
A: Sahara Desert
Q: The Mintaka Pass was rejected as a route for this mountain range's namesake highway. This range's namesake pass is west of Aksai Chin. This range's Baltoro Glacier lies south of a peak in this range first ascended by Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni with aid from Hunza natives, nicknamed the (*) "Savage Mountain." This mountain range's eastern portion contains the Siachen Glacier. The Pamir Mountains mark the western boundary of this mountain range, which lies parallel to the Himalayas. For 10 points, name this mountain range that contains the second tallest peak in the world, the "K" in K2.
A: Karakoram Mountains [or Karakoram Range or Karakorams; do NOT accept or prompt on "Himalayas" or "Himalaya Mountains"]
Q: The St. Francois [Francis] Mountains, one of the oldest igneous ranges in the US, contain this state's highest point at Taum Sauk Mountain. The "Live Entertainment Capital of the World," Branson, is in this state. The largest city named Springfield is located in this state. A reservoir in this state on the (*) Osage River is named for Harry S. Truman, whose hometown, this state's city of Independence, was the starting point of the Oregon Trail. This state's namesake river meets the Kansas River at the largest city in this state, Kansas City. For 10 points, name this Midwestern state home to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
A: Missouri [accept MO; accept Missouri River]
Q: In this city, Peter McLaughlin legally adopted 60-year-old Steven Whitfield to pass on below-market housing on islands served by Billy Bishop Airport. A medicine wheel appears on a "3D Sign" in this city's Nathan Phillips Square. Industrialist Henry Mill Pellatt ("PEL-ut") built the 98-room Casa Loma castle in this city. The William Davies Company is the origin of this city's nickname of Hogtown. This city is the most populous in the "Greater Golden Horseshoe," a region that also contains a research university at (*) Waterloo. This city's Bay Street is its country's equivalent to Wall Street. In this city, a stadium originally called the SkyDome is home to the only MLB team in its country. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Ontario.
A: Toronto [prompt on York]
Q: This river meets the Ruak in the Golden Triangle, a center of opium production. The world's widest waterfall, the Khone Falls, lies on this river. This river's upper reaches are named for the kingdom of Lan Xang [song] , in which name it is the middle of the Three Parallel Rivers of (*) Yunnan. Monsoon rains cause the Tonle Sap River to seasonally reverse its flow from where it meets this river at Phnom Penh. This river's delta is home to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. For 10 points, name this principal river of Southeast Asia.
A: Mekong [may-kawng] River
Q: Art tourism in this city includes the Agial Art Gallery and the Sursock Museum, which houses a noted collection of Japanese wood engravings. To the north of this city is a massive cave system known as the Jeita Grotto, which acts as a source for the Dog River. Another natural formation associated with this city, the Pigeon Rocks, are located off of its western coast, and may be viewed from the Corniche in its Raouche district. Situated to the east of the city of Zahle, its governmental buildings include the Grand Serail and its recently-renovated international airport named after Rafik Hariri. For 10 points, name this port city west of the Bekaa Valley, which currently serves as the capital of Lebanon.
A: Beirut
Q: This is the only river to have a tributary form a true delta while flowing into it. It's not the Amazon, but the franciscana, also named for this river, is the only river dolphin to live in the ocean. This widest river in the world accepts the Southern Salado River, a colonial frontier, before ending at Punta del Este. The final viceroyalty created was named for this river and became its namesake (*) "United Provinces" after independence. This estuarine river has the second-largest drainage basin in South America. For 10 points, name this river formed by the Parana and Uruguay rivers, on which lies two national capitals, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.
A: Rio de la Plata [accept River Plate]
Q: The earliest surviving first-person Arabic travelogue is Ahmad ibn Fadlan's "Mission" to this river, which inspired Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead. The first railway bridge across this river was located in Syzran and was dynamited in 1918 by allies of the Czech Legion. One of the 11 reservoirs built to create a "Big" version of this river provides electricity to a nuclear research facility in Dubna. The (*) Valdai Hills provide water for this river. Well into the steam era, timber was still hauled by barge along this river, inspiring a Repin painting. This river's largest left tributary, the Kama, joins it in Tatarstan. This river flows past Kazan and empties into the Caspian. For 10 points, name this longest river in Russia.
A: Volga
Q: In one of these locations, prehistoric rock art dating back to the Neolithic era was found at Tassili. Numerous shipwrecks led to the coastline of one of these places being named the Skeleton Coast. Lake Makgadikgadi [ma-ka-di-ka-di] was once fed by the Okavango River in one of these features, which is home to the majority of the (*) Herero and San peoples. The Tuareg people often led caravans across one of these features that is found north of the Sahel. Towns in these features are usually established near oases. The Namib, Kalahari, and Sahara are examples of, for ten points, what arid locations?
A: deserts [anti-prompt on "caves" before Skeleton Coast by asking "in what general geographic feature is this cave found in?"; accept Kalahari Desert or Sahara Desert or Namib Desert]
Q: This body of water's Lisan Peninsula separates its two halves. This meromictic body of water had its only turnover event in 1978. Bitumen bubbles into floating blocks of asphalt on this body of water. The Qumran Caves archaeological site lies in the desert west of this body of water. A pipeline currently under construction will carry water from the Gulf of (*) Aqaba to this fast-receding body of water. An old parable teaches charity by noting that while the Sea of Galilee allows the Jordan River to flow back out of it, this "sea" does not. For 10 points, name this very salty body of water between Israel and Jordan with the lowest land elevation in the world.
A: Dead Sea
Q: The declining fishing industry on this body of water near cities like Muynak was the subject of the 2012 film Waiting for the Sea. A 1971 smallpox outbreak near this body of water occurred due to bioweapons testing at sites like Vozrozhdeniya [vuz-ruz-DEN-eeyah] Island in this body of water. In order to boost cotton farming, the (*) Karakum Canal diverted water from the Amu Darya River from this lake, resulting in the formation of a deserted ship graveyard. For 10 points, name this lake between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which has shrunk significantly since 1960.
A: Aral Sea
Q: Thousands of petroglyphs of stylized turtles are visible on this country's Ometepe Island, which is also home to the volcanoes Maderas and Concepcion. This country's Corn Islands lie in an autonomous region whose capital is named for the Dutch pirate Abraham Blauvelt. The Tipitapa River periodically connects this country's bull-shark-containing namesake lake, also called (*) Cocibolca, to a lake named for its capital. This country's Miskito Coast is named for an African-Native indigenous group whose members also live in its northwestern neighbor Honduras. For 10 points, name this Central American country home to Lake Managua.
A: Nicaragua [or Republic of Nicaragua; or Republica de Nicaragua; accept Lake Nicaragua]
Q: This city is home to a large complex of buildings called its "Trade Fair" designed by Massimiliano Fuksas, which features a large "veil" covering its million square meters. Three skyscrapers called "The Straight One," "the Twisted One" and "The Curved One" designed by Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and Arata Isozaki were built as part of this city's ongoing CityLife project. In 1877 Giuseppe Mengoni finished what is considered to be the world's oldest shopping mall in this city, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. This city's duomo features hundreds of gargoyle statues and is the second-largest Catholic cathedral in the world. A Giuseppe Piermarini-designed building in this city was commissioned after the Teatro Regio Ducal burned down. That building in this city was severely damaged by World War II bombing but reopened in 1946 with a Renata Tebaldi performance conducted by its former music director Arturo Toscanini. For 10 points, name this capital of Lombardy, the home of the La Scala opera house.
A: Milan [or Milano]
Q: This country's culture admires the strong-willed Sisu attitude. Many desserts in this country contain Salmiakki, a salty black licorice. An endangered species of ringed seal is named after this country's Lake Saimaa. This country's eastern border runs through (*) Karelia and was formerly at the Neva River. Lappland, named for the Sami people, is this country's northernmost region and is bounded to the west by the Gulf of Bothnia. Nokia is headquartered in this country. This country is separated from linguistically-related Estonia by its namesake gulf. For 10 points, name this Nordic country whose capital is Helsinki.
A: Finland [or Republic of Finland or Suomi]
Q: Fatima al-Fihri founded the University of al-Qarawiyyin, the world's oldest, in this Darija-speaking country in 859 CE. This country's Ouarzazate province contains the Mansour Eddahabi dam on the Draa River and the popular filming site Aіt Benhaddou. The last of this country's national animals, the Barbary (*) lion, was shot in 1922 in the Atlas Mountains, which contain this country's highest peak, Jbel Toubkal. Marinid rule brought about a golden age for this country's city of Fez, and Sephardic Jews have a long history in this country's largest city, Casablanca. For 10 points, name this country separated from Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar with capital at Rabat.
A: Morocco [or Kingdom of Morocco; or al-Mamlaka al-Magribiyya]
Q: John Collingwood Bruce's 19th century handbook for visiting this tourist attraction is now in its 14th edition. A skillet called the Ilam Pan bears the names of four parts of this tourist attraction. Contemporary tourists visiting this site often stop by an Army Museum next to Vindolanda, a place where many tablets have been found. One part of this larger site, Milecastle 42, shows evidence of the (*) Vallum, a ditch just to the south of it. In the 17th century, John Speed published maps of this site, which he named for the Picts. This site is south of a similar one named for Antonine. This structure is most commonly named for the emperor who succeeded Trajan. For 10 points, name this defensive structure in modern-day Britain.
A: Hadrian's Wall [or Vallum Aelium; or Roman Wall; or Vallum Hadriani; accept Pict's Wall before Pict is mentioned]
Q: Nearly all species in this genus form branches in "pseudo-whorls," producing an integer number of such whorls per year. These organisms and those in the related genus Abies ["AY-beez"] secrete oleoresins that are used in turpentine production. The strobus species of this genus is the tallest tree in eastern North America. The world's oldest non-clonal tree is one of these trees in California named (*) Methuselah. A highly symmetrical tree named for resembling these trees is from Norfolk Island, while western North America is home to their ponderosa type. For 10 points, name these evergreens, whose namesake type of cone is also produced by firs, spruces, and cedars.
A: pine trees [or Pinus; accept Pinus strobus or white pine or Norfolk Island pine or ponderosa pine; prompt on trees or evergreens or conifers]
Q: The seat of Ramsay County is named for this entity due to a misinterpretation of the Hidatsa language. The widest and most monumental waterfall in the Iguazu ["ee-guau-zoo"] River system is named for this entity. A natural formation adjacent to a ledge overlooking Victoria Falls is named for this entity, as is a geothermal pool within a limestone cavern in Death Valley National Park. The first national monument of the United States is a (*) butte named for this figure, which was subject to a dispute to rechange its title to Bear Lodge. The climactic scenes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind were filmed at that Wyoming "tower" named for this malicious figure. For 10 points, give this figure used to personify evil in a geographic location.
A: the Devil
Q: This event separates the "Golden Era" from the "Open" or "Wide-Open Era" in the place where it happened. Joseph and Isaac Cline's memoir of this event is entitled When the Heavens Frowned. A six-year old King Vidor survived this event, many of whose evacuees died aboard the Beaumont Train. In its aftermath, volunteers were plied with whiskey to heap bodies onto funeral pyres. The official telegram to President McKinley grossly underestimated this event's death toll at 500. The affected city in this event lost its status as the state's premiere shipping port to Houston. For 10 points, name this 1900 hurricane, the deadliest in American history, which wrecked a Texas town.
A: Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 [or 1900 Hurricane before "1900" is read; accept Galveston after "hurricane" is read]
Q: One of the two inhabited islands in this body of water is Likoma Island, which is dominated by baobab trees and can be reached from Nkhata Bay on the mainland. This body is inhabited by aquatic life including the mbuna or "rockdwellers", and the tilapiines, which are both subgroups ofits cichlid population. Referred to as "the jewel of our nation"by dictator Hastings Banda,the southern portion of this bodyhas an outlet at the Shire River, which is known for its hippopotami. The watersof its northern extent are disputed with Tanzania. Also known as Lake Nyasa, for 10 points, name this eighth largest lake in the world named for an African country west of Mozambique.
A: Lake Malawi (or Lake Nyasa before mentioned)
Q: The first serious attempt to survey this locale, part of a Norwegian scientific expedition, was unable to penetrate the overgrowth of Joey's Garden and took advantage of the view from "Ridge Where the Goat Jump Off," which lies a mile southwest of Noisy Beach. The north end of its Patches Plain is dominated by the 150-year-old Potato Patches. A 1961 volcanic eruption here created the Pigbite between Big Beach and Big Point. The Dutch ship t'Nachtglas discovered and named the nearby Inaccessible Island in 1652; locals prefer to visit Nightingale Island for penguin eggs. Its inhabitants share only 8 surnames including Lavarello, Swain, and Green, and are prone to asthma and glaucoma. They mostly live in its capital, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. For 10 points, name this island in the south Atlantic, the most remote inhabited place in the world.
A: Tristan da Cunha
Q: This city's was the site of the Wah Mee massacre, and its suburbs include and . Its neighborhood of First Hill is nicknamed Pill Hill due to a large number of hospitals, while Capitol Hill and the Denny Regrade are two of this city's seven hills. Its entire central business district was burnt down in 1889 and it hosted 's first city-wide general strike. Boasting a public library designed by Rem Koolhaas, it is also the home of the Bumbershoot Music Festival and has a notable Science Fiction Museum. Surrounded by Kirkland, Bellevue, and Redmond, this seat of King County is situated on Puget Sound. For 10 points, name this birthplace of Starbucks and largest city in Washington State.
A:
Q: This mountain contains the Cornice Traverse and a section of pale metamorphosed limestone known as the Yellow Band, which lies above a series of black schist studied by Bill Wager. It also contains an anvil-shaped portion called the Geneva Spur. This peak was sighted and surveyed by John Noel over 20 years after an expedition by Francis Younghusband and Charles Bruce. It was originally referred to as Peak XV by Andrew Waugh, and it is surrounded by the Pumori glacier, which translates as "Unmarried Daughter," a name provided by George Mallory. Its height was established by the Great Trigonometric Survey, and its alternate names include Sagarmatha and Zhumulangma. Named in honor of a British surveyor general from 1830 to 1843, for 10 points, name this mountain scaled by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary.
A: Mount Everest
Q: A restaurant in this city named "Viana, [this city]" is home to the "bravas" variety of a certain food usually served with a tomato based spicy aioli. Raw sauteed cod is incorporated into the Esqueixada ["es-kay-see-ah-dah"] salad native to the region this city is located in. A massive food festival is hosted on a broad street in this city named "La Rambla," which marks an end of its Gothic Quarter. An amusement park sits next to the Tibidabo hill in this city, where a "sandwich park" is located near a mosaic salamander in its (*) Parc Guell ["gway"]. This city contains a religious structure with Nativity and Passion facades whose 18 spires are meant to represent holy figures. That structure in this city scheduled to complete around 2026 was built by its native architect Antoni Gaudi. For 10 points, name this Spanish city where various restaurants sit next to the massive Sagrada Familia.
A: Barcelona, Spain (Note: the salad is endemic to Catalonia)
Q: The Sugar Museum in this city honors the man who invented the process for extracting sugar beet. In 1990, thousands of music fans in this non-American city gathered for the second-annual Love Parade with the message "The Future Is Ours." A music genre created by Michigan-based teens like Juan Atkins became hugely popular at Berghain ("BURKE-hine") and other dingy techno clubs in this city. A museum in this city recreates a WBS 70 tower block and has a (*) Trabant simulator. Most of this city's public museums are located on its "Museum Island" and include a building housing the Pergamon Altar. 2,711 concrete stelae make up a memorial in this city one block south of the Brandenburg Gate. For 10 points, name this German city where tourists often visit the Reichstag.
A: Berlin [accept West Berlin or East Berlin] (Andreas Sigismund Marggraf discovered sugar beet extraction)
Q: It's not Detroit, but the former Yaarab Temple Shrine in this city is now its historic Fox Theater. This city hosts the annual Dogwood festival in its Piedmont Park. This city's skyline is dominated by its SunTrust Plaza and Bank of America Plaza. This city's (*) CNN Center is located near its Mercedes-Benz stadium, completed in 2017. This city built its Centennial Olympic Park for the 1996 games. Due to COVID-19, this city no longer carries the most airline passengers in the world from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. For 10 points, name this city home to Coca-Cola's headquarters, the capital of Georgia.
A: Atlanta
Q: This island contains the Yialias River, and its Pedieos River rises in its Troodos Mountains. The Annan Plan partly resolved this island's political situation, and the British Military Base Dhekelia is on this island. Ayia Napa is a tourist destination on this island, whose port cities include Limassol and (*) Famagusta. This island's town of Larnaca is home to its primary airport. This island was named in Roman times for its plentiful copper deposits. After Operation Attila, the "Green Line" was created on this island to divide its Turkish and Greek regions. For 10 points, name this Mediterranean island country whose capital is Nicosia.
A: Cyprus
Q: A massive public transportation project in this city is currently constructing the world's first light rail line over a floating bridge. In 2020, a major bridge linking the main part of this city to its western neighborhoods was closed due to cracks likely stemming from the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. This city's little-used monorail was refurbished in 2021 to service Climate Pledge Arena, a new (*) hockey arena. That monorail in this city passes through a museum designed by Frank Gehry. A large automobile tunnel now runs underneath this city's popular Pike Place Market. The "Day 1" corporate campus in this city contains the "Bezos Balls" and serves as Amazon's headquarters. For 10 points, name this city home to the Space Needle.
A: Seattle
Q: One river in this region contains the Friedenau Dam, which provides water to the Matchless Mine, and flows from the Khomas Highlands-that is the Kuiseb River. The namesake park of this region contains species like Ruppell"s korhaan and the Fogstand beetle, as well as the Naukluft Mountain Range, whose southern end contains the town of Sesriem. This region"s highest point is Brandberg Mountain, located near the town of Erongo in Damaraland. The northern part of this desert is known as Kaokoveld and experiences cool temperatures because of the Benguela Current. This desert is the namesake of a golden mole and contains cities such as Luderitz and Swakopmund. It also contains an area named for collecting the remains of ships and fish, the Skeleton Coast, and the city of Walvis Bay. For 10 points, name this desert which runs along the Atlantic coast south from Angola and into the country it is named after.
A: Namib Desert [accept Kuiseb River before it is mentioned, accept Namibia before park]
Q: The two-block settlement of Forget along Highway 13 in this country apocryphally attracts thousands to view its pastoral landscape passed through by time. The northernmost of the two remaining nesting sites of the Whooping Crane can be found in this country's Wood Buffalo National Park. A city with the airport code YYC in this country suffered a 2013 flood along the Bow and Elbow rivers. The Valley of the Ten Peaks can be found near Jasper National Park in this country, which is connected to (*) Banff National Park. The prehistoric Lake Agassiz ["ah-gah-zeez"] is a remnant of a lake in this country named by the Red River Colony. The cities of Prince Albert and Regina are located south of this country's heavily sought Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit. For 10 points, name this North American country that contains a trio of "Prairie Provinces," the easternmost of which, Manitoba, borders Hudson Bay.
A: Canada
Q: A theoretical physicist from this country proposed a method to extract energy from a black hole and won a share of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics. While traveling to this country to earn a Ph.D., a physicist derived an upper limit of 1.4 solar masses for the mass of a white dwarf. A physicist from this country introduced the bra-ket notation for quantum states and names a function with unit integral that is (*) zero everywhere except at the origin. The electron and the neutron were discovered in this country at the Cavendish Laboratory. For 10 points, James Chadwick, Lord Rayleigh, and J. J. Thomson all studied physics at which country's University of Cambridge?
A: United Kingdom [or U.K.; or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; accept Great Britain; accept England] (The first three sentences refer, respectively, to Roger Penrose, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, and Paul Dirac.)
Q: It's not near Washington D.C, but a city on this body of water hosts the National Cherry Festival. Fossilized corals found in this body of water are named for its city of Petoskey. Sand dunes on this body of water's eastern coast were legendarily created when a mother bear lost her two cubs, whose bodies formed North and South (*) Manitou Islands. North of Traverse City, the Straits of Mackinac connect this body of water to Lake Huron. This is the only Great Lake located entirely in the United States. Chicago overlooks, for 10 points, what lake that names the state containing Detroit?
A: Lake Michigan [prompt on the Great Lakes; do NOT accept or prompt other specific lakes]
Q: "Trajan's New Road" stretched north from a port in this modern-day country, and its capital was called "Philadelphia" while in the Roman Decapolis. A city in this country known as "Rekem" contains the "Urn Tomb," the "Monastery" ad-Deir, and the "Treasury" al-Khazneh, accessed through the al-Siq sandstone canyon and built by Nabatean kings in the first century. This country's (*) Red Sea port of Aqaba lies south of the ancient rock-cut "rose city" of Petra. For 10 points, name this Levantine country whose namesake river runs into the Dead Sea, with its capital at Amman.
A: Jordan [or Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan]
Q: The Rio Salado flows into one river of this name, which reaches the Atlantic south of Bahia Bianca in central Argentina. Another river of this name contains empties into Matagorda Bay near Palacios. The "Little" river of this name flows through Nankoweap Canyon and the Kaibab National Forest, after collecting water from the Puerco River, and it includes a kayaking section through the Painted Desert. The aforementioned river passes through a series of "Highland Lakes" including Inks Lake, Lake Buchanan, and Lake Travis before flowing through Austin, Texas. For 10 points, give this name which also applies to a river that forms Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon Dam, before it passes through Yuma and forms the boundary between California and Arizona.
A: Colorado Rivers
Q: It's not a river, but three women operated the Dancing Molly on this body of water during the Oyster Wars. A bridge-tunnel named for this body of water had to get around opposition that it would affect naval traffic at Sewell's Point. Numerous fossils have been found on the western shore of this body of water at the Calvert Cliffs. A seasoning named for this body of water has been marketed by McCormick for use on (*) crab cakes. The French won the Battle of the Capes on this body of water, making Yorktown decisive. The eastern border of this body of water is the Delmarva Peninsula. Half of this estuary's freshwater inflow comes from the Susquehanna River. For 10 points, name this large estuary that forms the coastline of much of Maryland.
A: Chesapeake Bay [prompt on Old Bay]
Q: A performing arts troupe from this region called "Artcirq" was founded by Isuma Productions to reduce its suicide rates. Most scholars believe this territory contains an island referred to as "Helluland." A culture named for a geographic feature in this region was the first discovered by Diamond Jenness. One island in this territory contains Lake Hazen, whose only species of fish is char. The aforementioned culture from this territory is named for Cape Dorset and was displaced by the Thule people. This territory contains the Challenger Mountains, and its highest point is Barbeau peak. The Eureka research base in this region reports a permanent population of zero, while its Alert base is the northernmost permanently-inhabited location in the world. The capital of this region used to be named Frobisher Bay. For 10 points, name this territory that includes Ellesmere Island and has its capital at Iqaluit, the northernmost and newest territory of Canada.
A: Nunavut
Q: This nation's flag carrier airline reduced operations after the closure of a zinc mine at Maamorilik in the late 1980s and still operates subsidized "settlement flights" to rural areas. This nation's Premier works from a penthouse office built above its first-ever shopping mall. This nation's KNI conglomerate emerged from a colonial monopoly that established the port of Godhavn ("good-HAUN") on Disko Island. The Queen Elizabeth Islands lie to this nation's northwest, where the US operates (*) Thule Air Base. This nation's northernmost year-round port, Sisimiut, is second in population to its capital of Nuuk. It is home to the only permanent ice sheet outside of Antarctica. For 10 points, name this largest island in the world, a constituent country of Denmark.
A: Greenland [or Kalaallit Nunaat; or Grønland; prompt on Denmark before the end]
Q: In this modern-day country, Derek Aikman and Hubert Elrington were members of the nationalist Patriotic Alliance for Territorial Integrity, formed by newspaper editor Philip Goldson. The GWU was an early labor union in this country, where Antonio Soberanis Gomez led a series of worker protests. This country rejected the 1968 Webster Proposals with its western neighbor. Gwendolyn Lizarraga, known as Madam Liz, was the first woman elected to its legislature. Following a currency devaluation in this modern-day country, the People's United Party was formed by George Price. The remains of Fort Mundy and Cairns are in this country's logging town of Orange Walk, located several miles inland from its largest island, the Ambergris Caye. This country gained independence in 1981, before which it was known as British Honduras. For 10 points, name this nation with its center at Belmopan, located to the east of Guatemala.
A: Belize [or Belice, or British Honduras before read]
Q: A controversial biking trail in this state where riders hug the side of a rock face containing a sheer vertical drop is known as the "White Line." The Cathedral Rock trail in this state provides distant views of one of the most photographed sites in one of its cities A trail in this state named for the Bright Angel fault provides access to a certain feature's Vishnu and Brahma schists. The Kaibab ["kay-bab"] trail is a starting point for hikers to enter that feature in this state. A short trail leads to a river's trademark "Horseshoe Bend" near this state's city of Paige. (*) John Wesley Powell mapped a feature in this state which contains a glass "skywalk" near Eagle Point. Red Rock formations are iconic of this state's city of Sedona, and it contains an often hiked feature created by erosion of the Colorado River. For 10 points, name this state where hikers attempt to traverse sections of the Grand Canyon.
A: Arizona
Q: Most of this country's citizens belong to microsavings groups called Chamas. The second-oldest known hominin, Orrorin, was found in this country, as was the well-preserved Homo erectus dubbed "Turkana Boy." This country's Nilotic peoples include the Kalenjin and Luo. This country's official motto translates to "all pull together" and is (*) Harambee. This country's port of Mombasa lies on the northern end of the Swahili Coast. This country's Kikuyu people live near the second-tallest mountain in Africa, for which it is named. This country's flag depicts two crossed spears on a Maasai shield. For 10 points, name this East African country whose capital is Nairobi.
A: Republic of Kenya
Q: This city's so-called Robot Building houses one headquarters of United Overseas Bank, and a sculpture representing its country's 1932 Constitution is surrounded by four wing-like structures at the Democracy monument. Also home to Dusit Park, the popular sporting venues in this city include Ratchadamnoen and Lumphini stadiums, and noted centers of learning include Mahidol University. It was merged with the city of Thon Buri, by which it is linked by three bridges, after the capital was moved here - those bridges span this city located on the Chao Phraya River. For 10 points, name this city whose Grand Palace complex is the residence of King Rama IX.
A: Bangkok [or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon]
Q: The arrangement of betel leaves used during weddings inspired the layout of this city's Palace of Culture. A National Monument located in this city has garlands laid on it every Warriors' Day and was originally adjacent to Cenotaph Road. A mosque in this city has towers and a main dome resembling closed and open umbrellas and also contains the Heroes Mausoleum. The most famous building in this city includes a cross-section resembling the Rub el Hizb symbol from Islamic art, and contains a skybridge connecting its two halves. That Cesar Pelli-designed building in this city was surpassed by Taipei 101 as the world's tallest building. For 10 points, name this Asian capital city that contains the Petronas Towers.
A: Kuala Lumpur [or KL]
Q: Every August since 1947, this European city has held the oldest multi-week "Festival Fringe" for theater productions, founded in competition with its International Festival. Its tourist attractions include a vertically-oriented Camera Obscura, which projects images of it down onto a white table; that attraction and its Grassmarket area are along its Royal Mile in Old Town. The port area of Leith is in this city, where the historic Holyrood Palace is visible from a parliament building. The Waverley railway station lets passengers off in this city in the Midlothian region, the largest on the southern coast of the Firth of Forth. For 10 points, name this major Scottish city east of Glasgow.
A: Edinburgh, Scotland
Q: One text describes a region on this body of water as a paradise made lush by water divinely brought up out of the ground and where "the raven croaks not/ the lion does not kill". Failaka Island was an important trading hub at the northern end of this body of water. Strabo describes the residents of Gerrha, believed to be on or near this body of water, as living in houses made of salt. Steffen Laursen has proposed that a system of symbols found in what is believed to be the (*) Dilmun culture on this body of water developed from trade with the Indus Valley. Foreign traders, such as from Meluhha and the aforementioned Dilmun, passing through this body of water before traveling upriver to his capital was a matter of pride for Sargon the Great. For 10 points, what is this body of water that the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flow into?
A: Persian Gulf (prompt on "Indian Ocean")
Q: This country's endemic species of sunset moth was initially classified as a butterfly and erroneously thought to be from Asia. A plant native to this African country was the original source of Vinca alkaloids. One of this country's official languages is the westernmost Austronesian language, and its mammal species include the Tailless Tenrec, the Fanaloka, the Fossa, and the likely extinct (*) Malagasy Hippopotamus. The Avenue of the Baobabs is in this fourth largest island in the world. This country is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. For 10 points, name this island nation that is the native habitat of the ring-tailed lemur.
A: Madagascar
Q: This body of water is separated by a spit from the Curonian lagoon, which is at one end of the Sambia Peninsula. Islands in this body of water include Muhu, Usedom, and Saaremaa, and part of this body is known as the Archipelago Sea because it contains the Aland islands. To the west of this body of water are three straits, known as the Great Belt, the Little Belt, and the Oresund. It drains into the Kattegat, and gulfs of it include the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. For 10 points, name this sea which borders Sweden and Latvia.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: This state's northwest is home to Shiprock, an eroded volcanic plug held sacred by the region's native population. The White Sands National Monument lies in the southern part of this state, between the cities of Alamogordo and Las Cruces. It's not Nevada, but this state's city of (*) Roswell is associated with an alleged UFO. For 10 points, name this Southwestern state whose capital is Santa Fe.
A: New Mexico
Q: It's not Norway, but the introduction of Sami reindeer to an island owned by this country damaged its entire flora and later was home to a whaling station at Grytviken ["grit-vye-kehn"]. An island owned by this country, the world's smallest inhabited colony, was subject to a 2004 controversy that convicted six of its males with underrage sexual assault. This country controls the most remote island in the world, Tristan da Cunha ["day coon-hah"]. Sheep farming is mainly practiced near Port Stanley on an island controlled by this country, home to the territories of (*) South Georgia and Ascension Island. A Caribbean territory controlled by this country is a controversial offshore financial haven due to its negligible corporate tax. It currently controls the Falkland Islands and the aforementioned Cayman islands. For 10 points, name this European country whose territories are ruled by its head of state, Queen Elizabeth II.
A: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [do NOT accept or prompt on England, accept EITHER underlined portion]
Q: This country is home to the world's oldest lighthouse still in use, the Tower of Hercules, in its city of A Coruna. This country's Basque-speaking minority lives in cities like Bilbao, while its eastern portion is known as (*) Catalonia. The slogan "more than a club" is used by a world-famous soccer team from this country's city of Barcelona. For 10 points, what European country is led from Madrid?
A: Kingdom of Spain [or Reino de Espana, or Espainiako Erresuma, or Regne d'Espanya]
Q: The Fraser fir is endemic to this mountain range. Interest in the natural resources of this mountain range was rekindled by the discovery of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale formation. The Lackawanna Mine, the largest deposit of anthracite coal in the world,is located in a section of this mountain range near the (*) Schuylkill River. The tallest peaks in this mountain system include Mt. Mitchell in the Black Mountains, Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains, and Mt. Washington in the White Mountains. For 10 points, name this mountain range, the namesake of a trail that runs from Georgia to Maine.
A: AppalachianMountains [prompt on Black Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains, or White Mountains before mention]
Q: A gaseous upwelling phenomenon known as the "mud lumps" often takes place near a fishing village on an old barge called the Taj near the mouth of this river. The Coon Rapids dam is the limit of upriver navigation on this river and the only natural waterfall on this river was the now-dammed St. Anthony's Falls. A series of dams known as the Old River control structure prevents this river's course from switching to the Atchafalaya river, and it is crossed by bridges such as the Eads Bridge, the Rock Island Centennial Bridge and the Huey P. Long Bridge. For 10 points, identify this distributary of the Red, Ohio, and Missouri rivers, the longest river in the United States.
A: Mississippi River
Q: This province's cities of Newcastle and Chatham were merged in 1995 to form a new city named after the Great Miramichi fire of 1825. This province includes an island group at the head of Passamaquoddy Bay that includes Grand Manan and Franklin Roosevelt's summer home of Campobello. Point de Bute and Halls Hill are found near its border with Nova Scotia, while Canada's first university and the "reversing falls" are also found on the major river of this province. For 10 points, the Saint John also hosts the capital, Fredericton, of what eastern Canadian province?
A: New Brunswick
Q: Ai Weiwei installed a video recording of this sculpture while it was on loan to Shanghai for Expo 2010. A replica of this sculpture was installed in Greenville, Michigan, prompting a 2009 lawsuit from the Artists Rights Society accusing it of violating copyright. Carl Jacobson commissioned this sculpture, which had ballerina Ellen Price model for the head and the sculptor's wife model for the nude body. Artists from the Situationist movement cut off this sculpture's head in 1964, inaugurating the venerable tradition of vandals cutting off its head and arms. This Edvard Eriksen sculpture is located on a rock in the harbor of Copenhagen. For 10 points, name this sculpture depicting a female character from a Hans Christian Andersen story.
A: The Little Mermaid [or Den Lille Havfrue]
Q: Passengers are now banned from riding on the roof of trains to Alausi along this country's Nariz del Diablo, or Devil's Nose railroad. This city's capital contains an winged aluminum statue of the Virgin Mary stepping on a snake on Panecillo hill. This country's fastest-growing city shares a name with Manta Bay on its coast. This country sued Chevron for extensively polluting around the Napo oil formation in the Lago Agrio region. Because the Earth is an oblate spheroid, the peak farthest from the earth's center is in this country, which owns Isabela island and the finches thereon. For 10 points, name this country home to the Cotopaxi and Chimborazo volcanoes, which owns the Galapagos Islands.
A: Republic of Ecuador [or Republica del Ecuador]
Q: This city hosts the amusement park "Hell's Street" and is decorated with exclusive pavilions called casetas during its "April Fair." A few miles outside of this city, tourists can visit the Roman ruins at Italica. A dodecagonal watch tower called the "Torre del Oro" overlooks this city. This city's cathedral houses the Tomb of Christopher Columbus and is the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe. This city is home to a minaret converted into a belltower now called "La Giralda," as well as the Alcazar Palace of Pedro the Cruel. It is located along the Guadalquivir River. For 10 points, name this capital of Spain's Andalusia region.
A: Seville, Spain [or Sevilla]
Q: In an epic poem from this country, Joy-Giving Girl gets engaged to the son of Beautiful-Rich, Ibonia. This nation celebrates the New Year on Alahamady Be. The traveler's palm is one plant endemic to this island, whose language's transcription in the Arabic script was known as Sorabe. Maromokotro is located on the Tsaratanana Massif in this country's north, while its central plateau is home to most of the Merina People. Antsirabe and Toamasina are among this country's most populous cities. Its national language is Malagasy and it is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. For 10 points, name this island nation east of Africa to which lemurs are indigenous.
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: This country's coastal Sawa people host the aquatic Ngondo festival. This country has mined bauxite in the city of Edea, near a namesake geologic "line" of volcanoes which runs northeast-to-southwest into the ocean and includes the island of Bioko. This country's namesake "ghost shrimp" live in the Wouri river estuary. This country, which, like Togo, was transferred from German to French control after World War I, trades through its port of Douala on the Bight of Biafra. For 10 points, name this country which has helped a neighboring country fight Boko Haram after resolving a boundary dispute with Nigeria to its northwest.
A: Republic of Cameroon
Q: A story of the Yuin people of this country tells of how nearby killer whales would drive other whales to the shore, where the Yuin would kill the animal and share it with the killer whales and neighboring tribes. In the southeast of this country, people gathered in huge numbers to collect estivating bogong moths, which were roasted and sometimes ground and made into smoked cakes. Peoples in the Strzelecki (cheh-"LET-ski") Desert in this country made bread from ground nardoo seeds. Extensive eel traps were made in and around Lake Condah in this country, potentially supporting 10,000 people, by the (*) Gunditjmara [goon-deetch-mah-rah] people. Woodlands, hunting grounds, and farmlands were created and regulated in this country through the use of fire-stick farming. For 10 points, identify this country whose land was carefully managed by its aboriginal peoples to maximize food production in places like the Outback.
A: Australia
Q: A city on this body of water lies at the head of a bay called the Zolotoy Rog for its resemblance to the Golden Horn in Istanbul; that city on this body of water also contains the Russky Bridge, the third tallest bridge and longest stay-cabled bridge in the world. Another city on this body of water is known as the "City of Iron" and contains re-education camps 12 and 25. This body of water separates (*) Primorsky Krai from Sakhalin Oblast. The Tumen River flows into this sea that is home to the oil-rich Liancourt Rocks, which are claimed by three countries. For 10 points, name this peripheral sea of the Pacific basin that lies between the Korean peninsula, Russia, and Japan.
A: Sea of Japan [accept East Sea; accept East Sea of Korea; accept nationalistic answers: Nihon kai; joseon donghae; Yaponskoye more; Riben Hai]
Q: This city holds a Chinese Dragon Boat Festival every July on Sloan's Lake. The intersection of two major interstates in the north of this city is known as "The Mousetrap" for its convoluted ramps that often result in traffic bottlenecks. It's not New York, but this city's historic Rossonian Hotel was an important jazz venue in its Five Points neighborhood. Lawrence Argent sculpted a 40-foot blue grizzly bear peering into a glass window at this city's (*) largest convention center. This city's Confluence Park sits at the junction of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. Major suburbs of this city include Centennial, Lakewood, and Littleton. For 10 points, name this "Mile High City," the capital of Colorado.
A: Denver [or the City and County of Denver]
Q: Lakes lying along this river include Milner Lake and Lake Walcott near Burley and the Sawtooth National Forrest. The travel of trappers along this river was limited by the lava banks in the area surrounding the tributary of Henry's Fork, as well as fear after a massacre near Pierre's Hole. Contemporary uses of this river include irrigation in the fertile Palouse Hills region and large hydroelectric projects like the Ice Harbor Dam located near Pasco where this river ends. This river's largest tributary is the Salmon River, which it meets just after flowing through Hells Canyon. For 10 points, identify this river that flows through Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon before becoming the largest tributary to the Columbia River.
A: Snake River
Q: This island's Muslim minority recently founded an Islamic Center in Kelly Village, due east of its Caroni Swamp National Park, where a habitat for the scarlet ibis is protected. This island's southwest includes a large natural deposit of liquid asphalt called Pitch Lake. In the nineteenth century, volcanic activity began at its Devil's Woodyard, near Princes Town. The large and growing populace of Chaguanas on this island, located along the Gulf of Paria, includes many people of Indian descent. For 10 points, name this island just north of Venezuela, where the government in Port-of-Spain also controls a smaller Caribbean island to its northeast called Tobago.
A: Trinidad
Q: A plateau in this country with many flowers, including 45 species of ground orchids, some of which were threatened by heavy gathering as food, is locally called the Garden of God and is in tropical Africa's only botanical reserve; that's the Kitulo Plateau. The Hyena Project studies spotted hyenas in a crater in this country that's densely populated by large mammals and is the largest intact caldera. In this country, the "Four Year War" between the (*) Kahama and Kasakela shocked Jane Goodall during her observation of chimpanzees in Gombe. This country's Ngorongoro Conservation Area sees the start of a yearly Great Migration, which circles around a region split between it and its northern neighbor, Kenya. For 10 points, name this country that has Serengeti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro.
A: United Republic of Tanzania [or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania; or al-Jumhuriyah al-Muttahidah as Tanzania]
Q: One city in this state was once a gambling mecca under the control of Mayor Leo McLaughlin's machine. Its museum of military history honors the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur. A former tribe in this state, the Quapaw, names both a section of its capital city and a building at "Bathhouse Row."It is home to the only publicly accessible diamond-bearing site in the world, Crater of Diamonds State Park. Tyson Foods is based in this state, whose biggest private employer is located in Bentonville and operates Sam's Club. For 10 points, name this state, the location of Wal-Mart's home offices, and also the site of cities such as Hot Springs and Little Rock.
A: Arkansas
Q: An unidentified island in this body of water was supposedly named after Maria de Lajara, who apocryphally drowned herself nearby out of impatience because the trip across this body of water was taking too long. Alessandro Malaspina led a Spanish scientific expedition in this body of water from 1789-1794, notable for being perhaps the first naval undertaking of its size with no cases of scurvy. A route across this body of water was discovered by Andres de Urdaneta. After an expedition crossing this body of water had many things (*) stolen by natives, Antonio Pigafetta called an island in this body of water the "Island of Thieves". Large quantities of silver were shipped across this body of water in yearly voyages from Acapulco. Traversed by the Manila Galleons, for 10 points, identify this body of water, whose eastern shore was first seen by Europeans under Vasco Nunez de Balboa.
A: Pacific Ocean (accept any named portion of the Pacific Ocean)
Q: In the 1850s, James Strang attempted to found a Mormon kingdom on this lake's Beaver Island. The Door Peninsula separates Green Bay from the rest of this lake. This lake is crossed by ferries between Ludington and Manitowoc and between Muskegon and (*) Milwaukee. Northern Indiana and Chicago lie on the shores of, for 10 points, what Great Lake which shares its name with a peninsular state?
A: Lake Michigan
Q: A sculpture by Pablo Picasso depicting a fish appears in this city's largest park, the Vondelpark. This city is served by the Schiphol International Airport, and its tourist attractions include the Concertgebouw and the Heineken Beer Factory. The term Grachtengordel refers to the concentric rings of (*) canals that encircle this city, which is also home to the Van Gogh Museum. This capital city is famous for its red-light district of De Wallen and for its many "coffeeshops," in which patrons may legally consume cannabis. Rembrandt's The Night Watch is housed in this city's Rijksmuseum. For 10 points, name this capital of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: Part of the Western border of this state is formed by the Red River of the North. This state's "Northwest Angle" is formed by an unusual border along the Lake of the Woods, which this state shares with (*) Canada. This state is home to the source of the Mississippi River, which forms part of its border with Wisconsin. For 10 points, name this "land of ten thousand lakes" whose capital is St. Paul.
A: Minnesota
Q: This body of water surrounds a ghost town that was formerly its country's largest fishing village, Saint Martin of the Tigers, found on Tigres Island. This body of water produces a dense fog called cassimbo along part of its coastline. While walking beaches along this body of water, tourists can observe the rusted MV Dunedin Star cargo ship. A thin desert along the coast of this body of water, the Kakoveld, is where it receives the flow of the ephemeral (*) Swakop river. Surfers frequent a shipwreck-laden strand along this body of water called the Skeleton Coast, which is the product of irregularities in the Benguela ("behn-GWAY-luh") Current arising in its southern gyre. The exclave of Cabinda and the capital city of Luanda both touch, for 10 points, what ocean that forms the coasts of Namibia and Angola?
A: Atlantic Ocean [accept South Atlantic; prompt on Walvis Bay by asking "what larger body is Walvis Bay part of?"]
Q: Several birds endemic to this mountain range, including its namesake geese and crested ducks, have increased cardiac ability as adaptations to hypoxia. Many black chested buzzard-eagles live in this range, as does the black-chested mountain caracara. Adaptive radiation in this range has produced about 40% of the world's hummingbird species, including the giant hummingbird and the hillstars. A plateau in this range is home to James's (*) flamingo and this range's own namesake flamingo. Bird-watchers frequent areas of its slopes such as the Bellavista Reserve and the cloud forest of Yungas. The largest flying land-bird both by weight and by wingspan is this range's namesake condor. Many birds are found in the Altiplano surrounded by, for 10 points, what mountain range of western South America?
A: Andes Mountains [or Andean Mountains; or Cordillera de los Andes; accept Andean condor / flamingo / geese / crested duck, etc.]
Q: Orogeny on this continent during the Miocene led to a series of algal blooms that poisoned the marine life found at "Whale Hill". Instead of indicating the presence of a trunk, the retracted nostrils of Macrauchenia, which lived on this continent, may have been an adaptation to browsing on thorny plants. On this continent, the bones of smaller ungulate species from the orders Litopterna and Notoungulata have been found in the nests of Phorusrhacids. The Australidelphian (*) marsupials originated on this continent, though are now only represented there by the monito del monte. A "Great Interchange" involving this continent 2-3 million years ago featured animals like gomphotheres, wolves, and deer moving [emphasize] to it and animals like glyptodonts, ground sloths, and opossums moving [emphasize] from it. For 10 points, identify this continent, which saw a massive change in its wildlife once connected with its northern neighbor via the Isthmus of Panama.
A: South America
Q: In 2013, forty sailors from this country "revived maritime tradition" here by sailing on the "Fath al Khair" voyage in traditional clothing and using old maritime tools. In this country's capital, a large, torch-shaped hotel called the Aspire Tower was built -- the tallest building in the district of West Bay. A small strait separates this country from the eastern (*) Hawar Island, ownership of which is disputed with a neighboring country. In 1940, oil was discovered in this country's city of Dukhan, and this country shares its only land borders with Saudi Arabia. For 10 points, name this oil-rich Gulf State home to the news agency Al-Jazeera, with a capital at Doha.
A: (State of) Qatar ("cutter" or kuh-TAR) [accept Dawlat Qatar]
Q: In 1903, rugby player Alfred Warbick was killed by one of these features named for its surrounding "Black Waters." The largest one of these features found in the Norris basin is next to another location home to them named the West Thumb. These features, found in a field near the Andes mountains named El Tatio, name a valley found near the terminus of the Kamchatka peninsula. Two of these features named Steamboat and Firehole are found in a park home to one of them known for a (*) predictable pattern. The Strokkur ["strow-koor"] on the island of Iceland is one of these features, as is one that performs an action every 76 minutes. One half of these fumaroles are found in a Western Wyoming park home to one of them named Old Faithful. For 10 points, name these erupting hydrothermal vents which are a trademark of Yellowstone National Park.
A: geysers [prompt on hot springs]
Q: One of this city's museums is a former poorhouse called Vieille Charite. Louis XVI built over a fortress of the Knights Hospitallers to construct this city's Fort Saint-Jean. Marcel Pagnol founded his film studio in this city. This city's main thoroughfare, which takes its name from the hemp once transported along it, is La Canebiere. A 27-foot-tall copper statue of Mary tops the bell tower of this city's Notre Dame de la Garde. The Frioul Islands lie in this city's harbor, which contains the notorious Chateau d'If. A stew called bouillabaisse comes from this port founded in 600 BCE by Phoenician traders. For 10 points, name this port city in the south of France.
A: Marseille [or Marseilles]
Q: This country's Dodecanese island group actually consists of fifteen islands. In ancient times, ships were dragged over an isthmus in this country using a road called the Diolkos. Many migrants to Europe try to reach this country's islands of Kos and Lesbos. (*) Rhodes and Crete are islands in this country, whose capital contains the Parthenon. For 10 points, what country is led from Athens?
A: Greece [or the Hellenic Republic or Hellas or Ellada or Elliniki Dimokratia]
Q: Delis in this city are known for a codfish patty usually served with mustard between two saltines. In this city, Isaac Emerson copied Florence's Palazzo Vecchio, but moved the clock face up, to design a tower owned by Bromo-Seltzer. I.M Pei designed a pentagonal, 405-foot World Trade Center for this city, whose neighborhoods include Locust Point and Fells Point. Suburbs of this city include the largely-Jewish Pikesville and Towson, and it was the eastern terminus of an early railroad out to the Ohio River, which was partly named for it. This city recently renovated its Inner Harbor, and it's home to the Pimlico race course. For 10 points, name this city once guarded by Fort McHenry, the largest in Maryland.
A: Baltimore, Maryland
Q: This city's royal family lives in the Royal Palace of Laeken on this city's outskirts. This city's southern suburb of Beersel is home to the Beersel Castle, which dates from the 12th century. The Koekelberg neighborhood in this city is home to the art-deco style Basilica of the Sacred Heart. A sculpture resembling a large iron crystal known as Atomium was sculpted for the (*) 1958 World's Fair in this city, and Jerome Duquesnoy designed a sculpture in this city above a fountain depicting a little boy urinating called Manneken Pis. This city is bordered by Flanders to the north and Wallonia to the south. For 10 points, name this city, the center of activity for the European Union and the capital of Belgium.
A: Brussels [or Brussels-Capital Region]
Q: This body of water is home to St. Anastasia Island and the disputed Zmiinyi Island, known in English as Snake Island. A disputed region along this body of water has a green and white striped flag with a hand and seven stars in the upper left corner. One city on this body of water is Sukhumi, the capital of the separatist region (*) Abkhazia. This body of water lies south of the disputed Tuzla Island, which lies in the Kerch Strait. The cities of Stary Krym and Sevastopol are found in a disputed territory along the northern coast of this body of water. Crimea lies along the shore of, for 10 points, what sea south of Ukraine, which is separated from the Mediteranian by the Bosporus?
A: Black Sea [accept Euxine Sea]
Q: This state contains the highest point in the U.S. east of the Mississippi, its Mount Mitchell. This state shares the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with its western neighbor, (*) Tennessee. This state's Duke University contests a fierce sporting rivalry with its public flagship school. For 10 points, name this southeastern US state with capital at Raleigh.
A: North Carolina
Q: This country is home to the Maevarano Formation, where the remains of Beelzebufo frogs have been recovered. This country is home to the Great and Little Tsingys, a series of karst topographies characterized by a needlelike appearance. This country's highest point, Mount Maromokotro, is located in the Tsaratanana Reserve. Endemic wildlife in this country includes the (*) fossa (foosa) and the aye-aye. Most of the world's baobab species are located in this country, which is also the only country home to lemurs. The Malagasy people inhabit, for 10 points, what island country located across the Mozambique Channel from mainland Africa with capital Antananarivo?
A: Madagascar
Q: An extinct volcano in this city known as Arthur's Seat is held to be the location of camelot. This city is overlooked by Calton Hill, which is home to the Martyr's Monument: an obelisk dedicated to a group of five political martyrs from this city. The Canongate makes up the eatsern edge of the Royal Mile in this city, which is named for linking the Palace of (*) Holyroodhouse with this city's namesake castle. This city is home to the Holyrood Parliament and this city's primary train station is Waverly. This largest Midlothian city sits on the Firth of Forth and is home to a massive monument to native son Sir Walter Scott. For 10 points, name this capital of Scotland, which is also its second largest city after Glasgow.
A: Edinburgh
Q: Mountains located near this body of water include Mount Scott and Union Peak. This body of water is home to a namesake species of newt notable for its dark-colored underside. According to the Klamath Indians, this body of water was created when the gods Skell and Llao fought each other. This body of water is home to a rocky outcropping known as "Phantom Ship." Notable landmarks in this body of water include "The Old Man of the Lake," a wooden stump which has been floating in it for over a century without decomposing. This site of Wizard Island was created 7,700 years ago by Mount Mazama, a volcano. For 10 points, name this deepest lake in the United States, found in a caldera in Oregon.
A: Crater Lake
Q: The most sparsely populated one of these twenty-two entities has a capital at Xining (SHIN-ing) and hosts a historic lake which is home to the migratory stopover Bird Island. Another of these entities is assigned control, on paper, of Quemoy and Matsu, which are under the de facto control of another government. In addition to Qinghai and Fujian, these entities include one which is coterminous with a southern island, Heinan, and cuisine namesakes such as Hunan and Sichuan. For 10 points, identify these most common administrative divisions of the world's most populous country.
A: provinces of China [accept obvious equivalents; or sheng]
Q: One social group originating in this country's culture is the burrnesha, or "sworn virgins," women who live their entire lives as men. Its Malesia e Madhe district is a center of the gjakmarrja, a blood feud that exacts honor under the code of Kanun. The Shkodra area is another center of ritualized violence in this country, whose economy collapsed in 1997 as the result of a pyramid scheme. Its largest port was renamed Durazzo during a World War II occupation by Italy. For 10 points, name this eastern Balkan state, which is found on the western borders of Macedonia and Greece.
A: Republic of Albania [or Republika e Shqiperise]
Q: This region's Yarlung River forms a "Grand Canyon," the deepest in the world. This region is where the practice of blessing land with "prayer flags" originated. Lakes Siling and Namu are found in this region's northern Changtang area. Its traditions include ritually incising a corpse and leaving it to be eaten by vultures in a "sky burial." An animist religion called Bon is native to this region. The capital of this region contains Jokhang Temple, built by Songtsen Gampo, and Potala Palace. It is located southwest of Qinghai and directly south of Xinjiang. For 10 points, name this Himalayan region with a capital at Lhasa, controversially taken over in 1951 by China.
A: Tibet [or Xizang]
Q: This city's Hann Park contains a national zoo, and its tourist attractions include the bizarrely pink Lake Retba. A huge bronze monument outside this city depicts a black man holding a woman in his right arm and looking towards a pointing baby he holds up in his left. The historical "House of Slaves" lies off the coast of this city's mainland on the isle of Goree. This capital city is home to the African Renaissance Monument and lies on the Cap-Vert peninsula, which juts into the Atlantic. For 10 points, name this westernmost city of mainland Africa, the capital city of Senegal.
A: Dakar
Q: An ethnicity in this mountain range that claims descent from Alexander the Great was historically differentiated with another ethnicity by their practice of wearing black and not red robes. Another ethnicity living in this range possibly received its name from the fact that it descended from 1,000 of Genghis Khan's soldiers. In contrast to the Kalash people of this range, Islam is practiced among those who live in its province of (*) Nuristan ("noor-is-stahn"). Ancient peoples in a valley surrounded by this range constructed the now-lost Buddhas of Bamiyan. The Hazara ("huh-zah-ruh") people, who live in the western portions of this range, speak a dialect of Persian closely related to Dari. The Khyber Pass runs through, for 10 points, what mountain range, which straddles the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan?
A: Hindu Kush
Q: In this country, the Gandaki River forms a basin within which Dhualagiri rises. The Pahari people live primarily in this country's Hill Region. A popular tourist destination here is Lumbini, purportedly the site of a notable birth in 563 BCE. Its namesake language was once called Khaskura and Gorkhali. The Rana dynasty constructed the Singha Durbar in its capital, which lies on the Bagmati River. This country is located south of Tibet, and its border with China is the site of Lhotse and Mount Everest. For 10 points, name this landlocked Himalayan country between India and China.
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Q: In a 2012 paper, Michael Bobick analyzed the rise of this region's largest company through illegal cigarette and frozen food trade. Almost everything in this region is run by the company Sheriff, which also produces its iconic Kvint brandy. 1,500 troops making up the OGRT have occupied this region with the pretext of controlling an ammunition depot at Cobasna. This region attempted to shut down schools that taught using a Latin alphabet instead of (*) Cyrillic, in addition to cracking down on the spread of Romanian. This region's Bendery ("ben-derry") Military Museum and the parliament building in Tiraspol are among its many relics preserved from when it was a part of the Soviet Union. For 10 points, name this breakaway region which gets its name from the river that demarcates the Ukraine-Moldova border.
A: Transnistria [or Pridnestrovie; accept Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic or PMR; prompt on Bessarabia] (The river that names Transnistria is the Dniester River.)
Q: In 2013, ice boulders came up on this body of water's shores, being donned this lake's namesake "marbles." James J. Strange established a Mormon kingdom on this body of water's largest island, Beaver Island. According to legend, two bear cubs drowned in this lake, forming the North and South Manitou Islands. The Old Mission Peninsula splits an extension of it, the Grand Traverse Bay. The Door Peninsula juts into this lake, which is connected to Lake Huron by the Straits of Mackinac. Milwaukee and Chicago are cities on its shores. For 10 points, name this Great Lake, the namesake of an American state.
A: Lake Michigan
Q: This location was named by Dr. Lafayette Bunnell, who entered it while part of a battalion chasing Chief Tenaya. James Mason Hutchings ran a hotel here, where he employed a Scottish-American who had walked from Indiana to Florida in 1867. The Raker Act authorized the building of a dam in the northern portion of this place at Hetch Hetch Valley. A famous photograph shows Teddy Roosevelt and this park's major spokesman, John Muir, at Glacier Point. This park is where the Half Dome and El Capitan can be found. For 10 points, name this national park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which covers the eastern portions of Mariposa County in California.
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: This country's island of Surtsey was formed in the 1980s by a volcanic eruption. This country's largest airport was converted from a U.S. naval base in the town of Keflavik. Air travel in Europe was disrupted by the 2010 eruption of this country's (*) volcano Eyjafjallajokull (EYE-yoff-yaht-lah-yo-kootl). Numerous geysers are found on, for 10 points, what North Atlantic island country with capital at Reykjavik?
A: Iceland [or Island]
Q: Since 2013, SEWA has distributed solar-powered pumps to impoverished workers in these geographic features known as agariyas. The state-owned firm YLB estimates that 70% of the world's lithium reserves are in another of these features, where many ruined British vehicles are found in the "Cementerio de Trenes". The Ovambo word for "great white palace" names yet another of these features that formed from the diversion of the Kunene (*) River. The Battle of Crait in Star Wars: The Last Jedi was shot at one of these features near the Bolivian town of Uyuni. Etosha is the largest one in Africa, while land-speed records are often broken at another one formed from the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. For 10 points, what large, level features are created by deposits of evaporated sodium chloride?
A: salt flats [or salt pans; accept salt marshes before "YLB"; prompt on flats or pans; prompt on lake beds]
Q: This island's foxes are infected with echinococcus parasite, which has since infected virtually all its streams and made water unsafe to drink. This island's four administrative divisions are called Circuits, and its largest city is home to temporary sculptures at a yearly "snow festival." This island is home to a caldera lake in its Akan National Park, and it lies south of the La Perouse strait. The south of this island is reached by the extremely long Seikan tunnel, which runs under the Tsugaru Strait. For 10 points, name this island whose largest city is Sapporo, the northernmost large island of Japan.
A: Hokkaido
Q: One director of this orchestra produced a saxophone concerto titled from a quote from Kafka's The Trial. In 1961, George Solti was succeeded as its music director by Zubin Mehta, who became renowned for being the youngest leader of an American orchestra. A more recent director of this orchestra championed the works of Igor Stravinsky, who spent thirty years in this orchestra's city. In 2009, this orchestra's leader Esa-Pekka Salonen passed the baton to the young Venezuelan-born violinist Gustavo Dudamel. This orchestra plays inside an intense glare-producing stainless steel-coated structure designed by Frank Gehry. For 10 points, name this orchestra which relocated to the Walt Disney Concert Hall from its former home, the Hollywood Bowl.
A: Los Angeles Philharmonic [or LA Philharmonic]
Q: This state's Dutch Harbor is the busiest fishing port in America and a center for the crab industry. This state's city of Nome is the finish line of the yearly Iditarod sled-dog race. The (*) Aleutian Islands, off the west coast of this state, form the southern end of the Bering Sea. For 10 points, name this state home to Fairbanks, Anchorage, and the capital of Juneau.
A: Alaska
Q: This man once declared himself the only heterosexual on the planet, and gave propagandist rants during the so-called "white nights." He was opposed by the Concerned Relatives. A 76-year-old woman named Hyacinth Thrash was the only survivor discovered at the site of this man's worst atrocities, which occurred the same day that his "Red Brigade" shot up the Port Kaituma airstrip, killing Leo Ryan and four others. In those atrocities, over nine hundred people either voluntarily or unwillingly drank valium- and cyanide-laced Flavor-Aid. For 10 points, name this leader of the People's Temple who ordered a 1978 mass suicide in a namesake town in Guyana.
A: Jim Jones [or James Warren Jones]
Q: In 1868, this state's capital dropped the word "Great" from its name. Capitol Reef National Park is located in this state, which in 2006 changed its license plates to read "Life Elevated," in reference to the Wasatch Range. This state's Rice-Eccles Stadium played host to the 2002 Winter Olympics. In this state, structures called (*) hoodoos can be found in Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park. Zion National Park is located near this state's southern border with Arizona. For 10 points, name this state where the Church of Latter-day Saints owns Temple Square in the center of Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: A deadly 1980 accident occurred when MV Summit Venture collided into a bridge spanning this body of water. In mid-January, Ye Mystic Krewe ("crew") organizes a pirate-themed festival in this body of water. This is the (emphasize) smaller of the two bodies of water that surround Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. At a power plant in the community of Apollo Beach, many tourists come to watch West Indian manatees swim in this body of water. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, named after governor (*) Bob Graham, spans this body of water near a non-European city named St. Petersburg. The headquarters of the Church of Scientology is located in Clearwater, a city on this body of water, which is also home to the Buccaneers football team. For 10 points, name this body of water, named after the most populous city on Florida's west coast.
A: Tampa Bay [do not prompt on or accept "Tampa"]
Q: Congressman Robert Broussard introduced a bill to Congress in 1910 to import these animals into Louisiana for their meat and to control an invasive plant species. One of these animals named Huberta walked from St. Lucia to East London between 1928 and 1931 before being shot by farmers. After being brought to London, one of these animals named Obaysch inspired a song called "[this animal's] Polka". One of these animals named Vanessa is the among the growing feral population of these animals in (*) Colombia after they were imported to Pablo Escobar's Hacienda Napoles. Greek writers believed these animals could sweat blood, though it is now known that this is normal sweat with added protection against the diseases and sun of tropical Africa. For 10 points, name these large, semi-aquatic mammals, whose name comes from the Greek for "water horse".
A: hippopotamuses
Q: This state is home to the Ten Thousand Islands, a collection of islets off the coast of this state's largest national park. Big Cypress National Reserve lies north of that national park in this state, which is named a "River of Grass" for being a giant swamp fed by Lake (*) Okeechobee. Crocodiles, manatees, and mangrove trees are among the distinctive features of, for 10 points, what state's Everglades National Park?
A: Florida
Q: A controversy exists over whether this country's Monte Verde site predates the Clovis people as the oldest civilization in the Americas. Its Maipo river valley is famed for Cabernet Sauvignon production. This country's Trancura River is a popular rafting destination, as it flows past the active volcano Villarrica. Its Brunswick Peninsula is the site of its southernmost major city, Punta Areanas. One island possessed by this country is also called Rapa Nui and is known for its birdman cult and giant moai. It administers the Juan Fernandez Islands and Easter Island as special territories. For 10 points, name this South American country which shares Tierra del Fuego and a long border with Argentina.
A: Republic of Chile
Q: A yellow ribbon symbolizes the independence movement of a region in this country. The cantera policy of a soccer team in this country to only use local players emphasizes Basque pride. Architecture designed by Antoni Gaudi is prominent in this country's region of (*) Catalonia, and especially the city of Barcelona. For 10 points, name this country formed by the union of Castile and Aragon whose capital is Madrid.
A: Spain [or the Kingdom of Spain or Espana or Reino de Espana]
Q: A desert region in this country called the Great Karoo is bordered to the south by the Great Escarpment. The Kgalagadi [kha-lah-gah-di] Transfrontier Park is located along this country's northern border, part of which is formed by the Limpopo River. A large flat-topped land feature overlooking a major city in this country is called (*) Table Mountain. This is the larger of the two countries that contain the Drakensberg mountain range, and most of the Orange River lies within its borders. The Transvaal is the northernmost province in this country, which also contains the Cape of Good Hope. For 10 points, identify this modern-day country which completely surrounds Lesotho.
A: South Africa [or Republic of South Africa]
Q: The rock-carved Abu Simbel temples had to be relocated to higher ground thanks to a dam on this river creating Lake Nasser. This river's "Blue" and "White" branches merge at Khartoum. The (*) Aswan High Dam lies along this river, whose delta contains most of Egypt's population and agriculture. For 10 points, identify this African river, the longest in the world.
A: Nile River [or an-Nil, or Piaro, or Hapi, or Iteru, or Aman Dawu]
Q: This language's word for "pineapple," abacaxi[ah-bah-kah-SHEE], is one of its many loanwords from indigenous languages. A state of profound nostalgia or longing traditionally associated with speakers of this language is called saudade[sow-DAH-jee]. Speakers of this language, which contains vocabulary from Tupi, are known as (*) lusophones. This is the only major Romance language to use tildes over vowels, like the "a" in the name Joao [zh-WOW]. A motto in this language appears in front of a starry sky and a yellow rhombus on the flag of a country whose cities include Fortaleza; that motto is ordem e progresso. For 10 points, name this official language of Brazil.
A: Brazilian Portuguese [or portugues]
Q: This state's vacation spot of Candlewood Lake was created by hydroelectric damming. Its two most populous cities contain shuttered gun factories from the Remington and Winchester companies. A town in this state whose Union Station clock tower reflects a historical clock company is Waterbury, and its most southwesterly county is Fairfield County. It formerly hosted America's Lego brick factory in its town of Enfield, and P.T. Barnum got his start in this state's most populous city, a site of urban decay called Bridgeport. For 10 points, name this state where Old Saybrook sits by the terminus of a namesake river, whose cities include New Haven and Hartford.
A: Connecticut
Q: This city was known as Aquincum in Roman times, a reference to its many hot springs. Many famous residents of this city are buried at its Kerepesi cemetery. Visitors to this city may stay at its famous Gellert Hotel, and Jews in this city built the Dohany Street Synagogue. Fourteen statues of historic figures can be found in this city's Heroes Square. The Chain Bridge across the Danube, completed in 1849, connected the two separate cities that merged to make this national capital. For 10 points, name this largest city in Hungary.
A: Budapest
Q: The main building of this country's national library is unique in that it was designed in the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron. Among its noted sites is the residence of the Radziwill family called Nesvizh Castle. Most of the early course of the Pripyat River flows through this nation, passing through cities such as Brest, once known as Brest-Litovsk. It was estimated that about 70% of the radiation from Chernobyl was blown into this country. Foreign observers have accused its president of running the last dictatorship in Europe. For 10 points, name this Eastern European nation, led by Alexander Lukashenko, whose name roughly translates as "White Russia."
A: Republic of Belarus
Q: During this period, many women were employed as prostitutes in the "Recreation and Amusement Association." Also during it, students were told to take brushes and "black out" overly patriotic passages in history textbooks. This period was ended with the Treaty of San Francisco. Successes of this period included the creation of a constitution whose Article 9, or "Peace Clause," outlawed warfare, but the attempt to dismantle massive, monopolistic "financial cliques" was less successful. This period was overseen by the SCAP, a title held by Douglas Macarthur. For 10 points, name this period that lasted from 1945 to 1952, during which American forces ruled an island nation with the support of Emperor Hirohito.
A: American Occupation of Japan [or the Allied Occupation of Japan; prompt on answers like the period after World War II in Japan]
Q: One building in this city is home to six captive ravens, which are said to guard the security of the nation. Piccadilly Circus is located in this city's West End. This city, home to landmarks such as Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park, also contains the Tower Bridge, which crosses the River (*) Thames. For 10 points, what city, home to Buckingham Palace and the British Museum, is the capital of the United Kingdom?
A: London [accept City of London]
Q: Islands in this lake include bird sanctuaries named Hog Island and Fisherman Island. A man-made peninsula on this lake is Northerly Island, the site of an airport named Meigs Field. This lake contains islands which according to legend commemorate two drowned bear cubs. Located off the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, those islands are North and South Manitou Islands. The crazed Mormon "king" James Strang ruled an island in this lake called Beaver Island. Tourists cross this lake on the SS Badger, which takes people from Ludington to Manitowoc. For 10 points, name this only Great Lake located entirely within the United States, which has such cities as Chicago on its shores.
A: Lake Michigan
Q: A 1952 fire in this city was known as Black Saturday and destroyed the Omar Effendi department store. It is the site of the Ben Ezra Synagogue, whose storeroom was found to contain numerous abandoned Hebrew manuscripts, a collection known as this city's namesake geniza. It was once home to the Khedival Opera House, built on orders of Ismail Pasha. The older portion of this city contains the remnants of Fustat, the original Muslim capital. A major public square in its downtown is named Liberation, or Tahrir Square, and was a major focal point of a 2011 revolution. On its outskirts are the Giza Pyramids. For 10 points, name this largest city in Egypt.
A: Cairo [or Masr]
Q: This island contains a cattle ranch named for John Palmer Parker. It contains the Hilina Slump, a chunk of land gradually sliding into the ocean, and the Great Crack, a fissure in the Kau district. This island celebrates the "Merrie Monarch Festival" and is home to a corporation that is one of the world's top producers of macadamia nuts. It has a center named for deceased NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka. A district on this island is the namesake of a specialty coffee and is called Kona. Its highest point is the dormant volcano Mauna Kea. For 10 points, name this island, also known as the "Big Island."
A: Hawaii [or the Big Island until it is read]
Q: New Haven, Connecticut is known for a distinctive variety of this food, including one type made with white clams, while the St. Louis style of this food is noted for its use of Provel cheese. Giordano's and Lou Malnati's are known for making the (*) deep-dish variety of this food popular in Chicago. For 10 points, what Italian food's New York style is characterized by a thin, foldable crust?
A: pizza [accept apizza; prompt on za]
Q: One branch of this river is sourced from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The Al-Sudd Swamplands come after the city of Juba in the course of this river's "White" branch, which joins its "Blue" branch near Khartoum. This river's source is (*) Lake Victoria and its delta, between the Damietta and Rosetta branches, empties into the Mediterranean at Alexandria. For 10 points, what long river flows through Sudan and Egypt?
A: Nile River
Q: The western part of this country is home to the mountainous Jasper and Banff National Parks. This country's north contains Great Slave Lake and Great Bear Lake, as well as Alert, the (*) northernmost permanent settlement on earth. This country's province of British Columbia contains the city of Vancouver. For 10 points, name this country which includes Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario.
A: Canada
Q: Ryan Gravel's 1999 master's thesis inspired this city to turn abandoned railroad tracks into the BeltLine. A proposed light rail line known as the Clifton Corridor would link a university in one of this city's suburbs to Avondale. In 2016, Jacobs Engineering Group proposed "the Stitch," a park in this city that would run along the Downtown Connector. "Spaghetti Junction" is the name affectionately given to this city's (*) Tom Moreland interchange, which connects one highway to I-285. BreezeCards are carried by frequent users of this city's metro system, whose international airport is the busiest in the world. The Carolina Panthers' rivalry with a team in this city is known as the "I-85 Rivalry." Mercedes-Benz Stadium is found in, for 10 points, what state capital which contains Peachtree Street?
A: Atlanta
Q: Special Friday noon prayers, or jumu'ah [juh-MAH], can be found in the Friday Mosque in this country's city of Herat [heh-RAAT]. This country's Bamiyan Valley was home to two large Buddha statues blown up in 2001. Along with an eastern neighbor, one of this country's borders is demarcated using the Durand Line. Crossing into this country's Wakhan Corridor from (*) China produces the largest time zone shift in the world by a border crossing. This country's city of Kandahar is the cultural seat of its largest ethnic group, the Pashtuns, who speak one of this country's two official languages, Pashto. For 10 points, name this landlocked Asian nation with capital Kabul.
A: The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan [accept Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afganestan or Da Afganistan Islami Jumhoryat]
Q: In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of the Four, Jonathan Small admits to having escaped from a penal colony on this island chain. To its east lies a group containing Henry Lawrence Island known as Ritchie's Archipelago. To its north lies the politically important Coco Islands and its principal town is Port Blair. They name a sea that lies to west of the Isthmus of Kra and they lie about 200 miles south of Myanmar. For 10 points, name this island group in the Indian Ocean that forms a political territory with the nearby Nicobar Islands.
A: Andaman Islands
Q: A rejected 2005 proposal to change one of these things used in Mozambique involved removing the AK-47 that appears on it. Nepal uses one of these things with an unusual shape, and one of them used in Japan depicts a red (*) sun over a white background. Countries like France use the tricolor type of, for 10 points, what national symbols that include America's "Stars and Stripes?"
A: national flags
Q: A 1931 conflict regarding this river dealt with the construction of a new toll bridge, which angered Governor Ross Sterling. Forks in this river include Prairie Dog Town Fork. General Lucius D. Clay managed the construction of the Denison Dam on this river. This river was once jammed by a collection of fallen trees running over 150 miles until Captain Henry Miller Shreve cleared the "Great Raft" jamming this river and its distributary, the Atchafalaya, in Louisiana. While also flowing through Arkansas, it once separated U.S. and Spanish territory as declared in the Adams-Onis Treaty. For 10 points, name this colorfully named river, a tributary of the Mississippi, which forms the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma.
A: Red River
Q: The oil field of Statfjord (stat-FYORD) lies in this sea, east of the Shetland Islands. The largest helicopter port in the world lies on the shore of this body of water in Aberdeen. Oil found under this body of water is responsible for Norway's large sovereign wealth fund. The English Channel connects this sea to the (*) Atlantic. For 10 points, what rough sea named after a cardinal direction is between continental Europe, Scandinavia, and Britain?
A: North Sea
Q: One island in this body of water is Lord Howe's Island. Cities on its eastern side include Greymouth and New Plymouth, while cities on its western side include Newcastle and Wollongong [WOOL-ung-gong]. Norfolk Island lies in its northern part, near its border with the Coral Sea. Its namesake also gives his name to an island whose capital is Hobart and which is separated by the Bass Strait from mainland Australia. For 10 points, name this body of water between Australia and New Zealand.
A: Tasman Sea
Q: In 1947, political dissidents in this nation were massacred in what is known as the 228 incident. European explorers encountered the Ami and Atayal indigenous tribes while settling this modern nation and the western portion of this nation contains the strategically important Pescadores Islands. This nation was the home to the Dutch Fort Zeelandia, although it was eventually captured following a long siege led by Koxinga. Later, this nation became one of the Asian Economic Tigers and during the Cold War it was controlled tightly by the KMT party. For 10 points, name this island nation once known as Formosa.
A: Taiwan [or Formosa early]
Q: The biggest environmental issue in this region began when the American beaver was introduced here in 1940. The early 20th century saw a sharp decline in the native Selkham and Yagan tribes located here, which were part of the Ona language group. That decline was likely the result of a gold rush here led by Julius Popper. The largest city here, Ushuaia, claims to be the southernmost city in the world. By taking the Drake Passage, one can round this region's southernmost point, Cape Horn. The Strait of Magellan separates this area from the mainland. For 10 points, name this archipelago shared by Argentina and Chile.
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: The ceremonial single-piece, sashed dress worn by both genders in this country is known as the "del," and a traditional building here has a toono opening for smoke and is a rounded tent called a "ger." This country's highest point is Khuiten Peak, which is found in the western portion of this nation; its largest lake is Khovsgol Nuur. Another lake in this country, Uvs Nuur, lies near the city of Ulaangom. The sacred Tuul River flows through this nation's capital city, and the southern portion of this country contains parts of the Gobi Desert. For 10 points, name this Asian country that lies between Russia and China, with capital at Ulan Bator.
A: Mongolia
Q: A local holiday in this city is the annual repainting of a gold fire hydrant. In 1835, William Richardson established the first major homestead outside of Mission Dolores in what was to become this city, though he called it Yerba Buena. This city grew upon the arrival of Sam Brannan and some Mormon pioneers. It gained one of its most famous landmarks in 1937 after the completion of Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow and Charles Ellis's suspension bridge. For 10 points, name this "Paris of the West" that experienced a major 1906 earthquake and is home to the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco
Q: The removal of the Fort Edward dam in 1973 released contaminated sediment into this river. Once known as the Mauritius, this river possesses a "Wind Gate" formed by Storm King Mountain and Breakneck Ridge, and the Appalachian Trail crosses it on the Bear Mountain Bridge. Its official source is located on Mount Marcy at Lake Tear-of-the-Clouds while the Mohawk is a major tributary. This river widens at Tappan Zee where it is flanked by the Palisades. Crossed by the Holland Tunnel, for 10 points, identify this river that flows through Albany and New York City.
A: Hudson River
Q: Walter Pitman argued that the Biblical flood myth could have originated from a rapid rise in sea level of this body of water. This body of water connects to the Sea of Marmara through the Bosphorus, right next to the city of Istanbul. The city of Sevastopol lies on the shores of this body of water on the (*) Crimean Peninsula. For 10 points, what sea lies south of Ukraine and north of Turkey, possibly named for the dark shadows its storms cast over the water?
A: Black Sea
Q: Artifacts stolen from this country were seized by US Customs in 1994 during a Sotheby's auction; those artifacts were taken by Ernil Bernal and identified by archaeologist Walter Alva as coming from this country's Huaca Rajada. One culture in this country was responsible for building the world's largest adobe city, called Chan Chan. This country home to the Moche and Chimu also held the capital city of the Tawantinsuyu, which is the site of the Stone of Twelves Angles. That culture also built a city in this country on a ridge above the Urubamba River. For 10 points, name this South American country that is the location of the cities Cuzco and Machu Picchu, both built by the Inca.
A: Republic of Peru [or Republica del Peru]
Q: Some islands in this country feature the fa abua system, in which valuables are given as compensation for the violation of unwritten rules. This country's largest province is Malaita, which is centered at Auki. Ironbottom Sound is south of Florida Island and Savo Island in this country, which contains a body of water that was called "the Slot" by soldiers in World War II. East of Papua New Guinea, it encompasses the New Georgia Sound, which runs through its middle between Bougainville and Guadalcanal. For 10 points, name this country in Oceania formed out of almost one thousand islands and whose capital is Honiara.
A: Solomon Islands [or Solomons]
Q: This city contains the corn cob-shaped Marina Towers. The second tallest building in this city is known as the John Hancock Tower, and Anish Kapoor's bean-shaped Cloud Gate is a landmark in this city's Millennium Park. This city's tallest building, the Willis Tower, used to be called the (*) Sears Tower. For 10 points, what seat of Cook County is the most populous city in Illinois?
A: Chicago
Q: The twenty to thirty remaining Mazaalai bears inhabit this desert. In May 2011, workers unearthed buried vineyards that this desert's sands were protecting from extreme conditions. Plans are underway to create a 2800-mile-long "wall" of forest along the south boundary of this desert. In this desert's Flaming Cliffs region, Roy Chapman Andrews discovered the first fossilized dinosaur eggs. The Altai Mountains lie to the north of this desert, which expands rapidly and experiences temperatures as cold as negative forty degrees Celsius in the winter. For 10 points, name this desert located in northern China and southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: This body of water is the primary source of Beluga Caviar. The Absheron Peninsula, which juts into this body of water, contains the world's lowest-altitude capital city. That city, Baku, has grown rich off of the oil reserves in this body of water. The Volga and Ural Rivers empty into this largest (*) inland lake in the world. For 10 points, what body of water lies north of Iran, between the Caucasus Mountains and Kazakhstan?
A: Caspian Sea
Q: The Irish doctor Edward Cullen fraudulently claimed to have found a river passage through this region, which prompted a US Navy expedition led by Isaac Strain where seven people died. The anthropologist Wade Davis accompanied Sebastian Snow when he crossed this region on foot. The near extinction of the Cueva people in this region following arrival of the Spanish allowed the Kuna to take over. John Blashford-Snell failed to get his Range Rover through the Atrato Swamp in this region, which contains Los Katios National Park and Cerro Tacarcuna mountain. A company named for this place, led by William Paterson, founded the aborted colony of Caledonia that bankrupted its nation and forced it to enter the 1707 Act of Union. The Pan-American Highway does not pass through this area. For 10 points, name this "Gap" in Central America which was the namesake of a "Scheme" to build a colony on the isthmus of Panama.
A: Darien Gap [or Gulf of Darien]
Q: In this state, tourists can ride to the top of Sandia Peak via the longest aerial tram in the Americas. A minor-league baseball team in this state's largest city is named the Isotopes in honor of this state's role as the site of the Trinity nuclear test and the home of (*) Los Alamos National Laboratory. Santa Fe is the capital of, for 10 points, what Southwestern state with its largest city at Albuquerque (AL-buh-ker-kee)?
A: New Mexico
Q: In this state, future Congressman John Lewis was injured in clashes with police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Martin Luther King, Jr. composed a famous letter from a jail in this state. Ku Klux Klan members bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in this state's city of (*) Birmingham, the site of significant events in the Civil Rights Movement. For 10 points, in which state did Martin Luther King Jr. lead a march from Selma to Montgomery?
A: Alabama
Q: A particularly large one of these locations in Manson, Iowa was first discovered during the digging of an exploration oil drill. One of these locations in Arizona was used by NASA to train astronauts for the Apollo missions and was named after Daniel Barringer. One of these objects, formed about 35 million years ago, lies underneath the (*) Chesapeake Bay. Although they cannot be found here, a national monument in Idaho known for its lava fields and is named after these structures "of the moon." Wizard Island is located on a lake named for one of these locations in Oregon. For 10 points, name these locations commonly formed when a meteor impacts earth.
A: craters [accept Manson Crater, Barringer Crater, Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater, Craters of the Moon National Park, and Crater Lake]
Q: The stone used for the Palace of the Winds is of this color, which nicknames the city it towered over. Male Amazon River Dolphins tend to be this color, which nicknames the capital of Rajasthan [RAH-jus-THON], Jaipur. Lake Hillier and Spencer Lake are Australian lakes notable for being this color, which is included in the Spanish name for Argentina's presidential mansion. In Japan, hanami festivals celebrate (*) Sakura flowers that are this non-white color also prominent in a spring festival celebrated in Washington D.C. For 10 points, what non-white color can primarily be seen during cherry blossom festivals?
A: Pink [or Rose; accept Amazon Pink River Dolphin, The Pink House, or La Casa Rosada]
Q: The Atchafalaya River branches off this other river. The 1928 Flood Control Act was passed in response to the worst flood in US history, which occurred on this body of water. This river briefly flowed backwards in 1812 due to an earthquake near New Madrid, Missouri. This river passes directly east of the Gateway Arch in (*) St. Louis and ends near New Orleans. For 10 points, name this longest river in the United States.
A: Mississippi River
Q: Buildings designed by Mary Colter near this feature include Hermit's Rest and Hopi House. The one-armed Army major John Wesley Powell led the first American expedition to this feature's base. This feature, which has North and South Rims, was formed by erosion from the (*) Colorado River. For 10 points, name this mile-deep canyon in Arizona.
A: the Grand Canyon [or Grand Canyon National Park]
Q: One of this state's national parks was home to a 1972 meteor that was caught on film. This state's highest mountain is located in the Wild River range. Two parks in this state are connected by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. This state includes the headwaters of the Snake River, and in 1995 the federal government controversially re-introduced wolves into this state. This state is home to America's first National Monument, a massive igneous rock called Devil's Tower. For 10 points, name this state that is home to such cities as Gillette, Casper, and Cody, and most of Yellowstone National Park.
A: Wyoming
Q: The Saltoro Mountains cut through this region and their namesake river flows into the Shyok River. One group of people in this region treats a course of meals called wazwan as a work of art; dum aloo is also a popular dish from this region. Ladakh is a part of this region that lies south of the Kunlun Mountains. China connected Xinjiang and Tibet by building a railroad through this region's Aksai Chin portion. The Siachen Glacier area is disputed within this region, and Srinagar is on the Jhelum River in this region's Valley. An Indian state groups together part of this region with Jammu. For 10 points, name this disputed region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent.
A: Kashmir
Q: This people's trapezoidal doorways can be seen in villages in the Sacred Valley, which contains Pisac. This civilization built their capital city in the shape of a puma, whose tail is formed by two rivers. They built a magnificent temple to their sun god called the "Golden Enclosure." Without using mortar, they created walls so tight that a knife could not be wedged through their stones. One of their cities is next to a mountain that, viewed sideways, resembles a human face; that city, with a name meaning "Old Peak," was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. For 10 points, name this Andean civilization that built Machu Picchu in modern-day Peru.
A: the Inca
Q: A state named for this person contains Grampians National Park, the Yarra River, and Port Phillip Bay. This person names the capital of the Seychelles, as well as the highest hill in Hong Kong, which can be accessed by a "Peak Tram." The capital of a state named after this person hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics, which shared equestrian events with Sweden. "The Smoke that Thunders" is the translated name for one natural wonder named for this person in (*) Africa that is a mile wide and over 350 feet tall. For 10 points, name this British monarch who names a large waterfall on the Zambezi River, who also names an Australian State with capital Melbourne.
A: Queen Victoria [accept Victoria, Australia; Victoria, Seychelles; Victoria Peak, Hong Kong, and Victoria Falls]
Q: Sites in this state include the Cape Neddick Lighthouse and the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, a challenging trail in Baxter State Park. A national park in this state contains Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on Mt. Desert Island. This state's highest point is Mount Katahdin [kuh-TAH-din], while its town of Eastport claims to be the first in the nation to see the (*) sun rise every day. This state's Penobscot [peh-NOB-"scott"] River runs by Bangor and names a bay where many of this state's residents fish for lobster. For 10 points, name this state, which contains Acadia National Park as well as cities Portland and Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: In 2006 a new species of the predatory Raiamas genus of fish was discovered in a tributary of this river, the Inkisi River, and other tributaries of it include the Lomami. This second most voluminous river in the world includes a tributary that also runs through Angola, the Kasai River. A railroad beginning at Matadi was built to bypass the non-navigable Livingstone Falls on this river, which also includes the Stanley Falls. At Boyoma Falls, the Lualaba River becomes this river, whose sources include Lake Mweru and Lake Tanganyika. For 10 points, name this waterway, the second-longest in Africa, that flows through cities of its namesake country like Brazzaville and Kinshasa.
A: Congo River [or Zaire River; accept Inkisi river before "tributary"]
Q: The highest point in this city is Mount Majura, which is part of a nature park containing such other peaks as Mount Ainslie and Mount Mugga Mugga. This city honors the founding of its major university in 1968 with a music festival called Stonefest. This city was officially "founded" on March 12, 1913, a national holiday in the country where this city was located. It contains a Georgian mansion called "The Lodge,"which has seen such occupants as Hazel Hawke and Ethel Bruce, along with their more notable husbands. Designed by Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, Marion, this city features the "Parliamentary Triangle" and was constructed as a compromise choice to settle a political dispute between Melbourne and Sydney. For 10 points, name this capital of Australia.
A: Canberra
Q: The garagistes are a group of people utilizing new techniques in the creation of this product, which is imitated by products under the Meritage brand. The Saint-Emilion Classification for this product is released every ten years. In 1976, Steven Spurrier organized the Judgment of Paris, which declared a California counterpart to this product superior to it. The region of Medoc grows particularly fine examples of this commodity, which is primarily grown in the Gironde department around the Garonne River. Sauternes and clarets are white and red variants of it. For 10 points, name this type of alcoholic beverage grown in a Western European nation.
A: Bordeaux wine [or French wine; prompt on wine]
Q: This mountain range is home to silver mines at Potosi and also contains Salar de Uyuni, which is the world's largest salt flat. This mountain range was created by the Nazca plate, and its southern terminus is in Tierra Del Fuego. The (*) Incan Empire was centered in this mountain range. For 10 points, what longest mountain range in the world runs along the Pacific coast of South America?
A: Andes Mountains
Q: Prominent geological formations near this national park include the Bigfork Chert and the Stanley Shale. It absorbed a pre-existing park centered on the Whittington Lake Reserve, and to its south is a Mesozoic-era igneous complex known as Magnet Cove. Large deposits of calcium carbonate on the Tufa Terrace Trail at this park begin at the Stevens Balustrade above its Grand Promenade. This park is located within the Zigzag Mountains, which is a subdivision of the Ouachita Mountain range, and contains the recreational area at Gulpha Gorge. The visitor center for this park is now situated at the Fordyce Bath-house, which is part of its "Bathhouse Row," an area that boasts itself as part of the "Golden Age of Bathing." For 10 points, name this national park in central Arkansas, which is sometimes called the "American Spa" for its therapeutic water.
A: Hot Springs National Park
Q: The basin of this river contains the largest-known deposit of trona ore, which is refined into soda ash, a fact which led this river to become the namesake of a soda pop released just after Prohibition by the Sweetwater Beverage Company. After it's joined by the Big Sandy River, it flows through the Fontanelle Reservoir at the town of La Barge. This river shares its name with a city that, in 1931, was the first to prohibit door-to-door solicitation by passing its namesake ordinance. It picks up Nine Mile Creek and Yampa River at Steamboat Rock, after passing through the scenic Gates of Lodore. It also runs through the Flaming Gorge Dam, creating a reservoir when it passes through the Uinta Mountains, and the banks of this river contain the fossil beds of Dinosaur National Monument. For 10 points, name this largest tributary of the Colorado River, which passes through a namesake town in southern Wyoming.
A: Green River
Q: The ruler Adudal-Dawla kept his court in this city when it was the capital of the Buyid dynasty, which arose around 934 CE. That ruler built several monuments in this city, including the sprawling Vakil Bazaar, a dam connecting this city to Estakhr, and the massive Qur'an Gate at its northeast entrance. Andr´e Godard re-designed a mausoleum in this city that includes the Musalla Gardens on the banks of the Ruknabad river. Its profigate raisin production followed centuries of its namesake wine being prized along the Silk Road. The ruins of Pasargadae lie on the outskirts of this city, which was the capital of the Zand Dynasty, and is currently the capital of its nation's province of Fars. It's also just south of ancient Persepolis. Baha'i pilgrims in this city visit the House of the Bab. This city fostered the poetic careers of its native sons Sa'di and Hafez, whose tombs are located here. For 10 points, name this major artistic center, the largest city in southern Iran.
A: Shiraz
Q: Later in life, this man purchased a vacation ranch in Hood River, Oregon, though he also owned a house named "Mount Hood" that he built in Winona Lake, Indiana. He hired Homer Rodeheaver and Virginia Asher to work under him, after initially working as an assistant to J. Wilbur Chapman. He married the daughter of an ice cream baron, and that woman Nell Thompson managed his business dealings. This man created the motto "Get on the Water Wagon" to support Prohibition and went on tours known as the "sawdust trail." He first came to national attention after Cap Anson convinced A.G Spalding that this man's tremendous speed would make him a fine outfielder for the Chicago White Stockings. For 10 points, name this baseball player who traveled the country to speak at wooden tabernacles, the best-known evangelical preacher in early 20th century America.
A: William Ashley "Billy" Sunday
Q: An expedition planned by Joseph Grelier discovered the source of this river in the Parima range just north of Mount Del-gado Chalbaud. A surreal depiction of that discovery was painted by Remedios Varo, showing the water of this river pouring from a goblet. Another large river system to the south is connected to this one by the Casiquiare Channel, which it fows into afer arising near the town of Esmeralda. This river's delta stretches from the Gulf of Paria past the Serpent's Mouth to the island of Corocoro. Prior to reaching the delta, it's joined by the Caroni River, its largest tributary, and it passes through Ciudad Bolivar and Ciudad Guayana. There this river meets the efuent of the Embalse de Guri, which is the receptacle for the waters of Angel Falls. For 10 points, name this river that drains three-fourths of the water in Venezuela.
A: Orinoco River [accept R´ıo Orinoco]
Q: In order to resolve this confict, a six-member tribunal was created including men like George Turner, Louis Jett´e, and Allen Aylesworth; the lone member from Great Britain, Lord Alverstone, was supposed to act as a neutral judge to resolve the claims of the other two parties. In the course of this controversy, threats were made to station troops at the port towns of Dyea and Skagway, and the parties argued over diferent translations of French terms contained in the so-called "Treaty of St. Petersburg" of 1825. The passage of the Hay-Herbert Treaty tried to resolve this dispute, which was fought over ownership of the Portland Channel and its islands, and the Lynn Channel. The American diplomats Henry Cabot Lodge and Elihu Root 1 fought to ensure access to the goldfelds in the interior regions, in the wake of the Klondike gold rush. For 10 points, name this dispute between the U.S. and Canada resolved in 1903, which was about defning the border of a U.S. state known as "Seward's Folly."
A: Alaskan boundary dispute [or Alaskan border question; accept equivalents that indicate a confict over the boundary of Alaska between the U.S., Canada, and Britain; only Alaska is required]
Q: This country controls both the Juan Fernandez archipelago and Robinson Crusoe Island. The Ahu Tongariki and Ahu Akivi statues lie on an island governed by this country where one can hike along the Rano Kau Volcano. The largest earthquake ever recorded was off this country's city of Valdivia, while the oldest continuously running Spanish language newspaper in the world is based out of its city of (*) Valparaiso [VAL-pah-rah-EE-so]. The northern part of this country, Antofagasta, is mostly covered by the Atacama desert. Moai statues were built by the Rapa Nui people on this country's Easter Island. For 10 points, name this South American country with capital Santiago.
A: Republic of Chile [or Republica de Chile]
Q: This leader, whose propaganda styled him as "First Peasant" and "First Worker," strangely promoted the teaching of folk and highland dialects in elementary schools. This non-German leader's government used a golden double axe as the symbol of its official youth group and proclaimed the advent of the third version of his country's civilization. Unusually, his regime was tolerant of Jews, though they were banned from participating in its National Youth Organization, the EON. An October 28th holiday celebrates a rebuke by this man, in which he supposedly said "Okhi," or "No," to an order to station troops in his country. His namesake defensive line was breached during the Battle of the Forts, which allowed Wilhelm List to invade from the north. This man's sudden death in 1941 marked the end of the 4th of August Regime. For 10 points, name this fascist Greek general who governed after a self-coup in 1936.
A: Ioannis Metaxas
Q: This country is home to a mountain with a massive copper mine which once supplied Europe with the majority of its copper. This country is often said to be characterized by the attitude of lagom, which stresses moderation. An island off the coast of this country contains the remarkably well preserved medieval city of Visby. The largest lake in Europe outside of Russia is Lake Vattern in this country. This country is surrounded by the Gulf of Bothnia to its south and east. For 10 points, name this largest country in Scandinavia with capital at Stockholm.
A: Sweden
Q: Some attractions on this island include the Two Heroines monument, a life-sized statue of the two sisters who saved the island from invasion, and the Indigo Pearl resort area which lies within Sirinat National Park. This island is mostly composed of hills because it's the southern terminus of a namesake mountain range which is a continuation of the Tenasserim Hills. Tourists ofen sail of of its southeastern coast to visit the Phi Phi Islands. The namesake city on this island is home to the Si-mon Cabaret show, which features a world-famous group of "ladyboy" dancers. This island is directly south from the Isthmus of Kra, where its eponymous mountain range originates, and its biggest tourist draw is Patong Beach. This island in the An-daman Sea sits at the very upper end of the Malay Peninsula. For 10 points, name this largest island that belongs to Thailand.
A: Phuket [or Thalang or Jung Ceylon or Cape Salang before that's mentioned or Tongka or "Junk 2 Ceylon" or Jonsalam]
Q: A district in this city is home to the Avenue of Stars, a promenade commemorating this city's film celebrities, and it also contains the Chungking ["Choong-king"] Mansions, which has garnered a seedy reputation among local residents. Octopus cards can be used in retail stores throughout this city, but it is most widely used for this city's MTR mass transit system. This place used to be home to an ungoverned "walled city" that was controlled by local triads. (*) Yum cha is a brunch tradition of drinking tea and eating dim sum in this city, and the Star Ferry is a popular tourist attraction that carries passengers across Victoria Harbour in this city. This city, located across the Pearl River from Macau, is governed under a "one country, two systems policy" to maintain its autonomy. For 10 points, name this metropolis which was returned to China by the United Kingdom in 1997.
A: Hong Kong
Q: A journey down this river is the subject of Between the Woods and the Water by Patrick Leigh Fermor. Before flooding due to a hydroelectric project, this river's small island of Ada Kaleh was home to a large Turkish population. In 2000, tributaries of this river were affected by a huge cyanide spill from a gold mine near Baia Mare. This river is home to Europe's largest binational hydroelectric dam at the Iron Gate. A major canal links this river to the Main. The Regen flows into this river at Regensburg, and its other tributaries include the Sava and the Tisza. Before the construction of the Szechenyi Chain Bridge, this river divided the twin cities of Buda and Pest. For 10 points, name this river that flows past Belgrade and Vienna and empties into the Black Sea.
A: Danube River [or Donau]
Q: This mountain's unusual shape comes from the fact that it is a lava plug eroded by glaciers. Local tribes build their houses so that this mountain is visible from the door, because the god Ngai is said to live here. In 1888, the Hungarian explorer Count Teleki became the first European to attempt to climb this mountain, and also discovered nearby Lake Rudolf, now called Lake Turkana. This extinct stratovolcano dates to the opening of the nearby Great Rift Valley. The culture of the nearby Kikuyu tribe was described in a famous anthropology book about "facing" this mountain. For 10 points, name this second highest mountain in Africa, which shares its name with the home of Mombasa.
A: Mount Kenya
Q: This city has developed a curious shadow economy that seamlessly liaises with the regular economy through the use of bate-ficha middlemen. One building in this city, designed to look like a birdcage, is located at the foot of a bridge which features a dramatic triangular bulge in its middle section, a stylized version of which appears on this city's flag. Popular attractions here include the ruins of the Jesuit college St. Paul's and the aforementioned Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, which connects to the island of Taipa. The largest casino in the world is this city's Venetian, and 50% of its economy is made up by gambling revenue. This city on the Western side of the Pearl River Delta was returned in 1999. For 10 points, name this former Portuguese colony in China.
A: Macau [or Macao]
Q: In 1952, Theodore Monod led an expedition to this region citing the origin of a geologic dome nicknamed the "Eye of [This region]." It's not in Asia, but the deathstalker scorpion's primary habitat is in this region home to the nocturnal fennec fox. The Great Western and the Great Eastern ergs are shifting areas located in this region, a "strip" in which was subject to the Toyota War. A terra nullius named the Bir Tawil ["beer tah-wheel"] edges the eastern portion of this region, the expansion of which is currently resisted by the construction of the (*) Great Green Wall. The sirocco winds originate in this desert, while the city of Marrakech ["mah-rah-kesh"] is often referred to as the "Gateway" of it. This desert is bordered to the south by the Sahel and names a "Western" territory whose control is being challenged by the POLISARIO front. For 10 points, name this North African desert, the largest in the world.
A: Sahara Desert [anti-prompt on Chad, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Northeast Africa, Northwest Africa, and Morocco until "Desert" is stated, prompt on North Africa until "desert" is read]
Q: This country is home to the Mentawai Islands, as well as to a volcano which in 1815 had the largest eruption of modern times and led to the "Year Without a Summer." Major cities in this home of Mount Tambora include Medan, Surabaya, and Bandung. The Kalimantan provinces of this country are bordered by the Celebes Sea. This country controls both the Sunda and Madura straits. This country's Banda Aceh region was the site of an earthquake on Boxing Day in 2004, which created a massive tsunami. For 10 points, name this most populous Muslim country, whose islands include Sumatra and Java.
A: Indonesia
Q: The largest heavy metal festival in the world is held in this state. One city in this state was home to the last Nazi government and currently houses the Isted Lion. This state is home to a city which can be accessed from the Holstentor and the Burgtor and is the birthplace of Niederegger Marzipan. Heligoland is part of this state in which Lubeck is found and whose capital names a canal which links the Baltic and North seas. For 10 points name this most northerly German province which was the subject of a namesake question when it was a contested territory.
A: Schleswig-Holstein
Q: The city of Koblenz in the Rhineland derives its name from the Latin for one of these geographical features, which prompted the Romans to site two forts here. To Hindus they are known as sangams, and the invisible presence of the Saraswati makes one near Allahabad [ILL-A-HA-BAD] especially holy. Every twelve years the Maha Kumbh Mela festival takes place at one of these places. Pittsburgh, Manaus, Belgrade and Khartoum are all sited at one of these features, which gives their downtowns a compact triangular shape, and one north of Basra forms the start of the Shatt al-Arab. For 10 points, give the term for the meeting of two or more rivers.
A: river confluence [accept obvious word forms]
Q: A recently opened urban park in this city contains objects like a Thai boxing ring and a sign for Pennsylvania's Deangelis donuts. That park in this city is divided into a red square, a black market, and a green park, and is named Superkilen. After WWII, this city's metropolitan area was expanded via the "Finger Plan," which spread its "S-Train" system and developed the Medicon Valley. This city is home to a rococo building called the "Marble Church" as well as the Tivoli Gardens and the historic district of Indre By. This city in the Oresund Region forms a metropolitan area with Malmo. Located mainly on the island of Zealand, this city's harbor houses Edvard Eriksen's bronze statue of the Little Mermaid. For 10 points, name this capital of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [or Kobenhavn]
Q: In this state, James V. Lafferty's patent on animal-shaped buildings allowed him to build the six-story tall Lucy the Elephant. This state's Sandy Hook Peninsula, which was once home to an artillery range, is now a popular tourist locale. In contrast to this state's heavily polluted Passaic ["puss-SAY-ich"] River, its (*) Pine Barrens hold some of the purest water in the country. In this state, The Palisades were referred to by the Lenape as "rocks that looked like rows of trees," a phrase which named its town of Weehawken. This state was where the Hamilton-Burr duel took place. This state is home to the seaside resort of Cape May and the gambling center of Atlantic City. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Trenton.
A: State of New Jersey
Q: According to local legend, Jacob Waltz established the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine near this state's Superstition Mountains. Brigham Young's son John built Fort Moroni on this state's San Francisco Peak, which includes its highest point, Humphreys Peak. This state's northern border straddles Monument Valley, where John Ford filmed many of his movies. Its largest cities include Chandler and Scottsdale, and it is home to the Big Horn Mountains and Sonoran Desert. The Colorado River forms this state's most notable feature. For 10 points, name this home of the Grand Canyon.
A: Arizona
Q: One volcano in this lake is the source of Mombacho cigars, and two other volcanoes in this lake are connected by an old lava bridge known as the Tistian Isthmus. An artist colony was set up on this lake's Mancarron, the largest of the Solentiname Islands, and this lake's largest island is Ometepe. This lake is a home to bull sharks and other ocean animals, which makes it the only freshwater lake with marine life. This lake was known indigenously as Cocibolca, and it is drained by the San Juan River into the Caribbean Sea. For 10 points, name this lake in Central America that shares its name with the country in which it is located.
A: Lake Nicaragua
Q: A suburb of this country's capital names the process for making plano-convex flints. The Arago cave is located in this country which was the site of the rhinoceros-eating Tautavel Man. This country's site of Terra Amata is one of the earliest recorded European fire sites, and this country is home to the world's second oldest building, which has a depiction of the "Dolmen Goddess", the Karn Barnenez, as well as the megalithic Carnac stones. This country where the first Cro-Magnons were found is home to The Great Hall of the Bulls which includes depictions of four large Aurochs. For 10 points, name this country home to Upper Palaeolithic cave paintings at Lascaux [la-so].
A: France
Q: The demolished Red Chapel at this site has been reconstructed using blocks recovered from later building projects, and an obelisk erected by the same ruler was blocked from view by later building, possibly deliberately. A barque shrine was built at this site by Philip, brother of Alexander the Great, replacing an earlier one constructed by Tuthmosis III. The Opet festival saw the statues of two gods from this temple complex, known as 'The Most Selected of Places', taken down the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor. Bas reliefs of Seti I, and incised reliefs of Ramesses II decorate the Great Hypostyle Hall at this complex. For 10 points, name this enormous temple complex, primarily dedicated to the cult of Amun, located to the north of Thebes.
A: Karnak Temple Complex [accept Ipet-isut] <OSC>
Q: Frederick Law Olmsted planned to build a canal between this city's Washington and Jackson Parks, which was completed as a greenery strip. In this city, Henry Moore's sculpture Nuclear Energy can be found at the former location of Stagg Field. In 1949, one of this city's major airports was renamed to honor the Battle of (*) Midway. Enrico Fermi designed the world's first nuclear reactor at one of this city's universities, which is known as [this city] Pile-1. Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and the Willis Tower are found in this city. For 10 points, name this city located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the largest in Illinois.
A: Chicago
Q: [note to moderators: this tossup is on a county, make sure you don't say country!] The Cajun and Zydeco Festival in a city in this UK county is the largest of that kind in Europe. The arts and crafts museum Court Barn is in this county. A pub is named The Whittle in this county because the first British jet engine was first tested at an airfield that was owned by a company named for this county. Chris Anderson has won the most races in an event that takes place on Cooper's Hill in this county every year: that event involves the rolling of cheese down a hill and running after it. A cheese partly named for a city in this county has "double" in its name. In a nursery rhyme, Doctor Foster went to a city in, for 10 points, which county?
A: Gloucestershire <GDC>
Q: This was the first non-Asian country to have an ethnically Chinese President, Arthur Chung, and was the second to have a female Jewish president, Janet Jagan, the wife of another former communist leaning president Chedi Jagan. Its Demerara province was formerly a Dutch colony and Evelyn Waugh spent 92 days travelling this country before journeying to Brazil. The flat-topped mountain Roraima marks the triple border point between Venezuela, Brazil and this country. For 10 points name this country with capital Georgetown, the only former British Colony in South America.
A: Guyana
Q: During one festival celebrated in this country, pilgrims carry an efgy of the Virgin Mary from El Cisne to a shrine in Loja. One of its national dishes is a fsh stew topped with pickled onions called encebollado. Unlike Mexico, the participants in its Day of the Dead drink a purple fruit and cornfower beverage called colada morada and eat child shaped rolls called guaga de pan. The Flightless Cormorant is only found on this country's Fernandina Island, which can be accessed by speedboat from Puerto Ayora, the capital of nearby Santa Cruz Island, while its largest island is Isabela Island. Its capital is the oldest in South America, and is situated on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano. Another volcano here, Mount Chimborazo, is the site most distant from the Earth's center. For 10 points, name this county which possesses the city of Guayaquil and the Galapagos Islands, as well as its capital of Quito.
A: Ecuador
Q: This region is drained by the Godavari river and is made primarily of basalt. The mantle plume that created this region may have also formed the Reunion Hot Spot. This region is home to a series of hills called the "traps", which are the remains of the massive volcanic eruption that created this plateau 67 million years ago, and which was once suspected of killing the dinosaurs. This region is separated from the sea by a mountain chain called the Western Ghats. Mineral wealth, including gold, is mined in this plateau's Golkonda region. Many people in this region speak Kannada or Telugu, and cities here include Bangalore. For 10 points, name this plateau in southern India.
A: Deccan plateau [or Deccan lava flats]
Q: The highest waterfall in this political unit is called the Devil's Appendix and is located on the side of Cwm (k-OOM) Idwal. An grove of Yew trees at Overton may be the oldest in this place, where a causeway known as "the cob" connects the town of Holyhead to Anglesey. A Beaker people site at Llethryd Tooth Cave is located on this component country's Gower Peninsula, which also includes an unusual rock formation called the Hog's Head. People in this region hold spoken word festivals called eisteddfodau, and it includes the Wye River valley as well as a large earthern wall separating it from its eastern neighbor, Offa's Dyke. For 10 points, identify this component country of the United Kingdom represented on its official flag by a dragon.
A: Wales [do not accept or prompt on "United Kingdom," etc]
Q: In this city, a bronze equestrian statue commemorating a military leader features a strangely worn-out horse, leading to a saying that to look sad is to "look like Missori's horse." A post-World War II experimental green district of this city is called QT8, which contains an artificial hill composed of rubble called the "Starmount" and was the product of an exhibition by this city's Triennale museum. This city's Zone 1, out of 9 total, is marked by a triumphal Arch of Peace, while a polychrome (*) "Madonnina" statue tops a structure in this city took nearly six centuries to complete. A Napoleonic gate names this city's business district, Porta Nuova. This city is home to one of the world's oldest shopping malls, named for Victor Emmanuel II, which is in close proximity to this city's Gothic cathedral, the largest church in Italy, and also contains the opera house La Scala. For 10 points, name this city, the capital of Lombardy.
A: Milano
Q: Along this country's northern border, one can find the Lemba people, whose traditional similarity to Judaism has led to some claims that they may be a lost tribe of Israel. This country's northeast is home to the world's largest "green" canyon, Blyde River Canyon, and one of the largest game reserves in the world at (*) Kruger National Park. This country's northernmost province of Limpopo has recently seen an influx of refugees, fleeing south from Zimbabwe. This country, which nearly surrounds Eswatini and completely encircles Lesotho, has three capitals. For 10 points, name this country whose capitals include Pretoria and Cape Town.
A: Republic of South Africa [accept RSA]
Q: Ogurja is the longest island in this body of water and WikiLeaks revealed that BP hid a 2008 blowout and oil spill in this body of water which is home to the Kutum. It's not Lake Baikal, but this body of water is home to an endemic earless seal. Wall paintings in nearby Gobustan National Park suggest that it was once home to cetaceans and Garabogazkol[ga-ra-bo-gaz-koel] Aylagy is a lagoon which borders this body of water. The Ural and Volga discharge into this body of water and Turkmenbashy and Baku are both ports on this body of water. For 10 points name this inland sea bordered by Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
A: Caspian Sea
Q: A controversial project in this desert led to the discovery of multiple obviously illegal slush funds owned by a deputy speaker of parliament, which led him to declare to reporters, "I should probably resign"; he did not resign. Rio Tinto is backing that project at this desert's Turquoise Hill Mine. The Three-North Shelterbelt Program is a giant ring of forests being built in a desperate attempt to curb the unrelenting onslaught of this desert. The Przewalski's horse can be found in special protected zones in this desert, which sadly do not also contain its mythical death worms. This desert, whose Nemegt basin is home to numerous fossils, lies north of the Hexi Corridor and east of the Taklamakan. For 10 points, name this large desert of China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: Zoologist Sten Bergman suggested that a very large species of this animal once lived on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Climate change has caused members of a northern species of this animal to drown while swimming between (*) ice floes, and thousands of its Kodiak subspecies are attracted to annual salmon runs. For 10 points, name this omnivorous mammal with "grizzly" and "polar" species.
A: bears (accept Ursidae; accept distinct species of bears like "black," "brown," or "polar" bears)
Q: Architect Morris Lapidus designed several hotels in this city in the 1950s, including the Eden Roc and the Fontainebleau. This city was founded on the land of Julia Tuttle, making it the only major American city founded by a woman. The Casa Casuarina and the Delano Hotel are part of this city's Art Deco district. In 2012, artist Red Grooms received criticism for a $2.5 million animatronic sculpture built in this city, which hosts the annual Calle Ocho Festival. Hialeah is northwest of this city, the world's busiest cruise ship port. This city is home to the Little Haiti neighborhood, and its Venetian Causeway connects it to a namesake beach built on barrier islands in Biscayne Bay. For 10 points, name this home of Little Havana and seat of Dade County, a large city in southeastern Florida.
A: Miami, Florida [or Miami Beach]
Q: Eighty-seven people were killed in a fire in this city in a major tourist attraction owned by Kirk Kerkorian. Another tourist attraction here is the "Fremont Street Experience," otherwise known as "Glitter Gulch." Betty Willis developed a sign in this city which says "Drive Carefully-Come Back Soon" on its back, with its front welcoming visitors to this "fabulous" city. Many of its tourist attractions were developed by a man who remarked "We only kill each other," Bugsy Siegel. The lights on a street in this city were only dimmed three times, including in tribute to Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. For 10 points, name this city where the Tropicana and Caesars Palace are located on the "Strip."
A: City of Las Vegas
Q: A scholar in this field developed a method of modifying images via "smooth pycnophylactic interpolation." Fred K. Schaefer's article about "Exceptionalism in" this discipline savagely critiqued a "regional" form of it which was popularized in America by Richard Hartshorne. Yi-Fu Tuan pioneered a "humanistic" form of this discipline. A scholar in this non-anthropology field has written that "accumulation by dispossession" underlies The New Imperialism. This discipline stopped being a viable (*) major at most American colleges after Harvard shuttered its department in 1948. The claim that "Everything relates to everything else" is part of Waldo Tobler's first law of this discipline. The book The Limits to Capital exemplifies David Harvey's Marxist approach to, for 10 points, what field for which the software ArcGIS was developed, which studies the effect of place and terrain on humans?
A: geography [or human geography; or regional geography; or humanistic geography; or Marxist geography; accept cartography or cartographic analysis until "Exceptionalism"]
Q: This state is home to the largest historically black college in the US, A&T University. It's not in Arkansas, but Shaw University, America's first public black university, was founded in this state's city of Fayetteville. In this state, John Andrew Rice founded an experimental liberal arts college at Black Mountain. This state is home to America's oldest public university, whose sports teams are referred to as the (*) "Tar Heels" in reflection of this state's motto. This state's "research triangle" of universities is bounded by its cities of Durham and Chapel Hill, the former of which is home to Duke University. For 10 points, name this state, whose largest public university is located in Raleigh.
A: State of North Carolina
Q: The processes that gave rise to the Laramide orogeny can be studied using this present-day plate because it is unusually undergoing flat-slab, or shallow angle, subduction. A very unusual triple junction arises due to the fact that this plate is diverging from the Antarctic plate, forming a mid-ocean ridge that is being subducted. This plate's northern border with the Cocos plate, with which it is part of a triple junction, includes a mysterious "gore" in which the Galapagos Islands lie. Its subduction is responsible for the Andean orogeny. For 10 points, name this eastern Pacific plate that is being subducted by the South American plate and is named for a region in Peru.
A: Nazca plate
Q: A film based on a novel of the same name by Colm Toibin named for this location features a Saoirse Ronan-played character who emigrates to here. A poem partially titled for this place opens "Flood-tide below me!" and was written by Walt Whitman. This borough, which contains Flatbush and Williamsburg, contains the large (*) Prospect Park, designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead. An amusement park known for its hot dogs in the south of this borough is called Coney Island. For 10 points, name this most populous New York City borough, which can be reached by a namesake bridge connecting it to Manhattan.
A: Brooklyn [prompt on New York City; prompt on NYC; prompt on United States of America until "Flood-tide"] <Taylor>
Q: In this state, Tuzigoot and Montezuma Castle are two archaeological sites of the Sinagua people. Daniel Barringer first proposed an impact theory of origin for one landmark in this state, while a Secretary of the Interior from this state encouraged John F. Kennedy to add 16,000 acres of saguaro cactus land to one of its national parks. Elsewhere in this state, the Painted Desert spans two other national parks, including the Petrified Forest. A site shared by this state and its northern neighbour includes 'the Mittens' and 'the Totem Pole' and was used as the backdrop for Stagecoach and The Searchers. Home to the southern part of Monument Valley, for 10 points, name this southwestern state whose most prominent geological feature is the Grand Canyon.
A: Arizona <CJ>
Q: Citizens of this country call it Tanah Air Kita, meaning "Our Land of Air and Water", signifying the importance of the waters controlled by this country. This country's city of Ambon is found on its island of Maluku, which lies north of the Bandu Sea, which is surrounded by this country on all sides. The nation of (*) East Timor shares its namesake island with this nation, and this nation also shares its largest island with Brunei and Malaysia. This nation is made up of 13,000 islands including Sulawesi, Borneo, and Bali. For 10 points, name this southeast Asian nation who capital of Jakarta is found on Java.
A: Indonesia <Taylor>
Q: Maurice Wilson planned to crash a plane on top of this mountain, where he died by other means. George Mallory may have summitted this mountain before disappearing on it, and legendarily declared that he would climb it (*) "because it's there." Tenzing Norgay coordinated the first successful climb of this mountain in 1953 with Edmund Hillary. For 10 points, name this twenty-nine-thousand-foot-high peak in the Himalayan Mountains, the highest mountain on Earth.
A: Mount Everest (accept Sagarmatha; accept Chomolungma)
Q: The first European to sight this location was Garcia Lopez de Cardenas. It's not in Scotland, but this location is home to a region called the "Great Unconformity," which is between the Tonto Group and the Vishnu Complex. A skywalk in the west of this location is owned by the Hualapai tribe, and this location was mapped by John Wesley (*) Powell. This location is bordered to the north by the Kaibab Plateau, and its location's ecology was heavily impacted by the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. For 10 points, name this geologic feature carved by the Colorado River, located in its namesake national park in Arizona.
A: Grand Canyon
Q: The plentiful depictions of native goddesses on an island off the coast of this region led Spanish explorers to name it "Isla Mujeres". The production of henequen fibers once made this region's city of Merida one of the wealthiest in the world. An ancient city in this region once performed human sacrifice to the god Chaac at its Sacred Cenote. Oil fields off the west coast of this region in the Bay of (*) Campeche were formed from material left behind after the explosion that created this region's Chicxulub ["CHICK-shu-lub"] Crater. Tourists often go to this region's city of Playa del Carmen to go snorkeling. For 10 points, name this peninsula in southeastern Mexico which contains the Mayan city of Chichen Itza.
A: Yucatan Peninsula [anti-prompt on Quintana Roo, Campeche, or Peten Department by asking "what larger landmass is it on?"]
Q: In 2004, police in this city began a crackdown on criminal activity in one of its entertainment districts that takes its name from a theater that was planned but never built there. The historic center of this city is home to a royal residence that is still in use and is now one of the least populated of its twenty-three special wards. The Rainbow Bridge allows access to an artificial island in the bay of this city, where the Cocoon Tower stands near the world's busiest train station. Since 2017, a group of homeless people have been camping in this city's Yoyogi Park to protest the upcoming Summer Olympics, which this city will host for the second time in 2020. For 10 points, name this city whose neighborhoods include Kabukicho, Chiyoda, and Shinjuku, the capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo <CJ>
Q: A ritual in this place involved a competition to collect the first sooty tern egg, the winner of which was eventually told "Go shave your head." Natives of this place divided into "long-ears" and "short-ears" created an indecipherable script named Rongo-rongo. Jacob Roggeeven ["Row-gee-vehn"] was the first westerner to discover structures in this place, which were sometimes finished with a pukao. Makemake ["mah-kay mah-kay"] was a cult-like god who was worshipped by natives of this island, whose deforestation was detailed in (*) Jared Diamond's book Collapse. Leaders of natives on this island were depicted in sculptures containing a platform base called an ahu. Thor Heyerdahl ["hi-er-dahl"] noted similarities between Peruvian statues and sculptures created by this island's Rapa Nui people. Those inward facing multiton stone heads on this island are known as moai. For 10 points, name this Chilean island in the South Pacific named for a holiday.
A: Easter Island [or Isla de Pascua, accept Rapa Nui until mention]
Q: In 2003, this country saw the debut of the Blank Noise Project, a women's movement designed to counteract the widespread sexual harassment known as "eve-teasing." It is engaged in a longtime dispute over the Aksai Chin region with the country on its northeast border, which is separated by the Line of Actual Control. In this country's northwest, the border runs through the Thar Desert and the Rann of Kutch, which cover territory in the states of Haryana and Rajasthan. For 10 points, name this larger of the two countries which were partitioned in 1947, the southern neighbor of Pakistan.
A: Republic of India [or Bharat]
Q: The Xingu people of this continent are known for their large network of villages with grid-like patterns. An ethnic group from this continent is led by lonko chiefs and unites into larger groups called toki in times of war. A spurious study of the Yanomami people of this continent by Napoleon Chagnon claimed that their entire society was based on constant warfare. The (*) Carib people inhabit the northern coast of this continent, while its southern countries have large populations of Mapuche. For 10 points, name this continent that may feature uncontacted tribes deep within the Amazon Rainforest.
A: South America <Taylor> Spring Undergraduate Novice 2017 Round 6:
Q: The Eyo carnival is an annual event in this city designed to help make this city a major tourist destination. The wealthiest neighborhood in this city, Ikoyi, was once separated from the main part of this city by an artificial waterway. This city shares its name with the large lagoon on which it is located. A massive construction project in this city is attempting to turn land reclaimed from the ocean into a district called Eko Atlantic. This city is the economic center of the country where it is located, despite having lost some governmental importance to Abuja. For 10 points, name this populous city in, and former capital of Nigeria.
A: Lagos
Q: In a city in this country, sluice gates below the arcaded double-level Khaju Bridge can be closed to irrigate upstream gardens. In the west of this country, a people who perform twig and handkerchief dances speak languages on the Lurish language continuum. A minority of the Qashqai people in this present-day country remain nomadic pastoralists, travelling more than 400 kilometres south to lower lying pasture land. The Plain of Emptiness in the east of this country is one of its two large salt deserts, the larger of which is bounded to the north by the Alborz mountains on the edge of the Caspian Sea. For 10 points name this country which contains the cities of Isfahan and Tehran.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran [accept Persia] <AP>
Q: In 2009, a team from the University of Colorado discovered four unusually low-altitude glaciers in the "Cursed" Mountains in the north of this country. This country's Boga Valley, in its western mountains, is one of the wettest places in Europe, due to convergence of Mediterranean airflow with the continental air mass. This country is the site of the three deepest tectonic lakes in the Balkans: Lakes Butrint, Shkoder and Ohrid. This country's national animal is the golden eagle. Major cities in this country include Elbasan and Durres. For ten points, name this small Balkan country with capital Tirana.
A: Republic of Albania
Q: This city's Muddy River runs through Olmsted Park, a part of this city's Emerald Necklace. This city's Back Bay area is on the Charles River, across from its sister city, (*) Cambridge. This city's MLB team plays near Kenmore Square in a park that holds the Green Monster, and one end of Beacon Hill forms this city's namesake Common. Fenway Park hosts the Red Sox in, for 10 points, what capital city of Massachusetts?
A: Boston
Q: This body of water was the site of the 1944 Bagley train wreck, which occurred on a bridge that is part of the Lucin Cutoff. This lake's Gunnison Island is a breeding ground for the American White Pelican."Castle Rock" overlooks its second largest island, Stansbury, which is connected to the mainland by a path. The largest island in this lake is home to a bison herd but is named for its population of pronghorns. This site of Antelope Island is fed by the Bear and Jordan Rivers and is the remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville. For 10 points, name this lake which supports nothing larger than a brine shrimp, the largest lake in Utah.
A: Great Salt Lake
Q: The Royal Navy training school, H.M.S. Conway, ran aground in this body of water in 1953. Fears over the American War of Independence led M.P. Peter Wynne to build a castle at the western end of this body of water, Fort Belan. Fire destroyed the tubular construction of a railway bridge over this body of water after which that bridge over this body of water was rebuilt to carry both road and rail traffic. An earlier road bridge over this location was designed by Thomas Telford to prevent ferry wrecks in the Swellies. Traversed by the Britannia Bridge, for 10 points, name this body of water separating mainland Wales from Anglesey.
A: Menai Strait OR Afon Menai
Q: This river's namesake "gorge" is home to many medieval toll castles, such as the ship-shaped Pfalz ["falls"] Castle near Kaub. Legend states that shipmen travelling near the town of St. Goar along this river were distracted by a sirens from a nearby cliff. An equestrian statue at Koblenz watches over this river's confluence with the (*) Moselle. Commerce travels north along this river from cities such as Cologne and Strasbourg to its headwaters, at which one can find Europe's largest maritime hub, the port of Rotterdam. For 10 points, name this river which flows from to Alps through western Germany before emptying into the North Sea.
A: Rhine River
Q: One territory governed by this country has lost almost all of its native birds due to the invasive brown tree snake. This country controls the disputed Navassa Island, and this country claims the Bajo Nuevo ["BA-ho-new-EH-voh"] and Serranilla ["say-rah-knee-ya"] banks. The coqui is a tree frog native to another territory of this country, which contains this country's only tropical rainforest, El Yunque. The (*) Chamorro people are the native inhabitants of this country's Northern Marianas Islands, and this country shares the Virgin Islands with the United Kingdom. This country's westernmost territory is Guam, while its largest territory has its capital at San Juan. Puerto Rico is a territory of, for 10 points, what country?
A: United States of America [accept either underlined portion; accept U.S.A]
Q: Winkler and Blumenort are cities found in the Pembina Valley in this province. This province's capital has a name meaning "muddy waters" in Western Cree, and it is located at the confluence of the Assiniboine and the Red rivers. This province is home to the only deep-water Arctic port in its country. That port, Churchill, is nicknamed "The Polar Bear capital of the world". This is the only prairie province with a salt-water coastline, adjoining Hudson Bay in the Northeast. For 10 points, name this Canadian province between Ontario and Saskatchewan which has its capital at Winnipeg.
A: Manitoba
Q: In the north of this country, fermented skinless sausages called chin som are made using sticky rice and pork. This non-Japan country claims to be the origin of vegetable carving, while the term wan, meaning sweet, in one of its dishes refers to its colour, not its flavour. A soup from this country is made using a broth flavoured with galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass, and this country is the world's largest producer of Jasmine rice. A stir-fried rice noodle dish with tofu, fish sauce, and shrimp, served with lime wedges, is named for this country. For 10 points, name this country, whose cuisine includes tom yum and a characteristic green curry.
A: Thailand <AP>
Q: Medieval Greek sources called this nation Western Tourkia in contemporary accounts. This nation was founded by the kende, or a sacred ruler, known as Arpad. Incursions from people of this nation's dominant ethnicity were halted with Otto I's victory at Lechfeld in 955. This nation lost the Battle of Mohacs and it is dominated by the (*) Magyar people. This nation formed a Dual Monarchy with its western German-speaking neighbor whose conflict with Serbia triggered World War I. For 10 points, name this nation which once co-named an empire with Austria, and whose modern capital is at Budapest.
A: Hungary [prompt on Austria-Hungary] <Peter>
Q: This nation celebrates the Day of the Shining Star on the supposed birthday of one of its leaders, who was actually born a year before this nation's government claims. This country is the setting of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Adam Johnson called The Orphan Master's Son. The Chongu party in this nation operates a syncretic religion that draws from shamanism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity, though this nation is officially (*) atheistic. The three leaders of this country have each promoted a state philosophy called Juche and this nation is separated from its southern neighbor by the DMZ. For 10 points, name this Communist state that controls the upper half of a namesake peninsula west of Japan.
A: North Korea [or Democratic People's Republic of Korea; prompt on Korea] <Taylor>
Q: A city on this river is home to a 'conservation club' with the largest independent library in the UK outside of London. That city on this river is also the location of a film studio which produced the film Scar and is called the Amber Film & Photography Collective. Two-story flats with doors to both flats being directly accessible from the street are named for this river. Between 1981 and 2007 the Tuxedo Princess operated as a floating nightclub on this river, which is spanned by the first rail and road bridge in the world, the High Level Bridge. This river also features a bridge nicknamed the 'winking eye', which is officially called the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. For 10 points, the city of Newcastle sits on which English river?
A: Tyne [accept Tyneside]
Q: Two countries lying on this body of water disputed control of its Migingo Island in the late 2000s over fishing rights. Albinos form a large percentage of the population of Ukerewe Island in this body of water. This body's outflow supplies the Owen Falls Dam, which is located near the city of Jinja. Invasive species such as (*) perch have threatened native populations of cichlids in this lake. John Hanning Speke was the first European to see this lake, from which the White Nile River flows. For 10 points, name this largest lake in Africa surrounded by Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, which is named for a British queen.
A: Lake Victoria
Q: The town of Paradise is a popular tourist destination to visit one of these features. William Shipman and Lorrin Thurston were two of the main proponents of a national park dedicated to these features. Jimmy Carter compared the moon's surface to a golf course after visiting the area surrounding one of these features in Washington. The (*) Keck Observatory is located atop one of these features, and Crater Lake was created from the caldera from one of these features in Oregon. For 10 points, name these features which include Mt. St. Helens and Kilauea, whose lava flows have killed hundreds of U.S. citizens.
A: volcanoes [prompt on mountains; accept shield volcanoes or stratovolcanoes; accept Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park]
Q: They are not coral reefs, but some of the most northerly examples of this biome are found in Okinawa, where high levels of sedimentation may be threatening the remaining areas. The Brazilian city of Recife contains a notable urban example of this biome. Despite containing no large settlements, one of these biomes supports four million people, providing valuable timber, but has been threatened by the construction of the Rampal coal power plant in Khulna. That single largest area comprised of this biome is known as the Sundarbans, as the Ganges-Brahmaputra rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal. For 10 points, name this intertidal habitat, which contain many of their namesake salt-tolerant trees.
A: mangrove swamps [accept mangals] <OSC>
Q: The last remaining structure of this city's 1915 World's Fair is the Palace of Fine Arts. This city's "painted ladies" are Victorian houses repainted in modern colors. The northern tip of this city is home to Ghirardelli Square and (*) Fisherman's Wharf. The Haight-Ashbury neighborhood in this city was the birthplace of the "Summer of Love." The largest Chinatown outside of Asia is in, for 10 points, what California city that is home to the Golden Gate Bridge?
A: San Francisco (accept Frisco)
Q: In June 2018, Welshman Ash Dykes began an attempt to become the first person to walk solo along the full length of this river, and one of its tributaries is known as the 'liquor river' due to the manufacture of beverages like Maotai along it. In 2012, one stretch of this river turned bright red near its confluence with the Jialing [jyah-LING], while in 2016 witnesses claimed to have seen a baiji [BYE-jee], previously thought to have gone extinct, in this river. Government officials claimed that floods that year would have been much worse without a construction that earlier required the relocation of a million and a half people, most of them to Chongqing [chong-CHING]. The Three Gorges Dam is located along, for 10 points, what river of southern China, the longest in Asia?
A: Yangtze <CJ>
Q: In this city, fifteen "moonlight towers" built in the nineteenth century still operate at night. This seat of Travis County has suburbs called San Marcos and Round Rock, and hosts the (*) South by Southwest festival. This city's namesake was defeated in an 1836 presidential election by Sam Houston. For 10 points, name this city that trails San Antonio and Dallas in population, the capital of Texas.
A: Austin
Q: This river flows past the only walled city in the Americas north of Mexico. Another city on this river is home to a "Biodome" with replicas of four ecosystems, as well as an Olympic stadium nicknamed the "Big O." This river empties into a massive estuary that contains the Magdalen Islands and Anticosti Island after flowing past to the Gaspe Peninsula. This river flows through the Thousand Islands. The Ottawa River drains into this river. The opening of this river's eponymous Seaway made the Erie Canal completely obsolete.For 10 points, name this river that flows northeast from Lake Ontario through Montreal and Quebec City before emptying into its namesake Gulf.
A: St. Lawrence River
Q: The national sport of this country, a form of wrestling derived from ancient Egyptian culture and Biblical principles, is called tranta and titles the first film by native son Anatol Codru. This country's Cahul district contains the city of Giurgiulesti ["Gyur-gyu-LESH-ti"], which lies on a river that forms this country's western border, the Prut River. Following the 1806-1812 Russo-Turkish War, much of the land that would become this country was annexed as Bessarabia. Its second-largest city is Tiraspol, which is located on the eastern Dniester in the breakaway republic of Trans-nistria. For 10 points, name this landlocked former Soviet republic which has its capital at Chisinau ["KISH-in-aw"].
A: Republic of Moldova [or Republica Moldova]
Q: A planned building in this city would generate enough energy from its wind turbines and solar panels to power five nearby buildings and was modeled on the Brazilian Suite Vollard. That skyscraper designed by David Fisher for this city would have 80 floors capable of rotating independently and is called the Dynamic Tower. In 2013, Shanghai Tower overtook this city's Cayan Tower as tallest building with a 90 degree twist. A hotel in this city was designed by Tom Wright to resemble a yacht sail, and stands opposite (*) Jumeraih Beach. The Hymenocallis flower inspired the base of a building in this city designed by Adrian Smith. The world's largest fountain is outside of that building in this city, which has a spiraling Y-shaped plan to reduce wind force and was planned by the firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. For 10 points, name this city home to the Burj al-Arab and the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
A: Dubai <Edited>
Q: This country is by far the world's largest producer of pistachios and saffron. People in this country use the seven ceremonial dishes of the Haft Sin to celebrate the New Year Nowruz. Mount Damavand is the tallest mountain in this country. Its population is clustered in its two main mountain ranges, the Alborz in the north and the Zagros in the west. Most of this country's Arabic speakers live in its Khuzestan region. This country lies across from the Omani exclave of Musandam on the Strait of Hormuz, and it occupies the entire northern shore of the Persian Gulf. For 10 points, name this country home to the majority of the world's Shi'a Muslims, with capital Tehran.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran [or Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran]
Q: A landmark in this state features a tree stump that is over a hundred years old and is thus known as the Old Man of the Lake. That landmark in this state includes features like Phantom Ship and is found in the caldera of Mount Mazama. This state's most populous region is located north of the Calapooya Mountains and east of another range that contains volcanoes like the Three Sisters and Mount Hood. This state also contains the deepest lake in the United States, Crater Lake. Most of this state's northern border is along the Columbia River. For 10 points, name this Pacific Northwest state that contains the Willamette valley and is thus home to cities like Eugene, Salem, and Portland.
A: Oregon
Q: This lake-which isn't Lake Ladoga-is home to an endangered whitefish called omul. This lake receives the Barguzin River, as well as the Selenge, which in turn received the picturesque Orkhon, which flowed past the ruins of Karakorum. Olkhon Island in this lake is home to many Buryat people, who mostly live south of this lake in a republic with capital Ulan-Ude. This lake's only outflow is the Angara River, which flows past Irkutsk to join the Yenisei. This lake was discovered by the Cossack Kurbat Ivanon, and before 1904, a ferry across this lake interrupted the Trans-Siberian Railway. For 10 points, name this lake just north of Mongolia in Russia, the deepest in the world.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: This city's Art Deco Kavanagh building was the first in the world to have centralized air conditioning. A large cemetery in this city is located in one of its wealthiest neighborhoods, Recoleta. This city is home to a stadium called "La Bombonera," which is home to the Boca Juniors futbol club. The Teatro Colon, this city's opera house, and the enormous Plaza de la Republica, which contains this city's giant obelisk, are both located along its 14-lane wide 9 de Julio Avenue, which is the widest in the world. Its Plaza de Mayo is home to a Presidential palace called Casa Rosada, or the Pink House. For 10 points, name this city on the south end of the Rio de la Plata, the capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires [or Autonomous City of Buenos Aires; or Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires]
Q: Charles McEwen Hyde wrote that the most notable resident of this island was "a coarse dirty man," which prompted a literary rebuttal from Robert Louis Stevenson. Jack London wrote that this island was an "accident of fate," but that he did not need to wear "long gauntleted gloves" while visiting this island. It is the only site in the United States where two Roman Catholic saints resided for a significant period of time. A historical park on this island contains a facility whose residents were advocated for by local celebrity Don Ho. This island's colony of Kalaupapa was where the saints Marianne Cope and Father Damien attended the ill for many years. For 10 points, name this Hawaiian island best known for once having a leper colony located on it.
A: Molokai
Q: A planned highway across this region called BR-230 is largely unpaved between Altamira and Benjamin Constant. Most of the state of Mato Grosso is south of this region; Mato Grosso also includes some of the (*) Pantanal wetlands. Contrary to popular belief, the red-eyed tree frog is not native to this region, but piranhas and anacondas are. Dust from the Sahara Desert blows across the Atlantic Ocean to fertilize, for 10 points, what massive tropical ecosystem around the longest river in South America?
A: Amazon rainforest
Q: This man was allowed to conduct an expedition in Russia on the condition that he did not publish anything on the condition of the serfs, and that expedition was briefly stopped by an anthrax outbreak. This man's work led to a world isotherm map created by William Channing Woodbridge. He observed a transit of Mercury at Callao and his writings were a primary reason for the use of guano as a fertilizer. This man's lectures at the University of (*) Berlin were published in a work called Kosmos. He climbed El Avila Mountain with the poet Andres Bello, the tutor of Simon Bolivar. Among other things, this man names a type of squid, a penguin, and a river in Nevada. For 10 points, name this Prussian explorer and naturalist who names various animals as well as a current off the west coast of South America.
A: Alexander von Humboldt
Q: This specific body of water was subjected to a highly unusual extratropical cyclone on September 14, 1996. Salt has been mined on the shores of this body of water since the 19th century, centred on the town of Goderich. Of the over 1000 shipwrecks in this body of water, two are claimed to be the wreckage of Le Griffon, the first ship to travel it. The invasive zebra mussels affect water intake for nuclear generation on this body of water, which is the site of the world's currently largest nuclear generator by capacity, the (*) Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, near the Bruce peninsula. The St. Mary's and St. Clair rivers connect this body of water to two others, and it is connected to another body of water by the Straits of Mackinac. It contains Georgian Bay, and has over 30,000 islands including the world's largest freshwater island, Manitoulin Island. For 10 points, name this Great Lake between Michigan and Erie.
A: Lake Huron [accept Lake Michigan-Huron before "Mackinac"]
Q: A successful potash company was founded near this body of water, with a plant at Kalya. Benjamin Volcani wrote his doctoral thesis on a type of archaea found here. A town near this body of water, Ein Gedi, produced persimmon, and it is also near the Neve Zohar health resort. In the 1940s, Bedouin shepherds discovered objects at Wadi Qumran near this body of water. A structure here is supposedly that of the transformed Lot's wife. The "Cities of the Plain" such as Zoar, as well as the sinful Sodom and Gomorra, were said to be near this body of water, which is the lowest elevation on land in the world. For 10 points, name this very salty lake in Israel.
A: Dead Sea [or Yam ha Melah]
Q: One stretch of this river flows through a volcanic region called the Singu Plateau. A series of seven controversial dams are planned for construction on this river, the largest of which is the Myitsone dam. The Taping and Chindwin are tributaries of this river which is formed by the confluence of the Mali and N'mai rivers. This river is also home to and names a certain type of beakless dolphin that shares many physical features with the beluga whale. The delta of the Salween River lies about one hundred miles east of the delta of this river, which flows into the Andaman Sea. Yangon lies in the delta of this river, while the largest city on it is Mandalay. For 10 points, name this longest river in Myanmar.
A: Irrawaddy River [or Ayeyarwaddy River]
Q: A namesake species of pink rattlesnake is endemic to this natural feature. Supai Village, the capital of the Hava-supai Indian Reservation, is located within this feature, which is the gateway to the afterlife in Hopi religion. The Kaibab Plateau is (*) bisected by this natural feature, which became a national park after John Wesley Powell mapped it in what is now Arizona. The Colorado River carved out, for 10 points, what absurdly large gorge in the American southwest?
A: Grand Canyon (accept¨Ongtupqa)
Q: This city's Adams Morgan neighborhood was partially shaped by the L'Enfant and McMillan Plans. This city and its suburbs are surrounded by the Beltway, and it is across the (*) Potomac River from Arlington, Virginia. A Daniel Chester French sculpture in this city sits across a reflecting pool from an obelisk on the National Mall. For 10 points, name this planned city, the location of the Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill, and the White House.
A: Washington, D.C. (accept District of Columbia; prompt on "D.C.;" do not accept or prompt on "Washington" alone)
Q: The Bemolanga and Tsimimaro oil fields on this island produce heavy oil. Inhabitants of this island have burned reed beds to make more rice paddies along Lake Alaotra, its largest lake. Ruins of the Merina kingdom dot this island, the westernmost place settled by people late in the Austronesian expansion. This island, whose Sava region lets it produce more vanilla than any other place in the world, is home to the Canal des Pangalanes in its east, and the Tsaratanana massif in its center. Its indigenous language is Malagasy. For 10 points, name this large island, home to the lemur.
A: Madagascar
Q: Cities lying on this body of water include Bol and N'guigmi. When its water levels are high, its water is diverted through a string of basins called the Soro, and its water is also discharged into the Bodele Depression. It is partially fed by the Yobe River, but primarily by the Chari River, and it separated into northern and southern basins by the Great Barrier. In the 1960s, there was a proposal to divert the Ubangi River into this lake to maintain its volume. For 10 points, name this shrinking lake which borders Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, and its namesake country.
A: Lake Chad
Q: The Sao civilization flourished near this lake, whose floating islands are home to the Buduma people. Fish caught in this lake are sold as banda and salanga. The town of Bol lies on the shore of this lake. This lake's northern and southern sections are divided by a ridge of swampland. The Ngadda and Yobe Rivers both flow into this lake, but the Chari (SHA-ree) River provides ninety percent of its water. Over the past forty years, its surface area has shrunk from 15,000 to 500 square miles. For 10 points, name this African lake surrounded by Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and its namesake country, which is directly south of Libya.
A: Lake Chad
Q: Part of this plant is fried in pisang goreng. The leaves of this plant are used in the pepes cooking methodin Indonesian cuisine. M. fijiensis causes black sigatoka disease in these plants. Unripened, this food is called guineos in Latin America. The cubense form of F. oxysporum devastated the "Big Mike," or Gros Michel cultivar of this fruit in the 1950s. That fungus recently evolved into "tropical race 4" and causes Panama disease in this fruit of genus Musa, whose main Cavendish cultivar is in particular danger. A variety of this plant is twice-fried to make tostones. Considered a good source of vitamin B6 and potassium, it was primarily cultivated by United Fruit before that company was renamed Chiquita, a competitor of Dole. For 10 points, name this curved yellow fruit.
A: bananas [also accept plantains, even though not all clues apply to plantains]
Q: This state contains the world's only Leadbeater's possums, which can be found in the Healesville Sanctuary in its Yarra Valley region. Artifacts of its 1850s gold rush include intact mine shafts in Bendigo. This state's northern border is formed by the Murray River. Its capital was founded along Port Philip Bay by the illustrious John Batman. Its city of Ballarat is near the southern terminus of the Great Dividing Range and is the site of an 1854 stockade built by disaffected miners. It is bordered to the west by South Australia, to the north by New South Wales, and is separated from Tasmania by the Bass Straight. For 10 points, name this Australian state named for an English queen.
A: Victoria
Q: The first well-documented exploratory expedition on this island was carried out by the Akmana Gold Prospecting Company, which encountered a people they called "wig-men". The city of Fakfak was once a significant port on this island in the region the Nagarakretagama calls Wanin. The Kuk swamp on this island contains some of the earliest evidence for the cultivation of taro and bananas. A company named after this island was founded by Adolph von Hansemann to forward the (*) German colonization of the northeast of this island, which was contemporaneous with Dutch occupation of the western half and British possession of the SE and largest city, Port Moresby. For 10 points, identify this island, the world's second largest, now split between Indonesia in the west and its eponymous country in the east.
A: New Guinea (accept Irian; do not accept or prompt on Papua New Guinea or Irian Jaya as those terms only refer to parts of the island)
Q: One of the highest points in this city, Sparrow Hills, is located near the Luzhniki Stadium. The main building of the state university in this city, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are part of a complex known as the "Seven Sisters" built from 1947 to 1953. During a modernization period, it demolished such landmarks as the Sukharev Tower. It is home to an amusement park that once displayed mock-ups from the Buran space shuttle program. This city's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is the tallest Orthodox Christian church in the world, although the onion-domed St. Basil's Cathedral is also found here. For 10 points, name this city, the site of Red Square and the Kremlin.
A: Moscow
Q: Celso Furtado was in charge of an agency for developing this country's poor northeast region, SUDENE. Lampiao was a famous cangaceiro, or bandit, from this country's hinterlands in the 1920s. In the northeast of this country, the "polygon of drought" is the driest part of its sertao region. "Cidade Maravilhosa" is the anthem and nickname of this country's second-largest city, which lies near Corcovado, the site of a "Christ the Redeemer" statue. Shantytowns around cities like Salvator here have been destroyed in preparation for the 2016 Olympics. For 10 points, name this country, home to Sao Paulo.
A: Federative Republic of Brazil
Q: Other than the capital and eponymous city, this county is home to the towns of Orange Walk and san Ignacio. The unimaginatively named People's United Party and United Democratic Party operate in this country, often cited as the birthplace of chewing gum; whilst it is bordered to the southwest by the Maya mountains. This country is also home to the world's second largest barrier reef, although it has no Pacific coastline; and to the Great Blue Hole, widely seen as one of the world's best diving sites. For 10 points name this country with two armed men on its flag, formerly known as British Honduras.
A: Belize
Q: This country's garbage-eating avaava fish is compared to a person in one of its common insults; such an insult was used in 2009 on its Prime Minister, who had its roads change from right-side to left-side driving. Tourists to this independent country can watch its native "fire knife" dancers or walk the Saleaula lava fields. This country's tallest peak, Mount Silisili, is found north of the Apolima Strait, which divides this country's two landmasses of Savai'i and Upolu. For 10 points, name this island nation with capital at Apia, located northwest of an American territory in the same Polynesian archipelago.
A: Independent State of Samoa [or Malo Sa'oloto Tuto'atasi o Samoa; or Independent Samoa; do not accept "American Samoa"; do not accept "Western Samoa"]
Q: In the 17th century, a town located on this lake, Granada, was attacked by pirates led by Henry Morgan. This lake is home to an archipelago on which Father Cardenal built a church and attracted a community of artists; that archipelago includes San Fernando Island and Mancarron Island. This lake, which contains the Solentiname Islands and the islands of Zapatera and Ometepe, contains a namesake bull shark and is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the San Juan River. Early plans for building a canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific involved building through the isthmus of Rivas and this lake. For 10 points, name the largest lake in Central America.
A: Lake Nicaragua
Q: The Chukchi people are indigenous to the east of this country, while in its west, the Kola Peninsula juts into the White Sea, the location of the port of Archangel. The source of this country's Neva River is its Lake Ladoga, while its Sakhalin Island and (*) Kamchatka [KAAM-"chat"-kuh] Peninsula are bordered by the Sea of Okhotsk ["oak"-HOT-sk]. The Amur River, Don River, and Ob River all flow within this country, whose Angara River is the only outlet of the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. The longest River in Europe, the Volga, is in, for 10 points, what country whose cities include Vladivostok [VLAD-e-VUSS-tuk] and Moscow?
A: Russian Federation
Q: The artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude installed 5,703 fabric-covered gates in this place in 2005. Features called the Lake and the Ramble are in this place, whose layout was primarily designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. This place, which divides the Upper West and Upper East Sides of (*) Manhattan, is the origin of Shakespeare in the Park. For 10 points, name this large park in New York City.
A: Central Park [prompt on Manhattan Island; prompt on New York City or NYC]
Q: Climbers traditionally stop just short of the peak of a mountain in this range named for five treasures, which is called Kangchenjunga. A majority of the so-called "Eight Thousanders" are in this young range. (*) Tenzing Norgay accompanied Edmund Hillary in climbing a mountain in this range "because it's there". For 10 points, what mountain range contains Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world?
A: Himalayas [or Himalayan Mountains]
Q: The San Telmo district is the oldest neighborhood in this city, the site of the first settlement by Pedro de Mendoza. The Monserrat district houses many government buildings here, including the Pink House, its country's official executive mansion. The Pink House is located on its Plaza de Mayo, where 1945 demonstrations were held to protest the imprisonment of the Minister of Labor. This city was the capital of the last Spanish viceroyalty in the New World and the site of the May Revolution, which began the Latin American wars of independence. That aforementioned viceroyalty shares its name with the river that this city is at the mouth of, the Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, name this capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: An area named for these things is home to the four sources of the Kaweah River and to Moro Rock. Many of these things collapsed due to the 1955 "Christmas Flood" causing overruns in Bull Creek and the Eel River. Members of the Boone and Crockett Club, including John C. Merriam and racist eugenicist Madison Grant, founded a "League" dedicated to "saving" these things. Along with the explorer Jedediah Smith, these things name a state park located about nine miles east of Crescent City. Humboldt County is home to many of these specific things, extreme physical examples of which include the (*) Hyperion, the Lost Monarch, the Del Norte Titan, and the General Sherman. For 10 points, identify these huge trees that name a number of state and national parks in California.
A: giant redwoods [or Sequoia sempervirens; or Sequoiadendron giganteum; or coast (al)/California/Sierra redwoods; or giant sequoias; do not accept Metasequoia glyptostroboides; prompt on more general answers like "trees"]
Q: A monument in this city features a Stone of Hope emerging from a Mountain of Despair in memory of Martin Luther King. The Three Soldiers statue stands next to this city's Maya Lin-designed Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Most of the Smithsonian museums lie on this city's National Mall, whose ends contain the (*) Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. For 10 points, name this capital city of the United States.
A: Washington, DC [or Washington, District of Columbia; accept District of Columbia]
Q: The best-known climbing route up a peak in this mountain range was discovered when its namesake, Glenn Exum, impulsively jumped over a chasm. A peak in this range appears to have an abnormally flat summit due to a basalt intrusion called the Black Dike. Tourists in this mountain range can take the tram up Rendezvous Mountain or visit a nearby historical homestead site, "Mormon Row." A peak in this range is named after the painter Thomas (*) Moran. This mountain range, whose three highest peaks are collectively known as the Cathedral Group, provides the backdrop to the "most photographed barn in America." The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Parkway travels parallel to this mountain range, whose highest point is colloquially referred to as "the Grand." For 10 points, name this mountain range located north of Jackson Hole and south of Yellowstone in Wyoming.
A: Teton range
Q: This country's capital is home to a tourists' ghetto, called Thamel, and a bazaar called Asan. The Newars were this place's original inhabitants. After India, this country has the second-most Hindu population in the world, at up to ninety percent of its population. Shakya, in this modern-day country, is where the Buddha was born. The Annapurna Mountains and Sagarmatha National Park are located in this country. Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air details a distaster which took place in this country. Uniquely, this country's flag consists of two overlapping triangles. For 10 points, name this country, home to eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including most of Mount Everest.
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Q: A highly endangered species of crocodile is restricted to the basin of this river as well as that of the Meta River. Tributaries of this river include the Caura, the Atabapo, and the Apure, as well as the Arauca. Another tributary of this river joins it near a waterfall whose name is Spanish for "drizzle." That tributary, whose source is in the Guiana Highlands, is the Caroni River. The Casiquiare Canal connects this river to the Rio Negro, thus connecting it to the Amazon system. For 10 points, name this river of Venezuela.
A: Orinoco River
Q: This river led to a namesake bridge war when Governor "Alfalfa Bill" Murray ordered a new free bridge to be opened. Cartographers debate whether its true stem is at the North Fork or at Prairie Dog Town Fork. According to the Adams-Onis Treaty, this river's south bank, not that of the Rio Grande, was set as the boundary between the United States and Spain. A collection of fallen trees was this river's "Great Raft," which prevented navigation between Alexandria and Shreveport. Its namesake "shootout" refers to an annual college football game between the Longhorns and Sooners. For 10 points, name this colorfully named river that is basically the border between Texas and Oklahoma.
A: Red River of the South [do not accept "Red River of the North"]
Q: The world's largest factory for barrel cheese is located in this state, in the city of Gooding. The highest peak in this state contains a portion named the "Chickenout Ridge" and is located in the Lost River Range. One story about this state's name says that it was coined by a lobbyist named George Willing, who claimed it to be a Shoshone word. This state saw the first ever chairlift at a ski resort, installed at the Sun Valley resort. That resort is near a city where Ernest Hemingway shot himself, Ketchum. This state is home to Borah Peak and its capital may have been named by a Frenchman's exuberant exclamation "The woods! The woods!" For 10 points, name this "Gem State" with capital at Boise.
A: Idaho
Q: La Chocolatera Cliff is a national site in this nation on the peninsula of Santa Elena near the beachside town of Salinas. A Jaime Nebot-run city in this nation was where Jose De San Martin and Simon Bolivar met to decide the future of South America. That city (*) , Guayaquil, serves as this nation's main port along the Pacific Ocean. This nation's capital lies in the province of Pichincha, which names the main bank in this nation and a mountain in the Andes. For 10 points, give this name of a South American nation with capital at Quito.
A: Ecuador <Peter>
Q: This state retained control of Seavey's Island in a 2001 Supreme Court case contesting its border with its southern neighbor at the Piscataqua River. The first transatlantic balloon crossing was launched from its city of Presque Isle. Much of this state is watered by the Penobscot River, which becomes navigable after running past the city of Bangor. The "Hundred-Mile Wilderness" in this state culminates in Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. For 10 points, name this state which was partitioned entirely out of Massachusetts and which has cities named Portland and Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: One of the involved parties in this project authorized it with the Wiley-Dondero Act. A preexisting section of this project is restricted by the Garden City Skyway and had to be expanded for this project. The International Joint Commission has been an important body in creating and maintaining this project. This project received support because it would facilitate the shipping of grain to Europe and it was opposed by many (*) east coast cities. Though already declining, the economy of upstate New York took a further hit upon the completion of this project as it took traffic from the Erie Canal. Including the Welland Canal which bypasses Niagara Falls, for 10 points, identify infrastructure project that links the Great Lakes to its namesake Canadian River.
A: St. Lawrence Seaway
Q: Trudy Guthrie's photograph of a sea monster in this body of water turned out to be a manatee. William Warner's book Beautiful Swimmers describes the life cycle of the blue crab here. This body of water contains an island whose residents are probably incorrectly thought to speak an Elizabethan dialect of English. In the same county as its Tangier Island, wild ponies are rounded up on Assateague Island and driven across water to Chincoteague, another island in this body of water. Accomack is on the Eastern Shore, a peninsula separate by this from the state mainland. A bridge-tunnel complex across this body connects Cape Charles on the Delmarva Peninsula to Virginia Beach. For 10 points, name this estuary that borders Virginia and Maryland.
A: Chesapeake Bay
Q: 2010 saw the completion of the Robin Rigg Wind Farm in this body of water. The estuaries of the Rivers Waver and Wampool combine to form an inlet of this body of water called Moricambe [Morry-combe] Bay. A moated triangular castle overlooks this body of water at Caerlaverock [carlav-erock] and the port of Silloth is located on this body of water. The western end of Hadrian's Wall is at the shore of this body of water, close to the village of Bowness-on-[this body of water] and this body of water is fed by the Rivers Nith, Esk and Eden. For ten points, name this arm of the Irish Sea that separates Dumfries and Galloway from Cumbria.
A: Solway Firth [prompt on "Irish Sea" before mentioned]
Q: One of these locations is home to a pink train named "Old 1225" and was founded so that children could meet Santa Claus any time of year. The road between two of these locations was terrorized by an outlaw gang known as the Innocents, led by Henry Plummer, the sheriff of one of them, Bannack. A more famous location of this kind was created after a widening sinkhole and a large release of carbon monoxide resulted from a subterranean mine fire in Eastern Pennsylvania. Centralia is currently one of these locations, many of which came to be after miners and prospectors packed their bags. For 10 points, give this name for uninhabited towns.
A: ghost towns [or synonyms; just ghost needed after "towns" is read; prompt on towns in Arizona on the first clue]
Q: After 20 years of separation from her husband, Isabel Godin Odonais traveled 3,000 miles largely on foot to meet her husband in the town of Oyapock in this region. A Portuguese attack on the capital of this region was aided by the HMS Confiance and ousted governor Victor Hugues. Attempts to settle this region included transporting relegues, prisoners who were released after six months, but most died quickly after receiving their freedom. Most of this region was administered as the territory of Inini from 1930-1946. Henri Charriere, author of the memoir Papillon, escaped from a (*) prison in this region by using coconut filled sacks as flotation devices. Alfred Dreyfus was held in the prison on Devil's Island in this region. For 10 points, identify this region bordering Suriname and Brazil with capital of Cayenne.
A: French Guiana or Guyane francaise
Q: The humpback chub and razorback sucker are two endangered fish species endemic to this location, and this non-Three Lakes location houses one of the two populations of the Kanab Ambersnail. An early ecologist named C Hart Merriam developed the concept of "life zones" using observations at this location. The explosion of a deer population here in the 1920s is often used to illustrate the concept of carrying capacity. The mnemonic "Know [this thing's] history, study (*) rocks made by time" describes geological strata at this location, whose topmost layer of Kaibab limestone includes endemic plant species like the Tusayan flameflower and the Sentry Milk-vetch. Its ecology has been significantly altered after the construction of Glen Canyon dam upstream of it along the Colorado River. For 10 points, identify this natural feature in central Arizona.
A: Grand Canyon [prompt on "Colorado River" until "Merriam"]
Q: One coastal town in this county is home to the world's first ever public statue of Bill Clinton. The westernmost point of this county lies on the now uninhabited Blasket Islands, overlooked on the mainland by Dunmore Head. On the largest of this county's three peninsulas, Iveragh [Iver-ah], a valley of mountains known locally as the "black stacks" surround the three large Lakes of Killarney. The county town, which hosts an annual festival for women from the Irish diaspora, is situated on the northernmost peninsula, Dingle; that competition is the Rose of Tralee. For 10 points, name this county of south-west Ireland which borders only Limerick and Cork.
A: County Kerry [accept Contae Chiarrai]
Q: Mount Springer and Katahdin mark the southern and northern termini of a hiking trail spanning this mountain range. The Catskills and Blue Ridge Mountains are subranges of this larger mountain range. The natural beauty of the region named for this mountain range is threatened by mountaintop removal for (*) coal mining in states like West Virginia. For 10 points, name this largest mountain range east of the Mississippi.
A: the Appalachians [or the Appalachian Mountains]
Q: Portions of this river are navigated by traditional makoro canoes. This river surrounds the luxury tourism destination Chief's Island. Ethnic groups found on the shores of this river include the Bugakwe and the Hambukushu. Natives of the country it originates in refer to this river as the Cubango. A system formed by this river supports a large annual migration of lechwe antelope and the world's largest population of elephants. This river, which feeds Lake Ngami, once flowed into the now-dry (*) Lake Makgadikgadi. Popular ecotourism destinations in a system fed by this river include the Moremi Game Reserve. This river originates in Angola before flowing east and forming part of Namibia's northern border. Water discharged from this river creates a system of wetlands in the middle of the Kalahari desert. For 10 points, name this river that forms a namesake delta in Botswana.
A: Okavango river [or the Okavango delta; accept the Cubango river before mentioned]
Q: Pictures of this country's architecture inspired the look of many buildings at the University of Texas at El Paso. The golden langur is native to this country's Black Mountains, while its national cuisine includes a chili pepper and cheese dish called ema datshi. People in this country wear a dress called the wonyu or a robe called the gho in accordance with its official behavior and dress code. It is home to the current highest unclimbed (*) mountain in the world, Gangkhar Puensum. This country's capital city uses police in elaborately decorated booths, rather than lights, to direct traffic. In 1999, it lifted a national ban on television and the internet, thus increasing its unique index of development, which is called "gross national happiness". For 10 points, name this constitutional monarchy in the Himalayas ruled by the Dragon Kings of the Wangchuck family.
A: Kingdom of Bhutan [or Druk Yul]
Q: This country's second largest city is located in the Fergana valley and called Osh. This country is home to the second largest mountain lake in the world after Lake Titicaca. That lake is Issyk-Kul. This country's people's national epic is the Epic of Manas. Almost 80% of this country is covered by the Tian Shan. 40 tribes which were united by Manas are represented by rays of the sun on a red background in this country's flag. This country was the site of the 2005 Tulip revolution. It borders Kazakhstan to its north and China to the south-east. For 10 points, name this country with its capital at Bishkek.
A: Kyrgyzstan (or Kyrgyz Republic, or Kyrgyzskaya Respublika)
Q: One of these institutions contains an all-pink room named after the children's book character Eloise. An establishment of this type in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emannuele was the first of its kind to gain an official "seven-star" rating; however, the first unofficial "seven-star" rating was given to a sail-shaped building of this kind known as the (*) Burj al-Arab. Pyongyang contains an unopened, pyramid-shaped one of these institutions known as the Ryugyong. The oldest one of these institutions in the United States is the Omni Parker House. For 10 points, name these locations which in the United States are owned by the Hilton Group.
A: hotels [The first hotel is the Plaza Hotel in New York City.]
Q: In this city, a Buddhist monk created exhibitions of ten major world faiths in the Museum of World Religions. It's not Delhi, but 29 districts make up a namesake "New" municipality that surrounds this city, which connects it to the port city of Keelung. To protect against typhoons, a building in this city's Xinyi ["shin-YEE"] District contains the world's largest tuned mass (*) damper. This city contains memorial halls to both Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. This city is named for its location in the north of an island that is sometimes called Formosa. The tallest building in this city is named for the fact that it has 101 floors. For 10 points, name this capital of Taiwan.
A: Taipei [or Taibei; accept New Taipei or Taipei 101]
Q: A 2014 "pulse flow" on this river that allowed 105,000 acre-feet of its water to reach the sea was mandated by the Minute 319 agreement. Water that would flow into this river from the Never Summer Mountains is instead diverted by the Grand Ditch. After a purchase made by Robert P. McCullough, an island in this river became a terminus of the former London Bridge, the other end of which is in Lake (*) Havasu City. An aqueduct that carries water from this river across the Whipple, Eagle, and San Jacinto Mountains and through the Coachella Valley was designed by William Mulholland. This river and the Green River were explored in 1869 by John Wesley Powell, who names a lake behind its Glen Canyon Dam. For 10 points, name this river that widens into Lake Mead behind the Hoover Dam and flows through the Grand Canyon.
A: the Colorado River
Q: Trails at this mountain range are maintained by the Randolph Mountain Club and the Wonalancet Out Door Club. The Great Gulf wilderness area in this range was endangered by a fire at its peak of Owl's Head, while another of its peaks is named for being haunted by a Native American ghost, Chocorua. Edward Tuckerman discovered many features in this range, including his namesake ravine, and the Arethusa Waterfalls. Tourists to this range often visit its series of eight mountain huts including Mitzpah Springs and Lonesome Lake, and ski resorts at the town of North Conway. Its Kinsman range is home to a series of three peaks called the Cannon Balls. This range hosted the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, and Daniel Webster is often said to be the figure represented by its formation, the Old Man of the Mountain. For 10 points, name this mountain range in New Hampshire that includes Mt. Washington.
A: White Mountains [or Whites; WMNF; or White Mountains National Forest; prompt on "Appalachian Moun-tains"]
Q: One province in this nation is Podlasie, which is home to one of the last patches of Europe's primeval forest, Bialowieza Forest, home to some of Europe's last wisent. Sites in this country bordered on the east by the Bug River include the Masurian Lakes as well as the town once known as the "Jewish Oxford," Lublin. This nation is south of the exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast, and this nation's principal seaport is Gdansk, a city in this nation's region of Pomerania. Rivers in this country include the Oder and Neisse on its western border and the Vistula which flows through its city of Krakow. For 10 points, name this Eastern European nation south of the Baltic and west of Belarus with capital at Warsaw.
A: Republic of Poland
Q: Parades in this city often feature a "second line" of followers behind a jazz band. Its newspaper is the called the Times-Picayune and the St. Charles Streetcar runs through this city's Garden District to Canal Street. Beignets and chicory coffee can be found at Cafe Du Monde in this city's (*) French Quarter along with nightlife along Bourbon Street. Its Lower 9th Ward was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. For 10 points, name this creole-influenced city on the Mississippi River, the most populous in Louisiana.
A: New Orleans
Q: This country's Morondava Basin contains two rich oil deposits at Bemolanga and Tsimiroro. Many endangered waterbird species, including Meller's Duck, live in this country's Lake Alaotra. A dirt road in the western portion of this country contains two intertwining Baobab trees that have been called Amoureux ["ah-mow-row"]. Jean Laborde designed many buildings in this country's capital under the orders of (*) Ranavalona I. This country's primary ethnic group speaks an Austronesian language and are known as the Malagasy. For 10 points, name this African island country with capital Antananarivo, the only native home to lemurs.
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: Resort towns like Destin and Pensacola are located on this body of water, and they are threatened by toxic algal blooms known as red tide. In 2015, British Petroleum reached an $18.7 billion settlement over damage caused by an oil spill in this body of water, known as the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The (*) Yucatan Peninsula and Florida help define, for 10 points, what gulf between its namesake country and the U.S.?
A: Gulf of Mexico
Q: This country is home to Navagio Beach, known for the shipwrecked vessel on its sand, which is a popular site for BASE jumping. On the shores of the Thermaic Gulf is this country's second largest city, Thessaloniki. The (*) Peloponnese peninsula is separated from the rest of this country by the Corinth Canal. For 10 points, what country with many islands dotted around the Aegean (uh-JEE-un) Sea has a capital at Athens?
A: Greece [accept Hellenic Republic]
Q: One territory of this country is Norfolk Island, which has a population almost entirely made up of descendants of mutineers from the ship The Bounty. This country's Christmas Island is home to the largest crab migration in the world. The Bass Strait separates this country from its island province (*) Tasmania. For 10 points, what country is home to platypuses, koalas, and kangaroos?
A: Australia [or Commonwealth of Australia]
Q: This state's flag uses a tan color officially known as buff. Cultural debates in this state include if its Central region, which would include its city of New Brunswick, actually exists, and whether to call a sandwich a sub or a hoagie. The Pine Barrens run through this state, whose Meadowlands have suffered from environmental degradation. Cape (*) May is a resort area in the south of this state, whose town of Menlo Park was home to Thomas Edison's laboratory. For 10 points, name this state east of the Delaware River, with cities Atlantic City, Newark, and Trenton.
A: New Jersey
Q: This state contains deeply eroded ash deposits in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes within Katmai National Park. The North Slope oil fields are found in this state, where the Chilkoot Pass can be accessed through this state's port city of Skagway on the historic (*) Yukon Trail. The highest point in North America, Denali, is found in this state. For 10 points, name this "North Star" state whose most populous city is Anchorage and whose capital is Juneau.
A: Alaska
Q: This country's state of Mato Grosso do Sul contains a massive inland wetland called the Pantanal. An opera house built by profits from the rubber trade is found in its city of Manaus. This country's third most-populous city is Salvador in the state of Bahia. A major city of this country contains the large urban Tijuca rainforest and is overlooked by a (*) statue of Christ the Redeemer. For 10 points, name this largest and most populous country in South America whose capital is Rio de Janeiro.
A: Brazil
Q: The Batak people live on an island in this country also home to Lake Toba, formed by a supervolcanic eruption. This country's President Joko Widodo has proposed moving this country's capital to the province of East Kalimantan, which is across the Makassar Strait from the island of (*) Sulawesi. The Sunda Strait separates this country's two most-populous islands, one of which is west of the Strait of Malacca. The most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world is, for 10 points, what country with islands Sumatra and Java, and capital Jakarta?
A: Republic of Indonesia
Q: In this state, a thin layer of melting ice allows some stones to "sail" across the surface of Racetrack Playa. A national park in this state contains the Bridalveil Fall vista and was advocated for by John Muir's (myurzz) Sierra Club. In that national park in this state, Glacier Point gives views of (*) El Capitan and Half Dome. For 10 points, name this state which contains Death Valley and Yosemite (yoh-SEM-ih-tee).
A: California
Q: One of these objects has a Turkish name meaning "grey falcon" and can be found in the Fatih quarter of Istanbul. Another of these objects contains a statue of St. Stephen and formerly contained a statue of Hercules, who is said to be the founder of the city where it is located. Besides the Valens and Segovia examples, another of these objects was designed by William Mulholland and was accused of "raping" the Owens Valley. That structure runs from the Eastern Sierra Nevadas to Los Angeles. In ancient times, these structures were described in the writings of Frontinus and in Book Eight of Vitruvius' De Architectura. For 10 points, name these structures used in ancient Rome which serve as conduits to transport water.
A: Aqueducts
Q: This desert is home to the Tibesti Mountains. The Tuareg people are indigenous to the central regions of this desert. This desert is bordered to the south by a region called the Sahel and also contains the cities of Niamey and Timbuktu. Sankore University was built by the (*) Mali Empire on the edge of this desert. For 10 points, what largest hot desert in the world covers much of north Africa?
A: Sahara Desert
Q: A sandwich originating in this city typically involves fried seafood served on top of a loaf of French bread and is called the Po' Boy. The beignet (ben-YAY) purveyor Cafe Du Monde is on this city's Bourbon Street. Jambalaya and gumbo are characteristic of this city's (*) Creole and Cajun-influenced cuisine. The French Quarter is located in, for 10 points, what city central to the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana?
A: New Orleans
Q: Two of this city's rival soccer teams play each other in an annual match known as the Superclasico. Residents of one of this city's neighborhoods speak the hybrid Belgrano-Deutsch. The Royal Fort of Don Juan Baltasar was converted in the 1800s into this city's iconic "Casa Rosada." The names of Felipe Pereyra de Lucena and Manuel Artigas are inscribed on an obelisk in this city's (*) Plaza de Mayo, which commemorates a country's independence. The most common usage of the demonym Portenos refers to denizens of this city, and this is the most populous city on the Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, name this capital of Argentina.
A: Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
Q: The suburb of Laval is on an island in this river, whose tributaries include the Saguenay and the Richilieu. Just Room Enough Island is part of this river's Thousand Islands, also home to Robert Moses State Park. The French-owned islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are in a namesake (*) "gulf" at the mouth of this river, the namesake of a canal system connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Water from Lake Champlain feeds this river to the north, which begins at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. For 10 points, name this second-longest river in Canada, which flows past Montreal and Quebec City.
A: Saint Lawrence River
Q: Much of this state's western border is formed by the Sabine River. An estuary in the southeast of this state is crossed by the longest continuous bridge in the world. In this state, a large tract of coastal cypress and ecosystem of wetlands can be found in its Atchafalaya Swamp. A pair of bridges known as the Crescent (*) City Connection serves a city in this state, whose native cuisine includes sandwiches like muffalettas and po'boys. That city in this state hosts Mardi Gras in its French Quarter. For 10 points, name this state with cities Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.
A: Louisiana
Q: Herodotus describes a city in this region as having "peculiarly alluring" prostitutes, including the slave Rhodopis whose beauty convinced Sappho's brother Charaxus to purchase her freedom. Former pirate and Count of Syracuse Alamanno da Costa participated in a successful siege of a city in this region in which the attackers allied with Kaykaus I. The city of Tennis was founded on the brackish Lake Manzala, the largest in this region, by refugees from the similarly named city of (*) Tanis, also in this region. The Biblical Land of Goshen was in the eastern part of this region and where the Hebrews lived before the Exodus. The location of cities like Naucratis, Damietta, and Alexandria, for 10 points, identify this region where the world's longest river meets the Mediterranean Sea.
A: Nile Delta (prompt on Egypt or Lower Egypt; do not accept or prompt on Upper Egypt)
Q: This river joins with the Rio Negro at the Meeting of the Waters. Iquitos (ee-KEE-tohs), one of the most inland ports in the world, sits on the banks of this river. The city of Manaus also lies on this river, and is located in a state named for it. This river has the highest discharge volume, and is (*) second-longest, in the world. For 10 points, what very long river in Brazil is named for a group of Greek-warrior women?
A: Amazon River
Q: This state is home to the only American nesting location of the Colima Warbler in its Big Bend National Park. Lady Bird Lake is found in the capital city of this state. German settlers founded the city of New Braunfels in the (*) "hill country" near this state's capital. Cities in the western part of this state include Odessa and Midland as well as El Paso, which lies on its border with Mexico on the Rio Grande River. For 10 points, name this state whose capital is Austin.
A: Texas
Q: A park on a peninsula in this city is supposedly the site where a fisherman was transformed into Siwash Rock. The Lost Lagoon is an artificial lake south of that park in this city, which is serviced by the SkyTrain monorail system. The Lions Gate Bridge crosses the Burrard Inlet to connect northern suburbs to this city's Stanley Park. The ski resort town of Whistler is about a hundred miles north of this city. Because of immigration from Hong Kong in anticipation of its transfer back to China, this city has one of the largest Chinese populations in North America. This city is home to the flagship campus of the University of British Columbia. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Western Canada.
A: City of Vancouver
Q: Julia Tuttle is known as the "Mother of" this city, the only major one in the United States founded by a woman. The Homestead Air Reserve Base lies south of this city. A garish animatronic Red Grooms sculpture in this city recently drew controversy, and this city contains neighborhoods such as Coconut Grove and the Venetian Islands. The Calle Ocho Festival is hosted in this city each year, and it is bordered by Biscayne Bay to the east. For 10 points, name this city with a large Cuban-American population in Little Havana, the largest city in South Florida.
A: Miami <SB>
Q: The Tumen river forms the only border between this country and one neighbor. It's not Germany, but the historical capital of Konigsberg is now in this country. A canal in this country connects Lake Onega with the Northern Sea Route, connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Barents Sea, which is projected to rapidly grow in use due to global warming. Entirely within this country, the Yenisey river originates at the oldest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. The Trans-Siberian Railway transverses, for 10 points, which country stretching between Europe and Asia with capital at Moscow?
A: Russian Federation (do not accept Soviet Union or USSR)
Q: A myth in which a bird laid an egg between two branches of a poplar tree is commemorated by this nation's Bayterek observation tower. This nation's highest point is on the Khan Tengri mountain, which is located in the Tian Shan range. The world's first space launch facility, the Baikonur Cosmodrome, is located in this country. Seven rivers drain an endorheic basin into this country's Lake Balkhash. This country owns the North Aral Sea, and it borders the northeast portion of the Caspian Sea. This country's capital was moved from Almaty in 1997. For 10 points, name this largest landlocked country, with capital at Astana.
A: Republic of Kazakhstan
Q: This country controls the Lakshadweep islands and is the site of the long-running Naxalite Maoist insurgency. Several Dravidian languages including Telegu and Tamil are spoken in this country's south. The Eastern and Western Ghats in this country are separated by the volcanic soil of the (*) Deccan Plateau. This country's most populous state is Uttar Pradesh and it borders both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. For 10 points, name this South Asian country whose cities include Mumbai and Delhi.
A: India
Q: This city is the headquarters of the largest container shipping company in the world, as well as the location of the most recently-voted Best Restaurant in the World, Noma. Urban development in this largest city in the "Medicon Valley" is guided by the "Finger Plan". Its Churchill Park is located near its huge Gefion Fountain. Norman Foster designed the Elephant House for this city's zoo, which is actually located in its enclave of (*) Fredriksberg. A tourist attraction in this city is home to the Nimb Hotel, a hundred-year-old wooden roller coaster, and the Pantomime Theater, and is named for an Italian town. This city is located on the west bank of the Oresund, spread over the islands of Amager and Zealand. For 10 points, name this home of Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid statue, and the major governmental buildings of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen, Denmark [or København]
Q: This state contains the northern terminus of a "Grand Staircase" of exposed sedimentary rock layers. One national park in this state contains sandstone structures like the pillar "Dark Angel" and "Delicate Arch." Another national park in this state is home to Kolob and Zion canyons. This state was once covered by a prehistoric pluvial lake, which gives its name to this state's massive Bonneville salt flats. It contains the southern part of the Wasatch Range and the northern part of Glen Canyon and Lake Powell. This state is home to Bryce Canyon National Park, as well as the largest endorheic lake in the Western Hemisphere. For 10 points, name this state that contains the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: This country contains the ruins of Catalhoyuk [cha-tal-ho-yuuk], a Neolithic city north of the Taurus Mountains. Mount Arafat, the traditional landing site of Noah's Ark, is in this country. The northwestern tip of this country is separated by the Dardanelles and the (*) Bosporus from the rest of this country on the Anatolian Plateau in Asia Minor. Bordered on the north by the Black Sea and on the south by the Mediterranean Sea, for 10 points name this country that spans two continents, and whose most populous city is Istanbul.
A: Turkey
Q: A yearly event in this region typically congregates around the confluence of the Mara and Grumeti Rivers. This region's lone volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, is the only one in the world that erupts natro-carbonatite lava. The south of this region contains the large, seasonal Lake Eyasi. Jakaya Kikwete has supported a controversial proposed road through this region. The national park named for this region borders a conservation area named for Ngorongoro crater that contains Olduvai Gorge. The northernmost part of this region is the Maasai Mara in Kenya. For 10 points, name this region of Tanzania that is home to a massive wildebeest migration.
A: the Serengeti [accept Serengeti National Park]
Q: It's not Kuala Lumpur, but one building in this city consists of twin cylindrical high-rise towers said to resemble corncobs. That complex, Marina City, is found on this city's State Street, which runs from the Little Calumet River to Lincoln Park. The Museum of Science and Industry in this city was built as part of its (*) "White City" at the 1893 World's Fair. The downtown of this Cook County city includes the Loop, formed by the path of its "El" train. The Willis Tower is in, for 10 points, what city on Lake Michigan, the third most-populous in the United States?
A: Chicago, Illinois
Q: This building was heavily influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's hypothetical building, The Illinois. It boasts the world's largest choreographed fountain system, whose musical repertoire includes the Mission Impossible theme song. This building's footprint was modeled after the desert flower Hymenocallis, leading to its Y-shaped base. Its 27 setbacks are reminiscent of the spiral minarets of Islamic architecture. For 10 points, identify this building in downtown Dubai, currently the tallest man-made structure in the world.
A: Burj Khalifa [accept Burj Dubai before mention of Dubai; do not accept "Burj Al-Arab"] <CC>
Q: This river receives the Henrys Fork before flowing across a namesake plain that includes the volcanic Craters of the Moon National Monument. This river drains the Palouse Hills before joining another river at Kennewick. Travelers on the Oregon Trail crossed this river at Three Islands shortly after leaving Fort Hall. This river's (*) Hells Canyon section has been heavily dammed. This river flows through Jackson Hole and part of Grand Teton National Park. For 10 points, name this river of the Pacific Northwest, the largest tributary of the Columbia.
A: Snake River
Q: In 2013, the capital of this state built the "S Line", a streetcar-based spur of its TRAX system running to the neighborhood of Sugar House. Hydrogen sulfide produced by bacteria in a body of water in this state causes an effect known locally as "lake stink". This state is home to the largest non-fungal living organism, a clonal colony of quaking aspen called Pando. A resort area in this state was purchased in 1968 by Robert (*) Redford, who founded a namesake film festival there. The Jupiter and the No. 119 met at a mountain pass in this state where Leland Stanford drove a golden spike to mark the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. This state is the location of Sundance and Promontory Summit, as well as the Bonneville Salt Flats and the Wasatch Range. For 10 points, name this "Beehive State", home to the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: This river takes a 180-degree turn where it joins the Canoe at the site of Boat Encampment, from where the York Factory Express followed the path of this river downstream. The rocky terrain around this river's mouth has prevented the formation of a delta, so its unimpeded flow hits a sandbar at its mouth at Cape Disappointment. This river flows through the Tri-Cities area, passing by the cities of Richland and (*) Kennewick. FDR Lake was created by America's most powerful electricity generating plant on this river, whose longest tributary [emphasize] flows through Jackson Hole and Hells Canyon before joining it and the Yakima at Pasco. The Grand Coulee Dam straddles this river, which is joined by the Willamette at Portland. For 10 points, name this river in the Pacific Northwest that forms the border between Washington and Oregon.
A: Columbia River <Edited>
Q: Beehive-shaped rock formations are found in this country's Bungle Bungle Range, while crocodile attacks are common in its Kakadu National Park. Rock art in this country often includes images of the Rainbow Serpent. This country's longest river, the Murray, flows into the Indian Ocean just outside Adelaide. A large sandstone (*) rock that appears to glow red at sunset named Uluru is found in this country's arid interior, the Outback. For 10 points, name this country with many native marsupials such as koalas and kangaroos.
A: Australia
Q: This country's Nyanga National Park includes a panorama called "World's View" while granite rock outcrops that look like bald heads led to the name of its Matobo National Park. The Umkondo Basin may replace the Marange fields as the primary source of diamonds in this country. The Great (*) Enclosure is part of a ruined 11th century city built by the ancestors of the Shona people in this country. Formerly known as Southern Rhodesia, this country's northern border with Zambia is defined by the Zambezi River, including Victoria Falls. For 10 points, name this landlocked African country whose capital is Harare.
A: Zimbabwe [Republic of Zimbabwe]
Q: A border area in the north of this country is home to a series of fortified earthworks called Black Pig's Dyke. An archaeological site in this country is buttressed by 97 decorated "kerbstones" and features a notable entrance stone decorated in the "plastic style." This country is home to a boulder decorated in the La Tene style called the Turoe stone and a structure which is located just south of a series of ring forts called the Rath of the Synods and a tomb called the Mound of the (*) Hostages, and which is topped by the "Stone of Destiny." A structure in this country is famous for a roofbox which allows the illumination of its interior on the winter solstice. This country is home to the passage tombs of Carrowmore and Newgrange. For 10 points, name this island country whose High Kings were crowned at the Hill of Tara, near the River Boyne in County Meath.
A: Ireland
Q: The very large but endangered huchen ("HUCK-en") salmon, which are endemic to this river, benefitted from a commercial fry-producing effort to reintroduce them into the wild. The former Turkish exclave of Ada Kaleh was lost to this river following a dam building project in 1972. That same project near this river forced the raising of a nearby memorial plaque which celebrates the building of Trajan's (*) Bridge, which spans this river. This river originates in the Black Forest and it empties into the Black Sea. For 10 points, name this river, which flows through cities such as Bratislava, Belgrade and Vienna.
A: Danube River [or the Donau River; or the Duna River; or the Dunaj River; or Dunarea River; or the Dunav River; or the Dunay River] .
Q: In this present-day country, the Bochnia and Wieliczka ("wheel-LEEKS-ka") Salt Mines were active for over 800 years. Silver mining and deforestation in the 13th century created a small sandy desert near Bledow in this country. This country is divided into voivodeships and shares a lagoon with the Russian exclave of (*) Kaliningrad. This country's longest river, the Vistula, rises in the Carpathian Mountains and empties into the Baltic Sea near Gdansk after flowing past Krakow. For 10 points, name this Eastern European country whose capital is Warsaw.
A: Poland [Republic of Poland; or Rzeczpospolita Polska]
Q: This nation celebrates February 21st as Language Martyr's Day, which includes celebrations at the Shaheed Minar monument. The PCJSS fought a low-level insurgency in the "hill tracts" outside its largest seaport of Chittagong. Cox's Bazaar in this country currently hosts Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar. This country's capital city is known for its elaborately decorated (*) rickshaws. The world's largest delta is found in this country where the Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers meet before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. For 10 points, name this oft-flooded South Asian nation whose capital is Dhaka.
A: Bangladesh [People's Republic of Bangladesh; or Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh]
Q: The 1985 iteration of a music festival held in this city was the largest in the world in attendance, featuring 1.5 million attendants. During a yearly festival in this city, bands perform on a mountaintop botanical garden that is nicknamed "Suvaco do Christo". This city is overlooked by Sugarloaf Mountain which lies at the base of Guanabara Bay. Millions gather annually on this city's (*) Copacabana Beach to celebrate the New Year and the Carnival Festival. For 10 points, name this second largest Brazilian city overlooked by the Christ the Redeemer statue, which hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics.
A: Rio de Janeiro [prompt on Rio] <Taylor>
Q: One island in this river hosts the Mouse Tower, named for the rats that supposedly devoured the Bishop Hatto. A legendary female figure on this river lures sailors to crash into the Lorelei Rock. Liechtenstein's capital of Vaduz is found on the upper reaches of this river, which later flows through Lake Constance. This river meets the Moselle in (*) Koblenz and separates Baden-Wurttemberg from Alsace. For 10 points, name this European river that flows from Switzerland to the Netherlands and forms the border between France and Germany.
A: Rhine River
Q: This archipelago includes the Oa Peninsula (pronounced "Oh"), an excellent hangout for smugglers who enjoy caves. Another island in this group has a whirlpool at the northern tip called "Coryvreckan." Just southeast of this group is the Moine Thrust Belt, which explains the Torridonian sandstone characteristic of much of its terrain. Another peninsula in this group, the Trotternish, features a rocky outcrop called The Storr and that island has its capital at Portree. A basalt and (*) gabbro volcanic intrusion forms the highest mountains in this group, the Cuillin Hills. It includes the island of Staffa, home to the columns at Fingal's Cave, as well as more major islands like the Lewis-with-Harris group and the slightly smaller island of Skye. FTP, name this archipelago just west of the Scottish mainland, which has Inner and Outer subdivisions.
A: the Hebrides (accept "Inner" or "Outer" Hebrides)
Q: After a massive flood, a city of this civilization created a massive dock/warehouse complex that allowed 30 ships of 50 tons each to unload goods at the same time. This civilization is known for its export of fine carnelian beads. The port of Sutkagen-Dor was likely a stopping point for merchants from this civilization trading with cultures to the west. From its colony at Shortugai, this civilization provided the ancient world with its only source of (*) lapis lazuli. One of this civilization's primary ports was Lothal and one of its few imports were pearls from Dilmun. Merchants from this civilization carried personalized seals, which provide most known examples of this civilization's yet undeciphered script. Known as Meluhha in Mesopotamia, for 10 points, identify this first civilization on the Indian subcontinent.
A: Harappan Civilization (accept Indus Valley Civilization or IVC)
Q: This river is home to the enormous Huchen salmon. This river passes through two hydroelectric dams at the Iron Gates, which form part of an international border. A canal links this river to the more northerly Main ["MINE"] river. This river formed the Wachau valley, known for its wines and castles. Its tributaries include the Inn and the Prut. A city on this river is known for its Hofburg and Schonbrunn palaces. This river flows through both the Pannonian and Carpathian basins. This river originally separated two cities that merged to become a central European capital. For 10 points, name this river that passes through cities like Bratislava, Belgrade, Vienna, and Budapest before flowing into the Black Sea.
A: the Danube [or Donau; or Dunav; or Dunarea; be very lenient with vowels]
Q: The UN approved of this country's claim of the Benham plateau, an area that is completely under water, in 2012. A university in this country had its website defaced by hackers after a standoff over the guano-covered (*) Scarborough Shoal. This country has won a binding arbitration case in the Hague over China's use of the "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea. For 10 points, name this country disputing control of the Spratly Islands with capital Manila.
A: The Philippines [Republic of the Philippines; or Republika ng Pilipinas]
Q: Pen y ["uh"] Fan is located in this country's Brecon Beacons national park. The north of this country is home to castles like Conwy and Caernarfon ["kah-EER-nah-fon"]. Its capital is home to the St Fagans history museum. A small town in this country has over two dozen bookstores and is on the Wye river. The Menai Strait separates its mainland from the large island Anglesey to its northwest. People in this country celebrate artistic festivals called eisteddfodau. This country is bordered to the West and North by Cardigan Bay and the Bristol Channel. Its highest mountain is Snowdon and its largest cities are Swansea and Cardiff.For 10 points, name this country west of England.
A: Wales [or Cymru, which sounds sort of like "KUM-bree"; prompt on "UK," "United Kingdom, "Great Britain," etc., but do NOT accept or prompt on "England" or "Scotland"]
Q: Some residents of this country celebrate the new year with a day of silence called Nyepi. Following a similar venture in Brazil, Norway offered this nation up to 1 billion dollars to reduce its rate of deforestation, which is the largest in the world despite a 2011 moratorium, and is largely caused by the massive expansion of this country's non-native palm oil industry. Raja Ampat is one of this country's marine biodiversity hotspots formed from extensive coral reefs, and it is home to the pilgrimage sites of Prambanan and Borobudur. This nation's region of Kalimantan is a natural habitat of the orangutan. Sulawesi is part of this nation, which is home to the world's largest Muslim population. For 10 points, name this archipelagic nation with capital at Jakarta on the island of Java.
A: Indonesia
Q: This territory was nicknamed the "Isle of Devils" by Spanish seamen who reported the cries of its native Cahow birds sounded like evil spirits, and an attempt to drop off a breeding stock of hogs in this archipelago was failed by Gonzalo Fernandez de Ovido and this territory's namesake. This territory's most populous settlement, St. George's, is the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the new world. This island chain lies off the western edge of the (*) Sargasso Sea and is about 640 miles east of Cape Hatteras. Hamilton is the capital of, for 10 points, what British territory in the Atlantic Ocean, the namesake of a spooky "triangle."
A: Bermuda <Taylor>
Q: In this state, one river rises west of Mount Gerdine and is called the Kuskokwim River. This state, which is home to Little Diomede, also contains Amaknak Island, the location of the former base Dutch Harbor. Ashes from the eruption of Novarupta filled a valley in this state's Katmai National Park. A notable race in this state passes through Kaltag and ends at Nome. The northernmost point in this state is Point Barrow. The Alutiiq (ah-LOO-tee-ick) people once lived on this state's Kodiak Island. This state is home to Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America. For 10 points, name this state including the Aleutian Islands with its capital at Juneau.
A: Alaska <RY/CL/DM>
Q: In this modern-day country, an enormous stone arch was built to be used as a sextant by the astronomer Ulugh Beg. Turquoise-colored domes dominate the Shah-i-Zinda mausoleum in this country, which also contains the free-standing Kaylan Minaret in Bukhara. The Aydar Lake in this country's part of the Kyzl Kum ("KEEZ-ul koom") desert was created by runoff from the (*) Syr Darya River. Tamerlane's tomb is found in this country's city of Samarkand. For 10 points, name this country that shares the remnants of the Aral Sea with Kazakhstan and whose capital is Tashkent.
A: Uzbekistan [Republic of Uzbekistan; or Uzbekiston; or Uzbekistan Respublikasi]
Q: One attraction in this city is actually one story above ground level, since it is built on a massive grid of utility tunnels. Another theme park in this city features live reenactments of the Crucifixion and is called The Holy Land Experience. The first Wet 'n Wild was founded in this city. It's neither San Diego nor San Antonio, but another institution in this city has been attacked by documentaries like The Cove and Blackfish. A theme park in this city includes a geodesic sphere called "Spaceship Earth," and is named Epcot. This city is home to easternmost SeaWorld and the best-known Universal Studios Resort. For 10 points, identify this location of Disney World.
A: Orlando, Florida
Q: The Nong Ping 360 aerial tramway is a tourist attraction on this city's Lantau Island. A large outdoor escalator crosses the Mid-Levels neighborhood of this city. The New Territories of this city are north of Boundary Road on the Kowloon Peninsula. The International Commerce Centre is across Victoria Harbor from the (*) Admiralty district of this city, which in 2014 was the center of student-led protests by the Umbrella Movement. For 10 points, name this city, known as "Fragrant Harbor" in Cantonese, that in 1997 was transferred from Britain to China.
A: Hong Kong [or Fragrant Harbor before it is read; or Hsiang-kang; or Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu]
Q: This country contains the salt lakes Eyasi, Manyara, and Natron. Mountain ranges in this country include the Pare and Usambara, while its Olduvai Gorge is rich in hominin fossils. The Ruaha National Park is found in this country, which is home to the Pemba and Unguja islands, as well as Africa's largest lake, Lake Victoria. The Zanzibar Archipelago lies offshore of this country, which contains the southern part of the Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro. For 10 points, name this country whose capital moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.
A: United Republic of Tanzania
Q: Dozens of alleged arsons were committed along the middle course of this river during a drought in 1839, leading to an outbreak of violence against local authorities by the peasantry. A 10th century traveler along this river observed the burial of a chieftain which involved a young woman having sex with the deceased man's subordinates and then being sacrificed by the "Angel of Death". That traveler, Ahmad ibn Fadlan, wrote an account of his time as an ambassador to Almıs ("ahl-moosh"), the first Muslim king of a Turkic state named after this river. (*) Stenka Razin tried to capture the entirety of this river after pillaging a city at its delta. Feodor Chaliapin famously recorded a folksong about this river's boatmen and the cities of Kazan and Astrakhan lay on its banks. For 10 points, identify this principal river of European Russia and the longest in Europe.
A: Volga River
Q: Female residents of this country can undergo a depigmentation of skin called xessal. The national dish of this nation combines fish, rice, and tomato sauce with onions and peanut oil - it's called thieboudienne. A popular resort for European travelers to this country is Cap Skirring. Farming in this country is concentrated south of its cities of Kahone and Tambacounda. Like its smaller neighbor, this country's sabar drum is used in (*) its mbalax dance music. Since the late 1980s, this nation's army has dealt with conflict in its Casamance region, which is dominated by Jola people who agitate against the majority Wolof ethnic group. The Ile de Goree in this nation's capital was a major point of the Atlantic slave trade. This predominantly Muslim nation has its capital on Cap-Vert peninsula, from which Cape Verde takes it name. FTP, name this African country which surrounds The Gambia and has a capital at Dakar.
A: Senegal
Q: This U.S. state is home to a natural amphitheatre called the Temple of Sinawava near where the Kayenta Formation has eroded as part of the Grand Staircase National Monument. That staircase, also named for this state's city of Escalante, has eroded at the top where Pausungunt Plateau features spires called "hoodoos." Also home to the Stansbury Mountains, the northeast of this state features Flaming Gorge Dam and the Red Castle, and another (*) location here has features created from fins of the Entrada Sandstone near the town of Moab. It's also home to the greatest portion of the Uinta Mountains. A body of water in this state contains Antelope Island and is fed by Bear River. Home to such attractions as Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty and Arches National Park, FTP, name this U.S. state which also contains the Bonneville Salt Flats, Bryce Canyon, and the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: One of these entities is contrasted with the "Gold Coast" in a work by Harvey Warren Zorbaugh which traces the evolution of one of these entities from Kilgubbin to "Little Hell." American efforts to overcome these entities were inspired by legislation drafted by Lawrence Veiller which is sometimes called the "New Law." These entities have recently seen a surge of (*) tourist interest, catalyzed by events like the Oscar-nominated film City of God and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The largest example of these in Africa is called Kibera and is found in Nairobi, and in Brazil these entities are called favelas. For 10 points, identify this term which describes a urban neighborhood that is very densely populated, and often lacks infrastructure like electricity and sanitation.
A: slums [or tenements; or favela until mentioned; or barrio; or shanty town; prompt on "neighborhood" until "New York"]
Q: A territory with this name will join the Schengen Area despite its country leaving the EU. A proposed underwater tunnel across a body of water with this name will connect an overseas territory with this name, which is home to a population of Barbary macaques, to the city of Tangiers. A limestone (*) "Rock" with this name contains a massive series of tunnels dug by the British Army. The Pillars of Hercules bound a body of water with this name that separates Spain and Morocco. For 10 points, give the name of the strait that connects the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
A: Gibraltar (accept Strait of Gibraltar or Rock of Gibraltar)
Q: The highest point in this city is Monte Mario hill, which has been used for research on erosion that occurs during urban expansion. Just north of this city are the mouths of the Cremera and Allia rivers; the latter was the site of an important battle in this city's early history. An early bridge built in this location using an island in the middle of this city's central river was the Pons Sublicus, a location now near the center of the city. This city contains the mouth of the Aniene river, which was the source of the Anio Vetus and Anio Novus. A notable piece of architecture in this city links the Trinita dei Monti and the Piazza di Spagna, a set of stairs called the Spanish Steps, whose base is near the Barcaccia Fountain designed by Bernini. For 10 points, name this city, home to the Trevi fountain, which lies on the bank of the Tiber River.
A: Rome
Q: This national park includes the brilliant blue-green Havasu Falls on the Supai Reservation. The Precambrian Vishnu Complex outcrops at the lowest point of this national park. Phantom Ranch provides accommodations for hikers on this park's Bright Angel Trail, which descends from its (*) South Rim Visitor Center. Its main feature is over a mile deep and up to eighteen miles wide. For 10 points, name this national park in Arizona where the Colorado River eroded the namesake steep-walled feature.
A: Grand Canyon National Park
Q: Two animals native to this mountain range are crossbred to create the huarizo. Customers often pick out their meals from a group of cages designed to look like a castle at a type of restaurant popular in this mountain range, the cuyeria [KWEE-eria]. A species of bird named for this mountain range is tied to the back of a bull during the Yawar festival. That bird from this mountain range has a distinctive ring of puffy white feathers around its neck. This range is home to the last remaining species of short-faced bear, its namesake (*) spectacled bear. This mountain range is the breeding ground for most species of New World flamingo. The wingspan of an endangered bird of prey from this mountain range is slightly shorter than that of its closest living relative, the California condor. For 10 points, name this mountain range where the guinea pig is considered a delicacy and whose ancient peoples domesticated the alpaca and the llama.
A: the Andes
Q: In this region, concentric circles of eroded rock form the Richat Structure, which is sometimes called its "eye." Specimens of an unusual type of green glass are found in this region's northeast. The Tuareg nomads inhabit the Air Massif in this region. The Qatarra Depression is the lowest point in this region, which also includes the Grand Ergs in (*) Algeria. South of this region lies a belt of grasslands called the Sahel. For ten points, name this largest hot desert in the world that covers most of North Africa.
A: Sahara Desert (Prompt on Mauritania before "eye.")
Q: One archaeologist said it took "millions of hours" to make namesake terraces along these mountains. The Islands of the Sun and the Moon are within one lake in this region, which had a "vertical archipelago" trading system. The Aymara people live along part of this mountain range, whose earlier residents invented freeze-drying. In the northern part of this region, the Magdalena River runs through the capital of what used to be New Granada. Lake Titicaca lies in the Altiplano, which is next to this mountain range that contains the world's highest volcanoes. For 10 points, name this mountain range running along the west coast of South America.
A: Andes <DM>
Q: The rotating restaurant atop the Perlan Observatory provides magnificent views of this country, while the Puffin Island of the coast of this nation is a popular nesting site for the namesake bird. The Kerid Crater Lake can be accessed via the Gold Circle route in this country, and it also contains a waterfall known as Dettifoss. A cured shark (*) meat is the national dish of this nation which also contains Thingvellir National Park. This nation, where the earliest parliament in history known as the Althing was created, contains a site near its capital known as the "Blue Lagoon." For 10 points, name this tiny island nation with capital at Reykjavik.
A: Iceland
Q: The exemption of wine from this region from the Grande Coutume tariff greatly increased its sales and reputation at the expense of wine grown further south. 75% of the Malbec vines in this region were lost due to the severe frost of 1956, leading to its replacement as the dominant grape. This region is, and has historically been, the largest proponent of the en primeur futures system. Red wines from this region lost the (*) 1976 Judgment of Paris to similar wines from California, establishing California as a producer of high-quality wine. Claret is the English name for the primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends produced in this region. For 10 points, what is this wine-growing region of southwest France centered on the capital of Nouvelle-Aquitaine?
A: Bordeaux wine region
Q: Renzo Piano designed this city's green, boat-shaped NEMO museum. Coronations in this city take place in the "New Church," or Nieuwe Kerk [new kirk], and its popular neighborhoods include Jordaan. The Amstel River ends in this city, the site of the world's oldest stock exchange. This city has considered making (*) prostitution illegal and moving De Wallen, its red-light district, and its "coffeshops are places where customers can legally purchase cannabis. Attractions in this city include the Rijksmuseum, home to many Rembrandts, and 60 miles of canals. For 10 points, name this capital of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: Due to atrocities like hanging people alive to be eaten by animals and roasting children, a military unit traveling across this colony in 1898-1899 was labeled an "infernal column". Soldiers named after a portion of this colony were the fathers of the 16,000-18,000 "Rhineland Bastards". Only people born in the Four Communes of this colony were able to attain citizenship in its ruling country. The starting point of the Voulet-Chanoine Mission, most of the territorial expansion of this colony was done to forward the trade interests of the Maurel & Prom Company and was carried out by (*) Louis Faidherbe. After the dissolution of this colony, leaders like Felix Houphouet-Boigny and Leopold Senghor, among others, took power in the newly formed states. For 10 points, this was what colony, now split into 9 countries including Mauritania, Niger, and Mali?
A: French West Africa (accept Afrique Occidentale Francaise or AOF; prompt on component colonies/their modern equivalents: Mali (French Sudan), Senegal, Guinea (French Guinea), Niger, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Togo, Benin (Dahomey), or Mauritania)
Q: Emergency Manager Ed Kurtz urged this city to join the KWA, which led to breaking off an agreement with the DWSD. Mona Hanna-Attisha led a 2015 study at the Hurley Medical Center in this city that was initially dismissed by the Department of Environmental Quality . This Genesee County city also experienced an outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease after switching to drawing (*) water from its namesake river instead of from Detroit. For 10 points, name this Michigan city whose water supply was found in 2015 to have dangerous levels of lead.
A: Flint
Q: John Byron wrote an account of a shipwreck and mutiny on Wager Island, which is located off of the coast of this region. This region's city of Cochrane is home to a controversial dam project on the Baker River in the state of Aisen. National Parks in this region include Torres del Paine and Laguna San Rafael, and this region includes the provinces of Neuquen and Chubut. This region's Pio XI glacier crosses the Eyre Fjord, and this region is home to Nahuel Huapi Lake and Los Glaciares National Park. Home to the Northern and Southern ice fields, this region is located south of the Colorado River and originally took its name from a word describing the size of its native inhabitants. For 10 points, identify this expansive, arid region shared between the southern portions of Chile and Argentina.
A: Patagonia
Q: Though it is not in Spain, this municipality is home to a soccer team called Barcelona, operators of the second-largest stadium on its continent, the Estadio Monumental. This city serves as its nation's main seaport, lying as it does a namesake gulf on the Pacific coast, hence its nickname, the Pearl of the Pacific. One of Latin America's best airports is this city's Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International. A monument in this city takes the form of a semi-circular arcade with end pillars surmounted by vultures and on which fly the flags of nine different South American nations - that monument commemorates an 1822 meeting between Bolivar and San Martin that took place here. For 10 points, name this city of about 3 million on the Guayas River, the largest city in Ecuador.
A: Santiago de Guayaquil
Q: This is the name of the river which the main water source for the city of Galle. A Chinese ethnic minority with this name inhabits Wutou, Wanwei and Shanxin off the coast of Dinxing city. One invention with this name was invented by Elwood Baker and his son and another was invented by Eli Witney. The later massively reduced the cost of cotton production while the former was a card game intended to be a faster version of Rummy. Brinjevec and Old Tom are varieties of a drink with this name. For 10 points name this drink drunk by the slovenly people who Hogarth contrasted with the inhabitants of Beer Street.
A: Gin
Q: A salt pond preserve in this state honors the non-native author of The Sea Around Us and Silent Spring, Rachel Carson. A painter and naturalist from this state was George Lorenzo Noyes. A manufacturer of jet-powered picnic boats, Hinckley Yachts, is based in Southwest Harbor, a city in this state. One of the oldest golf courses in this state is located on Mount Kineo, which is near its largest lake, Moosehead Lake. The easternmost point in this state is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oddly named West Quoddy Head. This state disputes the ownership of Machias Seal Island with Canada, which it had previously quarreled with during the Aroostook War. This state features Mount Desert Island, which contains Acadia National Park, the only national park in New England. For 10 points, name this northeastern state with capital at Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: Beck Weathers authored Left for Dead based on a disaster at this place, which ended with him getting evacuated from the Western Cwm [koom]. Rob Hall and Scott Fischer died at this place in 1996, while George Mallory's body was found below the First Step 75 years after his death at this location. Jon Krakauer wrote Into Thin (*) Air about this place, whose visitors traverse the Khumbu Icefall and Hillary Step, and eventually enter the "death zone" where supplementary oxygen is often given. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to officially ascend, for 10 points, what mountain in the Himalayas, the highest peak on Earth?
A: Mount Everest (accept Sagarmatha)
Q: The completion of this project led the country in which it's located to jump from a nonplayer in butter export to second place behind Denmark in that industry. This project also spawned the Kopi Kuz coal company and the Lenzoto gold mining business. It's paralleled by a more northerly counterpart which defines the "BAM zone." Ground for this project was broken with the symbolic dumping of a spade of dirt into a silver wheelbarrow in 1891. In 1918, in an attempt to prevent (*) released POWs from forming a "German front," this entity was seized by the Czech Legion. Work on it was originally supervised by Sergei Witte, and it was completed in 1916 with the construction of the Amur River Bridge. FTP, name this engineering feat which extends 5700 miles east from Yaroslavsky Station in Moscow, the only transcontinental transportation route in Russia.
A: the Trans-Siberian Railway [or Trans-Siberian Railroad; or Transsibirska Magistrala]
Q: Art museums in this city include Orsay and the Pompidou Center. Couples place "love-locks" on the Pont des Artes, a bridge in this city. Napoleon commissioned the Arc de Triomphe at one end of this city's (*) Champs-Elysees. This city comprises twenty arrondissements and is split by the Seine River. For 10 points, name this home of Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower, the largest city in France.
A: Paris
Q: This country contains is the eastern terminus of a railway whose financing comprised China's largest-ever foreign aid project. A tourist-oriented school of painting that depicted busy scenes of wild fauna created with bicycle paint on masonite developed in Oyster Bay, an affluent neighborhood of this country's largest city. A group of extremely inbred lions live in this country's Ngorongoro Crater. The "Four Year War" between the Kahama and Kasakela, two groups of (*) chimpanzees, took place in this country's Gombe Stream National Park, where research was conducted by Jane Goodall. Hundreds of thousands of zebra and wildebeests annually migrate through its Serengeti National Park. For 10 points, name this East African country, whose capital was moved to Dodoma in 1974, but whose largest city remains Dar es Salaam.
A: Tanzania [or United Republic of Tanzania; or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania]
Q: A global seed vault is found on this country's island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago, which is separated from this country's mainland by the Barents Sea. The Troll gas field is found offshore from this country, whose cities include Trondheim and Bergen. This country's western coast is indented by flooded (*) valleys carved by glaciers called fjords, and it shares a long border with its eastern neighbor, Sweden. For ten points, name this Scandinavian country whose capital is Oslo.
A: Norway
Q: Many dinosaur fossils have been found along the shores of this river's Fort Peck Lake. This river flows from Brower's Spring in the Centennial Mountains through its namesake "Breaks" region before passing over its Great Falls in Montana. Tributaries of this river include the Osage and the (*) Platte. This river flows past cities such as Sioux Falls and Omaha before ending in St. Louis. For 10 points, name this North American river, which joins the Mississippi in its namesake state.
A: Missouri River
Q: David Fisher proposed a skyscraper with rotating floors in this country known as the Da Vinci Tower. People would travel around in pods in the planned Masdar City in this country, which runs exclusively on renewable energy. This country hired Yousef Abdelky to create its opulent Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Etihad Airlines is headquartered in this country's capital. (*) Nakheel, a property developer from this country, helped to create the Palm Jumeirah islands in one of this country's cities. That city also contains the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. For 10 points, name this country whose largest city is Dubai.
A: United Arab Emirates [prompt on Emirates]
Q: The Sabine River flows into this body of water. Laguna Madre is a 130-mile long lagoon separated from this body of water by Padre Island. The winter houses of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison lie near the mouth of a river that ends in this body of water at Sanibel Island, an island famous for its seashells. One estuary that lies on this body of water is Lake Pontchartrain, which is in the bayou region. This body of water contains Galveston Bay. When one 2005 hurricane reached land after crossing this body of water, it heavily damaged the city of New Orleans. For 10 points, name this largest gulf in the world that spans between the southern coast of the US and its namesake country.
A: Gulf of Mexico <DM>
Q: Cryptids supposedly native to this country include the Beast of Bodmin. A rumored population of escaped zoo animals that roam this nation's countryside is referred to as this country's "ABCs" or "alien big cats." The oldest recorded footsteps outside of Africa were discovered in this country's coastal town of Happisburgh. The tongue twister "she sells seashells by the seashore" was inspired by a pioneering female paleontologist who is best known for studying this country's coast, Mary Anning. A collection of five historic beach towns in this country's south are referred to as the (*) Cinque Ports. Many shingle beaches are found on this country's Jurassic Coast and a group of coastal cliffs in this country are known as the Seven Sisters. Popular tourist locations on this country's coast include the city of Torquay, Chesil Beach, and a line of chalk-colored cliffs. For 10 points, name this country whose southern coast contains the White Cliffs of Dover.
A: England [or Great Britain; or United Kingdom; prompt on "Scotland" or "Wales" until "discovered," because they also have alien big cats; do not accept or prompt on "Northern Ireland"]
Q: Large statues of overweight men on the shoulders of naked servants have been found at the archaeological site of Barriles in this country. Upon arriving in New York City after leaving this modern country, the passengers aboard the Unicorn learned that two ships had already left to resupply them, which convinced them to return to this country. A conquistador in this modern country set his dogs on 40 native men in this country for engaging in homosexual acts. This country's equivalents to the quilombos were the cimarrones who joined with (*) Francis Drake to fight the Spanish and interrupt their transport of silver. The 1707 Act of Union was prompted by the failure of a Scottish colony in this country. For 10 points, name this Central American country once ruled by Manuel Noriega and crossed by Vasco Nunez de Balboa.
A: Republic of Panama
Q: An airport built on an artificial island in this country includes the Renzo Piano-designed Terminal 1. In this country, the Imperial Hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright survived a 1923 earthquake and overlooks the nearby Ginza shopping district. Many homes in this country are home to colorful papers known as washi and are noted for the use of (*) sliding doors. A dome in this country servers as a memorial to lives lost during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. For 10 points, name this country where many skyscrapers can be found in Tokyo.
A: Japan
Q: This city's name has been translated as "city of the warm river", "palace illuminating the world of life", or a combination of the names of two tribes in Latin. The "Andesite Sun" was a giant sundial in this settlement. Archaeological evidence suggests that the chief priest of Zalmoxis was an influential figure in this city. The ruler who moved the capital to this city from Argedava supposedly gained power with the help of a wizard named Decaenus. In recent times, the most famous ruler of this city has had his face carved into a rock wall over the (*) Danube, and after his death, this city was destroyed in 106 CE. For 10 points, identify this city of Burebista and Decebalus, the Dacian capital destroyed by Trajan.
A: Sarmizegetusa (accept answers that sound close, there are many variations on its name)
Q: This country's Souq Waqif marketplace has a notable pet area that includes a hospital for falcons. The town of Al Zubarah was once this country's main settlement and was known for its pearl fishing. The International Court of Justice awarded Zubarah and the Janan Island to this country in 2001, while awarding the (*) Hawar Islands to Bahrain. This country is ruled by the Al-Thani family and is currently building Lusail City in preparation for the 2022 World Cup. For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern country that contains the Museum of Islamic Arts and the headquarters for Al Jazeera in its capital of Doha.
A: State of Qatar [or Dawlat Qatar]
Q: This city is the largest city in a metropolitan area named after the Wasatch mountain range. A body of water near this city is formed by the Bear, Weber, and Jordan rivers. This city was accused of using bribery to win the bid for the Winter Olympics in (*) 2002. This city is the headquarters of the Mormon faith, and it is named after the largest saltwater lake in the United States. For 10 points, name this city which serves as the capital of Utah.
A: Salt Lake City
Q: A rock balancing on a boulder in this body of water is named Bismarck rock. The natural outlet of this body of water, the Ripon Falls, was flooded after the construction of the Owen Falls Dam. An invasive species of perch has caused the extinction of many of this body's (*) native cichlids. Richard Burton fell out with John Hanning Speke due to a claim by the latter about this lake. Cities on this lake include Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Henry Morton Stanley confirmed Speke's claim that this lake is the source of the White Nile. For 10 points, name this largest African lake by area, which is named after a British queen.
A: Lake Victoria
Q: One city in this nation hosts a carnival which begins with performance of the Daiblada, or "Dance of the Devils." Another city here is home to Palacio Quemado or the Burned Palace, which has earned its nickname after being set on fire five times, as well as Tiwanaku Square. It's also home to the indigenous territory of Isiboro Secure, and both an airport and soccer club named for Jorge Wilstermann. This country's highest point, the extinct volcano Nevado Sejama, is located in a region which also contains Lake Uru Uru, fed from the north by the (*) Desaguedero River. This country's larger cities include Oruro and Cochabamba, while several of its noted sights including Lake Poopo are located on the eastern edge of the Altiplano. The Cerro Rico in this nation is the source for its silver mines at Potosi. For 10 points, name this nation that also features urban hubs at Sucre and La Paz.
A: Bolivia
Q: This river's Batoka Gorge features multiple class four and five rapids, such as the Stairway to Heaven and the Devil's Toilet Bowl. Tiger fishing is common in this river, which provides a common name for the bull shark. The Nyami Nyami is a god believed to protect the Tonga people along this river, while a dam on it forms the world's largest man-made lake, Lake (*) Kariba. A waterfall on this river is one of only two places in the world where a moonbow can be seen consistently, and it flows along much of the Zambia-Zimbabwe border. For 10 points, name this African river, home to Victoria Falls.
A: Zambezi river <TG>
Q: According to legend, a "watcher" in a Ford pickup truck protects the indestructible Devil's tree in this state. Many horror films have been filmed at the abandoned Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove in this state. This state's Pine Barrens are supposedly inhabited by a monster known as this state's (*) "devil." Because another state has a border partially forming a twelve-mile circle, this state owns no islands in the Delaware River. This state disputed ownership of Ellis Island with a northern neighbor until 1998. The George Washington Bridge connects this state to Manhattan. For 10 points, name this state governed from Trenton.
A: New Jersey [accept Jersey]
Q: Due to this sea's abundance of resources, one country has started to build artificial islands out of shoals like the Scarborough Shoal. Woody Island is the largest of the Paracel Islands which are an archipelago claimed by three countries found in this sea. Brunei is one of six countries to claim the (*) Spratly Islands in this sea, whose namesake country claims its border with the nine-dash line. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian sea that is the site of disputes between much of Southeast Asia and its namesake country.
A: South China Sea
Q: This country produces ninety percent of the world's rubies, with most of them coming from its Mogok area. This nation contains the mountain Hkakabo Razi, the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia. This country's second-largest city and former capital (*) Mandalay lies on its most important river, the Irrawaddy. This country moved its capital to Naypyidaw from Yangon in 2006. For 10 points, name this Asian country formerly known as Burma.
A: Myanmar [accept Burma before mentioned]
Q: The peel of the yuzu fruit, salt, and one kind of this food form Japanese yuzukosho paste, often used to augment miso soup. A sauce using the piri piri kind of this food is central to some dishes from African former Portuguese colonies. Prik kee noo is a kind of this food used in Thai cuisine nicknamed "mouse dropping" or (*) "bird's eye." The New Mexico group of types of this food contains the Hatch and Pueblo varieties. A dish named for being relleno, or stuffed, often uses the poblano variety of this food. The Carolina Reaper kind of this food has very high capsaicin levels. For 10 points, serranos and jalapenos are types of what spicy food?
A: chile peppers [or chili peppers or chile or chili; do not accept or prompt on "bell peppers"]
Q: This mountain range's Mount Manaraga lies within the Yugyd Va ("you-gid VAH") national park, which is part of the Virgin Komi Forests. A language family named for this mountain range includes the proposed Ugric branch. Small pelmeni dumplings, which are frozen outdoors for storage, originate in this mountain range. This mountain range is the western limit of the native range of the (*) sable. Streams on the eastern slopes of this range drain into the Kara Sea via the Ob River. The archipelago Novaya Zemlya extends the northern part of this range, which stretches south to Kazakhstan north of the Aral Sea. For 10 points, name this mountain range that separates Europe and Asia.
A: Ural Mountains [or Urals or Uralskie Gory; accept Uralic languages]
Q: George Tsutakawa's bronze Fountain of Wisdom lies in front of a building in this city whose fourth floor is the blood-colored Red Hall. That library is known for its neon yellow escalators and irregular diamond-patterned glass exterior, and was designed by Rem Koolhaas. This city's (*) monorail, which is less than a mile long with only two stops, was built for the 1962 World's Fair. This city's Pike Place Market includes the Original Starbucks. A rotating restaurant is in the flying saucer-like top to an iconic spindly tower in this city which overlooks Puget Sound. For 10 points, the Space Needle is located in what largest city in Washington state?
A: Seattle
Q: An ancient civilization on this body of water created marble figurines with crossed arms and no facial features except a simplistic nose. The type of prayer called hesychasm originated among the twenty monasteries on a mountain overlooking this body of water, Mount Athos. Around 1600 BC, a massive volcanic eruption formed a caldera in this sea's island of (*) Thera, also called Santorini. In this sea, the Sporades archipelago is northeast of Euboea. This sea's Cycladic islands include Delos and Naxos. The Dardanelles connects this sea with the Sea of Marmara to its north. For 10 points, name this arm of the Mediterranean between Greece and Turkey.
A: Aegean Sea [prompt on Mediterranean Sea before "Mediterranean" is read]
Q: In 2006, a bridge was built over this country's Rewa River to connect its capital and the city of Nausori. The Great Astrolabe Reef surrounds this archipelago nation's third-largest island, Kadavu. This nation contains the (*) Koro Sea, and its highest point is Mount Tomanivi. Seventy percent of this country's population lives on its two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. For 10 points, name this Melanesian island nation with capital at Suva.
A: Fiji <GR>
Q: This state contains a pilgrimage destination whose soil is believed to have healing properties, El Santuario de Chimayo. Hernando de Alvarado was likely the first European to contact this state's Acoma people. Jean-Baptiste Lamy's building of this state's Saint Francis Cathedral is fictionalized in (*) Willa Cather's novel Death Comes for the Archbishop. This state's Ghost Ranch became the home of Georgia O'Keeffe after the death of her husband. This state holds the largest hot-air balloon festival in the world, as well as the site of a purported 1947 UFO incident, Roswell. For 10 points, the oldest state capital in the U.S. is what state's city of Santa Fe?
A: New Mexico [or Nuevo Mexico]
Q: This river's minor tributaries include both the Kaskaskia and Cedar Rivers. This river formed Reelfoot Lake and an exclave of Kentucky in Fulton County. Cities on this river include Vicksburg and St. Paul, and the largest city on this river is (*) Memphis. This river has its source at Lake Itasca and converges with the Ohio river south of Cairo, Illinois. For 10 points, name this river which flows through New Orleans before feeding into the Gulf of Mexico.
A: Mississippi River
Q: This city is overlooked by a tower known as the Miguelete, and its cathedral contains one of the major extant candidates for the Holy Grail, the santo caliz. Daily firework barrages called mescleta and the building and burning of small monuments are features of the Falles, a yearly festival which honors Saint Joseph in this city. Its neighboring town of Bunol is the site of an annual food fight known as La Tomatina. This city commissioned (*) Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela to plan and build its cultural district, the City of Arts and Sciences. This city is the birthplace of paella. Its official languages are Spanish and a namesake dialect of Catalan. It is bisected by the Turia River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea at this city's namesake gulf. For 10 points, name this third-largest city in Spain, which shares its name with a community college in Florida.
A: Valencia
Q: A man who failed to climb the tallest peak in this mountain range later wrote a "Dictionary of Geography," while its second tallest peak was first ascended in 1902 by the Bornmuller brothers from Germany. This range includes the Ridge of the Seven Summits and the Pass of a Thousand Windings, and its northern slopes are infamous for being inhabited by Hyrcanian tigers. Also home to the pristine Lake Ovan, its highest peak is in the Mazandaran province. That peak is Mount Damavand, where the dragon (*) Azhi Dahaka was supposedly bound in chains. This range lies north of the Zagros Mountains and stretches east into Turkmenistan. FTP, name this mountain range of northern Iran.
A: Elburz Mountains [or Alburz Mountains or Elborz Mountains. There are several names for this so accept any reasonable equivalents that include Elburz]
Q: The largest lake located in this nation is Lake Arenal. Crater lakes including Lake Botos can be found in this country's Poas Volcano National Park, while its southern Osa Peninsula contains Corcovado National Park. This nation's initial capital was Cartago, and its provinces include Puntarenas and (*) Alajuela. The San Juan River forms this nation's northern border with Nicaragua, and Panama lies to its south. For 10 points, name this Central American country with capital at San Jose.
A: Costa Rica <GR>
Q: One body of water located on this island is Lake Rawa Pening. This island's Tengger Mountains contains the sacred Mount Bromo and its tallest mountain, Semeru. This island contains the Hindu temple (*) Prambanan and the largest Buddhist temple in the world, Borobudur. This island's cities include Yogyakarta, and Krakatoa lies between this island and Sumatra. For 10 points, name this most populous island in the world, which contains the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.
A: Java <GR>
Q: In 2014, the floodgates of this river's Morelos Dam were briefly opened to restore water to this river's delta for the first time in over a decade. The largest irrigation canal in the world, the All-American Canal, is fed by this river. The original London Bridge was relocated to connect an island on this river to Lake (*) Havasu City. In 1905, overflows from this river formed the now heavily-polluted Salton Sea. This river's Lake Mead was formed by the Glen Canyon Dam and its Lake Powell formed by the Hoover Dam. For 10 points, name this river of the Southwest which empties into the Gulf of California and traverses the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: One geographical feature with this name was given it by Captain Cook, when he landed in that bay at the extreme northeast of the Loranchet Peninsula on Kerguelen or Desolation Island in the southern Indian Ocean on the same day that Washington crossed the Delaware. An island with this name southwest of Java was transferred from Singapore to Australia in 1957. That island was named in 1643 by the captain of a passing Indiaman. A different island with this name is also called Kiritimati, which is actually pronounced identically to this in the native Gilbertese. That island was used to test hydrogen bombs in the 1950s. This name also applies to the South African region containing Pietermaritzburg and Durban. In that case, the name was bestowed by Vasco de Gama in 1497, and the region was its own province through most of the 20th century but was enlarged to include the Bantustan of Kwa-Zulu in 1994. For 10 points, give this name which generally signifies that a geographical feature was discovered on the anniversary of Jesus' birth.
A: Christmas or Natal Bonus
Q: The amoleh variety of this resource is produced around Lake Afrara in northern Ethiopia. In Britain, towns whose names end in the suffix "-wich" often were large producers of this resource historically. Lithium and this resource are highly concentrated in a feature named after Uyuni in the Bolivian Altiplano. Along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, oil is often found in (*) "domes" of this resource. A pink-colored variety of this resource found in Punjab is named for the Himalayan mountains. The Bonneville Speedway in Utah is on an exceptionally flat "pan" of this resource. For 10 points, name this mineral resource found in high concentrations in the Dead Sea.
A: salt [or rock salt or halite or sodium chloride or NaCl]
Q: In 2019, Ash Dykes became the first person to walk the full length of this river. The source of this river is located on Geladaindong Peak, and tributaries of it include the Min. This river was home to a now-extinct species of dolphins known as the (*) Baiji, and the largest dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam, is found on it. For 10 points, name this largest river in Asia, located south of the Yellow River.
A: Yangtze River
Q: In the 1930's, this state was governed by an opponent of the "Three C's: Corporations, Carpetbaggers, and Coons"--that governor was noted alfalfa aficionado Bill Murray. The "Mark Twain of Socialism," Oscar Ameringer, evangelized for this state's extremely powerful Socialist Party, which ended up disbanding after a failed revolt against the World War I draft whose supporters consumed a namesake food on John Spears' farm. The Green Corn Rebellion rose up in this state, whose largest city was where shoeshiner (*) Dick Rowland fatefully stepped on Sarah Page's foot. This was the home state of comic personality Will Rogers. The editorial "To Lynch Negro Tonight" helped spark a riot in this state that destroyed the "Black Wall Street," Greenwood, in 1921. For 10 points, name this southern state where 168 people died after the Alfred P. Murrah building was bombed by Timothy McVeigh.
A: Oklahoma
Q: An ancient observatory in this country on top of Mount Catequilla may have been built by this country's Cara culture. In this country, a monument of polished andesite called "the middle of the world" was built to commemorate the French Geodesic Mission. The volcano Cotopaxi is in this country, as is the point on Earth's surface (*) furthest from its center, Mount Chimborazo. This country's capital is positioned over nine-thousand feet above sea level, far above its largest city, the coastal port Guayaquil. For 10 points, name this small South American country whose capital is Quito and which contains the Galapagos Islands.
A: Ecuador [or Republic of Ecuador or Republica del Ecuador]
Q: This nation once had a dispute over the Hanish Islands with a nation to its west. This nation contains the coastal area of Tihamah, and the highest point in this country is Jabal an-Nabi Shu'ayb. One island controlled by this nation is home to the dragon blood tree and the (*) Socotra sparrow. This Middle Eastern nation is separated from Africa by the Bab-el-Mandeb, and separatists in this country are currently in control of its port city of Aden. For 10 points, name this country on the Arabian peninsula with an official capital at Sana'a.
A: Yemen <GR>
Q: In June, an argument has erupted regarding MCC's treatment of T'ang-era Stupas and other archaeology near one of these sites in Logar Province, Afghanistan. That one is potentially the world's second largest and is known as Mes Aynak. The world's largest one of these is owned by Turquoise Hill, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto; that one located in Mongolia is called Oyu Tolgoi. Escondida is a strike-prone one of these facilities in (*) Chile, which is currently the world's biggest producer of the commodity in question. Morencini is the largest of these in the U.S. and produces mostly porphyry. For 10 points, name these sites originally found on Cyprus, where ores of a highly conductive metal can be found.
A: copper mines [prompt on mines; accept things like copper deposits or copper ore bodies; Mes Aynak is also a gold mine, so accept that before "Turquoise Hill"]
Q: Larson et al noted that the holotype fossil of this species displays only one hundred and ten degrees of humeral torsion and concluded that it had a protracted scapula. This species, whose fossil record unusually stretches as recently as thirteen thousand years ago, likely primarily hunted a subspecies of Stegodon. Falk et al created endocast maps of this species that led them to reject the pelvis-smashing, femur-stealing Teuku Jacob's pathological explanation for its holotype fossil. Fossils of this species may represent sufferers of (*) Laron syndrome . Mirror-image reconstructions of the chinless face of the LB one fossil of this species reveal significant asymmetry, which combined with its short femora and possible microcephaly have led Bob Eckhardt to claim that it represents a developmentally abnormal Homo erectus rather than a new species that has undergone insular dwarfism. For 10 points, name this real-life "hobbit" discovered in 2003, a tiny hominin named for its home on an Indonesian island.
A: Homo floresiensis [or Flores Man; prompt on Homo or hominins or primates or other less specific answers]
Q: This state is the location of the Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado Festival, while another city in this state is the location of the Plaza de los Tres Presidentes. The longest river in this state is formed by the junction of the Bavispe and Papigochi rivers, is retained by the Alvaro Obregon Dam, and is the Yaqui. This state's port of Guaymas hosts its nation's oldest Carnival celebration. Heroica Nogales is a port of entry in this state, and Hell's Channel separates (*) Tiburon Island from its mainland. The Altar Desert is the location of the resort town of Puerto Penasco in this state. This state is bordered by Sinaloa to its south and Chihuahua to its east, and this state lost part of its northern lands in the Gadsden Purchase. For 10 points, name this Mexican state with capital at Hermosillo, which borders Arizona and New Mexico and shares its name with a desert.
A: Sonora
Q: The island of Camiguin, home to the volcanic Mount Hibok-Hibok, lies just to the north of this island. This island's western part, along with the Tawitawi and Joro islands, is home to an autonomous region established in 1990. Macajalar Bay provides a harbor for this island's third largest city, Cagayan de Oro. Its Cotabato region contains Mt. Parker, while Maria Cristina Falls lies along the Agus River within this island. Basilan Island is just off the coast this island, and Mt. Malindang and Mt. Dapia lie within this island's Zamboanga Peninsula, which contains its second largest city. Notably home to a large population of Muslims known as Moros, this island is also home to Lake Lanao, which is drained by the Agus river. The Kabacan and Pulangi rivers form its longest river system, which shares its name. Mt. Ragang is among its active volcanoes, as is its highest point, Mt. Apo, which overlooks Davao City, the largest city on this island. For 10 points, identify this second largest island of the Philippines.
A: Mindanao
Q: This region is the location of an artificial reef created by Eric Shaw. Towns in this region include Sandy Bay, and it lies on Catalan Bay and the Alboran Sea. The southernmost point of this territory is Europa Point. Alongside either Jebel Musa or Monte Hacho, this territory's (*) namesake rock forms the Pillars of Hercules, and its namesake strait connects the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. For 10 points, name this British Overseas Territory bordering southern Spain.
A: Gibraltar <GR>
Q: This mountain range is home to the world's fourth-largest gold mine, Yanacocha. This range is home to the world's largest salt flat, the Salar de Uyuni, and names the largest bird of prey in the world, which has a collar of white feathers. This range contains the farthest point from the earth's (*) center, Mount Chimborazo, as well as the highest elevated lake in the world, Lake Titicaca. For 10 points, name this South American mountain range, the longest in the world, whose highest point is Aconcagua.
A: Andes Mountains
Q: One tributary of this river has its source in Lake Van. That river, the Murat, joins with the Karasu near the Keban Dam to form this river. This river, whose longest tributary is the Kahbur, passes through cities like (*) Fallujah, and combines with another river which it runs parallel to in southern Iraq, forming the Shatt Al-Arab. For 10 points, name this longest river in the Middle East, which, along with the Tigris, forms the historical border of Mesopotamia.
A: Euphrates river <GR/OK>
Q: This city's Freedom Park was the former site of a colonial prison, and it is the location of the second-longest bridge in Africa, the Third Mainland Bridge. Land was reclaimed from the namesake ocean for the planned Eko Atlantic City, which connects to this city's (*) Victoria Island. This city is usually considered the most populous in Africa, and it was the capital of its nation before it was replaced by Abuja. For 10 points, name this largest city in Nigeria.
A: Lagos <GR>
Q: It's not Argentina or Uruguay, but the longest river on this island is the Rio de la Plata. In addition to its main island, the small islands of Vieques, Mona, and Culebra are part of this territory. This territory is home to the El (*) Yunque rainforest, the only tropical rainforest in the country to which it belongs. This island is the easternmost point and smallest island in the Greater Antilles. For 10 points, name this Caribbean territory of the United States with capital at San Juan.
A: Puerto Rico <GR>
Q: During Subotai's siege of this city, its defenders used iron chains to lower a devastating explosive called the "heaven-shaking thunder-crash bomb" into the enemy's trenches. A device in this city made use of a "celestial ladder," the first known chain-drive mechanism, that powered its armillary sphere; that was the astronomical (*) clock tower designed here by Su Song. Its cultural landmarks include an octagonal-based pagoda named for the color of its glazed bricks, the Iron Pagoda. This city was sacked in the Jingkang Incident, in which emperors Qinzong and Huizong were both abducted, forcing the capital to move to Lin'an while this city became the southern capital of the Jin. For 10 points, name this city that served as a capital of the Northern Song dynasty and still contains a small population of Chinese Jews.
A: Kaifeng [or Dongjing; or Bianjing]
Q: Inyo National Forest is located in the eastern part of this mountain range, and a shuttle may be taken from its Reds Meadow Valley to the Devil's Postpile National Monument. This range is bounded to the south by the Tehachapi Pass, and it is part of the American Cordillera. The Truckee River in this mountain range is the only outlet that drains the largest alpine lake in the U.S, (*) Lake Tahoe, and Mount Whitney is this range's highest peak. For 10 points, name this mountain range found mostly in eastern California whose name means "snowy mountains."
A: Sierra Nevadas <TG>
Q: One ski resort in this state is located at Stratton Mountain in Windham County. Lake Eden is the largest lake in this state, which also contains the Winooski River. The Taconic Mountains are in this state, whose highest point is Mount Mansfield in its (*) Green Mountains. This state has both the smallest capital and smallest most populous city in the United States, and much of its border with New York lies in Lake Champlain. For 10 points, name this New England state with capital of Montpelier.
A: Vermont <GR>
Q: This island gets much of its power from the amusingly named "Terror Lake Hydroelectric Generating Station," which is located within a wildlife refuge. This island contains a place called "Refuge Rock" where possibly thousands of the Alutilq people were massacred in 1784. Much of its animal life was wiped out after the 1912 Novarupta volcanic eruption. In July 2012, Pitbull visited this island's Walmart after it won a Facebook campaign. Separated from the mainland by the (*) Shelikof Strait, it is home to the Karluk River and its famous salmon run, as well as a large namesake type of bear. This island's village of Old Harbor was destroyed in the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake. For 10 points, name this second largest island in the United States, located on the south coast of Alaska.
A: Kodiak Island
Q: This country is subject to a light precipitation that its natives call the heug, which is brought by the harmattan winds. This nation's major river forms a so-called False Delta, which is home to the town of Richard-Toll, and its mouth is home to a former colonial capital. As a consequence of its location within the Intertropical Convergence Zone, this nation's climate experiences a tripartite division into coastal, Sahelian, and Sudanian climates, and the majority of the agriculture is practiced in this country's Fouta region. Other regions of this nation to the north of Guinea include the Casamance, from which guerilla fighters once operated during a conflict in neighboring Guinea-Bissau. This country's namesake river separates it from Mauritania and its capital is located on the Cape Verde Peninsula on the Atlantic shore. Ethnic groups in this nation include the Serer, Malinke, and Fulani, as well as its dominant ethnic and linguistic group, the Wolof. For 10 points, identify this African nation with capital at Dakar.
A: Senegal
Q: This mountain range is traversed by the Cisa Pass. The Sangro Valley is one feature that separates the three distinct subranges of this mountain chain. This mountain range is home to Mount Cusna, said to resemble a sleeping giant, and its second tallest peak, Mount Amaro, is part of the Maiella massif. The Frassassi Caves are one of many limestone attractions in this mountain range. This mountain range is home to the rapidly disappearing Calderone glacier, which is found on this range's tallest peak, Corno Grande. Areas of natural beauty in this range include Abruzzo National Park. This range contains the sources of such rivers as the Po and the Tiber. For 10 points, name this mountain range that runs down the spine of Italy.
A: Apennines
Q: On this mountain is the village of Pogyos, which lends its name to a route used to scale this mountain's northwest face. Guaranda is the closest city to this mountain, and gets its drinking water from this mountain's glaciers. Melt ice from this mountain creates the Ambato, Chimbo, and Chambo rivers, which are tributaries of the Pastaza River. This mountain gives its name to the province in which it is located. A common route used to climb this mountain is named for the first man to scale it, Edward Whymper. Earlier, an unsuccessful expedition to scale this mountain was led by Alexander von Humboldt. Because of the Earth's bulge, the summit of this mountain is the furthest point from the center of the Earth. For 10 points, name this tallest volcano in Ecuador.
A: Chimborazo
Q: Eric Knibbs debunked the historical accuracy of the Vita Anskarii, a hagiography of this city's first archbishop, Ansgar. In Among the Dead Cities, A. C. Grayling examined how, in Operation Gomorrah, the RAF pioneered area bombing against this city. Albert Ballin founded a company named for this city and America, at one point the largest shipping company in the world. Its al-Quds Mosque was the meeting place for a cell named for this city led by (*) 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta. Several officials from the Ravensbruck concentration camp were tried in this city following World War II. It was the second city to Lubeck in the Hanseatic League. This city's nightclub district, the Reeperbahn, benefited from a direct connection with Liverpool musicians like The Beatles. For 10 points, name this second-most populous German city, a port on the Elbe River.
A: The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Q: This river originates at the confluence of the Arroyo Casablancas and Bell Creek in the town of Canoga Park. This river flows southeasterly and joins up with the Pacoima and Tujunga Washes and Aliso Creek. The Sepulveda Dam was constructed to control this river's waters after a flood killed 144 people in 1938. This river was also the main source of fresh water of this river's namesake city until an aqueduct was constructed which allowed the city to use the waters of the Owens River. For much of this river's length it is confined in a concrete channel, which environmentalists seek to remove, and this river is a target of revitalization by local governments and groups. For 10 points, name this river in southern California that flows through the second largest city in the US, and empties at Long Beach.
A: Los Angeles River
Q: The Barrio Brasil in this city contains its university and the Parque Quinta Normal, which contains a museum of the history of its country. Barrio La Bolsa in this city was built on land that was formerly owned by nuns, and includes this city's stock market. This city's museum in the Casa Colorada contains some pictures of the city's colonial history. This city is ringed by the Autopista Vespucio, and this city's Bellavista neighborhood is located just north of the Rio Mapocho. Mapuche Indians nearly destroyed this city six months after its founding, while another part of its country's history is honored with this city's central Parque O'Higgins. For 10 points, name this city located west of the Andes and east of the port of Valparaiso, the capital of Chile.
A: Santiago
Q: A monument in this city called the Angel of Independence commemorates the 100th anniversary of its country's autonomy. This city's opulent, golden-domed Palace of the Fine Arts is sinking because it was built on ground that was too soft. Many monuments in this city are dedicated to the "hero children", and the tallest building in this city is simply called the Torre Mayor. This city's Insurgentes Avenue is one of the longest streets in the world. This city's financial district is found along the Paseo de la Reforma, which connects the central square of El Zocalo to Chapultepec Palace. For 10 points, name this largest city in the Western hemisphere and center of the Distrito Federal, the capital of our southern neighbor.
A: Mexico City [accept Distrito Federal or DF on early buzz]
Q: One park in this nation protects the Iguela Lagoon and is called Loango National Park, and another park is home to the Kongou Falls and is located in Ivindo National Park. This country's national parks system was established in 2002 and set aside over ten percent of this nation's total area. That system was developed in part by naturalist Mike Fay, who conducted the "megatransect" taking photographs throughout this nation. The westernmost point in this nation is a cape home to the city of Port-Gentil. The longest river in this nation is the Ogooue, and the capital of this nation was founded by a group of slaves released from a Brazilian cargo ship. For 10 points, identify this country just south of the Bight of Biafa that was the site of Albert Schweitzer's hospital in Lambarene, a former French colony with capital at Libreville.
A: Gabon
Q: After World War I, over 30,000 families moved to "wild settlements" in the woods outside this city. It was where the House with One Wall was developed. Karl Ehn designed Karl-Marx-Hof, the most prominent of this city's many superblocks erected in the 1920s. Theophilus Hansen designed its Neoclassical Academy of Fine Arts for an 1873 World Exposition that was almost wrecked by cholera and a stock market crash. A Ferris wheel features in (*) Carol Reed's 1949 film set here, The Third Man. Left behind beans allowed Georg Franz Kolschitzky to open a pioneering coffee house in this city. The walls of this city were replaced with the Ringstrasse (RING-stross-uh) during the rule of Franz Joseph I, who was born in its Schonbrunn (SHURN-brun) Palace. For 10 points, name capital of Austria.
A: Vienna [or Wien]
Q: "Buufis" is a condition unique to a place of this type that is profiled in Ben Rawlence's book City of Thorns. Several of these places known as Ma'abarot (mah-ah-bah-ROTE) were established in the 1950s. The majority of Sahrawis live in one of these types of places. A consolidated one of these places called Mae La was formed after a series of DKBA raids in Thailand in the mid 1990s. One of the largest of these places in Africa is in Bidi Bidi. The (*) UNHCR mandates one shower per 50 people in these places. Two of these places in Beirut were ravished by Kataeb militia during the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Dadaab, one of these places in the Kenyan desert, houses a large population of Somalis. For 10 points, name these locations where people fleeing a war might gather.
A: refugee camps [or refugee absorption camps; or Palestinian refugee camps; or refugee villages; or displaced persons camps; or transition camps; or Jewish immigrant camps; prompt on tent city/ies]
Q: In this state, the Lundin family holds title to rock formations that have over 4,000 petroglyphs and pictographs, and are located at Bear Gulch. A former boomtown in this state is the site of the W. A. Clark Mansion. Fly fishing in this state was popularized by Norman MacLean's story A River Runs Through It. The toxic Berkeley Copper Pit was run by Anaconda in this state, whose third-most-populous city was named by Lewis and Clark for the many (*) waterfalls encountered on the Missouri. A town in Silver Bow County is named for the Continental Divide that runs from Canada through the west of this state. Butte (byoot) and Great Falls are some of its most populous cities. For 10 points, name this "Big Sky Country," a state with capital at Helena.
A: Montana
Q: This city's art museum contains the original copy of Klimt's Friedericke Maria Beer as well Roy Lichtenstein's two-panel mural Art Car. This city is the location of a building commonly known as the "Crazy House," which was built by Leon Geneva in the style of Gaudi. It was built on a plan designed by Patrick Geddes, and includes a multicolored kinetic fountain in its Dizengoff Square. This city's independence hall was remodeled by Carl Rubin, while many of its housing estates were designed by Arieh Sharon. Its buildings commonly feature flat roofs, curved corners, and thermometer windows, and rest on pilotis. For its many buildings in the International Style, it is commonly known as the "white city." For 10 points, name this city, which boasts thousands of Bauhaus buildings built by German architects who fled to what became Israel.
A: Tel Aviv-Yafo
Q: A language in this country that unusually uses the front of a signer's body to represent the past was used by the Ka'apor people. An association with Jesuits led to a campaign against the use of Nheengatu in this country. Co-official language status in parts of this non-European country is granted to East Pomeranian and Hunsruckisch, another German dialect. The unofficial capital of Talian speakers in this country is (*) Serafina Correa, part of a state whose capital is Porto Alegre. Italian is taught in schools in this country's state of Espirito Santo. The usage of non-majority languages in this country was banned by Getulio Vargas. For 10 points, name this country home to the largest population of Portuguese speakers.
A: Brazil [or Federative Republic of Brazil; or Brasil]
Q: The Donoughmore Constitution gave this country universal adult suffrage in 1931. This nation opened its first highway in November 2011 called the Southwest Expressway, which connects the capital of this country to Galle and will eventually extend to Matara. Its northern tip is known as the Jaffna Peninsula, and Mount Pedro and Adam's Peak are the tallest mountains in this nation's Central Highlands. Known to Arabian geographers as Serendip, this nation is separated from the mainland by the Gulf of Mannar, which eventually narrows into the Palk Strait near Rama's Bridge. For 10 points, name this island nation with its capital at Colombo, found off the coast of India.
A: Sri Lanka
Q: This state is home to Notch Peak, considered the second steepest cliff in the United States. Unusual rock formations may be viewed at this state's Goblin Valley state park. This state's Uinta mountain range is home to its tallest mountain, the 13,528 foot tall King's Peak. One national park in this state is famous for its collection of "hoodoos", or totem-pole shaped rocks. Another national park in this state is home to landforms like Dark Angel and Balanced Rock, as well as namesake features called "Landscape", "Delicate", and "Double". In addition to Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park, this state is home to a large city whose attractions include the Seagull Monument and the Tabernacle, both found in Temple Square. For 10 points, name this US state home to Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: One building in this city is shaped like a bass clef when viewed from above. Kelsey Montague's mural "Angel Wings" in this city was featured in a Buzzfeed article by Anne Helen Petersen about how this city became "One Big Bachelorette Party." The Station Inn is found in this city's neighborhood The Gulch, also home to the Mercy Lounge music venue in a former cannery. This city contains Belmont University, and its Centennial Park is home to a gilt statue of (*) Athena Parthenos within a full-scale replica of the Parthenon. RCA's Studio B is among the recording studios and honky-tonks found on this city's Music Row. The Grand Ole Opry is recorded in this city, which also contains the Country Music Hall of Fame. For 10 points, name this capital of Tennessee.
A: Nashville, Tennessee
Q: Tribal people near this country's Shillong Plateau have shaped living root bridges from rubber tree roots. A deer called the sangai is found in this nation's Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is a phumdi, or floating vegetative island. The town of Mawsynram (MAO-sin-rahm) in this country is often touted as the rainiest place in the world. This nation's Kaziranga National Park has the majority of the world's remaining greater one-horned rhinoceroses. (*) Manipur and Meghalaya (meg-ha-LAH-ya) are among the Seven Sister States in this country's northeast, which is connected to the rest of the nation by the Siliguri Corridor. A type of silk and tea are named for this country's state of Assam. Its other states include West Bengal. For 10 points, name this country that contains Calcutta.
A: India [or Republic of India]
Q: The town of Great Harbor was founded on this island by the publisher of the Bay Psalm Book, Thomas Mayhew. In 1972, an artist tried to throw Robert McNamara off of a ferry headed to this island. In the '90s, a town on this island was given a new Wampanoag name of Aquinnah. The world's largest factory for making candles from sperm oil was once located in Edgartown, the county seat of Dukes County on this island. In 1692, New York ceded its title to this island. In 1854, 1 in 4 children in (*) Squibnocket were deaf, and used this island's namesake sign language. This island is usually connected to a peninsula named Chappaquiddick and it is located south of Cape Cod. For 10 points, name this island in Massachusetts named for the wild grapes that grew there.
A: Martha's Vineyard [or Noepe; prompt on the Vineyard]
Q: Natural sites in this nation include the Comoe National Park in Bouna and a nature reserve in the Nimba Mountains on the western border. Sandy barriers called the cordon littoral have built up in this nation's large coastal lagoon region. This nation's Sassandra River was dammed to create Buyo Lake, and its longest river is the Bandama and is the site of Lake Kossou. This nation's longtime president moved the capital of this nation is his hometown and built the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, the world's largest church. That ruler had hostile relations with leaders of neighboring nations, including Thomas Sankara and Kwame Nkrumah, whom he helped overthrow. Containing the city of Abidjan and ruled by Felix Houphouet-Boigny, for 10 points, identify this nation located west of Ghana, which has its capital at Yamoussoukro.
A: Cote d'Ivoire [accept Ivory Coast]
Q: This nation is home to the Oku volcanic field, as well as Lake Monoun. The northeastern part of this nation is separated from the rest by the Adamawa Plateau. This nation's major river is the Sanaga, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Directly off the coast of this nation, but controlled by its southern neighbor, is the island of Bioko and its capital of Malabo. This nation's Lake Nyos underwent a limnic eruption in 1986, killing over a thousand people from asphyxiation with carbon dioxide. This nation has a strip of land that runs north into Nigeria, giving it access to Lake Chad. For 10 points, name this former German colony in Africa, whose capital is Yaounde.
A: Cameroon
Q: In this country's capital, thousands of coins are nailed to a stump that supposedly cures toothaches. Eyes pointing in four directions are a motif on a monument at Swayambhunath (sway-om-boo-nath) in this country. A snake-infested floodplain that contains this country's capital was supposedly drained by the bodhisattva Manjushri, and many of its temples were built by the Newar people. The Terai Swamp in this country's south contributed to its (*) isolation. This country became a republic in 2008 and was once ruled by the Ranas. It is home to the largest Sherpa population in the world. Its well-above-sea-level capital was devastated by a 2015 earthquake. For 10 points, name this mountainous Asian country with capital at Kathmandu.
A: Nepal [or Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal]
Q: In the early 2000s, environmentalists successfully diverted a Transneft oil pipeline from passing within 3,000 feet of this body of water. A polluting pulp and paper mill on its banks was closed in 2013. A first millennium BC stele near this lake shows a giant lizard-like monster similar to the cryptid Lusud-Khan said to live here. The Buryat people who live around this lake refer to it as the "blue eye." This lake is threatened by a plan to open a uranium plant in (*) Angarsk. The Selenga river flows into this lake, which is home to nerpa seals. The 45-mile-long island of Olkhon is located in this lake. It is both the oldest freshwater lake on Earth and, at 1,620 meters, the deepest. For 10 points, name this Siberian lake.
A: Lake Baikal [or Ozero Baykal; or Ozero Bajkal]
Q: It's not in Britain, but this major city was home to the unsolved 1947 "Babes in the Wood" murder, where the skeletal remains of two young boys were found in a large public park near this city's West End. Iona and Mitchell islands are found south of this city, while this city's airport is located on Sea Island. Most parts of this city have a view of the North Shore Mountains. The Burrard Inlet can be seen from this city's downtown, as well as from the massive Stanley Park. Major suburbs of this city include Surrey, Burnaby, and Coquitlam. Modern architecture can be seen at this city's Robson Square. Police were forced to use tear gas in both 1994 and 2011 when this city saw massive riots after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. For 10 points, name this largest city in British Columbia.
A: Vancouver
Q: A gateway named for this island opened during the Oligocene Epoch. The world's largest heath plant, the pandani, is endemic to this island. A type of pine tree named for a river on this island can live for up to 3,000 years and is known as the Huon Pine. Wild Eastern Quolls live only on this island. Hikers on this island often walk the Overland Track in its Cradle Mountain-Lake St. Clair National Park. A zoo in this island's capital housed the last known (*) thylacine. The southernmost peaks of the Great Dividing Range are on this island, whose earliest inhabitants likely crossed a land bridge across the Bass Strait and had a diet rich in wombats. For 10 points, name this Australian island home to a namesake "devil."
A: Tasmania [or Van Diemen's Land]
Q: The Marguzor lakes lie along the Archimaydan River in the Fann Mountains in this country. This nation contains the world's tallest artificial dam, the Nurek Hydroelectric Dam, which lies on the Vakhsh River, and its Yakshu Valley was once the site of substantial gold mining. This nation's eastern region, serviced as of 2004 by a single main road, is its poorest; that region is Gorno-Badakshan. This nation is home to multiple organizations, such as the Hizb-ut-Tahrir and the Islamic Renaissance Party, agitating for the establishment of an Islamic state. Historically, power in this nation has been concentrated around Khojent, which is closer to a neighboring state's Fergana Valley, and this nation shares its southern border, defined by the Panj River, with Afghanistan. This nation is also home to a mountain system whose central massif is dominated by the Fedchenko glacier, and which drains much of its melt into the Amu Darya. For 10 points, identify this Central Asian nation also home to Mt. Isamil Samani, formerly Communism Peak, in the Pamir Range, which has its capital at Dushanbe.
A: Tajikistan
Q: A 1989 Frederick Wiseman documentary chronicles the Conservancy that funds this place. This place contains a statue of Balto but no longer has one of the "father of gynecology," J. Marion Sims. Charles B. Stover tried to convert its Dairy into a playroom. Women were assaulted during the "35 scary minutes" in this place following the 2000 (*) Puerto Rican Day Parade. Its designer later planned the Emerald Necklace in Boston. Trisha Meili's comatose body was found in this place in 1989, prompting Donald Trump to take out a full-page ad advocating a return of the death penalty; Meili was known as its namesake "jogger." It spans the Upper West and East Sides and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. For 10 points, name this large green space in Manhattan.
A: Central Park [prompt on New York City or NYC; prompt on Manhattan]
Q: A word in this language meaning "behind" was corrupted into "Arthur" in a Middlesex County waterway. In the Ramapo Valley, this language formed a pidgin with Unami. This was the first language of Sojourner Truth, who was enslaved in Esopus County. The name of a waterway in this language means "hidden river" because its mouth was covered by vegetation near the Delaware River's League Island. Nine-pin bowling on namesake "greens" was popularized by speakers of this language, who brought cookies and coleslaw to the American colonies. The names for Brooklyn and Harlem originate from this language, whose speakers paved "Walloon Street." For 10 points, name this language spoken at home by Martin van Buren and other descendants of New Amsterdam.
A: Dutch [or Nederlands] (The word in the first line is "achter." The "hidden river" is the Schuylkill.)
Q: Two of these places were abandoned during Operation Fiery Vigil prior to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. A desalination plant was built at one of these places after a neighboring Communist country cut off the water supply from the Yateras River. A large one of these places in Subic Bay in the Philippines was abandoned in 1992. The most populous international one of these places is Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate. A 2,000-dollar-per-year (*) lease for land for one of these places was written into the Platt Amendment. Five years separated shooting sprees at one of these places in Texas named for John Bell Hood. A detention camp is located at one of these places in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For 10 points, name these centers of American military personnel.
A: US military bases [or military posts; or US naval bases; or US Air Force bases; or US Army bases; or overseas military bases; or NATO bases; prompt on coaling station; anti-prompt on detention center]
Q: Richard Serra's tallest sculpture consists of seven steel plates located outside a museum on this city's dhow harbor. This city's airport contains an Urs Fischer sculpture of a massive yellow teddy bear sitting inside a lamp. In this city, a replica of the Rialto Bridge spans the Qanat Quartier on an artificial island called its country's namesake "Pearl." This city's northern suburb of Lusail contains a motor racing circuit and an "Iconic" stadium which is (*) under construction. Wadah Khanfar led the expansion of a media network based in this city whose name translates to "The Island". I.M. Pei's Museum of Islamic Art is located in this world capital, where a stadium named for Khalifa al-Thani will host the third-place match of the 2022 World Cup. Al Jazeera is headquartered in, for 10 points, what capital of Qatar?
A: Doha [or ad-Dahwa]
Q: According to legend, these indigenous peoples lost their status as a pure race when their chief sent two four-year old boys on a mission - those boys dropped the "Camel Rock" that they were carrying when they were fooled by a twinkling star - and, as a result, that rock was no longer able to stop foreigners from invading the lands of these people. That legend is written on the "Star Cave" pictographs of these peoples in the Ritidian cavern. Their pre-historic culture consisted of three classes - the matua, the atchoat, and the mangatchang or lower classes. They were historically susceptible to Lytico-bodig disease, a fact written about by Oliver Sacks in his book The Island of the Colorblind. The dwellings of these people, like those around the Fena Lake region, were built upon the so-called "Latte stones" which are often cited as symbols of their early culture. The "Lost Pond" village of these peoples is centered around the modern-day area of Hagatna, or Agana. For 10 points, name these indigenous residents of a certain Pacific island in the Marianas which is now a U.S. territory.
A: Chamorro (or indigenous peoples of Guam is also acceptable)
Q: The nutritional supplement Spirulina is harvested from this type of natural feature, and the species Artemia are suited for the conditions of these features. North American features of this type are dominated by ephydrids. Werowrap in Australia is one of these features with supports a notably simple food web, and one of these features in the African Rift Valley attracts large amounts of flamingos. These features can be labelled "athalassic" and they can typically be found at the bottom of an Endorheic Basin. These features at Nakuru and Waldsea are eutrophic and examples of this landform include Nan-tso in the Tibetan Plateau, Poopo in Bolivia's Altiplano Region, and Urmia in Northwestern Iran. For 10 points, identify this type of body of water including Lake Caspian and the Dead Sea that contain high amounts of sodium chloride.
A: salt lakes [accept saline lakes, accept soda lakes, prompt on lakes]
Q: A project that moves water from this river to the Front Range Urban Corridor is known as the Grand Ditch. This river, which begins at the La Poudre Pass, is joined by the Gunnison and Gila Rivers. Changes in the flow of this river hundreds of years ago created the Salton Sea. This river flows through (*) Yuma, where it makes its only international border crossing. On its journey towards the Gulf of California, water from this river is collected for hydroelectric use at Lake Mead. For 10 points, name this American river that flows through the Hoover Dam and which created the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River [or Rio Colorado]
Q: The northernmost part of this country contains the Ogo Mountains, which has a rainy season because of the Indian Ocean to the east. This country has the longest coastline of mainland Africa and is located directly south of the (*) Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea. This country lies east of Ethiopia and occupies the tip of the Horn of Africa. The easternmost point of mainland Africa lies in, for 10 points, what country with capital Mogadishu.
A: Somalia
Q: One landmark in this country's capital is a trio of pointed towers surrounded by blue spheres used for water storage. In this country, a gold-domed clock tower crowns the Seif Palace, which houses the ruling Sabah family. The Mutla Ridge bottlenecks road access to its capital from the north. The Great Burgan (*) oilfield lies in this country, which controls the Bubiyan Island at the mouth of the Shatt-al-Arab on the Persian Gulf. For 10 points, name this small Middle Eastern country invaded in 1990 by its northern neighbor, Iraq.
A: Kuwait [State of Kuwait; or Dawlat al-Kuwayt]
Q: The Jeffers Petroglyphs on a prairie in this state are embedded in the Red Rock Ridge that was mined at present-day Pipestone National Monument. St. Urho Day, which celebrates a non-existent saint, was created by Finnish settlers in this state. The Cuyuna and Vermillion Ranges are currently inactive, but low-grade taconite ore continues to be mined in this state's (*) Mesabi Range. The St. Anthony and Minnehaha Falls are both found along the Mississippi River in this state's most populous city. For 10 points, name this state whose capital of St. Paul is "twinned" with Minneapolis.
A: Minnesota
Q: Domingo Mercante made a housing plan for this city before resigning as governor. Cipriano Reyes was detained in a hospital-turned-torture-chamber in this city. Crowds in this city waiting for a man who had declared that "the spilled blood will not be negotiated" were fired upon at an airport in the Ezeiza massacre. This city was also the first capital of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. The Casa Rosada is located in this city. Atilio Lopez was assassinated here during the Dirty War. The Evita City development is located south of this city and was named for the wife of President Juan Peron. For 10 points, name this Argentine capital.
A: Buenos Aires <CL/RN>
Q: The Channel Islands are located off this state's southern coast. Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous US, lies in this state's portion of the Sierra Nevada. The Calaveras, Hayward, and (*) San Andreas faults run along this state's Pacific coast. For 10 points, name this state, the home of the San Francisco 49ers and Sacramento Kings.
A: California
Q: The Deira Clock Tower in this city symbolizes the connection between it and one of its suburbs. The Cayan Tower in this city takes a helical shaped pattern, while a proposed residence called "The Opus" is being built in this city by Zaha Hadid. A hotel named for Five Palms can be found in Jumeirah beach near this city, and a the first (*) "Seven Star" hotel award was received by a sail shaped building in this city. This city, which contains an artificial archipelago shaped like a world map, is located on the Persian Gulf just north of Abu Dhabi. For 10 points, name this largest city in the United Arab Emirates, home to the Burj Khalifa.
A: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Q: The Cerrado toad is the namesake for a critically endangered savannah region located in this country. The origins of a city near the ruins of Kuhikugu in this country was sought by explorer Percy Fawcett and eventually was given the epithet "Z." The Yanomami tribe lives in a region located in this country, who are known for painting their faces in (*) distinct patterns. The Marajoa culture was based on a namesake island in this country's state of Para, while a river in it was so named because of the fierce female warriors which were encountered. For 10 points, name this country which contains most of the Amazon rainforest.
A: Brazil
Q: This country's sultan Hussein Kamel was installed during its time as a British protectorate during World War I. The title Khedive, which means a viceroy of this country, was first used by Muhammad Ali. The largest library of the ancient world was located in its city of (*) Alexandria, and an ancient ruler of it was called a pharaoh. For 10 points, name this country famous for its pyramids whose capital is Cairo.
A: Egypt
Q: In this city, the rotating SkyCity restaurant can be found at the top of a landmark constructed for the 1962 World's Fair. This city is home to Frank Gehry's Experience Music Project museum as well as (*) Pike Place Market, the location of the first Starbucks store. This city's harbor, Elliott Bay, is located on Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean. For 10 points, name this city home to the Space Needle, the largest city in Washington.
A: Seattle
Q: In 2001, this body of water's Gakkel Ridge was found to have active hydrothermal vents. This body of water is divided in two by the Lomonosov Ridge, whose ties to neighboring continental shelves have sparked competing claims at the UN. Wrangel Island is found north of the (*) Chukchi Peninsula in this body of water. On its shores lies the settlement of Alert on Ellesmere Island and it also borders the Svalbard Archipelago and Greenland. For 10 points, name this possibly resource-rich ocean that surrounds the North Pole.
A: Arctic Ocean
Q: One mammal endemic to this country is the carnivorous cat-lake fossa, and this nation's official languages are French and Malagasy. It is located west of Mauritius, and the Mozambique Channel separates this island from mainland (*) Africa. For 10 points, name this country with capital Antananarivo that titles a series of three animated films starring Central Park Zoo animals Melman, Gloria, Marty, and Alex.
A: Madagascar
Q: The Ellsworth Mountains in this landmass are bounded to the north by the Bellingshausen Sea. The Russian-owned Vostok Station can be found in Princess Elizabeth Land in this continent. (*) Vinson Massif [VIN- sen-mae-SIF] is its highest point, and it is the largest desert in the world. For 10 points, name this continent where the Earth's coldest air temperatures have been recorded, and that contains the South Pole.
A: Antarctica (do not accept or prompt on "South Pole")
Q: Apparent similarities with Mycenaean tombs led to the most prominent structures typical of this island and their cupola shaped rooms being named "tholoi", though proto-examples of these structures show their development predates any contact. Towards the end of the Bronze Age more complex examples of those structures were constructed on this island with additional towers, such as the World Heritage Site at Barumini. The exact dating of the gigantic statues of warriors from the necropolis of (*) Mont'e Prama on this island has not been settled, although their destruction in the 4th century BC is fixed by Punic pottery. Home to over six thousand stone towers, for 10 points, name this Western Mediterranean island, where the Nuragic culture flourished down to Roman occupation in 238 BC.
A: Sardinia
Q: Description Acceptable: One place in present day Budapest designed for this purpose simply consists of shoes stacked upon the riverbank, while another one of these places in the same city is an abstract version of the Weeping Willow. Another location located in Berlin specifically designed for this purpose consists of over 2,000 concrete slabs of different heights, while one of these locations in Jerusalem contains a "Hall of Names" within its design by architect Moshe Safdie. Yad (*) Vashem and sites commemorating the Secret Annex serve, for 10 points, what purpose that memorializes a World War II mass genocide against Jews?
A: Holocaust Memorials [prompt on partial answer. Generously accept Holocaust Museums, and accept obvious synonyms for Memorials; prompt on World War II Memorials or anything vaguely referring to the Holocaust; accept memorials to Concentration Camps or Holocaust Genocide Sites but DO NOT accept or prompt on a specific concentration camp)
Q: George Mckay built a seventy meter long suspension bridge overlooking the Capilano River, which is near this city. One can find Jericho beach in this city's neighborhood of Kitsilano, while the North Shore mountains dominate the skyline of it. This city, located along the Burrard Inlet, contains a famous "steam clock" in its neighborhood of Gastown, which lies next to an area known as (*) Stanley Park. The Fraser River runs through this city, connected by tram to the town of Whistler. The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in this city opposite the Pacific facing Victoria. For 10 points, name this Canadian city, the capital of British Columbia.
A: Vancouver, British Columbia
Q: Bikku Bitti, the highest peak in this country, is located in the Tibesti Mountains on this nation's border with Chad. This country's eastern region of Cyrenaica contains its namesake desert, which extends into (*) Egypt in the east and makes up the northeastern part of the Sahara. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, this country is found to the east of Tunisia and Algeria. For 10 points, name this North African nation whose capital is Tripoli.
A: Libya
Q: The Sudirman Range contains this country's highest peak, Puncak Jaya. This nation, which is bisected by the Wallace Line, contains the volcanoes Krakatoa and Tambora. This country, which has the largest population of Muslims in the world, contains the islands of (*) Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. For 10 points, identify this largest island country, located in Southeast Asia with capital at Jakarta.
A: Indonesia
Q: This river begins at the confluence of the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein tributaries. It forms a delta at Lake Constance, the starting point of the "high" section of this river that includes a namesake waterfall. Coal and steel are manufactured in the (*) Ruhr Valley beside this river, and Cologne is the largest city on this river. The end of this river was closed off by the Delta Project to prevent flooding in the Netherlands. For 10 points, name this major European river that forms much of the border between France and Germany.
A: Rhine River
Q: More than 65% of this state's population lives in Maricopa County, and two of its biggest cities are Chandler and Glendale. The northeast part of this state includes most of the Navajo Nation, and this state contains the (*) Painted Desert. Most of this state's islands are in Roosevelt Lake and Lake Mead, which is a reservoir behind Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. For 10 points, identify this state home to the Grand Canyon, whose capital is Phoenix.
A: Arizona
Q: The Kosi, Karnali, and Yamuna are this river's largest tributaries, and its heavily populated basin contains the Sundarbans, a mangrove forest. Cremated ashes are immersed in this river by followers of a certain religion, and it flows from Uttarakhand in the (*) western Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal. For 10 points, name this most sacred river of Hinduism that flows through Bangladesh and India.
A: Ganges River (accept Ganga River)
Q: Although Frederick Cook claimed to be the first to ascend this mountain, its first successful ascension was actually led by Hudson Stuck. The Koyukon Athabascans who live around this peak gave it its current name, meaning (*) "the high one", which officially replaced the name of a president in 2015. For 10 points, name this mountain found in Alaska, the highest peak in North America.
A: Denali (accept Mount McKinley before "president")
Q: This country's city of Targu Jiu contains a sculptural ensemble named after Constantin Brancusi. Part of the Carpathian Mountains surround its Transylvanian Plateau, and the Danube Delta mostly lies in this country. This country borders (*) Hungary to the west, Ukraine to the north, and Bulgaria to the south. For 10 points, name this eastern European country that borders the Black Sea and has its capital at Bucharest.
A: Romania
Q: Over 45% of this locale is made up of "ghost gear," and it is currently twice the size of Texas. This area is composed of Eastern and Western versions that are joined together by a subtropical convergence zone located north of Hawaii. A recent study suggests that 74% of the diet of sea turtles that enter this region is composed of (*) plastics. A man named Boyan Slat founded an environmental organization titled The Ocean Cleanup to attempt to reduce debris from this region. For 10 points, name this huge accumulation of plastic waste located between Hawaii and California.
A: Great Pacific Garbage Patch [accept Pacific Trash Vortex; accept descriptions of garbage or trash in the Pacific; prompt on just "garbage" or "trash" with "where"]
Q: Two dams have been built on this river: Inga I and Inga II. This river's sources include the Lualaba River at the Boyoma Falls, and the Chambeshi River. A man who explored this river was sent after David Livingstone went missing; that man is Henry Stanley. This river is the (*) deepest river in the world, and it is the second-longest river in Africa after the Nile. For 10 points, name this river which names two countries in Africa.
A: Congo River (accept Zaire River)
Q: On the island of Chios, rival factions celebrate this event by shooting rockets at each other. A Jonathan Jerv book started the Norwegian tradition of celebrating this event by reading crime novels. Judy Garland starred in a movie musical titled for an annual New York "parade" coinciding with this event where women wear elaborate hats. In Australia, a food eaten on this holiday is more likely to take the shape of a bilby than of a species (*) invasive to the continent. Since 1878, this holiday has been celebrated on the South Lawn of the White House in an event where certain multi-colored objects are rolled. Bonnets are often worn on, for 10 points, what Christian holiday involving egg hunts?
A: Easter Sunday [or Orthodox Easter Sunday; or Easter Monday; prompt on Holy Week]
Q: Along this river is the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which lies southwest of its namesake city in Missouri. Lake Itasca is the source of this river, whose delta is located in southeast Louisiana. This river, which runs through (*) Memphis and St. Louis, has tributaries like the Arkansas and Ohio rivers, and the final city it passes through is New Orleans. For 10 points, name this US river that flows from Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico.
A: Mississippi River
Q: The Great St. Bernard Pass connects Monte Rosa to this mountain range's highest peak. Lake Como and Lake Garda are located on the southern side of this range. The "Pennine" range with this name contains (*) Matterhorn, which forms the border between Switzerland and Italy. For 10 points, Mont Blanc lies in which mountain range, the longest in Europe?
A: the Alps
Q: De Angelis has recently argued that the archaeological evidence shows that 'conquest of land was not necessarily always the rule' during the settlement of this region, noting that local settlement patterns tended towards inland, hilltop areas. Excavations at one site in this region have revealed local longhouses and more 'Greek'-style houses are found alongside each other in the 6th century BC. A red figure krater by the Athenian Euthymides was found in a building in this region probably destroyed by the local hegemon (*) Douketios. That sack of Morgantina is described by Diodorus, while Thucydides believed that this island was divided between three peoples, with the Elymians in the furthest west. For 10 points, name this island, where local peoples interacted with Phoenician settlers at Motya, and Greek settlers at Syracuse.
A: Sicily
Q: During bajadas in this region, traditional stick fighting honors the Virgin of Candelaria, a Black Madonna venerated at a sanctuary in the Cave of San Blas. Uncooked onion scoops are used to eat purees of this region's toasted flour, gofio. In this region, people in El Hierro adopted the whistle language of Silbo created by shepherds in the mountains of La Gomera. This region's name derives from Roman observations of dog worship among its Guanche ("GWAHN-chay") people. A "mega-tsunami" theory centers on the collapse of this archipelago's Cumbre Vieja ("KOOM-bray vee-AY-hah") volcano on its island of La Palma. Tenerife is the largest island of, for 10 points, what Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco whose name identifies a certain species of yellow bird?
A: Canary Islands [or the Canaries or Las Canarias; accept Tenerife or La Gomera before read; prompt on Atlantic Ocean by asking "where?"]
Q: This country is home to the only living sphenodon, and this country's highest point, Aoraki, is located in its Southern Alps. The Chatham and Stewart Islands are part of this nation, and the treaty of Waitangi was signed by this country's (*) Maori people. Cook Strait separates this country's North and South islands. For 10 points, identify this country at the southwestern tip of Polynesia with capital at Wellington.
A: New Zealand (or Aotearoa)
Q: This country's flag features a llama and a chichona tree, and the Cordillera Blanca is part of this country's portion of the Andes. In the fifteenth century, the capital of Cuzco was established in this country by the (*) Incan empire. It is bordered by Colombia and Ecuador to the north, Bolivia to the southeast, and Chile to the south. For 10 points, name this country which contains the westernmost part of the Amazon river and whose capital is Lima.
A: Peru
Q: Swiss environmentalist Bruno Manser may have been killed on this island for trying to help its Penan ("peh-NAN") people fight loggers. A government on this island that practices the MIB ideology uses profits from the BSP oil company to subsidize food and shelter. Abdul Taib Mahmud's government presided over massive deforestation on this island despite opposition from its (*) Dayak people. A 2007 "Heart of [This Island]" agreement protects its 140-million-year-old rainforest. Because a city on another island is sinking, Joko Widodo announced plans to build a new capital on this island, which is divided into regions such as Sarawak. For 10 points, name this large island which is divided between Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
A: Borneo [or Pulau Borneo; or Kalimantan]
Q: It's not Las Vegas, but Charles and Ray Eames designed furniture for a nightclub in this city's outskirts located next to the Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. A "little" version of this city hosts the annual Calle Ocho Festival and is renowned for cortado espresso drinks. A large steel sculpture modeled on an Alberto Korda photo hangs from a building in this city above a caption meaning "To Victory Always." This city was known as the "Playland of the Americas" when Meyer Lansky and other (*) mobsters controlled its casinos. A castle in this city's old town takes its name from the giant stone on which it was built, El Morro. This capital's fleet of 1950s-era taxis stems from a US embargo. For 10 points, name this capital of Cuba.
A: Havana [or La Habana; accept Little Havana]
Q: This body of water was once known as the "Lake of the Stinking Water." The Rosa Bell and the Thomas Hume are two ships that disappeared in this lake's namesake "triangle," which stretches from Ludington to Benton Harbor. The Petoskey and Charlevoix stones can be found on this lake's shore, and the (*) Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is on this lake that is home to Green Bay. This Great Lake is separated from Lake Huron by the Straits of Mackinac [mak-i-naw]. For 10 points, name this only Great Lake located entirely within the borders of the U.S.
A: Lake Michigan
Q: This city is bordered to the east by Biscayne Bay, which separates this city from another city known as its "Beach". This city is the seat of Dade County and its seal and flag feature a palm tree. This city, which has been nicknamed the (*) "Capital of Latin America," has a large population of Cuban-Americans. For 10 points, name this most populous metropolis in Florida, a seaport on Florida's southeastern tip.
A: Miami
Q: This nation is home to the city of Mariupol, which is located on the Sea of Azov. The Pripyat River flows into Belarus in the north and then back into this country, which is home to most of the (*) Dnieper River. In July 2015, Dmitry Medvedev said that this nation's southernmost section, called Crimea, had been fully integrated with Russia. For 10 points, name this Eastern European nation with capital at Kiev.
A: Ukraine
Q: This city is separated from Shenzhen by the Sham Chun River. Victoria Harbor separates this city's namesake island from Kowloon. Lantau Island, the largest island in this city, is located at the mouth of the (*) Pearl River. Macau lies to the west of, for 10 points, which city that gained sovereignty from the United Kingdom and maintains a separate political system from China?
A: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Q: Thirty-three Mohawk steelworkers drowned in a river of this name in August 1907 while constructing the world's longest cantilever bridge. In 1914, over a thousand people died when the Empress of Ireland sank in the mouth of a river of this name. Nazi U-Boats initially held the upper hand against the RCN in a years-long battle of this name that disrupted Allied shipping to the UK. An international engineering project of this name completed in 1959 boosted the economy of (*) Duluth, Minnesota. A river of this name that flows past the city of Quebec is a key part of a larger waterway of this name that connects to the Cabot Strait and a gulf of this name in the Atlantic Ocean. For 10 points, give this name of a Canadian Seaway.
A: Saint Lawrence [or Saint-Laurent; accept Saint Lawrence River or Saint Lawrence Seaway or Gulf of Saint Lawrence]
Q: The Cascada de Basaseachi is located in this country's Copper Canyon. The highest point in this country is the Pico de Orizaba, and the Chihuahuan desert is located on this country's northern border. Tourist locations in this country include (*) Cabo San Lucas and Cancun, and the Yucatan peninsula borders this country's namesake gulf. For 10 points, name this Latin American country that shares a border with Guatemala as well as the United States.
A: Mexico
Q: The southern border of this city is formed by the Neponset River, whose mouth lies between Quincy and Dorchester, the largest neighborhood of it. The Charles River flows east from Hopkinton to this city's namesake harbor. The (*) Old State House and the Paul Revere House are sites on this city's Freedom Trail. For 10 points, name this most populous city in New England, the capital of Massachusetts.
A: Boston
Q: The black-billed amazon is a parrot native to the northwestern portion of this island, which is marked by several star-shaped hollows. A series of dome-shaped cataracts emptying into the sea known as Dunn's River Falls have contributed to the tourism-based economy of this island's town of Ocho Rios. This island's largest natural harbor is protected by the (*) Palisadoes Sand Bar. This island's remote northwestern frontier, known as Cockpit Country, is home to villages inhabited by this country's Maroons. This island is home to numerous resorts like Negril and Montego Bay. Jerk cuisine is popular in, for 10 points, what Caribbean island country whose capital is Kingston?
A: Jamaica
Q: The Dominican dish los tres golpes is made by boiling this food, then topping it with red onions. This food is used to create a ketchup in the Philippines which is dyed red to look like regular ketchup. This food is fried to make pisang goreng in Indonesia. Along with vanilla ice cream, this food is used in an American dessert named for Richard (*) Foster. The leaves of this food's plant are used in the pepes cooking method. This food's Gros Michel ("grow mee-SHELL") variety was wiped out in the 1950s by an outbreak of Panama Disease, which is also threatening this food's Cavendish variety. This food used to make tostones is produced by companies such as Dole and Chiquita. For 10 points, name this curved yellow fruit.
A: bananas [accept plantains]
Q: Excavations at Sant' Omobono in this region have found evidence of a sixth century temple overlooking a harbour in this area. The Bocca della Verita, or "Mouth of Truth" survives in this region, possibly from a temple founded by an oil merchant, hence it was sometimes known as the temple of (*) Hercules Olivarius, Rome's oldest marble building. This region is home to Rome's only quadrifrons triumphal arch, the Arch of Janus, that stands on top of the Cloaca Maxima. Rome's first bridge, the Pons Sublicius, crossed the Tiber here. Home to the cult of Hercules at the Ara Maxima, for 10 points, name this area of Rome, whose name comes from the city's cattle market.
A: the Forum Boarium
Q: The Argan plant, which produces a nut-scented fruit, is endemic to this mountain range's Sous Valley. A series of saltwater lakes including Chott Ech Chergui ("shot-etch-sher-goo-EE") in the Hodna region of this mountain range separates its Amour subrange from its coastal Tell subrange. South of this range lies the Great Western (*) Erg, and the Rif is a northwest offshoot of this range. The cities of Fes and Marrakesh are in the foothills of this range of Morocco, as is most of northern Algeria. For 10 points, name these mountains of North Africa named for a Titan who held up the sky.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: An icon of this city located next to the Gefion Fountain was commissioned by a beer tycoon and had its head briefly replaced with that of a cow in 1986. This city claims to have the "longest and oldest" shopping boulevard in Europe, the Stroget. This city's Restaurant Ida Davidsen offers "tongue with fried egg" and 279 other varieties of smørrebrød ("smore-ay-broad"). Many straw-roofed homes in this city were destroyed by Congreve rockets following an 1807 (*) bombardment by the British. Restaurant magazine has repeatedly celebrated the New Nordic cuisine at its Noma restaurant. Next to this city's Kastellet fortress is Edvard Eriksen's sculpture of a Hans Christian Andersen character, The Little Mermaid. For 10 points, name this capital of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [or København]
Q: In this city, riots broke out at Columbia Heights after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Pierre Charles L'Enfant created a plan for this city, which called for the construction of a building on Jenkins Hill. This city contains the world's largest obelisk, and (*) State of the Unions are held within this city's Capitol Building. For 10 points name this city which contains the Lincoln Memorial and the White House, the capital of the United States.
A: Washington, District of Columbia (Accept Washington, D.C. District of Columbia, or D.C.)
Q: Hula Valley is an agricultural region in this country that is located on the remains of a lake. Mount Meron is recognized as this country's tallest mountain, although this country claims the taller Mount Hermon, located in the (*) Golan Heights. Beersheba is the largest city in this country's Negev Desert, and the White City is a district of International Style buildings built in this country's second-largest city, Tel Aviv. For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern country that disputes its capital of Jerusalem with its neighbor Palestine.
A: State of Israel
Q: Intersex activist Jim Sinclair claimed these people are "foreigners in any culture" in a speech titled "Don't Mourn For Us." A book about these people by Eric Garcia highlights a generational split between older individuals like Ari Ne'eman and those born after 1990. They aren't homeless people, but the ASAN self-advocacy group for these people ended a partnership with (*) Sesame Street due to PSAs promoting a "100 Day Kit" for their relatives. In September 2021, a study led by Simon Baron-Cohen that collected 10,000 of these people's genomes was paused after complaints that the data could be used for eugenics; that study was Spectrum 10K. For 10 points, name these people, like Temple Grandin or Greta Thunberg, who share a developmental disability whose spectrum includes Asperger's syndrome.
A: autistic people [or people with autism or people on the autism spectrum or people with PDD-NOS; accept people with Asperger's syndrome until read; accept more specific groups like autistic men or autistic women or autistic children; prompt on neurodiverse people or neurodivergent people; prompt on disabled people or developmentally disabled people or people with disabilities]
Q: This is the primary food in the Philippine sweet dishes binaki and pintos, which differ only in their oblong or compact shapes. A dish made from this food is the subject of blues artist Robert Johnson's song "They're Red Hot." Chocolate is a popular flavor for a breakfast beverage made of this food called atole ("ah-TOH-lay"). This was the original food prepared by soaking and cooking it in an alkaline solution in part to release niacin; that process is (*) nixtamalization. This food from a plant in the Zea genus is derived from wild teosinte ("tay-oh-SIN-tay"). Masa, a type of dough made from this food, is produced by grinding hominy. Shrimp is combined with a porridge made from this food in a common Southern dish. For 10 points, name this food that is served inside a banana leaf in a tamale or boiled to make grits.
A: corn [or maize; accept cornmeal; accept masa until read; accept Zea mays until read]
Q: This state's Lake Hood has the largest seaplane base in the world, and its city of Barrow is the economic center of the North Slope Borough. The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is in this state, and this state contains seventeen of the twenty highest (*) peaks in the U.S. The third-longest river in North America is this state's Yukon River, and the city of Valdez is the southern terminus of this state's oil pipeline. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Juneau.
A: Alaska
Q: The surface of Lake Enriquillo on this island is about forty meters below sea level, and cacao is a chief crop grown in its "Royal Plain," or La Vega Real. Pico Duarte on this island is the highest point in the Caribbean. Tortuga Island lies offshore from this island in the Windward Passage, while the Mona Passage separates this island from (*) Puerto Rico. This island contains La Navidad, the first European building in the Americas. For 10 points, name this island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
A: Hispaniola
Q: This mountain has a distinctive feature called the Yellow Band that is made of mostly sandstone rock. The South Col is a saddle between this mountain and the Lhotse Face. This mountain is one of the youngest on the planet, and it grows around forty centimeters per century. One of the most famous features of this mountain is a forty-foot spur of snow and ice called the (*) Hillary Step, and Sherpas call this mountain Chomolungma. For 10 points, name this mountain on the northern border of Nepal, the highest mountain on Earth.
A: Mount Everest
Q: These things name a website run by Stuart Rojstaczer, who monitored these things after his career at Duke University. Linda Nilson has advocated for a "specifications" form of producing these things, which relies in part on allowing the choice of a "bundle" to complete. In Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn argues these things are "powerful demotivators," and suggests making only two values of these things possible. In 2020, an (*) Ofqual-produced algorithm for generating these things in the UK was criticized for hurting disadvantaged teenagers. On a GCSE, an A* ("A-star") is the highest possible one of these things, which when norm-referenced are colloquially said to be "on a curve." For 10 points, name these measures of students' educational achievement that have been subject to namesake "inflation."
A: grades [accept grade inflation; accept gradeinflation.com; accept specifications grading or specs grading; accept test grades or test scores or test results or test ratings or similar descriptions; accept marks; accept other answers that clearly refer to grading]
Q: It's not Libya, but this country's main mountain range has a sub-range called the Jebel Akhdar, or Green Mountain, which was the center of a namesake conflict that erupted in 1954 and 1957. This country's island of Masirah lies off its eastern coast, while a province in this country's south was historically the chief supplier of the world's frankincense and has its capital at Salalah. This country has an exclave on the Musandam Penninsula and its main coastal area is known as Al Batinah, which is bordered to the west and south by the Al Hajar Mountains. The Dhofar region is located in the southern part of this country, which contains parts of the Rub' al Khali and borders its namesake sea to the south. With its northern tip jutting into the Strait of Hormuz, for 10 points, name this country that occupies the southeastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula and has its capital at Muscat.
A: Sultanate of Oman
Q: This country's Corn Islands were leased by the United States for 99 years. China planned to build a canal along this country's San Juan river before abandoning the plan due to deforestation concerns. Ometepe Island is located in this country's namesake (*) lake, the largest in Central America. This nation owns most of the Mosquito Coast and borders both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. For 10 points, name this nation that is governed from Managua.
A: Nicaragua
Q: Truman Everts was left for dead after getting separated from an expedition in this region, and later recounted his travails in Thirty-Seven Days of Peril. The Northern Pacific Railway promoted this place as a "New Wonderland" after Thomas Moran's paintings of this place supported efforts to make it a "national playground." The Nez Perce [nez purse] tribe took thirteen days to travel through this (*) national park while being pursued by the US army. The Washburn Party of 1870 falsely claimed a feature of this park to perform "every hour on the hour." For 10 points, name this National Park that is home to Old Faithful.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: This country and its northern neighbor share the shortest international land border in the world, which separates this country from the tied island of Penon ("pen-YONE") de Velez de la Gomera. Tree-climbing goats can be found in this westernmost home of the argan tree, whose oil is extracted by women's cooperatives in this country. A sand berm runs through one of this country's disputed territories, which has its capital at (*) Laayoune ("lah-YOON"). This country's longest river, the Draa, provides water to inland cities in this country including Zagora and Ouarzazate ("WARE-zeh-zeht"). This country controls around 80% of the disputed region of Western Sahara. For 10 points, name this North African country with capital at Rabat.
A: Kingdom of Morocco
Q: This country's Sanitary Garden park is home to the world's largest collection of art made from repurposed sanitary items. Each courtyard of a building in this country symbolizes an aspect of its constitution, including equality and social justice. That building consists of a collection of glass domes linked by underground reading facilities, and is this country's Parliament Library. A campus of over 100 acres of all-stone buildings was designed for this country's Institute of Management by the winner of the (*) 2018 Pritzker Prize, who was born here. This country is home to Antilia, the tallest private single-family residence in the world. A planned city in this country was designed to have 47 self-sufficient sectors and contains an 85-foot tall example of its architect's Open Hand Monuments. For 10 points, Le Corbusier designed the city of Chandigarh in what country home to Balkrishna Doshi?
A: Republic of India [accept Bharat Ganarajya] <MS>
Q: This country's capital has been decorated at the behest of its first lady with dozens of large yellow metal "trees" with swirling patterns. The Maderas and Conception volcanoes form the petroglyph-filled island of Ometepe within this country. Bull sharks populated this country's namesake lake by leaping up the rapids on the (*) San Juan River, which separates this country from its southern neighbor, Costa Rica. This country controls the southern part of the Gulf of Fonseca and its port of Bluefields lies on the Mosquito Coast. For 10 points, name this Central American nation whose capital is Managua.
A: Nicaragua [Republica de Nicaragua]
Q: A type of these geological features in south Texas is called a resaca. The largest one of these in North America is in Arkansas and is named after the French word for stump, "chicot." Engineers have created hundreds of these along the Mississippi River, causing it to be shorter now than in the 19th century. In Australia, these are called (*) billabongs and they are the result of meanders. For 10 points, name these bodies of water that are formed when a bend in a river is cut off over time.
A: oxbow lakes [prompt on "lakes"]
Q: The creole cuisine of an island in this body of water includes dishes like rougaille ("roog-EYE"), a tomato sauce that is flavored with ginger and thyme. An island in this body of water is the origin of the music genres maloya and sega. An island in this body of water names blue and orange-red "Post Office" stamps that are among the rarest in the world. An archipelago in this body of water consists primarily of a Granitic island group that forms part of the mostly-submerged (*) Mascarene Plateau. The creation of a namesake "British Territory" in this body of water involved the expulsion of the Chagossian people. An island in this body of water named after Maurice of Nassau contains the largest Chinatown in Africa in its capital, Port Louis. For 10 points, name this body of water that contains Reunion and Mauritius.
A: Indian Ocean [accept British Indian Ocean Territory]
Q: In this country, the Memorial of Zoungbodji commemorates the Zomai House and Tree of Oblivion as part of its Slave Route history. The "water people" of Ganvie constructed floating villages in this country's Lake Nokoue ("noh-kway"). Villages in this country and its (emphasize) eastern neighbor are home to "living ghosts" who chase people and can kill with a single touch as part of Egungun secret societies. People sleep around a sacred iroko tree as pythons crawl over their bodies in this country's Temple of the Pythons in Ouidah ("WEE-dah"), which is considered the birthplace of Voodoo. In this modern-day country, the Fon people created the Dahomey Empire. The city of Cotonou is located in, for 10 points, what African country located between Togo and Nigeria whose capital is Porto-Novo?
A: Benin [or Republic of Benin or Republique du Benin]
Q: Authorship of this poem was traditionally ascribed to Arctinus of Miletus, and Martin West has suggested that Milesian colonization in the Black Sea may be the origin of Thetis' transportation of Achilles after his death to the White Island in this poem. Its not by Quintus Smyrnaeus, but a fragmentary distich [dye-stick] supposedly connected this poem with the last lines of the (*) Iliad, where Hector's funeral is immediately followed by the arrival of "an Amazon, daughter of Ares the great-hearted and man-slaying god", Penthesilea. Containing the narrative of the death of Achilles at the hands of Paris, for 10 points, name this poem, part of the Epic Cycle, which takes its name from the homeland of Memnon.
A: Aethiopis
Q: The Nemegt [NEM-et] Basin in this desert is known as the "Valley of the Dragons", since it has been the source of many fossil discoveries, including dinosaur eggs. This desert's Dzungarian [ZUN-GARY-un] Basin is separated from the Taklamakan Desert by the (*) Tian Shan Moutains. Ulaanbaatar lies north of which desert, for 10 points, that spans most of southern Mongolia and northern China?
A: Gobi Desert
Q: In 2012, this state's town of Buford was auctioned off by its only permanent resident to two Vietnamese entrepreneurs for $900,000. This state's capital draws 200,000 people to its namesake "Frontier Days" celebration, which is one of the largest rodeos in the United States. Medicine Bow Peak is in this state, which is also home to the oil-rich town of (*) Rock Springs. It's not South Dakota, but this state's portion of the Black Hills is home to Devils Tower National Monument. This state's most notable national park contains the geyser Old Faithful. Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks are located in, for 10 points, what least populous U.S. State with capital at Cheyenne?
A: Wyoming
Q: This city's namesake county has a seaside resort town called Youghal that lies on the delta of a Blackwater River. This city contains the Blackrock Castle Observatory and the Cathedral of St. Fin Barre. This city's namesake harbor contains the headquarters of its country's navy on Haulbowline Island. After an ambush at Dillon's Cross, a reprisal action against this city in 1920 resulted in large areas being burnt down by the Auxiliary Division. This city is the capital of its country's South-West Region and lies on the River Lee. This city's namesake county lies to the east of County Kerry, to the west of County Waterford, to the southwest of County Tipperary, to the south of County Limerick, and north of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the most populous city in the province of Munster. For 10 points, name this second most populous Irish city.
A: Cork [or Corcaigh]
Q: According to early Chinese sources, this region was known as Dayuan, and was the source of 'heavenly horses' that apparently would sweat blood in the summer. The city of Alexandria Eschate was founded here in 329 BCE, and according to Roman historians remained culturally Hellenic until at least the 1st century CE. From early on a key section of the Silk Road, this region's fertility and wealth have seen it be controlled by the Achaemenids, Greco-Bactrians, Samanids, Mongols, and Russians among others. The region is formed by the Naryn, Kara, and Syr Darya rivers, and is bounded by the Tien-Shan and Gissar-Alai mountains, as well as the sands of Karakchikum. Since the 20th century a centre of cotton production and home to such cities as Andijan, Namangan, and Khujand, FTP, what is this large fertile valley shared by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan (*) ?
A: Fergana Valley (also accept: Farghana Valley, Farg'ona Vodiysi, Fergana Oeroeny, Ferganskaya Dolyna)
Q: Every Ascension Day in this city, a procession carries the relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus out from its namesake Basilica. One legend holds that Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I retaliated to being imprisoned in this city for three months by forcing its residents to maintain a flock of swans. Those swans live in a lake called the Minnewater, which is sometimes erroneously translated as "Lake of Love." One of its most famous buildings is a belfry with 366 steps which Longfellow claims was "Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded." Although much of its commercial significance dissipated with the silting of the Zwijn estuary, it still conducts trade through its proximity to the Dutch border and through the port of Zeebrugge, which is about ten miles to its north on the North Sea. For 10 points, name this Belgian city known for its canals and chocolate shops and which is about 25 miles northwest of Ghent.
A: Bruges [or Brugge]
Q: This city's neighborhood of Florentin contains most of the works of Dede ("de-de"), a graffiti artist who prominently displays bandaids in his work. A massive new park in this city is located on top of the 60 meter-tall Hiriya garbage dump. A historic part of this city names the almost-seedless shatoumi orange. This city's name is a translation of the title of the utopian novel Altneuland. This city contains the "White City," the world's largest collection of (*) Bauhaus-style buildings. This most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area includes the ancient port of Jaffa. Donald Trump controversially moved an embassy [emphasize] away from this city in 2018. For 10 points, name this Mediterranean city northwest of Jerusalem, the economic center of Israel.
A: Tel Aviv-Yafo [or Tall ʾAbib-Yafa, accept Jaffa or Yafo or Yafa or Jaffa oranges until "Jaffa" is read; reject "Haifa"]
Q: The Pay-Khoy Ridge is found in this mountain range, which is the source of the Pechora river. The Mughalzhar Hills are found at the southern end of this range, while the Kara Sea can be found at its northern end. Ufa, Ozersk and (*) Perm are major cities near these mountains which are the starting point of the Kama river, a tributary of the Volga. For 10 points, name this Russian mountain range that has historically been the dividing line between Asia and Europe.
A: Ural Mountains [accept Uralskie Gory]
Q: This country contains the northern part of Bukovina, including the city of Chernivtsi, once a center of Jewish culture. Demographics were completely changed in its far-western city of Lviv by a massive population transfer in the mid-1940s. This country's second most populous city, which is home to Freedom Square, was the capital of this country's eastern half when it was split in the 1920s; that city is called (*) Kharkiv. A major industrial area in the far east of this country is centered on the city of Donetsk and a coalfield in the Donbass region. This country's capital lies on the Dnieper River, while its largest port contains the Potemkin Stairs down to the Black Sea. For 10 points, name this country home to Odessa and Kiev.
A: Ukraine
Q: This state's Matanuska Valley, which is located in the shadow of the Chugach Mountains, is one of its main agricultural regions. This state's fishing industry is based in Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island, and much of the economy around Norton Sound in this state is based on mining. Another agricultural region here is the Kenai Peninsula. Although this state's largest city is located on (*) Cook Inlet, its more accessible port is on Prince William Sound; that city, Valdez, is connected with Prudhoe Bay by an above-ground pipeline and was the namesake of an Exxon oil tanker that ran aground here in 1989. For 10 points, name this state home to Fairbanks and Anchorage.
A: Alaska
Q: The northern section of this city is home to a riverfront shops and restaurants along Frazier Avenue, as well as to the Renaissance and Coolidge Parks. McLellan Island is found in this city, whose college basketball team currently plays its home games at McKenzie Arena. This city's Walnut Street bridge is one of the longest pedestrian-only bridges in the United States, and its neighborhoods include Orchard Knob. Fat Man Squeeze is one of the formations found in Rock City, a popular attraction near this city, which is also home to Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. Its aquarium has many exhibits on the Cumberland River, which flows through this city. For 10 points, name this city in southern Tennessee, often associated with a certain choo-choo.
A: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Q: This country's city of Rason is a directly governed city on the border of Primorsky Krai. Two of this country's main ports are Nampho and Wonsan, while Hamhung is an important center for its chemical industry and is its second most populous city. This country's maritime holdings are delimited by the Northern Limit Line. The provinces of Jilin and Liaoning are connected to this country by bridges that were rebuilt after all but one was (*) destroyed when the area was known as "MiG Alley"; those bridges cross the Yalu River. In November 2010, this country caused an international incident when it shelled the island of Yeonpyeong. For 10 points, name this country north of the demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel.
A: North Korea [or Democratic People's Republic of Korea; or DPRK]
Q: One tributary of this river, the Skardu, is depleted because of the melting of the Baltoro Glacier in Baltistan. In May 2010, a city at the confluence of two other tributaries, the Hunza and the Gilgit, had to be evacuated because of a water surge. A 1960 treaty governing water use on this river was necessary because it flows through Ladakh before entering the country with which it is (*) most associated, but some criticize that treaty for increasing desertification in the Thar Desert. The Kabul River flows into this river, which flows through the Sindh and Punjab Provinces before emptying into the Arabian Sea. Mohenjo Daro lies on the flood plain of, for 10 points, what central river of Pakistan, whose valley was once home to a namesake Bronze Age civilization? A
A: Indus River
Q: This state's Fish Canyon Tuff was created 26 million years ago by an eruption in the La Garita Caldera, while its Castle Rock was the result of earlier activity in the Thirtyninemile Volcanic Field. Mining sites in this state include the Rangely Oil Field, the Summitville Mine in the San Juan Mountains, and Cripple Creek. In 2004, part of this state's San Luis Valley was designated (*) Great Sand Dunes National Park. This state is also home to the deep Black Canyon of the Gunnison as well as the Spruce Tree House and Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park. For 10 points, identify this state that contains the Front Range and Pike's Peak.
A: Colorado
Q: This nation became independent under the leadership of President Snegur, and for most of the 1990's it was ruled by the regressive Agrarian Party, who opposed economic reforms. Its most recent elections saw the Alliance for European Integration beat out the still-powerful Communist Party. The western border of this nation is the Prut River. About 4% of this nation belongs to the Gaugaz ethnicity, who are Turkish speaking Muslims. This nation claims the cities of Bender and Tiraspol, which are under the control of a Russian-speaking breakaway state. This nation's language is virtually identical to Romanian and it was part of Romania until World War II. For 10 points, name this former Soviet republic from which Transnistria is a breakaway, and whose capital is Chisinau.
A: Moldova
Q: This country's government only uses the term "Shene" to refer to an ethnic paramilitary that carried out the Gawa Qanqa massacre. A region of this country held illegal elections in 2020 which were swept by a left-wing nationalist party in defiance of a postponement due to COVID-19. In 2019, this country's leader merged his own People's Revolutionary Democratic Front and several other ethnic parties into the new Prosperity Party. Despite an (*) offensive taken by this country's government to conquer Mekelle, the city was retaken seven months later by the TPLF, who have since formed a united front with the Oromo Liberation Army. For 10 points, name this country that has been embroiled in the Tigray War since 2020, governed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Abiy Ahmed.
A: Ethiopia [or Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia or yeItyop'ya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik]
Q: The Zij-I Sultani is an astronomical table produced at this city's observatory, which was one of the finest in the world until destroyed in 1449 by religious fanatics. This city was formerly based around a hilly area called the Afrasiyab, which is now a ruin. This city is home to the Shah-i-Zinda complex of royal tombs. This city's central square is called the Registan, where you can find the massive Bibi-Khaym mosque. Until1868, this city was home to the Uthman Koran, the oldest in the world. This city's Gur-e Amir is the mausoleum of the ruler who brought this city to its greatest prominence. That ruler allegedly brought 90 elephant-loads of treasure to this city from his sack of Delhi. For 10 points, name this former capital of Tamerlane, the second largest and most historic city of Uzbekistan.
A: Samarkand
Q: It's not New York City, but this city's World Trade Center is the tallest regular pentagonal building in the world. This city's Hampden neighborhood is home to its annual celebration of Honfest, named for this city's most iconic slang term. Latrobe Park is located in this city's Locust Point neighborhood, which, along with this city's neighborhood of (*) Fell's Point, is bounded by the Patapsco River. Tourists often visit this city's Inner Harbor district, which is home to its National Aquarium. The Preakness Stakes are hosted at the Pimlico Race in this city, which was historically defended by Fort McHenry. Johns Hopkins University is located in, for 10 points, what largest city in Maryland?
A: Baltimore
Q: Simon Bolivar Square in Garden City can be reached by going south from this location alongside the Mogamma, the center of the municipal bureaucracy. It can also be accessed from Zamalek by the 6th of October Bridge, from the north by the Corniche, and from the east by a street named for Talaat Harb. It was formerly home to the headquarters of the National Democratic Party, and (*) Lara Logan was sexually assaulted here. A museum on its north side was broken into and damaged during a period in which its Hardees was a makeshift hospital for some of the million people camped in it. The Nile runs just west of, for 10 points, what main square in central Cairo?
A: Tahrir Square [or Liberation Square; or Maydan al-Tahrir]
Q: The "12 Pillars" road in this metro area leads to its expensive Connaught ("kuh-NOT") Place business district, many of whose buildings were designed by Robert Tor Russell. Much of Raisina ("rye-SEE-nuh") Hill in this metro area was developed between durbars held in 1903 and 1912. In the late 20th century, this metro area's population spread to suburbs like Ghaziabad ("GAH-zee-uh-bod") that lie across the Yamuna River. This metro area is home to the flower-shaped Baha'i (*) Lotus Temple. This metro area is home to the Jama Masjid, its country's largest mosque. A massive redevelopment plan in this metro area will update Lutyens-era ("LUTT-yinz era") structures like the Rashtrapati Bhawan ("RAHSH-truh-puh-tee BUH-wun") despite a pandemic. The Koh-i-Noor diamond once resided in this metro area's Red Fort, the home of many Mughal emperors. For 10 points, name this metro area that includes India's capital.
A: New Delhi [accept Delhi or Old Delhi; prompt on National Capital Region or National Capital Territory]
Q: In 1996, a thirty year water sharing treaty addressed claims that the Farraka Barrage on this river was causing desertification in a neighboring country. A 2008 flood caused one of this river's tributaries, the Koshi, to re-fill a channel abandoned a century before. The Sone, which joins this river near Patna, is dammed to provide irrigation for much of Bihar. The Triveni Sangam is formed by its confluence with the (*) Yamuna at Allahabad. It is also fed by the Meghna well downstream from the most famous city on its banks, Varanasi. For 10 points, name this river that joins the Brahmaputra and flows into the Bay of Bengal after crossing northern India.
A: Ganges River [or Ganga]
Q: Pools of industrial waste line the banks of this river in Almasfuzito, and sludge from an aluminum plant spill in Ajka reached this river in October 2010. In 2000, two tributaries of this river were devastated by a cyanide spill at Baia Mare, a gold mine on the Somes River. Industrial cities on this river include Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina, and (*) Linz, and this river is joined by the Morava, the Drava, and the Tisza. Rising in the Black Forest, it is dammed on the border between Serbia and Romania. Before it empties into the Black Sea, what river, for 10 points, flows through Budapest, Belgrade, and Vienna?
A: Danube River [or Duna River; or Donau River]
Q: Tourists and other people engaged in this activity in Waitomo, New Zealand, often take selfies in front of blue glowworms. Several people have died partaking in this activity in France in a location named for Joseph Berger following heavy rainfall. Howard and Deb Limbert helped popularize this activity in places like Hang Son Đoong ("hahng sun dong"), nicknamed the "Great Wall of Vietnam." In 2018, a soccer team that engaged in this activity was (*) stranded in Tham Luang Nang Non, Thailand. This activity is the recreational equivalent of speleology. The largest venue for people engaged in this activity in the US is in a "Mammoth" system in Kentucky. For 10 points, name this activity where one might explore regions filled with stalactites.
A: caving [or spelunking; or cave diving; or exploring caves; or touring caves; or potholing; accept speleology before mentioned; prompt on sight-seeing or exploring or scuba diving by asking "in what locations?"]
Q: A sculpture of a girl in a blue dress with the head of one of these creatures is a popular selfie spot in Buffalo, New York. A so-called "alley" named for these creatures attracts tourists to South Africa's Geyser Rock. The government of New South Wales uses drum lines to cull the population of these creatures, whose fermented meat constitutes a pungent Icelandic dish called (*) hakarl. A Peter Benchley novel based on a series of incidents involving these creatures in New Jersey in 1916 was turned into one of the first movie blockbusters. Deep-water varieties of these species tend to have large, fatty livers. For 10 points, name these creatures whose "great white" variety occasionally attack humans.
A: sharks [or Selachimorpha; or Selachii; accept sharkgirl or Shark Island; accept more specific shark varieties like great white shark; prompt on fish] (The Benchley novel was Jaws.)
Q: During an 1830s cholera epidemic, Lord Brougham ("broom") started a trend by traveling to this region, which was later where Wallis Simpson hid from the media during the Abdication Crisis. Coco Chanel owned the villa of La Pausa in this region. Cary Grant plays a cat burglar operating in this region in Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief. Brigitte Bardot's breakout role was in a 1956 film set in this region's town of Saint-Tropez ("san-tro-PAY"). Each May, a city in this region hosts a sporting event where (*) drivers pass under the Fairmont Hotel. Another annual event in this region awards the Palme d'Or and is the world's second-oldest film festival. Cannes ("can") and Monaco are cities in, for 10 points, what region of Southern France on the coast of the Mediterranean?
A: French Riviera [or Cote d'Azur; or Coast of Azure; prompt on Southern France; prompt on the French Mediterranean before the end; anti-prompt on Nice or Monaco]
Q: An office building in this city, whose top is shaped like a ship's prow, was commissioned by a saltpeter magnate who made his fortune in Chile, hence the name Chilehaus. This city contains the world's largest contiguous warehouse complex, built on oak piles, in its renovation-heavy HafenCity quarter. John Lennon played a set with a toilet seat around his neck during The Beatles's string of performances in this city's notorious Reeperbahn red-light district. Johannes Brahms was baptized in this city's St. Michael Cathedral, which joins St. James's, St. Peter's, St. Catherine's, and St. (*) Nicholas's in a quintumvirate of Lutheran cathedrals that have all been burnt and rebuilt. This city cemented its status as an industrial powerhouse by absorbing the towns of Wandsbeck, Harburg, and Altona. This former Hanseatic town is the largest city on the Elbe and the second-largest port in Europe. For 10 points, name this second-largest city in Germany, which lends its name to a style of sandwich with ground meat patties.
A: Hamburg, Germany [or Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg; or Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg]
Q: This city is home to the world's largest triumphal arch, which is located at the base of its Moran Hill. One pyramid-shaped skyscraper in this city is named for a historic name of this city, which translates to "capital of willows." The world's second-largest stadium, the 1st of May Stadium, is located on this city's Rungra Island, and hosts "Mass Games" as a part of the (*) Arirang Festival. Three hands holding a hammer, sickle, and calligraphy brush can be found at this city's Monument to Party Founding. The tallest unoccupied building in the world is this city's 105-story Ryugyong Hotel. This city is the largest on the Taedong River, whose eastern bank is home to this city's Juche Tower. Kim il-Sung Square is located in, for 10 points, what capital city of North Korea?
A: Pyongyang
Q: A former center of this body of water's fishing industry was Moynaq, a city whose population has plummeted since the 1980s. This body of water was split by the construction of the Dike Kokaral across the Berg Strait in 2006. The now-uninhabited town of Kantubek on Rebirth Island in this body of water was once the world's largest dumping ground for anthrax. One river flowing into it is tapped by the Kara Kum Canal, which was built to provide irrigation for cotton. That tributary, the (*) Amu Darya, as well as the more northerly Syr Darya, have been so taxed that this lake's namesake city now lies 12 kilometers away from it, while in 2008 its eastern portion ceased to exist. For 10 points, name this shrinking lake in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
A: Aral Sea
Q: Archaeologist Betty Meggers's book on this region argued that it was never densely populated. Since the 1980s, the 364 highway has increased population density in this region despite empate ("em-PA-chih") protests by the "Gandhi" of this region, who was assassinated in 1988. A president serving in the 1950s sought to exploit the cassiterite deposits of this "unproductive and empty" region; more recently, one government has lifted the ban on correntao, a practice where two (*) tractors are chained together to "improve" land in this region. This region was subject to the "March to the West" in the 1930s by dictator Getulio Vargas and has more recently been clear cut for soy fields under presidents like Michel Temer ("mee-SHELL TAY-mair") and Jair Bolsonaro ("ja-EER boh-soh-NAH-roo"). For 10 points, name this Brazilian rainforest.
A: Amazon rainforest [or Amazonas state; or Amazon jungle; or Amazonia; accept Brazilian rainforest before the end; prompt on Western Brazil before the end] (The "Gandhi of the Amazon" is Chico Mendes.)
Q: This state contains the beginner mountain-climbing destination of South Sister, one of its Three Sisters. The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is located in this state, whose northwestern-most point contains Fort Clatsop, where a major river flows into the ocean. The eruption of Mount Mazama created a lake in this state's only national park, which includes Wizard Island. Almost 70 percent of this state's population lives in the Willamette River Valley in the shadow of its tallest peak, Mount Hood. For 10 points, name this state that contains Crater Lake, shares the lower course of the Columbia River with Washington, and is home to the cities of Salem and Portland.
A: Oregon
Q: The ancient capital of this country is bisected by the Perfume River, which has its source in the Annamite Range. The Lake of the Returned Sword, or Hoan Kiem, is found in the capital of this country. The Can Tho Bridge crosses the Bassac River in this country, which is home to the Tay and Kinh ethnic groups. The world's largest cave, the Son Doong, is found in this country, which also contains the UNESCO Word Heritage sites of Ha Long Bay and the city of Hue. The Red River flows through the capital of this country, whose far south contains the Mekong Delta. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian country that contains Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
A: Socialist Republic of Vietnam [or Cong hoa Xa hoi chu nghia Viet Nam. Accept SRV.]
Q: This city's "South Axis" business district is home to the headquarters of ING Group. The 1287 St. Lucia's flood changed the coastline and led to the rise of this port city, whose largest park is the Vondel. Many glass doors are found in its De Wallen district, and its semicircular rings of canals flow from the central Grachtengordel. A body of water called the IJ in this city is connected to the Rhine and the North Sea by a series of canals. This city, the most populous in the Randstad conurbation that also includes Utrecht, is located on polders built up around the Amstel River. For 10 points, name this city that is, with the Hague, the capital of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: This country's city of Bellinzona is known for three castles that guarded the route into its Ticino region, and other castles in this country include one in the center of the town of Neuchatel and the Chillon Castle near a city that hosts a popular jazz festival, Montreaux. Tourists are attracted to this country by resorts in Verbier and (*) Zermatt as well as a castle that may have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci in Locarno and the covered Chapel Bridge in Lucerne. Its second most populous city of Basel is located on the Rhine, while the Jura Mountains rise above its city of Lausanne. For 10 points, name this country that is home to Zurich and Geneva.
A: Switzerland [or Swiss Confederation]
Q: A national park in this state contains Going-to-the-Sun Road and the Lewis Overthrust. Granite Peak, the highest point in this state, can be found in a mountain range that this state shares with its southern neighbor, the Beartooth Mountains. Fort Peck Lake is formed behind a dam near the city of Glasgow in this state, which also contains Flathead Lake, a remnant of Glacial Lake Missoula. This state contains the northern part of the Big Horn Mountains and the eastern portion of the Bitterroot Range, which it shares with another state's panhandle. Among this state's most populous cities are Butte, Great Falls, and Billings. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Helena.
A: Montana
Q: This country's Ituri Rainforest is home to the Mbuti people, who have recently been victimized by cannibals who believe they confer magical powers when eaten. This country's city of Goma saw a cholera outbreak in 1994 among its huge refugee population. 160 people were massacred in 2002 in the center of one of this country's major gold mining regions, (*) Kisangani. An incursion into this country's Haut-Uele province, likely by a neighboring country's Lord Resistance Army, resulted in over 300 machete-induced deaths in the Makombo Massacre. Home to Lubumbashi in the state of Katanga, for 10 points, name this former personal colony of Leopold II of Belgium, a central African country with capital at Kinshasa.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [accept DRC or RDC; accept Congo-Kinshasa before the last word; prompt on just "Congo;" do not accept the "Republic of the Congo" or "Congo-Brazzaville"]
Q: The town of Kutna Hora in this country is the site of a famous ossuary made entirely of human bones. The Holy Trinity monument in this country's town of Olomouc is among Europe's grandest baroque plague columns, while a simpler plague column is found in Mala Strana in its capital near the church of St. Nicholas. The Rabbi Low is buried in the Old Jewish (*) Cemetery in the capital city of this country, home to the Terezin concentration camp and the cities of Ostrava and Brno. St. Wenceslaus Square and the Charles Bridge over the Vltava River can be found in, for 10 points, what country governed from Prague? A
A: Czech Republic [prompt on Czechoslovakia]
Q: Comoe National Park is located in the northeastern corner of this country in its Zanzan and Savanes Districts. The largest church in the world, The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, is located in this country's capital city. Queen Abla Pokouis the legendary (*) founder of this country named for a product that is now mostly illegal to trade. For 10 points, name this country that is bordered on the east by Ghana and whose capital is Yamoussoukro.
A: Ivory Coast [accept:Cote d'Ivoire]
Q: One incident indicative of the problems in these entities was Girl X's rape and poisoning in 1997, and some of these entities were established by the 1937 Wagner-Steagall Act. Particularly bad examples of these entities are supposed to be revitalized by HOPE VI. Many of these entities are supervised by a cabinet department whose first head was African American Robert C. Weaver and whose current head is Shaun Donovan. FDR presided over the creation of (*) Techwood, the first of these entities in the United States that was located in Atlanta. Notable examples of these include Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis, Marcy and Queensbridge in New York City, and Ida B. Wells and Cabrini-Green in Chicago. For 10 points, name this type of low-income residence controlled by the government.
A: public housing projects [accept either underlined answer; accept equivalents that involve government-funded housing]
Q: This area is home to the largest supply of sodium nitrate in the world, and soil samples from here are similar to ones from Mars. The European Southern Observatory owns and operates a four-part telescope in this area. This desert was the source of conflict for an 1879 to 1883 war in which (*) Peru and Bolivia were defeated by Chile. For 10 points, name this home of the Very Large Telescope, a South American desert that is considered the driest hot desert on Earth.
A: Atacama Desert
Q: Rapid deforestation on this island has resulted in the Betsiboka River turning red due to the large amount of silt it now carries. A manmade waterway linking natural lagoons and rivers runs between Farafangana and Mahavelona on this island's east coast and is called the Canal des Pangalanes. This island's highest point, Maromokotro, is located in the Tsaratanana Massif and the city of Toliara is situated in this island's semi-desert southeast. The (*) Merina Kingdom dominated this island prior to being colonised by the French, and this island's largest city is Antananarivo. For 10 points, name this fourth-largest island in the world, an island off the southeast coast of Africa.
A: Madagascar
Q: Sandwiches first created in this city include the plantain-based Jibarito and the massive "Gym Shoe." This city's Harold Ramis Film School emerged from an institution that trained actors such as Halle Berry and Chris Farley. The online music magazine Pitchfork is headquartered in this city. It's not Toronto or Los Angeles, but comedians such as Steve Carell trained at The (*) Second City improv in this city. This city's Grant Park is the site of the Lollapalooza music festival. The Goodman Theatre is the oldest non-profit theater in this city's Loop district, also home to a sculpture in Millennium Park nicknamed "The Bean." For 10 points, name this "Windy City," the most populous in Illinois.
A: Chicago, Illinois
Q: The tallest of these structures was 33 feet tall and weighed 82 tons. Most of these structures are made of tufa, though some exist in trachyte, scoria and basalt, and the most important of these structures featured red scoria pukao, or topknots. Some later examples of these structures are made of wood, and are referred to as kavakava. The only seven of these structures to face the sea are aligned with the Sun's movement at equinoxes; these are at (*) Ahu Akivi. Most of these structures were constructed at Rano Raraku, where many are still partially buried. The construction of these structures stopped both due to deforestation and the rise to dominance of the 'birdman' cult. For 10 points, name these megalithic statues constructed by the indigenous Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.
A: Moai [accept Easter Island heads or Easter Island statues until 'Easter Island']
Q: This mountain has two summits, of which the South summit is approximately 1100 feet higher. The Kahiltna Glacier comes off the southwest side of this mountain, which is named after a Koyukon word meaning 'high' or 'tall'. It was renamed in the lead up to the (*) 1896 presidential election, and retained that name until 2015. For 10 points, name this mountain, which was named Mount McKinley for 119 years before having its original name restored.
A: Denali [accept Mount McKinley before mention]
Q: An exceptionally large one of these things named for Lindsey Creek was destroyed in 1905. The "Jackson" one of these things in Athens, Georgia, unusually has legal ownership over its land. Julius Sterling Morton helped popularize a Nebraska holiday centered on these things that was later endorsed by Theodore Roosevelt. Environmentalists prevented Disney from building a ski lodge in a park named for a type of these things that also contains the (*) tallest peak in the contiguous US, Mount Whitney. A road passes through the "Chandelier" one of these things, which is slightly smaller in size than one named for General William Tecumseh Sherman. For 10 points, name these plants, giant examples of which are found in California's Sequoia National Park.
A: trees [accept more specific types of trees such as oak tree or redwood tree; accept giant sequoia tree or Sequoia National Park until read; prompt on plants] (The holiday is Arbor Day.)
Q: This island's Danum Valley Conservation Area is the only known home of the spectacled flowerpecker. Anthony Brooke was the heir apparent to the White Rajahs, a dynasty of Englishmen who controlled a kingdom on this island from 1841 to 1946. The Mahakam River flows past the city of Samarinda before emptying into the Makassar Strait, which separates Sulawesi from this island. The southern portion of this island is known as Kalimantan, and its northern portion contains the states of Sabah and Sarawak and an independent kingdom ruled by a sultan. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian island divided between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
A: Borneo
Q: The Aar, the Waal, and the IJssel rivers are all tributaries of this river that has its source at Lake Toma. This river's namesake waterfall, located in Switzerland, is the largest in Europe. (*) Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Rotterdam are all major cities on this river. For 10 points, name this long European river that flows through much of Germany and then the Netherlands before emptying into the North Sea.
A: Rhine River
Q: In this country's Araucania Region, the CAM terrorist organization of the Mapuche people has fought for land rights. Though not Bolivia, controversial plans are underway to build new mines near this country's city of Arica in traditional Aymara lands. The Santa Maria School in the city of Iquique in this country saw a massacre in 1907 of sodium nitrate miners, while its city of (*) Valdivia was struck in 1960 by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. major 1903 maritime strike shut down its chief port of Valparaiso. Much of this country's economy still comes from copper mines in and around the world's driest place, the Atacama Desert. For 10 points, identify this country that borders Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, whose capital is Santiago.
A: Chile
Q: This desert is home to a critically-endangered species of bear, which is the only desert-dwelling bear in the world. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program is a series of forest strips that have been planted in an effort to delay the expansion of this desert. At this desert's Flaming Cliffs, an expedition discovered fossilized (*) dinosaur eggs. The Tian Shan Mountains border this desert, which is home to the Bactrian Camel. For 10 points, name this Asian desert that covers a vast swath of Mongolia and Northern China.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: This place has only sixteen major towns, four of which are in the Disko Bay. The ruins of the Hvalsey Church are located in this nation, which has its highest point at Mount Gunnbjorn. Following World War II, the United States unsuccessfully tried to (*) purchase this island, which contains the Thule Air Base. The Davis Strait separates this island from Baffin Island, and its capital is Nuuk. For 10 points, name this Danish island, the largest island in the world.
A: Greenland
Q: The delta of this country's principal river contains the El Pao Iron Mine on a mountain known as El Florero. In 2004, this country declared a state of emergency when 18% of its largest lake's surface became infested with Lemnoideae, or duckweed. Air masses bounded by the Perija Mountains and the Cordillera de Merida produce storms that generate over 200 lightning strikes per hour near the mouth of this country's Catatumbo River. The Churun River flows over the Auyan tepui in this country, producing a feature named for an American aviator that is the world's tallest waterfall. For 10 points, name this country home to Lake Maracaibo, Angel Falls, and Caracas.
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Q: This geographic feature's three sections are demarcated by the Mangyshlak and Apsheron thresholds. Holding around 40% of the lacustrine water in the world, this body contains the hypersaline Garabogazkol Bay. Its inflows include the Ural (*) and Volga Rivers, and it has a large oil and caviar industry. The capital cities of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan border this body of water. For 10 points, name this largest lake in the world, falsely labelled as a "sea".
A: Caspian Sea
Q: This state's Bracken Cave hosts the world's largest colony of bats, and it is the largest producer of wool in its country. This state's Brewster County is large enough to contain the state of Connecticut. The first suspension bridge ever built in the U.S. crosses the (*) Brazos River in this state, where a category 4 hurricane in Galveston killed 8,000 people. For 10 points, name this state that is home to Big Bend National Park with capital at Austin.
A: Texas
Q: Kentucky Bend is separated from the rest of the state by this geographical feature, and the only natural waterfall in the upper portion of this river is Saint Anthony Falls. This river meets another one at the town of Cairo, Illinois, and its source is Lake (*) Itasca. In the early 19th century, an earthquake caused this river to temporarily run backwards, creating Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. For 10 points, name this long North American river that empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
A: Mississippi River
Q: A 2007 mudslide partially destroyed this region's Valley of Geysers, and its subarctic climate is partially due to the Oyashio Current. Cape Lopatka is the southernmost point of this region, while the Litke Strait separates this region from Karaginsky Island. On the shore of Avacha Bay lies this region's capital and the highest active volcano in (*) Eurasia, Klyuchevskaya Sopka, is located in this region. The Kuril Islands are located south of this region and over half of this region's population live in the city of Petropavlovsk. For 10 points, name this peninsula in far eastern Russian that separated the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean.
A: Kamchatka Peninsula or Poluostrov Kamchatka (accept Kamchatka Krai; accept Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve before "Oyashio")
Q: The site of the Battle of Greasy Grass, which is also known by a more famous name, is located in this modern-day state. This state is home to several natural attractions including Lake McDonald and Pictograph Cave. The Museum of the Rockies is located in this state's town of (*) Bozeman. This state is also home to Glacier National Park. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Helena, and whose largest city is Billings.
A: Montana
Q: Sheila Coulson sparked controversy by claiming a rock sculpture of a python, discovered in this country's Tsodilo Hills in 2006, was 70,000 years old and thus the oldest extant site of human rituals. This country's economy was bolstered by a 2000 expansion of its Orapa Mine, while its first economic boom followed a gold rush in its second most populous city, Francistown. This country's government is engaged in an ongoing controversy over land and water rights with its San (*) Bushmen, and many tourists to this country see the wildlife that congregates in an endorheic basin formed where the Okavango River simply stops flowing in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. For 10 points, name this southern African country whose capital is Gaborone.
A: Republic of Botswana
Q: The local stone of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a type of golden jurassic limestone that is named for this area. The highest point in this area is Cleeve Hill. A town in this area that was formerly called Corinium lies on the Fosse Way and is home to a large 'wool church'. One village in this area is known as its Venice due to its many low stone bridges over the River Windrush. Those places are (*) Cirencester and Bourton-on-the-Water. This area has held an annual Olimpick games intermittently since the 17th century in Chipping Campden. For 10 points name this area situated mostly in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire in which are found the settlements of Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton.
A: The Cotswolds
Q: The largest branch of an ethnic group in Russia called the Nenets speak a language with the same name as this habitat where they reside. The musk ox and snowy owl are two animals that have large populations in this (*) biome.One of the factors that separates this ecosystem from other similar regions close by, is its freeze-thaw cycle. Permafrost is a significant feature of, for 10 points, this cold, treeless biome found mostly in the Arctic Circle.
A: tundra
Q: This mountain range shares its name with an "Australian" one, while a "Southern" one contains the tallest point in New Zealand. One region of this range is the Bernese Highlands, and its Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest railway tunnel in the world. On a clear day, the neighboring (*) Black Forest can be seen from this range's tallest peak, Mont Blanc. For 10 points, name this European mountain range that runs through eleven countries. (PB/TR)
A: Alps
Q: This country's Dana Biosphere Reserve is home to the Atata tribe. The village of Salt lies in the Balqa highlands of this country, whose northwestern portion contains the fertile Hauran plateau. Nabataean petroglyphs can be found at Wadi Rum in the south of this country. A large castle is found at Kerak in this country, whose Zaatari refugee camp provides shelter to people fleeing a northern neighbor's civil war. This country is home to the rock-cut city of Petra and the city of Aqaba, the namesake of a gulf on the Red Sea. For 10 points, name this "Hashemite Kingdom" that controls the East Bank of its namesake river from its capital at Amman.
A: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan [or al-Mamlakah al-Urduniyah al-Hashimiyah]
Q: Poor neighborhoods in this city include Allapattah, the home of a namesake gang, as well as the historically African-American Overtown. Every March, this city celebrates a carnival called the Calle Ocho, while a controversial construction project is underway to construct a billion-dollar port tunnel under this city's Government Cut channel. The Supreme Court heard a case concerning Santeria animal sacrifices arising from this city's suburb of (*) Hialeah, where English is the native language of only 7 percent of the population. A 1980 riot and the 1998 drug war centered on its crime-ridden Liberty City neighborhood, but its best known neighborhood is undoubtedly Little Havana, the center of its Cuban community. For 10 points, name this seat of Dade County in southern Florida.
A: Miami
Q: While hiking up this mountain, hikers often stop at Gilman's Point, which is located on the rim of a volcanic crater. Ancient lava flows created this mountain's Barranco Wall and the Western Breach. The Chagga people reside near this mountain, which was first climbed by Hans (*) Meyer in 1889. This mountain is called "Uhuru" in Swahili, and it is composed of three peaks. For 10 points, name this Tanzanian mountain that is the tallest mountain in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: In June of 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to solo climb a rock formation in this region. The Cathedral Mountains run through this park that includes the Tuolumne Meadows. The construction of a dam at Hetch Hetchy Valley in this park was opposed by (*) John Muir and the Sierra Club, and it was the subject of numerous Ansel Adams photographs. For 10 points, name this eastern California national park, which contains El Capitan and Half Dome.
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: The Ubwari Peninsula indents the west shore of this lake, which is only periodically drained by its major outflow, the Lukuga River. Che Guevara used the western shores of this lake as a training camp and water from Lake Kivu flows into this lake via the Ruzizi River. The port of Kigoma is situated on the shore of this lake, as is the capital of (*) Burundi, Bujumbura. Henry Stanley found Dr. Livingstone in the town of Ujiji on the shore of this lake, which is only surpassed in volume and depth by Lake Baikal. Larger than Lake Malawi, for 10 points, name this long African lake that shares its name with a state now joined with Zanzibar.
A: Lake Tanganyika
Q: This region's city of Korla is the base for oil explorations led by Exxon Mobil. The town of Tashkurgan in this region is a resting place for travelers headed over the Khunjerab Pass toward Sust. The city of Ghulja in its far west lies on the Ili River, and it also contains a city centered around the Id Kah Mosque. One of its chief trading cities is Khotan, which is located in the Tarim Basin, and it also contains Lop Nur, which is now a major nuclear test site. (*) Kashgar is a traditional center of Muslim culture in this region that contains much of the Taklamakan Desert and has its capital at Urumqi [ooh-ROOM-chee]. Ethnic riots broke out in 2009 in, for 10 points, what predominantly Uyghur [WEE-gur] region of northwestern China?
A: Xinjiang (SHIN-jee-ang) [or Sinkiang; or Eastern Turkestan]
Q: Cathay Pacific Airlines dismissed one pilot after the pilot engaged in a demonstration in this place. Many of its residents feared that the now withdrawn Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill would have infringed upon the (*) "One country, two systems" policy that it operates under. In August 2019, demonstrators took to this region's airport, which is the third busiest in Asia. For 10 points, name this special administrative region of China that has been ensnared in pro-democracy protests since February due a proposed extradition bill.
A: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
Q: Thor's Stone is a large sandstone outcrop on Thurstaston Common in this area. This area is home to a uranium enrichment plant at Capenhurst and an observatory is located on Bidston Hill in this area. The highest concentration of Grade I listed buildings outside Trafalgar Square can be found at Hamilton Square in this area's largest settlement. William Lever constructed the model village of (*) Port Sunlight in this area and the 2014 edition of The Open Championship was held at Hoylake's Royal Liverpool Golf Club in this area. The town of Birkenhead is, for 10 points, situated on which peninsula between the Dee and Mersey estuaries?
A: the Wirral (peninsula) (accept Thurstaston Common or Hill before mentioned; prompt on "Cheshire", prompt on "Merseyside" before "Capenhurst")
Q: This body of water is the endpoint of a river that empties into it in a delta also known as the Oil Rivers. One country that shares its name with this body of water owns the two Elobeys, Corisco, Annobon, and Bioko, five islands located within it. The Bight of Bonny and the Bight of Benin are part of the coastline of this gulf, which counts Sao Tome and Principe among its Cameroon Line of volcanic islands and is the gulf into which the Niger River flows. This gulf contains the intersection between the prime meridian and the equator. For 10 points, name this gulf on Africa's west coast that shares its name with a country that also contains "Bissau" in its name.
A: Gulf of Guinea [accept Equatorial Guinea; accept Guinea-Bissau at the end]
Q: This city's town hall was built to emulate a Templar shield, but is made fun of by locals for resembling a coffin. In 2020, students at the largest Catholic university in the world in this city were banned from videoke sessions during the week and instead now frequent this city's Star City Amusement Park. Protesters in this city often congregate at the intersection of Chino Roces Bridge and Mendiola Street. In this city, the oldest Chinatown in the world contains Divisoria Market. Tourists can ride jeepneys through this city's walled Intramuros district and on a street named for a former Governor-General, Taft Avenue. This city lends its name to abaca hemp products such as a yellow binder common in office spaces. For 10 points, name this capital of the Philippines.
A: Manila [accept Manila paper or Manila hemp or Manila binders or Manila envelopes]
Q: Along with its southern neighbor, this country is home to marshy flatlands called the Terai. This nation is found to the west of the Siliguri Corridor. Most of the Gandak River is located in this nation, as is the Khumbu Glacier. Near the city of Lukla, one can find the Southern Col, a formation that links Mt. Lhotse to its neighboring peak. Eight rivers, most notably the Bagmati, flow through this nation's capital. Makalu and Annapurna are among the largest mountains in this nation. This nation's Geneva Spur is a rock formation named for Swiss explorers. At Mount Sagarmatha, those wishing to imitate this nation's native Tenzing Norgay congregate at South Base Camp. For 10 points, name this nation partially home to Mount Everest, with capital Kathmandu.
A: Nepal
Q: A brick tower named for this man is topped by a golden weather vane showing the archangel Gabriel, and almost collapsed in 1902. A symbol of this man stands opposite a granite column topped by Saint Theodore spearing a crocodile. Supposedly, the corpse of this man was recovered in 828 AD, and buried by a pair of merchants under pork and cabbage to deter Muslims from finding it. Horses possibly from the Arch of Trajan decorate a basilica named for this man colloquially called the Church of Gold. He names a cathedral in (*) Cairo, where he founded the Coptic Church. A piazza named for this man contains a column of a winged lion and can be accessed from gondolas in the nearby lagoon. For 10 points, name this gospel-writing patron saint of Venice.
A: Saint Mark [or San Marco]
Q: A presidential candidate for this organization, Mike Stone, filed suit against a former head of this organization's ERLC who wrote about Donald Trump as a threat to the Manhattan Declaration. Beth Allison Barr, a professor at a university affiliated with this organization, published an anti-complementarian book on the "Making of" a certain kind of womanhood. In 2021, Beth Moore stopped identifying with this organization, which is affiliated with (*) Baylor University. A minister from this denomination led "crusades" from 1947 until 2005, and names a rule that disallows spending time alone with unrelated women. This denomination was founded in 1845 in Augusta, Georgia and emphasizes the importance of complete immersion. For 10 points, Billy Graham was affiliated with what largest Protestant denomination in the United States?
A: Southern Baptist Convention [or SBC; accept Baptist General Convention of Texas or BGCT; prompt on Baptist Church or Baptists] (The former ERLC head is Russell Moore.)
Q: In this country, fossils of the one-ton Titanoboa snake were discovered in the Cerrejon Formation. This country's "River of Five Colors" is a rainbow-colored waterfall in its Serrania de la Macarena National Park. Natives of a region shared by this country and its (emphasize) eastern neighbor wear a Nehru-style suit called a liqui liqui ("lee-kee lee-kee") and play the fandango-inspired genre of joropo. This country produces the majority of the world's emeralds in regions like Cundinamarca. The owner of the Hacienda Napoles in this country imported "cocaine hippos" who have invaded its Magdalena River. For 10 points, name this South American country that shares the savanna region of Los Llanos ("YAH-noce") with its eastern neighbor Venezuela.
A: Colombia [or Republic of Colombia or Republica de Colombia]
Q: A dish in this country called patsamena, consisting of dried shrimp with sweet potato leaves, is one of this country's most popular laokas ("la-OH-kas"), or accompaniments. Before switching to a Latin alphabet, this country's official language was written using an Arabic-based script called Sorabe. A reburial ceremony in this country where people remove the dead from their graves and wrap them in a fresh cloth is called famadihana. Many rice paddies surround this country's largest lake, Lake (*) Alaotra. The Merina people are native to this country which is home to the westernmost Austronesian language, Malagasy. Antananarivo is the capital of, for 10 points, what island country separated from mainland Africa by the Mozambique Channel?
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: The 1995 documentary Island of Roses is about the Sephardic community in this city, which is home to the largest community of Jews from the island of Rhodes. A museum to African-American culture is being built in this city's mostly Black Crenshaw district. The historic Sepulveda House is located in a neighborhood first settled by this city's largest immigrant group in the 19th century, (*) Olvera Street. The largest Iranian-American community in the United States lives in this city's Brentwood and Westwood neighborhoods. Wilshire Boulevard runs through this city's Koreatown, the largest in the United States. For 10 points, name this largest and most populous city in California.
A: Los Angeles [accept L.A.]
Q: This body of water is home to a distinctive species of dolphin, which has the longest beak of any cetacean and is nicknamed the Franciscana. It's not in Brazil, but at one end of this body of water you can find Sugar Loaf Hill. Less-famous cities on this body of water include Quilmes and Maldonado. The brackish Samborombon Bay is found where this body of water receives the Salado River. A sandbar called the "Sandbar of the Indian" separates this body's freshwater and saltwater areas. Neighborhoods on this body of water include La Boca. By some definitions, this body is the widest river in the world, and it receives the delta of the Parana River. For 10 points, name this massive estuary of South America, found near Buenos Aires between Argentina and Uruguay.
A: Rio de la Plata [or River Plate; prompt on "Parana" or "Uruguay" until mentioned]
Q: In 2021, General Motors announced plans to extract lithium from this geographical feature with the Hell's Kitchen project. The Sonny Bono Bird Refuge is near this body of water, and is an important stopping ground for migrating birds on the Pacific Flyway. Tourist attractions near this body of water include East Jesus, an art installation made entirely of waste, and Salvation Mountain, a 50-foot-tall man-made mountain covered in paint. (*) Bombay Beach was a popular resort destination near this body of water in the 1960s, although by the 1980s tourism had dried up due to contamination. This lake was created by mistake in 1905 when irrigation canals from the Colorado River overflowed for two years. For 10 points, name this extremely polluted lake with very high salinity in Southern California.
A: Salton Sea
Q: Some northern tributaries of this river include the Sangha and the Likouala aux Herbes, while the Fimi and the Kwa Rivers drain the water from Lake Mai Ndombe into this waterway. This river was a trade artery for peoples who used Bondongo-style ceramics, and organized families around the "etuka," or hearth stone. Its easternmost navigable point is a city today called Kisangani, where this river ends at the Boyoma Falls. An early polity near its mouth was the Bungu kingdom, who crossed this river to the "hill of division" to found a larger kingdom that controlled trade near the Malebo Pool of this river, and converted to Christianity under Portuguese influence. For 10 points, name this river that flows between Kinshasa and Brazzaville.
A: Congo River
Q: This nation controls Mafia Island, which can be found just off the mouth of the Rufiji River. This nation's Usangu wetlands are irrigated by the Great Ruaha River. This nation has recently authorized uranium mining in its Selous National Park, which protects this nation's portion of the Miombo Woodlands. One city in this nation has a historic center named "Stone Town," which was once the capital of an independent sultanate. This nation has multiple salt lakes, such as Lake Natron, in its Gregory Rift, which is part of the Great Rift Valley. This home to the volcano Mount Meru is home to an enormous collapsed caldera, the Ngorongoro Crater, which is located near Serengeti National Park. For 10 points, name this East African nation home to Dar Es Salaam and Mount Kilimanjaro.
A: Tanzania
Q: A university in this state hired the inventor of the first visible LED, Nick Holonyak Jr., away from GE. The revolutionary addition of Archaea as a domain of organisms was spearheaded by a professor at a university in this state, Carl Woese. This state contains a facility whose CDF and DØ ("D zero") detectors discovered the top quark in 1995. This state's flagship university planted the Morrow Plots and employed a professor who is the only two-time recipient of the (*) Physics Nobel Prize for contributions such as the BCS theory of superconductivity, named John Bardeen. A university in this state ran an experiment under the Stagg Field stands that is commemorated by a Henry Moore sculpture. For 10 points, Enrico Fermi ran the first man-made nuclear chain reaction in what state, which contains his namesake "lab"?
A: Illinois [or IL; accept University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]
Q: A royal residence in this subnational region's largest city contains a Byzantine-inspired Court Church of All Saints and the "Hercules Hall." A site in this region that contains a Moorish Kiosk and Moroccan House, both purchased from International Exhibitions, also includes an underground lake featuring a golden swan-boat. This region is home to an annual festival that has been run by members of the same family, including Winifred and Cosima, from a (*) theater that includes a submerged orchestra pit. An island palace in this region honors its builder's hero, Louis XIV, with a partial replica of Versailles. The Bayreuth ("bai-ROYT") opera festival takes place in this region, the site of a castle whose name translates as "new swan stone." For 10 points, Ludwig II built Neuschwanstein ("noy-SHVAHN-shtyne") Castle in what German state whose capital is Munich?
A: Bavaria [or Bayern]
Q: This city's Woodward Park is home to the most recent version of the statue Appeal to the Great Spirit by Cyrus Dallin. It's also home to Lake Yahola, which is located in Mohawk Park, adjacent to this city's international airport. Also home to Shadow Mountain and Turkey Mountain, its tallest building is the 667-foot tall BOK Center Building, and its current mayor is Dewey Bartlett Jr. An incident between Sarah Paige and Dick Rowland in this city's Drexel Building led to a disturbance in its Greenwood neighborhood. That event was a 1921 race riot that devastated this city. This city lies just west of its largest suburb Broken Arrow, on the Arkansas River. Its home to a school named for an evangelist, Oral Roberts University. For 10 points, name this city whose namesake university is known as the Golden Hurricane, the second largest city in the fine state of Oklahoma.
A: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Q: From 1907 to 1911, Theodor van Erp led the effort to restore this structure using anastylosis. In 1885, J.W. Izerman discovered this structure's "hidden foot," which depicts scenes of torture and murder. Philip Beale constructed a working replica of a double outrigger ship depicted on this structure's reliefs. Pilgrims to this site pass through gates featuring the kala-makara motif while walking in an upward spiral around its terraces, which for many years were covered in ash from Mount Merapi. Located on Kedu Plain, this structure is divided into three levels representing the world of matter, Kamadhatu; the world of forms, Rapadhatu; and the world of formlessness, Arupadhatu. Built by the Sailendra Dynasty, it contains nearly 1500 reliefs of Mahayana texts, and consists of six rectangular platforms topped by a three circular platforms, which contain seventy-two statues of the Buddha. For 10 points, name this massive Buddhist temple located in central Java.
A: Borobudur [or Barabudur]
Q: In this country, the mulga species of acacia trees dominates numerous xeric shrublands. The winds off this country's Tanami Desert created a distinctive series of beehive-shaped stone towers in the Bungle Bungle Range. The Three Sisters are a rock formation in a mountain range in this country named for the bluish haze likely caused by Mie scattering. This country's almost-treeless (*) Nullarbor Plain borders its namesake "Great Bight" on its southern coast. A sandstone inselberg in this country is often paired with the nearby Kata Tjuta. One of the world's few Mediterranean climates is located around the Swan River on this country's west coast. The Great Dividing Range is located in, for 10 points, what country whose Northern Territory contains Uluru?
A: Australia [or Commonwealth of Australia; accept Great Australian Bight] (The mountain range is the Blue Mountains.)
Q: In this country, people can take the world's steepest cogwheel train at Mt. Pilatus overlooking a town in this country that sits on the Reuss River. The world's second-largest jazz festival takes place every year in this country's city of Montreux. This country's region of Valais is known for its resort towns like Verbier. The Castles of Bellinzona are located in this country's Ticino region, which shares Lake (*) Maggiore with this country's southern neighbor. The annual World Economic Forum takes place in this country's city of Davos. Romansh is one of the four official languages of this country, which is divided into 26 cantons including Zurich. Bern is the capital of, for 10 points, what famously neutral Alpine country?
A: Switzerland [accept the Swiss Confederation]
Q: Andrei Zavrotsky visited this body of water three times to study one natural phenomenon that produces a high amount of ozone. Nancy Wexler visited two settlements on this body of water to study the high rate of Huntington's disease among their inhabitants. Zapara Island is located in this body of water, whose Tablazo Strait is crossed by the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge. The flag of the state of (*) Zulia was inspired by the lightning at where the Catatumbo River feeds into this lake. The PDVSA operates refineries along the coast of this lake, which has some of the largest oil reserves in the world. For 10 points, name this largest lake in South America, located in Venezuela.
A: Lake Maracaibo
Q: Several birds native to this island incorporate batrachotoxin ["buh-TRACK-oh-toxin"] into their feathers, including the first-identified poisonous bird, the hooded pitohui ["pih-toh-WEE"]. This non-Puerto Rico island is crossed by the difficult to traverse Central Cordillera ["cor-dee-EH-ruh"], or its namesake highlands. The three species of long-beaked echidnas are endemic to this island, the only non-Australia place to have extant monotremes. This island is the primary center of diversity of a family of birds whose males have two absurdly long (*) tail feathers, the birds-of-paradise; the resemblance of its shape to a bird-of-paradise led two peninsulas to be named Bird's Head and Bird's Tail. This island is the westernmost extent of Melanesia and is the world's most linguistically diverse region. For 10 points, name this second-largest island, divided between Indonesia and a country whose capital is Port Moresby.
A: New Guinea [or Papua; accept Irian Jaya]
Q: In 2020, two territories on this body of water were combined into a territory abbreviated DNHDD. Nedumbassery is a suburb of one city on this body of water and is home to an airport that received the 2018 UN Champion of the Earth award for being run entirely on solar power. The Tapti river empties into this body of water. The Gulfs of Kutch and Cambay are inlets on this body of water. Agatti Island is part of a (*) Malayalam speaking archipelago in this body of water; that territory is Lakshadweep. The largest island in this body of water is Socotra. This body of water is the mouth of the Indus River, which drains at Karachi. For 10 points, name this body of water that bordered by Iran, Pakistan, India, and its namesake peninsula.
A: Arabian Sea [prompt on "Indian Ocean", don't accept "Arabian Gulf" or "Persian Gulf"]
Q: A small wooden figure called kavakava represented starving ancestors of this island's natives. A crescent shaped ornament worn by natives of this island is called a reimiro, which also appears on its flag. After stealing a sooty tern egg from an islet off this location and climbing the cliff of Rano Kau up to Orongo, you would earn the Tangata manu title. The (*) Polynesian rat was instrumental in the extinction of its namesake palm, which is described in Jared Diamond's Collapse. This island was first described by Jacob Roggeveen, where wood was used to write the Rongorongo script. Tuna empanadas are enjoyed in this island's largest city of Hanga Roa. For 10 points, name this island controlled by Chile, the location of monolithic stone heads called moai.
A: Easter Island [or Rapa Nui]
Q: The world's largest outdoor chandelier lies outside this city's historic Playhouse Square Theater. It's not Chicago, but this city's famous Lake Shore Drive is located in its upscale Bratenahl neighborhood. Severance Hall hosts this city's orchestra, which is the youngest of the "Big 5" American Orchestras. Public Square, a replica of the Boston Common in this city, is next to its tallest building, the (*) Key Tower. NASA's Glenn Research Center is located on the outskirts of this city, next to its Hopkins International Airport. This city is the largest in the former Connecticut Western Reserve, giving name to the largest university in this city. Environmental legislation such as the Clean Water Act was passed after this city's Cuyahoga River caught fire. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lies on the shore of Lake Erie in this city. For 10 points, name this city, the second-largest in Ohio.
A: Cleveland, Ohio
Q: An archipelago in this body of water includes the uninhabited Morskoy and Rybachy Islands. This body was once part of the Tethys Ocean, and its southern border regions contains the Alborz Mountains. The Amu Dayra once flowed into this body through the (*) Uzboy Distributary, the drying of which ended the Khwarazmian culture. This body has no avenues of outflow besides evaporation, although its inflows include the Ural and Volga Rivers. The city of Baku lies on the coast of this body of water. For 10 points, name this body of water, the world's largest lake.
A: Caspian Sea [accept Kaspiyskoye More, Kaspiy Tenyizi, Hazar Denizi]
Q: On Easter Sunday, a visitor to this body of water described r-selection in sea-hares while illustrating teleological thinking by asking, "Why are some men taller than others?" A guide from the people who domesticated tepary beans survived a lost 1905 gold-prospecting expedition to this body of water led by Thomas Grindell. John Gregg restored a boat from an expedition to this "washtub bluing blue" body of water; that trip inspired William Gilly to study its population of vicious "red devil" (*) Humboldt squid. Vendors from a state on this body of water created a crunchy, cheesy street food called vampiros. Chinese demand for totoaba swim bladders from this body of water has decimated its tiny endemic porpoise, the vaquita. An expedition of the Western Flyer led by marine biologist Ed Ricketts was chronicled in a "Log from" this body of water by John Steinbeck. For 10 points, what body of water separates Sinaloa and Sonora from Baja California?
A: Sea of Cortez [or Sea of Cortes; or the Gulf of California; or Vermilion Sea; or Mar de Cortes; or Mar Bermejo; or Golfo de California; accept The Log from the Sea of Cortez; prompt on the Pacific Ocean or Oceano Pacifico] (The Tohono Oʼodham domesticated tepary beans; the gold-prospecting expedition was the "Tiburon Island Tragedy.")
Q: This range possesses the mountain farthest from the Earth's center due to the equatorial bulge beneath it. This mountain range is home to the, "tin belt," including the now depleted Cerro Rico de Potosi. This range was formed from the subduction of the (*) Nazca and Antarctic plate beneath another tectonic plate. The world's highest active volcano can be found in this range; that volcano is Ojos del Salado. Tierra del Fuego can be found at the southern tip of this mountain range. For 10 points, name the longest continental mountain range in the world, which runs through countries such as Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.
A: Andes
Q: Nye Mountain is one of the 46 "High Peaks" within this state's largest mountain range. The Saranac river flows through the largest national park in the contiguous United States in this state, and this state contains Hemlock Lake and Oneida Lake, part of a group of eleven appendage-like lakes. This state contains the highest-elevation portion of the Appalachian Plateau. Lake Champlain borders this state and its neighbor Vermont, and a canal connects Lake Erie to another river in this state, the Hudson. For 10 points, name this Mid-Atlantic state which contains the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains and has a capital at Albany.
A: New York
Q: The Nettilling and Amadjuak lakes are found in this region's largest island which contains such peaks as Mount Thor in its Auyuittuq National park. Cornwallis Island is separated by the Parry Channel from Devon Island to the south in this region. A culture from Kinngait near Foxe Peninsula in this region was discovered by Diamond Jenness. The Sadlermiut group that settled around Coats Island were the last remnants of the (*) Dorset culture from this region. The northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world is in this region off of Cape Sheridan and takes its name from the HMS Alert. The British Empire Range contains Barbeau Peak, the highest mountain on Ellesmere Island in this region. Frobisher Bay can be found on Baffin Island in this region. For 10 points, name this primarily Inuit northern Canadian territory whose capital is Iqaluit.
A: Nunavut [accept Baffin Island on the leadin]
Q: Sir Frederick Sargood built the Rippon Lea Estate in this city, which is also home to the Abbotsford Convent. The streets of the centre of this city are laid out according to the "Hoddle Grid" and this city's suburb of Bulleen is home to the Heide Museum of Modern Art. The Royal Exhibition Building is situated next to this city's museum in (*) Carlton Gardens. This city lies on the north shore of Port Phillip, into which the Yarra River flows. This city is located approximately 40 miles northeast of Geelong and this city hosts a Grand Prix at Albert Park. For 10 points, name this rival city of Sydney, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria.
A: Melbourne
Q: One river in this province, Albany River, flows into James Bay and is used as a boundary between the Kenora District and the Cochrane District. This province also contains the town of Tobermory, in which one can take a ferry from Bruce Peninsula to Manitoulin Island on Lake Huron. Another lake in this province, which is shared with Minnesota and Manitoba, is the Lake of the Woods. Bordered to the northeast by Quebec, this province contains both its nation's largest city and capital. For 10 points, name this most populous province of Canada that contains the national capital Ottawa, with largest city Toronto.
A: Ontario
Q: It contains the Khumbu icefalls, and one can pass through the western Cwm ("coom") to reach this location. The Rongbuk monastery is located to the north of this geographical feature, and climbers must ascend Lhotse's northwestern face on their way to this mountain's summit. John Krakauer criticized another climber for going without supplemental oxygen on his rescues. The first two people to ascend this 8,000-meter-tall mountain were Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. For 10 points, name this Himalayan mountain, named Chomolungma in the native tongue, the highest mountain in the world.
A: Mount Everest [or Chomolungma before mention]
Q: The khulan, a subspecies of wild ass, is primarily confined to this physical region. This region's namesake "Lake Valley" is an endorheic basin with high-elevation lakes. This region's freshwater Bosten Lake is often taken as one end of its western boundary along with Lop Nur. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program planted trees to combat the growth of this region and is commonly called the Great Green Wall. Oviraptor (*) eggs found in this region in 1923 were the first recognized dinosaur eggs. The Taklamakan Desert is sometimes considered part of this desert, which is in the rain shadow of the Tibetan Plateau. For 10 points, name this desert found in northern China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi desert
Q: The northern extent of this range is demarcated by the Susan River and Fredonyer Pass. A lake in this mountain range near Lone Pine was the subject of "water wars" that led it to be drained at the urging of William Mulholland. A formation of columnar basalt, Devil's Postpile, is located on the western slope of this mountain range, which also contains Acrodectes Peak in Kings Canyon National Park. The giant sequoia is endemic to this mountain range, which contains the highest point in the contiguous US, Mount Whitney. For 10 points, name this American mountain range that contains Lake Tahoe and Yosemite Valley and straddles the California-Nevada border.
A: Sierra Nevada range
Q: This country's highest point, located in the snowy Semien Mountains, is Ras Dejen. This nation's village of Dikika in the Afar Depression was the site of the discovery of Selam, an A. afarensis skeleton unearthed 26 years after a similar discovery, Lucy. This nation shares Lake Turkana with its southern neighbor Kenya, while this nation's Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile which flows west into Sudan. It is bordered to the north by Eritrea and Djibouti and to the east by Somalia. For 10 points, name this landlocked Horn of Africa nation with capital Addis Ababa.
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Q: This country's Mar Chiquita is northeast of its second-largest city. Its capital city contains a planetarium named after Galileo and the 9th of July Avenue, which honors this country's independence day. Its province of Corrientes is separated from the Chaco province by the Parana River, and it is home to the Mapuche tribes, which inhabit its eastern pampas and Patagonia regions. The tallest mountain in this country as well as the entire Western and Southern Hemispheres, is Aconcagua. For 10 points, name this South American country claiming sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, with capital Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina [or Argentine Republic; or Republica Argentina]
Q: This river's major fish fauna is the elephant-fish, and a proposed dam on this river named the Grand Inga Dam would produce twice as much power as the Three Gorges Dam. The Lualaba River turns into this river near the Boyoma Falls. The two closest (*) capital cities in the world are across from each other on a widening of this river called the Malebo Pool. For 10 points, Lake Tanganyika is a major source of this river that separates Kinshasa from Brazzaville in two namesake countries.
A: The Congo River
Q: The Vishnu Basement Rocks form a low point at this site, and the border between those rocks and the Tonto group is called the Great Unconformity. A cantilevered bridge over one site at the west end of this location is managed by the Hualapai Tribe and is known as the Skywalk. This location also houses most of the Kaibab ("KYE- bob") Plateau to the north, from which the Bright Angel Point Trail is accessible. Bright Angel Lodge, however, is located on the south rim of this site's namesake feature. For 10 points, name this US National Park, where the Colorado River formed a large ravine through layers of Arizona sandstone.
A: Grand Canyon National Park
Q: In this city, poor residents who live near Mokattam Hill collect and recycle trash for a living in Garbage City, or live within mausoleums in the City of the Dead. This city's "old" section contains remnants of its predecessor, Fustat, as well as The Hanging Church, which is the seat of the Coptic Pope. This "city of a thousand minarets" also contains Tahrir Square and has a metropolitan area which includes the location of the Great Sphinx and the Great Pyramids. Located north of Giza and just south of the Nile Delta, for 10 points, name this largest city in Africa and capital of Egypt.
A: Cairo [or al-Qahira]
Q: This state contains the only kyanite mines in the entirety of North America, situated in its Willis Mountain. Its counties of Accomack and Northampton are noncontiguous with the rest of this state. Luray Caverns are located in this state's (*) Shenandoah Valley. The Chickahominy and Appomattox Rivers are tributaries for the longest river entirely in this state, the James River, on which its capital is situated. For 10 points, name this state, nicknamed the "Old Dominion," with its capital at Richmond.
A: Commonwealth of Virginia
Q: One dam on this river is located where the Spokane Hills meet the Big Bend Mountains. Along with Canyon Ferry Dam, Garrison Dam on this river forms Lake Sakakawea. This river is formed by three headwater tributaries which meet near a town in Gallatin County; those tributaries form this river in Three Forks, Montana. Besides the Madison and Jefferson Rivers, other tributaries of this river include the Platte and Yellowstone Rivers. This river flows through the Dakotas before forming part of the border between the namesake state and Kansas. For 10 points, name this river which joins with the Mississippi River near St. Louis.
A: Missouri River
Q: This region features the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, although most tourist locations are in Grand Casemates Square or John Mackintosh Square. The Alboran Sea forms Catalan Bay on the eastern coast of this region. Its southernmost tip, known as Europa Point, is mere kilometers away from Ceuta. Jebel Musa is the southern Pillar of Hercules while this region is the northern one. This peninsula's only land border is with Andalusia in the north, and its namesake strait separates Morocco from Europe. For 10 points, name this small peninsula and British territory on the southern coast of Spain.
A: Gibraltar
Q: According to a nonfiction account, rheumatism is common among inhabitants of these islands who use sea water to wash their clothes. Residents of these islands wear a moccasin-like shoe made from untanned cowhide, known as a pampootie. The director of Nanook of the North produced an equally fraudulent 1934 documentary about these islands, which fabricates the islanders' practice of hunting sharks for liver oil. These islands lend their name to a style of waterproof sweater with intricate basket, diamond, honeycomb, or cable stitches. Dun (*) Aengus is the best known of the many prehistoric hill forts on these islands. A cripple and a lieutenant star in a trilogy of plays about these islands by Martin McDonagh. J.M. Synge wrote an account of his life on these islands, the setting of his play Riders to the Sea. These islands are found at the mouth of Galway Bay, and their names are Inisheer, Inishmaan, and Inishmore. For 10 points, name these three islands located off the west coast of Ireland.
A: Aran Islands
Q: Floods in this country are controlled by the Tarbela and Mangla Dams. The Khojak and Broghol Passes connect this country with its northwestern neighbor, whose border with this country also contains the Sulaiman Mountains. This country, which is demarcated from its northwestern neighbor by the Durand Line, contains the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which share a capital at Peshawar. Its highest point is located in the Karakoram Mountains and is named Mount Godwin-Austen, or K2. For 10 points, name this South Asian country that disputes control of Kashmir with India and contains the cities of Karachi and Islamabad.
A: Islamic Republic of Pakistan [or Islami Jumhuri-ye Pakistan]
Q: One province in this country recently saw the controversial Nizam-e-adl regulations implemented to assuage local complaints about the slow administration of justice. That province is home to the southern terminus of the Karakoram Highway, as well a more famous transit route running from Jamrud to Torkham, passing through Landi Kotal on the Durand Line. The Swat district and the city of (*) Peshawar are found in that North-West Frontier Province, whose Hasba Bill was opposed by Iftikhar Chaudhry, the head of this country's Supreme Court and major political rival of its President. The PPP continues to challenge the long rule of Pervez Musharraf in, for 10 points, what country with capital at Islamabad? A
A: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Q: This polity's most active volcano, located in the southern portion of the Northern Volcanic Zone, is Sangay, which is taller than Pichincha in this country's north. This nation's largest city contains the Malecon 2000, a boardwalk on the Guayas River. That city shares its name with a gulf in this country whose southern border extends into Punta Parinas in Peru. This nation also owns a Pacific archipelago which includes Fernandina Island and Isabela Island, home to marine iguanas and a variety of finches. For 10 points, Guayaquil is the largest city of this South American nation, owner of the Galapagos Islands, with capital at Quito.
A: Republic of Ecuador
Q: This river is the ultimate drain of most of a highland region littered with many tabletop mountains called tepuis ("teh-POO-ees"). Competition from the spectacled caiman ("KAY-min") has helped drive this river's namesake species of huge crocodile to critically endangered status. This river's name means "a place to paddle" in the language of the local Warao people, who travel on it in boats. The so-called Casiquiare ("ka-see-kee-AH-ray") Canal flows [emphasize] south from this river into the (*) Rio Negro, linking it to a larger system to the south. This river provides most drainage to plains called the llanos ("YAH-nos") and the rest of the area covered by the Guiana Shield. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean directly opposite from the island of Trinidad. For 10 points, name this major river of Venezuela.
A: Orinoco River
Q: During this structure's construction, caisson disease injured its chief engineer, who then delegated oversight to his wife as he watched from his castle stronghold with Prince Terrien. In tribute to its designers, who ran together at Lark Creek Elementary, this structure features an extremely wide walkway on its upper level. Michael Bloomberg rules one side, while May Belle and Jess Owens rule the other. Multiple arrests and one fatality occurred when Occupy protesters fleeing Zuccotti Park fell into the East River after its precursor, a rope swing, snapped. For 10 points, name this suspension bridge connecting Manhattan to a mythical land of hipsters, constructed after Leslie Burke's death.
A: Brooklyn Bridge to Terabithia
Q: Truman Capote claimed that this city's Pontalba Buildings were the oldest apartment buildings in America. Those buildings form two sides of this city's Jackson Square, which also contains the Cabildo, currently a state museum. One business in this city, Cafe du (*) Monde, is known for its beignets [ben-yays]. This city's nightlife centers on Bourbon Street, and the Essence Festival has been held in this city's Superdome every year except 2006, when it relocated due to Hurricane Katrina. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Louisiana.
A: New Orleans [or Nouvelle-Orleans; prompt on "NOLA"]
Q: This town's Clean Energy Tours showcases Norman Foster's Chesa Futura ("KAY-zuh foo-TOO-ruh") model home, which resembles an elongated pumpkin. This town features a museum dedicated to painter Giovanni Segantini, who painted landscapes of a nearby feature that includes paths like Hahnensee ("HAH-en-zee") and Diavolezza ("dee-AH-voh-LET-zah"). Elites flock to this town's annual White Turf horse race, contested on the ice of its namesake frozen lake. Facilities in this town have 21 times been the host of the FIBT ("F-I-B-T") World Championships, which include events taking place on the world's only natural bob run. This town in the canton of Graubunden ("GRAO-beun-den") is overlooked by Piz Nair ("pits NYE-er") and the Badrutt's Palace Hotel, called the "birthplace of winter sports." For 10 points, what Swiss alpine town contains the oldest ski resort in the world and hosted the 1928 and 1948 Winter Olympics?
A: St. Moritz [or Sankt Moritz, or San Maurizio, or San Murezzan]
Q: The warrah wolf-fox was the only land mammal native to this archipelago before its extinction in 1876. A character from the soap opera Crossroads inspired the pejorative nickname "Bennies" for the inhabitants of this archipelago, who are also known as "Kelpers." The highest peak in this archipelago, Mount Usborne, takes its name from the Master's Assistant on the (*) HMS Beagle. The "Camp" of this archipelago refers to all the land outside its capital and the military base at Mount Pleasant. Fox Bay and Goose Green are some of the smaller settlements besides the capital Stanley in this archipelago. For 10 points, name this British overseas territory in the South Atlantic that was the object of a 1982 war with Argentina.
A: Falkland Islands [or the Falklands; or Islas Malvinas]
Q: Subranges of this mountain system include the Albula, the Bernina and the Jura. Passes through this mountain range include the Brenner and Great St. Bernard. A rail tunnel under this mountain range is slated to be completed in 2016 and will become the longest rail tunnel in the world. Ski resorts in this mountain range include Courmayeur, Innsbruck and Chamonix, which hosted the first Winter Olympic Games and is on this range's highest peak, Mont Blanc. For 10 points, name this major European mountain range in the southern portion of central Europe, which contains Matterhorn.
A: the Alps
Q: Transportation around this territory is provided by a company named for a local variety of boat, the Umiaq ("OO-mee-ahk") Line. One percent of this territory's population used to live in an apartment complex called Blok P, which was covered in a giant mural of this territory's flag until its demolition in 2012. About 70 percent of this territory's electricity comes from renewable energy, with over half from hydropower stations, such as one near its towns of Narsaq and Qaqortoq. This territory has its own parliament, the (*) Inatsisartut ("ee-not-SEE-sar-toot"), but recognizes Margarethe II ("mar-guh-REH-tuh the second") as its sovereign. This territory, which was given a misleading name by Leif Erikson to encourage settlement, is now an autonomous subnational country governed from Nuuk. For 10 points, name this Danish territory, a large island near the Arctic.
A: Greenland [or Kalaallit Nunaat or Grønland]
Q: Clusters of the palm-like pandani can be found in the highland regions of this island near Dove Lake. This island's isthmus of Eaglehawk Neck is home to the textbook example of tessellated pavement. This island is home to both the oldest known living plant, a 43,000-year-old clonal colony called King's Holly, and the world's third tallest tree, a mountain ash named Centurion. Shipbuilders once prized this island's native Huon pines, which live far south of its cool-temperate Tarkine ("tar-kyne") rainforest. Since the 1990s, a mammal native to this island has been devastated by a facial tumor disease. A cousin of the numbat hunted to extinction on this island is given its common name for resembling a wolf or a striped large cat. The thylacine was the namesake "tiger" of, for 10 points, what island, home to a black-furred carnivore called its namesake "devil?"
A: Tasmania [accept lutruwita; accept Tasmanian devil; accept Tasmanian tiger or Tasmanian wolf]
Q: In 1934, the controversial construction of the Parker Dam on this river required the National Guard to muster the Arizona Navy. Dams on this river form the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake (*) Mead, which is formed by the Hoover Dam. For 10 points, name this river of the American West that flows through the Grand Canyon and starts in the Rocky Mountains of its namesake state.
A: Colorado River
Q: The fixed trunnion and rolling lift are used to operate the "bascule" (BASS-kyool") design of these structures. The Szechenyi ("seh-CHEN-yee") one of these structures in Budapest is one of many "Chain" ones of them. Statues of Saint Luthgard and the knight Bruncvik are on one of these structures in Prague named after King Charles IV ("the fourth"). Norman Foster and Michel Virlogeux designed the tallest of these structures in the world in (*) Millau. The Vasari Corridor in Florence connects two palaces while passing through one of these structures, the "Vecchio" ("VEHK-k'yoh"). One of these structures "of Sighs," as well as the Rialto one, cross the Grand Canal in Venice. For 10 points, name these structures that span over a body of water.
A: bridges [accept Charles Bridge or Millau Viaduct or Ponte Vecchio]
Q: This nation is home to the Snowy Mountains, which contains this country's highest point, Mount Kosciuszko. This nation contains Bondi Beach, and in this nation Port Jackson surrounds Bennelong Point, which is home to the best-known design of Jorn Utzon. The city of (*) Wollongong lies in this nation's state of New South Wales, and the Great Barrier Reef lies off this nation's coast. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Canberra, whose largest city is Sydney.
A: (Commonwealth of) Australia
Q: The Written Rocks or Petits Escrits are on the north shore of this body of water, while the Maple Islands and Batchawana Bay are on its eastern shore. This lake empties into the North Channel via the St. Marys River and the Soo Locks. Other islands in this lake include Pie Island and Michipicoten Island. The Keweenaw Peninsula extends into this lake, whose largest island is Isle Royale. At the western end of this lake is the largest inland port in the world, Duluth. Another port on this lake is Thunder Bay. For 10 points, name this largest freshwater lake in the world, bordered by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes.
A: Lake Superior
Q: This city's River Services include Clipper boats that are used for commuter travel and which service stops such as Festival Pier. A train station in this city is the namesake of a children's book bear. In 2014, this city's subway added service on Friday and Saturday nights. Subway lines in this city are either classified as Deep or Sub-Surface, and can be accessed with this city's (*) Oyster Cards. Subway stations in this city include Russell Square and Green Park. This city's Paddington station is a terminal of the Great Western Railway, and its St. Pancras station contains Eurostar service. For 10 points, name this city whose Underground includes a station at Piccadilly Square.
A: London
Q: An acidic lake is located in this island's Ijen Plateau, which also has coffee plantations. The Madurese and creole Betawi are minorities to its two major ethnic groups. Mount Semeru is the highest mountain on this island, which also contains the most active volcano in its country. The Sahul and Sunda shelves meet under this island, forming Mount Tambora. This island contains the city of Bandung and is separated from Sumatra by the Sunda Strait. The most populated island in the world, it is south of Borneo and north of Christmas Island. For 10 points, name this second largest island in Indonesia, with a capital at Jakarta, that also names a type of coffee.
A: Java
Q: This river's source lies in the Bayan Har mountains, and it was purposely flooded to end the Siege of Kaifeng. This river, which cuts through the Loess plateau, forms the Ordos loop before flowing to the Gulf of Bohai. The Grand Canal linked this river to the (*) Yangtze, and it is nicknamed China's Sorrow due to its tendency to flood. For 10 points, name this colorfully-named second-longest Chinese river which flows into a namesake sea.
A: Yellow River [or Huang He]
Q: The Paseo de la Reforma runs through this city, which sinks about a meter every year due to the drainage of the basin of Lake Texcoco [tesh-koh-koh]. The (*) ancient ruins of Tenochtitlan [teh-nohk-teet-lahn] were replaced by the construction of, for 10 points, what largest North American city, the capital of the southern neighbor of the USA?
A: Mexico City (accept Ciudad de Mexico)
Q: The break-off events of these objects are exemplified by an event affecting Altels in 1895, which was thought to have been triggered by infiltrated water. A tunnel under one of these objects in Kluane National Park collapsed and formed a canyon 20 years after a surge that almost recreated a lake. The islands Santonen and Hanhinen merged into Hailuoto, a process called rebound, after one of these objects receded. They are divided into zones of ablation and accumulation, and they leave behind moraines at their furthest extent. Sometimes forming aretes between their 'u'-shaped valleys, for 10 points, name these moving sheets of ice which cover Greenland and Antarctica.
A: glaciers
Q: This country's northern neighbor possesses five enclaves within this nation, including the disputed islet of Perejil. The Rif Mountain Range from its northeast to its southwestern borders. While this nation has a primarily hot and arid climate, the Middle (*) Atlas Mountains in this country are home to the coldest recorded temperatures in Africa. The mountain of Toubkal is this nation's highest peak. Since 1994, it has closed its Eastern border with Algeria. For 10 points, name this North African country, whose border with Spain is created by the Strait of Gibraltar.
A: Kingdom of Morocco
Q: Travelers to the eastern part of this island often pass by an 18-foot-tall duck-shaped building appropriately called the Big Duck. "East Enders" who live in two towns on this island proposed seceding from Suffolk County to form Peconic County, which would be named for a nearby bay on which Sag Harbor lies. Summer vacationers to this island frequently take State Route 27 or the (*) Montauk Branch rail line and visit its protected Pine Barrens. Many celebrities come to this island to vacation on the Gold Coast or on a set of similarly-named resort villages on its South Fork. The MTA's LIRR serves this island and passes through the borough of Queens. For 10 points, name this island that is home to the Hamptons and parallels the coast of Connecticut for over 100 miles.
A: Long Island
Q: A Knoxville-based corporation that mostly makes this food began doing so after the TVA flooded most of its farms. A variety of this food forms the base of the Egyptian staple ful medames. The town of Salugia ("sah-LOO-jah") in Italy provides an alternate name for this food's "borlotti" variety. A type of Korean popsicle is prepared with this food's (*) adzuki variety. Beef and pork are stewed with this ingredient in the national dish of Brazil, feijoada ("fay-zhoo-AH-dah"). A golden retriever named Duke was used by Bush's Best, which sells canned varieties of this ingredient, whose mung variety is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Pinto gallo ("PEEN-toh GAH-yo") is a ubiquitous Latin dish consisting of rice and, for 10 points, what food that comes in fava, black, and kidney varieties?
A: beans [accept canned beans, frijoles, fava beans, black beans, soybeans, kidney beans, etc.; accept mung beans until read; prompt on legumes]
Q: It's not California, but this state contains Triple Divide Peak, which is part of the Great Northern Divide and causes the Waterton River to turn north. This state's Fort Peck Lake was formed by damming the Musselshell and Missouri Rivers, and is located south of Glasgow. It contains Lake McDonald, next to which runs Going-to-the-Sun Road, also named Route 1 of its namesake national park. The Bitterroot Range forms part of its western border, and its city of Whitefish is located north of Flathead Lake and just west of Glacier National Park. Containing the cities of Butte, Billings, and Bozeman, for 10 points, name this western US state with its capital at Helena.
A: Montana
Q: It's not electricity, but Frederick Boothby's Tartan Army bombed infrastructure vital to this industry. In 2017, Chrysaor became the largest independent operator over Buzzard, Elgin-Franklin, and Lomond in this industry. The Forties Field is the first and largest producer of the good central to this industry. The Cullen Inquiry investigated a massive explosion which killed 167 people aboard the Piper Alpha, which was a key producer in this industry. Fail-safe hatches were mandated in facilities in this industry after five divers were explosively decompressed aboard the (*) Byford Dolphin. Scotland's main source of income is from, for 10 points, what North Sea industry which contains many offshore rigs drilling?
A: oil industry in Scotland [accept synonyms for oil such as petroleum]
Q: A lengthy essay on this substance in Alexandre Dumas's Dictionary of Cuisine ends by claiming that a producer of it named Bornibus would one day "reign supreme." In 2009, a museum dedicated to this substance moved to Middleton, Wisconsin from Mount Horeb. Jean Naigeon ("nay-ZHON") swapped in verjuice for another ingredient in this substance, creating a popular variety that today is sold by brands such as Amora and (*) Maille ("my"). Turmeric powder is used to provide a distinctive color to a variety of this food first developed by George French. Along with bread, ham, pork, Swiss cheese, and pickles, this substance is featured in a Cuban sandwich. For 10 points, name this condiment that comes in whole-grain and Dijon varieties.
A: mustard
Q: This country was prompted to move its capital inland due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. The archeological site of Caracol is located in this modern-day country, which shares the Maya Mountains with its western neighbor. The second-largest (*) barrier reef in the world is located off the coast of this country, which is the only English-speaking nation in Central America. For 10 points, name this Central American country that has its capital at Belmopan.
A: Belize
Q: The formation of this mountain range also resulted in the formation of the Fall Line in the Mid-Atlantic of the US. The Aures ("aw ras") region makes up the eastern part of this mountain range, which is inhabited by the Chaoui people. A hydroelectric dam created the Lalla Takerkoust artificial lake in the high altitudes of this mountain range. A species of bear and lion native to this mountain range went extinct due to overhunting by the (*) Romans for gladiatorial combat. Small watchtowers called kasbah were often used to guard the citizens living in this mountain range. A subrange named "Anti-" this range begins at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches to Ouarzazate ("warzazat"), which has the largest solar power plant in the world. For 10 points, name this mountain range in northern Africa named after a titan from Greek myth.
A: Atlas Mountains (accept High Atlas or Anti-Atlas)
Q: Literary depictions of this place's "femininity" are the subject of a book by Elizabeth Leane. Lillemor Rachlew's diary describes how Caroline Mikkelsen beat her to become the first woman to reach this location. Apsley Cherry-Garrard called his travels in this place the "worst journey in the world." The 1991 passage of the Madrid Protocol banned mineral extraction in this location for reasons other than (*) scientific research. Former Georgia senator Carl Vinson lends his name to the highest point on this landmass. McMurdo Station and research bases named for explorers Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen are found on, for 10 points, what continent?
A: Antarctica [accept Tryne Islands; accept Research Bases or Stations in Antarctica; prompt on South Pole]
Q: The idea that this body of water underwent a catastrophic rise in 5600 BCE is the subject of William Ryan and Walter Pitman's "deluge hypothesis." This body of water, the world's largest not to contain intermixing layers, is often called the Euxine Sea in historical texts. The resort town of Varna is located on this body of water, whose northern coast is indented by a peninsula containing the city of Yalta. The Strait of Kerch separates the Sea of Azov from this body, which is separated from the Sea of Marmara by the Bosporus. For 10 points, name this sea that surrounds the Crimean Peninsula and borders Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey.
A: Black Sea
Q: In 1997, rioting broke out in this region after the execution of 30 activists in the city of Gulja, which lies on the Ili River. The northern half of this region is dominated by the Dzungarian Basin and contains Turpan, a city located on the northern part of a trade route that branched out to avoid the Taklamakan Desert. Lop Nur is a major nuclear test site in this resource-rich region. Migration to this province's city of (*) Kashgar has fueled ethnic unrest, while the summer of 2009 saw major rioting in this region's Han-dominated capital of Urumqi. For 10 points, identify this province of northwestern China, often referred to as the autonomous region of a certain predominantly Islamic ethnic group.
A: Xinjiang [or Uyghur Autonomous Region; accept Sinkiang; accept Eastern Turkestan or Chinese Turkestan or Uyghuristan from a Uyghur nationalist]
Q: Senators Charles McNary and Clarence Dill based their campaigns around public ownership of dams on this river, and the Celilo Canal was built to facilitate travel on it. Until about 13,000 years ago, this river discharged water from the melting Missoula Glacier, resulting in around forty catastrophic floods. Construction projects on this river were initiated by the Bonneville Power Administration, and it became shallower after Mount (*) Saint Helens erupted. Banks Lake is formed by the major hydroelectric installation on this river, the Grand Coulee dam. Rising in the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and receiving water from the Snake and Willamette Rivers, for 10 points, name this fourth-largest American river which forms most of the border between Oregon and Washington.
A: Columbia River
Q: Brokeoff Volcano is one remnant of this range's former Mount Tehama. The Osceola lahar in this range travelled by the White and Puyallup Rivers to the sea. From this range's terminus at Lytton Mountain, the Fraser River flows between it and the Coast Range. The collapse of Mount Mazama in this range created the deepest (*) lake in the United States. Mount Lassen and Mount Hood are located in this range, as is a stratovolcano whose eruption in 1980 was the deadliest in US history. For 10 points, the Columbia River Gorge passes through what mountain range that includes Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, and Mount Saint Helens in the Pacific Northwest?
A: Cascade Range [or Cascades]
Q: The Kazerun strike-slip fault separates this mountain range into two distinct areas of deformation. The Hazaran Massif is an eastern outlier of this mountain range, and the remains of ten Neanderthals were discovered in Shanidar Cave in this mountain range. The only glaciers to be found in this mountain range occur in the (*) Zard-Kuh and Dena sub-ranges. The historic city of Khorramabad is located in this mountain range, the northern extremity of which is in Turkish Kurdistan. This mountain range stretches southwards beyond the city of Shiraz to the Strait of Hormuz. For 10 points, name this mountain range of western and southern Iran.
A: Zagros Mountains
Q: One of Aeschylus's earliest surviving works is heavily influenced by his participation in this battle, during which his brother was killed. The defenders at this battle were shorthanded because of their allies' refusal to march before the full moon rose at the end of the festival of Carneia. Despite this, Datis and Artaphernes' forces were defeated here due to the absence of their cavalry, and their army was slaughtered as it fled to its ships when Callimachus' deciding vote allowed Miltiades' hoplite forces to engage. For 10 points, name this decisive Greek victory in the first Persian invasion of Greece that saw Pheidippides run 26 miles back to Athens to bring the good news.
A: Battle of Marathon
Q: Around half of the world's mud volcanoes are located in this country, largely in Gobustan National Park. The southwest of this country is bordered by the Talish Mountains. Most of this country's citizens who live abroad live in Iran. Notable exports of this country include caviar and horses, and at the beginning of the 20th century it was the world's leading producer of (*) oil. The exclave of Nakhichevan lies to the southwest of this country. The national language of this country is a member of the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family. This country's president, Ilham Aliyev, has been in power since 2003 and has been widely criticized for corruption. This country contains the Armenian exclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. For 10 points, which country's capital of Baku lies on the Caspian Sea?
A: Republic of Azerbaijan [accept Azərbaycan Respublikası]
Q: During a weeklong September festival, this city's people lead a procession carrying a 3-foot-tall wooden statue of the Madonna and child named La Conquistadora ("lah cone-kee-stah-DOH-rah") to the historic Rosario ("roh-SAH-ree-oh") Cemetery. Residents of this city annually burn a 50-foot cloth effigy named "Old Man Gloom," or Zozobra ("soh-SOH-brah"), to destroy worries and fears. Saint Joseph is said to have built the miraculous helix-shaped staircase of this city's Loretto Chapel. This city's House of Eternal Return is operated by the contemporary art group Meow Wolf, which is funded by local resident George R. R. Martin. Many of this city's celebrations involve the large concrete Cross of the Martyrs, built to commemorate Catholic priests killed during the Pueblo Revolt. This city's Canyon Road arts district includes the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. For 10 points, name this city, the capital and artistic center of New Mexico.
A: Santa Fe
Q: Great Britain and Belgium gained control of this body of water following a bizarre World War 1 naval battle. The Malagarasi and Ruzizi rivers flow into this body of water whose main outlet is the Lukuga River, and the first Western explorers to discover this non-Victoria lake were (*) Richard Burton and John Speke. This lake partially names a modern-day African country, along with an island group to the east. For 10 points name this 2nd deepest lake in the world that is found between the DRC and Tanzania.
A: Lake Tanganyika
Q: The northeastern portion of this body of water, which contains Rusinga Island and the port city of Kisumu, is Winam Gulf. The largest river that flows into this lake is formed by the Ruvuvu River and features Rusumo Falls; that inflow is the Kagera River. This lake has two outlets: the Katonga River, and another river which flows near Entebbe and Kampala before crossing Uganda and reaching Sudan. Once thought to be the source of the White Nile, this lake also borders Kenya and Tanzania. For 10 points, name this largest lake in Africa, which shares its name with a British queen.
A: Lake Victoria [or Nam Lolwe]
Q: A unique street food served in this region's largest city is made by slow-cooking the fourth stomach of a cow and is named after its resemblance to lamprey eels. An orange-zest flavored sponge cake served in this region during Carnival is traditionally topped with a fleur-de-lis ("flurr-duh-lee") dusted in cocoa. A tomato and onion salad from this region is named after the (*) stale bread that it repurposes. As an homage to a legend of a medieval border dispute between two rival provinces in this region, a black rooster appears on "classico" bottles of a red wine that is made in a part of this region, chianti ("kee-AHN-tee"), as designated by its former Grand Duke Cosimo III. For 10 points, what central Italian region is home to the cities of Siena and Florence?
A: Tuscany [or Toscana; prompt on Florence until read; prompt on Chianti and Valdichiana by asking "what broader region is that in?" until "Chianti" is read; prompt on Italy until "Italian" is read] (The foods in the first two clues are lampredotto and schiacciata alla Fiorentina, and the "stale bread salad" is panzanella.)
Q: This region contains Druid Peak, part of the Absaroka ("ab-SOAR-kah") Range, which is due north of the confluence of Soda Butte Creek and Lamar River. In this region's south is Heart Lake, which Mount Sheridan overlooks. A body of water within this region is tinted blue and yellow by bacteria and is known as Morning Glory Pool. Found north of the the Grand Teton National Park and situated atop a large supervolcano, its most famous landmark is a regularly-erupting geyser known as "Old Faithful." For 10 points, name this first national park located in northwestern Wyoming.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: A grounded Tristan airliner lies in a night market in this city where one can typically find assorted second-hand goods at its Flashlight Market. An airline named for this city was actually started as the American Overseas International Construction Company. That airline is based in an airport in this city which was occupied in 2008 by the People's Alliance for Democracy, commonly known as the (*) Yellow Shirts. Travelers to this city might take a teakwood rice barge down its River of Kings. Translated as the Temple of Dawn, the Wat Arun in this city is known for its distinctive spires called prang which are depicted on the ten baht coin. The Grand Palace is in, for 10 points, what capital and largest city of Thailand?
A: Bangkok, Thailand [also accept Krung Thep Maha Nakhon]
Q: A team named for this geographic feature was the only entrant from North America in the 2018 ConIFA World Cup. A national park named for this geographic feature is known for its cloudy streams, which come from residue from glaciers including Boston and Sulphide. The "Doug Flag," which includes a picture of a (*) Douglas fir, is a symbol of this mountain range. This mountain range is formed by the subduction of the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate. This mountain range's "north" subrange names a national park, and it includes peaks like Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Rainier. For 10 points, name this mountain range in the Pacific Northwest.
A: Cascade Mountains [or Cascades]
Q: The art critic John Ruskin referred to this mountain as a "noble cliff" and included his own illustration of it in his book Modern Painters. This mountain lies across the Theodul ("TAY-oh-dool") Pass from a mountain called a "little" version of this one. Four climbers died on the Zmutt glacier while descending from the first successful ascent of this mountain, which took place in the summer of 1865 and saw Jean-Antoine Carrel narrowly beaten by Edward Whymper ("wimper"). Like its (*) "Klein" counterpart, this mountain is in the Pennine ("PEN-nine") Range. The top of another nearby peak, the Dom, provides an excellent view of this mountain's most iconic feature, which is a massive dome of gneiss ("nice") that towers over its four steep faces. For 10 points, name this tall Alp on the Swiss-Italian border known for its pyramid-like shape.
A: The Matterhorn [or Cervino or Cervin or Gran Beca or Horu; accept Klein Matterhorn]
Q: This state was home to a Deaf outsider artist who, though illiterate, copied lettering from objects like Challenge Butter tins in decades of daily drawings which are stored in the James Castle House. Wayne Carlson started the first large-scale American farm to grow the Ethiopian grain teff in this state, where the ultra-spicy "triple Habanero pizza" is a summer tradition. A restaurant in this state's capital invented a dish of deep-fried strips of sirloin called "finger steaks." You can pick huckleberries in this state's Sawtooth mountains. In this state, Turkey-born executive Hamdi Ulukaya employs hundreds of refugees at a Chobani Yogurt factory in Twin Falls, which is southwest of the Craters of the Moon National Monument. For 10 points, name this U.S. state which is cut through by the Snake River and produces more potatoes than any other state.
A: Idaho
Q: A 2015 survey by this country's Integrity Watch found that its citizens paid about 3 billion dollars in bribes that year, more than the entire budget of its National Unity Government. This country's current government has neglected to enforce its laws against the brutal rape of young boys by elders engaging in "boy play" or bacha bazi. The US arrested Haji Bagcho, a drug trafficker who helped turn this country into the main (*) production center within the Golden Crescent. A Shi'a minority group primarily found in this country, the Hazara, speak a dialect of Dari with Mongolian and Turkic influence. This country produces most of the world's opium, which funds a militant group that has made many attempts to take its city of Kandahar. For 10 points, name this country where an Islamic emirate may soon be re-established by the Taliban.
A: Afghanistan [or Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]
Q: A popular joke holds that birds fly in circles around this city because one wing is always covering their ass. An outcrop near this city named "forty steps" or Chehel Zina ("cheh-HELL ZEE-nah") houses a Greek and Aramaic inscription which is the first of Ashoka's known Rock Edicts. A gift from the emir of Bukhara is found in this city's Kirka Sharif shrine, which houses Muhammad's cloak. This city's name is a variant of "Alexandria in Arachosia," the name given by its founder, Alexander the Great. Until 2018, the province named for this city was the base of Aslam Baloch ("buh-LOATCH"), who organized Balochi ("buh-LOH-chee") refugees here to fight to liberate Balochistan, which is across the border. As of April 2022, this city is where the government of Emir Hibatullah Akhundzada ("hee-BAH-too-LAH ah-KOON-zah-DAH") meets and sends administrative orders to Kabul. For 10 points, name this second-most-populous city in Afghanistan.
A: Kandahar [accept Old Kandahar; accept Alexandria in Arachosia before "Alexandria"] ("Alexander" was loaned into the Arabosphere as (al-)Iskandar.)
Q: The Chungungo, the world's smallest otter species, lives in this body of water. The sunny city of Arica lies on a "bend" or "elbow" abutted by this body of water. The Rongorongo script was used on an island in this body of water. The so-called "Sporadic Islands" in this body of water include the Juan Fernandez Islands. This body's Mocha Island is important in the mythology of the (*) Mapuche people. The Nazca plate lies completely under this body of water. The Humboldt current in this body of water partly explains the cold climate of cities like Valparaiso, which lies next to this body. The Rapa Nui created moai ("Moe-eye") on an island in this body of water known as Easter Island. For 10 points, Chile has a 4000 miles coastline on what ocean?
A: the Pacific Ocean [accept the South Pacific Ocean]
Q: A city along this river is home to a statue made of 130 pieces of granite, the Five Ram Statue, as well as the Temple of the Five Immortals. Another city along this river is home to a pair of "Seafront Towers" that house the headquarters of the company Tencent and was the first Special Economic Zone established in its country. A third city on this river issues contactless payment cards usable at supermarkets, fast food stores, and subways, called (*) "octopus cards," and is home to a district home built around the colonial "walled city" of Kowloon. That city along this river is governed by the "one country, two systems" policy and was handed over by its former colonial master, Britain, in 1997. For 10 points, name this primary river of Guangdong Province, whose delta is home to Hong Kong.
A: Pearl River [or Zhu Jiang or Chu Kiang or Zyu Gong; prompt on Canton River]
Q: The use of this natural region's unique terrain in the Bronze Age is investigated at sites called Must Farm and Flag. This natural region was said to be home to pixies called Tiddy Mun. The so-called "Burnt" part of this region, so-named because of the use of paring and burning to manage it, is surrounded by the Great and Little Ouse ("ooze") rivers. Legendarily, this region was roamed by Hereward the Wake after he was driven from the Isle of Ely ("EE-lee"). This natural region, which includes much of Peterborough district, was described as the "sink of...thirteen counties" by Daniel Defoe. Most of its former area is covered by farmland thanks to a wind-and-steam-powered drainage effort completed in the 1820s. Ecologically, this region is a silted-up bay of the North Sea. For 10 points, name this region of England's Eastern Midlands named for its marshlands.
A: The Fens [or The Fenlands; accept Fen Drayton Lakes, or Burnt Fen, or Cambridgeshire Fens, or Flag Fen; prompt on Peterborough before "Peterborough"; prompt on Eastern Midlands or East Anglia or Cambridgeshire; prompt on moorlands or marshes; reject "marches"]
Q: Though this country does not currently possess most of said artifacts, it continues to lay claim to a Roman hoard called the Seuso Treasure found near its town of Peroj ("PAIR-oy"). Several recent finds of Roman artifacts have been made by this country's Vinkovci ("veen-KOV-tsee") Museum, many of which have gone to the Museum of Arts and Crafts in its capital designed by Hermann Bolle. Gates of gold, silver, iron, and bronze lead into a complex built in this present-day country near the ancient city of (*) Salona, which has three stolen Egyptian sphinxes. That site, like many other Roman and medieval buildings in this country, were shown in many scenes shot by Fabian Wagner depicting King's Landing and other sites in Game of Thrones. Its south comprises the historic region of Dalmatia. Diocletian's retirement palace is found in the city Split in, for 10 points, what former Yugoslav republic whose cities include Dubrovnik and Zagreb?
A: Republic of Croatia [or Hrvatski]
Q: A foreign project in this country gave, and then revoked, running water to villagers in Crawfish Rock. A law in this country allows loosely regulated Zones for Employment and Economic Development, or ZEDEs ("SAY-dess"). Economist Paul Romer disaffiliated with a project located on Roatan ("roh-uh-TAN"), part of this country's Bay Islands, which set up Prospera, a self-governed "charter city." This non-U.S. country is home to about 200,000 mixed Black and indigenous Garifuna ("guh-REE-foo-nuh") people. In 2022, it changed the dark blue on its flag to a lighter turquoise, but kept the five stars in an X shape in the center. Its second most populous city, San Pedro Sula, is in its northwest, but not as far west as its one major Maya ruin site, Copan ("koh-PAN"). For 10 points, name this Latin American country whose first woman president, Xiomara ("see-oh-MAH-rah") Castro, lives in its capital Tegucigalpa ("teh-GOO-see-GAL-pah").
A: Republic of Honduras [or Republica de Honduras]
Q: A large Cistercian abbey of this name was established in the 12th century outside the city of Konstanz. It is also the name of Montserrat's largest town. To supply precious metals to the Mormon Church in the run-up to the Second Coming, John Hyrum Koyle built the Dream Mine in a city of this name after dreaming of the Angel Moroni. Rock structures known as America's Stonehenge are found in a New Hampshire town of this name, although they were likely assembled in the early 20th century as a hoax. The Single Brothers' House, built in a town of this name by Moravian Brethren, is one of the oldest buildings in North Carolina. Mahonia Hall is located in a state capital of this name, served by the (*) Cherriots bus service and home to Willamette University. For 10 points, the real House of the Seven Gables is located in a city with what name, home to Nathaniel Hawthorne and the site of famous witch trials?
A: Salem
Q: This body of water includes Monkey Bay, which is located in the Mangochi district. This lake was the site of the first naval engagement of the Great War. This lake is home to the ports of Likoma Island and Chipoka. This body of water is known by a name that translates to "Lake Lake." This lake is bounded by the Krik Range and the Viphya Mountains. It was discovered by a Portuguese trader in 1846, and David (*) Livingstone referred to it as the Lake of Stars and the Lake of Storms. This lake is drained by the Shire River, a tributary of the Zambezi. It is the 2nd deepest lake in Africa, and is also famous for the variety of cichlids endemic to it. For 10 points, name this lake, also known as Lake Nyasa, whose namesake country has its capital at Lilongwe.
A: Lake Malawi [accept Lake Nyasa before mention]
Q: Youtuber Jon Bois uses this tool to create animations in his videos. This tool originated as a "Keyhole" program, and the CIA's venture capital firm, In-Q-Tel, bought the tool in 2003. Other uses for this tool include (*) navigation, weather, and a flight simulator. One discovery made using this tool was the world's only known island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island, in Nunavut, Canada. This tool is also on Mars, and on the Moon. Street View is, For 10 points, Street View is a feature of what Google tool, named after the third planet from the sun?
A: Google Earth [do not accept or prompt on "Google Maps"]
Q: In this city, an Irish-born astronomer built a namesake pile of rocks to test estimates of Earth's circumference. The Neptunist-Plutonist dispute in geology was resolved by a formation near this city called the Precambrian Malmesbury ("MALMS-bree") shale, which is found near this city's wealthy Sea Point area. Maclear's ("mac-lear's") Beacon is in this city, which is the most populous in the Fynbos ("FAYN-boss") plant biome. A pass called Constantia Nek leads to a low-lying plain that includes the suburb of Mitchell's Plain and is called this city's "Flats." The Breede ("BRAY-duh") river valley north of this city is a natural wine region. Brightly painted houses dot this city's Bo-Kaap area, home to many people of Malay ancestry. Devil's Peak abuts a mountain in this city which is named for being topped by a plateau. For 10 points, Table Mountain overlooks what African city, which nearly ran out of water in 2018?
A: Cape Town [or Kaapstad; or iKapa]
Q: Caterpillars known as phane ("PAH-nih") are often stewed with peanuts in this country, whose cuisine also includes a dish of salted, pounded beef and goat meat called seswaa. Over 300 elephants died in July 2020 near this country's town of Seronga after consuming water containing toxic algae. The 1911 Tati Concessions Land Act imposed under British colonial rule continues to impact the development of this country's city of (*) Francistown. Chobe National Park and the Makgadikgadi ("muh-KAH-dee-KAH-dee") salt pans lie in the north of this country, southeast of the Okavango Delta. For 10 points, name this landlocked country containing the majority of the Kalahari Desert, a former British protectorate whose capital is Gaborone.
A: Botswana [or Republic of Botswana; or Lefatshe la Botswana]
Q: The Red Lady of Paviland is a Paleolithic skeleton found in a cave in this region. Weobley ["web-LEE"] Castle is a fortified manor house in this region, and Penclawdd is a centre for the cockle industry in this region. The Loughor Estuary bounds this region to the north, while the (*) Mumbles Pier extends from this region's southern coast. In 1956, this region was the first in Britain to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and at the western tip of this region is the tidal island of Worm's Head and the village of Rhossili. Jutting into the Bristol Channel, for 10 points, name this South Wales peninsula west of Swansea.
A: Gower Peninsular (accept West Glamorgan before "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty")
Q: The tallest of these structures was 33 feet tall and weighed 82 tons. Most of these structures are made of tufa, though some exist in trachyte, scoria and basalt, and the most important of these structures featured red scoria pukao, or topknots.Some later examples of these structures are made of wood, and are referred to as kavakava. The only seven of these structures to face the sea are aligned with the Sun's movement at equinoxes; these are at (*) Ahu Akivi. Most of these structures were constructed at Rano Raraku, where many are still partially buried. The construction of these structures stopped both due to deforestation and the rise to dominance of the 'birdman' cult. For 10 points, name these megalithic statues constructed by the indigenous Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.
A: Moai [accept Easter Island heads or Easter Island statues until 'Easter Island']
Q: A city in this region was the primary inspiration for the town in Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle, with Howl's house based on Maison Pfister. A stew from this region, in which assorted meats are mixed with wine and juniper berries and sealed with bread dough in a casserole, is called baeckeoffe("BECK-uh-OFF-uh"). A city in this region currently houses the Isenheim ("EYE-zen-HYME") Altarpiece in its Unterlinden Museum. The largest automobile and railway museums in the world are in this region's city of Mulhouse. It makes a flatbread with thinly sliced onions and bacon called Flammekueche("FLAH-muh-k'YOO-shuh") and its two most planted wine grapes are Riesling ("REEZ-ling") and Gewurztraminer ("guh-VURTS-truh-MEE-ner"). A mix of sausage and sauerkraut called choucroute("shoo-KROOT") is from this region, whose capital houses the European Parliament. For 10 points, name this region of Northeastern France whose capital is Strasbourg.
A: Alsace ("AL-sass" or "al-SAYSS") [or Alsatia, or Elsatz, or European Collectivity of Alsace; prompt on Alsace-Lorraine; prompt on Grand Est or Northeastern France or Northeast France]
Q: This geographic feature's southern terminus lies between Lady Elliot Island and Fraser Island. The SS Yongala sank near the center of a protected area in this system, which was first sighted by Louis de Bougainville. After running aground on a shoal here, (*) James Cook's first voyage was delayed. For 10 points, name this natural wonder, a large coral reef off the coast of Australia. (PB/TR)
A: Great Barrier Reef
Q: The skyscraper Turning Torso overlooks this body of water, as does the royal palace at Sofiero. Eric of Pomerania introduced dues for all foreign vessels navigating this body of water, on the shore of which is located the forest park of Jægersborg Dyrehave. The island of Ven, where (*) Tycho Brahe built observatories, is located in this body of water west of Landskrona. The artificial island of Peberholm is situated in this body of water, which is overlooked by the castle of Kronborg in Helsingør. For 10 points, name this strait separating the Danish island of Zealand and southern Sweden, crossed since 2000 by a namesake bridge linking Malmo and Copenhagen.
A: Øresund or Oresund or The Sound
Q: A stilted house structure called bahay kubo inspired a well known folk song from this country as well as the design of the Home Insurance Building, the first skyscraper in the US. This country's Tablas Strait was the site of the deadliest peacetime naval disaster in history when a ferry struck an oil tanker. One island in this country is named for a sultanate established in its city of (*) Zamboanga. The Jollibee fast food chain is an internationally recognized symbol of this country. Along with this country's national language, the Cebuano and Ilocano languages are often used as linguas francas. For 10 points, name this country where the island of Luzon is home to the capital of Manila.
A: the Philippines
Q: The impact of these events is predicted by the models BehavePlus and FARSITE. A 2009 book by Timothy Egan credits one of these events during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency with "saving America." Tier 1 examples of these events are supervised from a federal agency in Boise, Idaho. They're not epidemics, but "zombie" or "holdover" versions of these events are common in the Arctic. Jack Cohen formulated a zone of defensible space to mitigate these events, which were long governed by the now-discredited (*) 10 AM Rule. A costly event of this kind in 1988 popularized the use of swailing for hazard reduction. In 2019, so-called "devil winds" exacerbated some of these events caused by PG&E equipment. In summer 2020, these events caused terrible air quality in Portland. For 10 points, name these natural disasters that have charred much of Napa Valley in California.
A: forest fires [or wildfire; or wildland fire; or blazes or burns or pyres or equivalents; accept National Interagency Fire Center; accept The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America]
Q: The construction of The Dalles ("dalz") Dam on this river resulted in the destruction of the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America at Celilo Falls. The former nuclear site of Hanford is located on this river. Fish-ladders for salmon migration can be found as part of this river's Bonneville Dam. The Yakima is a tributary of this river whose Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake was formed by the creation of the Grand Coulee Dam. The Willamette and Snake rivers feed into this river, which forms the border between Oregon and Washington. For 10 points, name this longest river in the Pacific Northwest.
A: Columbia River
Q: In 2006, one of these events led the town of Toowoomba to hold a controversial "futures" referendum. A year later, one of these events inspired a new pricing scheme that set up "low security entitlements" often compared to sub-prime mortgages. In 2011, Tokelau and Tuvalu declared a state of emergency over one of these events; in response, the New Zealand Defense Force built a mobile MFRO facility. The Snowy Mountains scheme was overtaxed by one of these events that was mitigated by the Western Corridor (*) recycling scheme. One of these events spanning from 2006 to 2010 in Syria likely contributed to the Arab Spring by increasing migration to cities. In 2011, East Africa mitigated one of these events with index-based livestock insurance. The "Millennium" one reduced Australia's wheat yields until a 2010 La Nina. For 10 points, name these periods of low rainfall.
A: droughts [prompt on heatwaves or similar; prompt on water shortage or low rainfall or equivalents; prompt on natural disasters; prompt on El Nino or La Nina events by asking "what resulting conditions occurred in the location described?"; prompt on climate change or global warming or extreme weather by asking "what specific consequence?"; prompt on water salinity or food shortages or famines or similar answers by asking "as a consequence of what broader event?"; accept the Millennium drought or 2011 Tuvalu drought or 2011 East African drought]
Q: Ruff and Framer claim that one of these features in the Atacama Desert is the closest environmental analog to Mars on Earth; that one of these features is El Tatio. The Kamchatka Peninsula is home to a "Valley" of these features. Strokkur is one of these features located in the Haukadalur Valley near another one of these features, which are named for the Icelandic verb (*) "to gush." One of these features has a cycle between 45 minutes to two hours, and is located within Yellowstone National Park. For 10 points, name these erupting hot springs such as Old Faithful.
A: geysers [prompt on hot springs; prompt on geothermal sites]
Q: In June 2020, wildfires near this body of water in Tabby Canyon spread to its Stansbury Island. The Oquirrh ["oh-ker"] Mountains run underneath this body of water, creating its Antelope and Fremont Islands. The Lucin Cutoff is a railway that splits this body of water in half through (*) Promontory Point. Rozel Bay in this body of water contains Robert Smithson's installation Spiral Jetty. This last remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville is fed by the Bear and Jordan Rivers. For 10 points, name this largest lake of Utah.
A: the Great Salt Lake [prompt on Salt Lake; prompt on Salt Lake City]
Q: One tale claims that this island got its name when scurvy-stricken sailors rested here and gave it a name meaning "Island of Healing." This island is home to the CARMABI wildlife research organization, which is headquartered near Piscadera Bay and manages the parks around Mount Christoffel. Its capital contains the sand-floored Mikve ("meek-VAY") Israel-Emanuel Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas, as well as the Queen Emma pontoon bridge, which connects its quarters of Punda and Otrobanda. This island is the most populous territory where Papiamento ("PAH-pee-uh-MEN-too") is an official language. Willemstad is the capital of this island, where the dried peels of laraha oranges are used to make its namesake orange flavored liqueur, which comes in "dry" and "blue" varieties. For 10 points, what island near Venezuela is the "C" in the Dutch-controlled "ABC" islands?
A: Curacao ("k'YOO-ruh-soh" or "k'yoo-ruh-SAO") [or Korsou; accept Blue Curacao]
Q: Tourists to this country's island of Nosy Ankao often fly in from Diego Suarez. L'Hotel des Thermes ["luh-hotel duh terms"] is a large spa established by French colonizers in this country's city of Antsirabe. Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park lies north of this country's Avenue of the (*) Baobabs. The Atsinanana Rainforest in this country is the native home of the ring-tailed lemur. Indo-Malayan settlers brought the language of Malagasy to this island country whose largest city is Antananarivo. The Mozambique Channel separates, for 10 points, what country from the coast of southeast Africa?
A: Madagascar [or Madagasikara]
Q: The world's largest open-pit zinc and lead mine is located in this region's town of Faro. In this area, a group known as the "Sourdoughs" were based near Lynn Canal. Settlements such as Circle City and (*) Dawson City bloomed in this territory due to the discovery of a certain precious metal. This territory was the site of a namesake gold rush based in the Klondike region. For 10 points, name this Canadian federal territory that borders the US state of Alaska with capital at Whitehorse.
A: Yukon
Q: Outside of London and Paris, this specific location is where the third of Cleopatra's Needles can be found. This location was saved from decline in the 1980s by a "conservancy" that renovated areas like the Great Lawn and Duck Pond. Donald Trump wrote (*) "Bring back the death penalty. Bring back our police!" in a full-page ad created in response to a crime committed in this location; that crime involved five black boys who were falsely accused of assaulting Trisha Meili. This location's North Woods and North Meadow lie near Upper Manhattan. For 10 points, name this New York City park.
A: Central Park [prompt on New York City or NYC before mention; prompt on Manhattan before mention]
Q: Description acceptable. Zurab Tsereteli designed a fairy-tale themed sculpture park around one of these features called the Neglinnaya ("neg-LEEN-nuh-yuh") as part of a revitalization project in Moscow. Visitors to Palawan in the Philippines flock to one of these features that lends its name to Puerto Princesa Park. Chay and Son are examples of these features which create the attractions of Vietnam's Phong Nha-Ke Bang ("PONG n'yah-kay BAHNG") Park, while the largest example of them in the world creates the Sistema Sac Actun in the Yucatan. These features are not roads, but [emphasize] before an urban renewal project ending in 2005, Cheonggyecheon ("chung-gay-chun") in Seoul was an artificial example of these features. They aren't streets, but the Fleet is London's largest example of these features, which are often created by culverting. For 10 points, what waterways naturally occur in karst topography, where they are created by flow into sinkholes?
A: underground rivers [or underground stream, or lost river, or lost stream; accept answers indicating a river or stream or brook that is subterranean or covered or beneath the ground; accept rivers in caves or rivers in caverns; prompt on rivers or streams or brooks by asking "What is uncommon about their surroundings?"; prompt on tunnels; reject "aquifers"]
Q: The Sudd in South Sudan is an example of this type of geographic region. The author of The History of the Dividing Line, William Byrd, named a well-known one of these wetlands on the Virginia-North Carolina border. The (*) Pantanal is a large one of these regions in South America. For 10 points,The Great Dismal and the Okefenokee are two examples of this type of region in the United States.
A: Swamp [prompt on wetland]
Q: A character of this ethnicity dresses up as a stereotypical Irishman to impress a travel agent in a play by David Ives. This ethnicity's rising secularization boosted the popularity of the documentary Tell No One. Americans of this ethnicity in Buffalo hold an annual Monday celebration called Dyngus Day. Swiss petitions to evict this ethnicity's museum from Rapperswil Castle may overwhelm holdings at their namesake library in Paris, which was founded during their 1838 (*) "Great Emigration." People of this ethnicity established baroque revival cathedrals in their now-largely-Latino "downtown" along Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. Since 2004, people of this ethnicity have been widely stereotyped as plumbers in the UK, a country where they now include half a million unskilled laborers. For 10 points, what majority-Catholic ethnicity included Pope John Paul II?
A: Poles [or Polish people; or people from Poland; or Polacy; accept Polonia; accept Polish Downtown or Polish Patch or Polish Triangle; accept Polish Cathedral style; accept Polish Joke; accept Polish Library in Paris or Bibliotheque Polonaise de Paris or Biblioteka Polska w Paryzu]
Q: This river is the habitat of a parasitic fish called the candiru that supposedly is attracted to urine streams. This river is also the habitat of a namesake pink dolphin. This river meets the ocean near Belem, and one of this river's tributaries is the Rio (*) Negro. This river is also home to the carnivorous piranha, and this river was named for a mythological race of warrior women. For 10 points, name this longest river in South America.
A: Amazon River [or Amazonas]
Q: A region in this state touted as "America's Salad Bowl" produces about 60 percent of the country's lettuce. This state is home to America's newest national park, Pinnacles. Another park in this state contains Cathedral Peak and El Capitan. Two specimens known as (*) "General Grant" and "General Sherman" can be found in other national parks in this state. For 10 points, name this western state home to Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Sequoia National Parks.
A: California
Q: Ancient Greek versions of these items were usually manufactured with a hole at the top and, depending on the owner's gender, commonly sacrificed to Artemis or Apollo at a certain moment of their life. Johnny Gruelle combined the titles of two James Whitcomb Riley poems to name a fictional one of these objects. A type of these objects representing spirits that live on Humphreys Peak have been manufactured by the (*) Hopi people since the early 19th century. A type of these objects whose name translates to "little matron" traditionally has a sarafan-wearing figure on the outside and a baby on the inside. For 10 points, name these objects, examples of which include Kachina figures, matryoshkas, and Raggedy Ann.
A: dolls [prompt on figurines, models, or toys; accept more specific varieties of dolls]
Q: Speakers of the Keresan language from this state popularized Heishi ("hee-shee") shell beaded jewelry. The Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field in this state's northeast contains the Capulin Volcano, from which it is possible to see four other states. A trail originating in this state's Cibola National Forest follows the mining history of (*) turquoise among this state's indigenous peoples. When viewed from above, this state's capitol building, known as the "Roundhouse," is meant to resemble a symbol with four lines extending from a red circle in each direction that also appears on this state's flag. For 10 points, name this state home to the most federally recognized Pueblo communities, where alien spotting for unidentified flying objects occurs in the town of Roswell.
A: New Mexico
Q: A Pulitzer Prize-winning 2006 series in the LA Times that popularized this entity included a profile of Hancock Oil heir Charles Moore. Kim De Wolff delivered a 2016 talk on why this entity "endures in the public imagination" despite people not being able to find it. In 2018, Peter Thiel and Marc Benioff backed System 001, a 600-meter-long device sent to this entity and based on a design by a Croatian-Dutch teen named Boyan Slat. This entity has damaged the Laysan (*) albatross population. Researcher Drew McWhirter analyzed objects found by Ben Lecomte in his 80 days spent swimming through this entity in 2019. This entity is a consequence of certain objects getting trapped by a gyre and is similar to one in the North Atlantic. For 10 points, name this supposed collection of trash in the world's largest ocean.
A: Great Pacific Garbage Patch [or Eastern Garbage Patch; or trash island; or Pacific trash vortex; prompt on oceanic garbage patch; prompt on Pacific Ocean or North Pacific gyre]
Q: Alfred Sitorus heads a group in this city that forms human chains to keep motorcycles from using sidewalks; poor pedestrian infrastructure made it the world's least-walked major city in 2017. During a 2013 flood in this city, a head of state was photographed paddling to his official residence, prompting this city to launch a controversial cloud seeding effort. Until an MRT opened in 2019, this city was the most populous in the world to lack an underground transport system, although it is home to a local Uber/WeChat rival called (*) Gojek ("go-jek"). Although this city is crossed by 13 rivers, constant drilling for drinking water has caused parts of it to sink 25 centimeters per year. In April 2019, planning minister Bambang Brodjonegoro ("BRO-jo-neg-GO-ro") announced that the government will be moving its administration away from this island metropolis to East Kalimantan. For 10 points, name this capital of Indonesia.
A: Jakarta
Q: It's not Boeing, but in 2019, the NLRB ruled that this company could restrict its employees to wearing "small, non-distracting" union insignias. Bethany Moreton highlighted this company's Christian rhetoric of "servant leadership" in a book titled To Serve God and [this company]. In December 2020, the Department of Justice accused this company of violating the Controlled (*) Substances Act hundreds of thousands of times by providing illicit opioid prescriptions. In recent years, this company has started to convert dozens of its Sam's Club stores into e-commerce fulfillment centers in order to compete with Amazon. For 10 points, name this largest company in the world by revenue, an American retailer with headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.
A: Walmart, Inc. [accept To Serve God and Walmart]
Q: These people's knowledge of natural laws and ecological phenomena is known as Qaujimajatuqangit. ("gao-yee-ma-ya-tu-gong-eet"). These people carved thin horizontal slits into driftwood or ivory to make goggles that prevent photokeratitis. A traditional meal of these non-Russian people consists of diced and frozen fat, and is known as (*) muktuk. These people created temporary shelters by arranging blocks in a spiral to create an insulated dome. These people's traditional practice of hunting seals and whales is threatened by government bans in provinces like Nunavut. For 10 points, name these people indigenous to northern Canada, Greenland, and Alaska.
A: the Inuit [accept Innuk, or Yupik; prompt on Native Americans, First Nations, or general "indigenous people" answers; reject "eskimo"]
Q: In the book The Return of the Sun, Michael Kral claims that he helped alleviate a health crisis among these people by building a rec center. They're not the Navajo, but a 2020 film centers on Russ Sheppard founding a sports team among a community of these people, whose 100 per 100,000 suicide rate is the worst in the world. In 2019, a "Tapiriit Kanatami" non-profit organization of these people agreed to unify their nine different writing systems, abandoning syllabics. These people are the main ethnic group in a polity whose population centers include (*) Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay. These people constitute a majority in a province separated from a western neighbor through a Land Claims Agreement Act that came into effect in 1999, agreed upon during the premiership of Brian Mulroney. For 10 points, name these native people of Nunavut and other regions of Arctic Canada.
A: Inuit [or Inuk; prompt on Eskimos or First Nations people or Indians or Native Canadians or Native Americans or Canadians; do not accept or prompt on "Metis"] (The film is The Grizzlies.)
Q: Specialty insects can be purchased from this country's Koppert Biological Systems. In 2017, the Vegetarian Butcher from this country crowdsourced nearly 3 million dollars to make meat alternatives. A research university in this country's "food valley" hosts the World Soil Museum and has helped make it the world's second-largest exporter by value of agricultural products. Vertical farms like PlantLab may replace this country's tomato-growing "glass city" per analysis by the multinational (*) RaboBank. A port city in this country opened the world's first floating farm in 2019 and is the largest port in Europe. This country's Delta Works has served as a model to many other countries for preventing floods. Food production is studied at its Wageningen ("VAH-khuh-ning-in") University and Research. For 10 points, name this European country where rising sea levels threaten Rotterdam.
A: The Netherlands [or Nederland; anti-prompt on Holland] (The "glass city" is Westland.)
Q: In 2016, the first Grammy nominated work from this country was produced by inmates and guards at its Zomba Prison. The largest elephant translocation in history repopulated this country's Nkhotakota (en-kuh-tah-KOE-tuh) Wildlife Reserve. This country's delicacy of chambo nsima is fished off its Likoma (li-KOE-muh) Island. Scottish settlers in this country founded Blantyre and named its Shire River, which flows through Liwonde (li-WON-duh) National Park. This country shares its name with a body of water that is both home to the highest number of unique fish species in the world and is the southernmost of the Great African Rift Lakes. This country's majority Chewa people include its once Prime Minister Hastings Banda, who changed this country's name from Nyasaland. For 10 points, name this landlocked African country whose capital is Lilongwe (li-LONG-way).
A: (Republic of) Malawi
Q: Minimalist sculptor Larry Bell created a blue diptych ("DIP-tick") titled for this city for a 2018 installation. This city's art museum was formerly housed in a converted hydroelectric plant; a new facility was Shigeru Ban's first US museum. After being awarded a Henry Crown Fellowship in this city, Anand Giridharadas ("AH-nund GEE-ree-DAR-uh-DOSS") challenged an elite consensus he names for this American city in his book Winners Take All. An organization in this city founded by corrugated box magnate Walter Paepcke sponsored the Franklin Project and was once led by Walter Isaacson. This city's drug culture attracted (*) Hunter S. Thompson to run for office. More recent politicians like mayor Steve Skadron have promoted it as an uphill recreation center. The Atlantic sponsors its namesake Ideas Festival. For 10 points, name this ski city in Colorado.
A: Aspen, Colorado [accept the Aspen Institute; accept the Aspen Ideas Festival; accept the Aspen Music Festival and School; accept the Aspen Art Museum]
Q: In 2017, Wiz Khalifa was called a "sinverguenza" ("seem-bair-GWEN-sah") by a mayor in this country for posing for a picture at a popular gravesite. This country's state-owned SATENA airline ramped up flights to its Meta ("may-tah") Department following a 2019 mudslide that cut off road access. Thanks to a 1976 declaration signed in its capital, this country claims jurisdiction over valuable geostationary orbit. A program to combat an invasive species in this country was halted when the public objected to the 2009 killing of an animal named (*) "Pepe." In 2019, four farms in this country were quarantined due to a TR4 banana fungus outbreak in the Guajira Peninsula. A bullet-ridden car in this country's Aburra Valley is now a tourist hotspot and was owned by a man whose Hacienda Napoles was the source of its now-invasive hippo population. For 10 points, name this country once home to the Medellin ("may-day-YEEN") Cartel.
A: Colombia [or Republic of Colombia; or Republica de Colombia]
Q: In a book on this country's drinking culture, Derek Sandhaus claims that it's the only one where one's likelihood to binge-drink increases with age and that CVs often highlight one's alcohol tolerance. This country's second-largest brewery began life as the Anglo-German Brewery. The most popular spirit in this country is divided into categories like "light aroma" and "sauce aroma." Since the 1980s, the price of this country's Flying Fairy spirit has gone up by four thousand percent. The signature drink of this country is distilled eight times before being stored for long periods in (*) earthenware jars. The first-ever business license issued by the government that controls this country was for Red Star Erguotou ("AR-gwo-toh") to produce baijiu ("BYE-j'yoh"). For 10 points, name this country where drinking banquets are common among officers of the People's Liberation Army.
A: China [or People's Republic of China; or PRC or Zhonguo or Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo; accept Drunk in China]
Q: In 2008, this province's tourism board launched a fake phone named Pomegranate which provided info on sites like Peggy's Cove lighthouse. The legendary racing ship Bluenose is housed in this province's city of Lunenberg. A lost treasure in this province will allegedly be found after a seventh treasure hunter dies digging for it; that Captain Kidd treasure is found on this province's Oak Island. Fort Louisberg and the Cabot Trail are popular tourist sites on this province's Breton Island. This province's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic contains debris from a massive 1917 explosion in its capital's harbor. The Isthmus of Chignecto connects this province across the Bay of Fundy to New Brunswick. For 10 points, name this Eastern Canadian province with capital at Halifax.
A: Nova Scotia
Q: Commercial growth of this plant shot up after Gerrit van Duijn ("KHAIR-it fon down") launched Project Paddington in the 1990s. The Environmental Investigation Agency decried the lax standards in "sustainable" plantations growing this plant certified by the RSPO. This plant has been widely grown in one country following the introduction of the pollinating weevil E. kamerunicus. In 2018, Iceland Groceries had to go back on its pledge to remove a product derived from this plant from all its food. Plantations growing this plant have been driving the (*) Sumatran orangutan to extinction and now account for the plurality of both carbon emissions and exports from Indonesia. Hershey claims its use of oil derived from this plant's seeds and fruit does not come from exploited peatlands. For 10 points, name these plants that include the species planted on Los Angeles highway medians.
A: palm trees [accept oil palms; accept palm oil; accept Arecaceae; accept Elaeis; accept Attalea or maripa palm; accept Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil; prompt on trees; do not accept "Ericaceae"]
Q: Description acceptable. Kevin Wheeler has written multiple papers on this project, arguing that international agreements could be enforced with satellite imaging. This project was largely financed by the sale of low-denomination bonds under a Prime Minister who ruled from 1991 to 2012. Plans for this project in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region may have made a wrong assumption about the stability of a rock basement. In 2020, the Trump administration threatened 264 million dollars in security funding to block this project's completion. This project, which will boost the economy of the boomtown of (*) Adama, threatens to reduce supplies in another country from the already low 570 cubic meters per person per year. In 2013, this project led Mohamed Morsi to privately threaten military strikes. For 10 points, name this hydroelectric project that may reduce water flows to Sudan and Egypt.
A: Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam [or GERD; or TaIHiGe; or Hidase Dam; or Millennium Dam; accept anything involving Ethiopian dam on the Blue Nile or Renaissance Dam; prompt on Blue Nile dam] (The 1991-2012 PM was Meles Zenawi.)
Q: This sea was home to two rival micronations called the Kingdom of Humanity and the Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads. The DK1 rigs operate around this sea's Rifleman Bank. A mythical golden cudgel is said to be have been found in the world's deepest blue hole in this sea. About two million square kilometers of this sea is governed from a town on Woody Island called Sansha. The Macclesfield Bank and Scarborough Shoal are demarcated by this sea's "nine-dashed line," near which one country is building a "Great Wall of Sand" with fortified manmade islands. For 10 points, the Paracel (PAR-uh-sel) and Spratley islands are some of the many disputed parts of which Pacific sea that borders Vietnam, the Philippines, and its namesake country?
A: South China Sea [or Nan (Zhongguo) Hai; or Bien Nam Trung Quoc; or Bien Dong, or Dagat Timog Tsina; accept Laut China Selatan; prompt on the Champa Sea, Dagat Luzon]
Q: One of these objects describes its title "travels" from America in a long work of doggerel poetry written in 1621 by John Taylor. Nicolaus Copernicus wrote several versions of an essay that intervened in a Prussian debate over reform of these objects, the first of which was called the Meditata. Isaac Newton is often credited with introducing the practice of "milling" or "reeding" these objects in order to guard against (*) "clipping." In her Automatic BOOST to Communities Act, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib proposed that the U.S. government use its power of seigniorage ("SAIN-yur-ridge") to create two of these objects, each worth 1 trillion dollars. For 10 points, COVID-19 caused a national shortage of what objects, examples of which include the Krugerrand and the quarter?
A: coins [or coinage; prompt on currency or money; do not accept or prompt on "paper money"]
Q: Jacob Zionts criticized the hollowness of "blockchain democracy" on Active Citizen in this city, which misleadingly used the label "renovation" for a vote to tear down five-story apartment blocks. Kiosks outside this city's metro stations were torn down to build Central Circle, a 54-kilometer light rail system that now makes this city only the 13th-most congested in the world. Prior to 2012, the rough border of this city was the outer MKAD ring road. In 2010, the Society of the Blue Buckets in this city protested VIPs who place (*) migalki on their cars to rush through traffic. Commuters in this city were outraged in 2001 when a woman stabbed a subway-riding stray dog. A cathedral that was rebuilt in this city in 2000 was the site of a 2012 guerrilla performance of the song "Punk Prayer." Online maps of this city are offered by a search company based here, Yandex. For 10 points, Pussy Riot performed in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour of what capital of Russia?
A: Moscow [or Moskva] (The dog was named Malchik.)
Q: A Pizza Hut billboard in this city advertising "Gigabites of Taste" gave Thomas Friedman the idea to write The World is Flat. This city's most prominent causeway, Sarjapur Road, is frequently afflicted by toxic smoke, and its largest lake, Bellandur, regularly catches fire. This city's dominant industry includes the headquarters of Wipro and is congregated in the neighborhood of Whitefield. It's not in Africa, but this city's moderate temperatures are a result of being (*) 3,000 feet above sea level, so most of its water must be pumped 900 feet up from the Cauvery River. The NGO Friends of Lakes is attempting to build a million recharge wells in this inland city to combat its severe water crisis. This city is the headquarters of the consulting and outsourcing company Infosys. For 10 points, name this city known as India's Silicon Valley, the capital of Karnataka.
A: Bangalore [or Bengaluru]
Q: Description acceptable. A joint copyright policy on photos taken in this place to maintain its "unique culture" has been widely criticized by the EFF. A documentary on this place's "evolution" notes how Michael Mikel modeled its "Rangers" on the Texas Rangers. A movable Art Deco cinema by Five Ton Crane appeared alongside other art from this place in the 2018 Smithsonian exhibit No Spectators. In 2010, a giant Praying Mantis truck drove to this place along with other (*) "mutant vehicles." This place's Department of Public Works enforces a Leave No Trace policy. In 2010, the Flux Foundation created a structure on this semicircular location's Playa. Many Silicon Valley types travel to this location each August, often witnessing the destruction of David Best's temples. For 10 points, identify this city built in a Nevada desert each year for a festival that ends with a ceremonial bonfire.
A: Black Rock City [or the Black Rock Desert; accept anything involving the place where Burning Man takes place; accept the Playa before read; prompt on answers like Nevada or NV or the desert before they're mentioned; prompt on the Great Basin; accept City of Dust: The Evolution of Burning Man]
Q: In 2011, a Louis Vuitton store in this city commissioned ash sculptures of Jesus and the Buddha staring at each other. An "Earthquake Scene" features in this city's regular performance piece The House of Dancing Water, which is staged in a purpose-built theater. This city's underworld was once controlled by a gangster known as "Broken Tooth." A hydrofoil fleet helped build the fortune of a man whose SJM firm monopolized this city's most lucrative business for four decades. The large "junket" industry in this city lets tourists skirt a (*) 50,000-dollar limit on taking money out of the country and is conducted in VIP rooms that used to be leased from Stanley Ho. Western companies have invested heavily in hotels along this city's Cotai Strip. Sheldon Adelson made a bet on this city becoming the "Las Vegas of the East." For 10 points, name this Chinese gambling mecca.
A: Macau [or Macao] (The SJM is the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversoes de Macau.)
Q: On the shore of this body of water, fossilized shark teeth have been found at the Calvert Cliffs. A distinctive dialect of English is spoken on Tangier Island in this body of water. The skipjack supplanted the bugeye as the primary boat used for the oyster industry on this body of water. Pollution and overfishing have jeopardized the habitat of this American body of water's namesake (*) blue crab. The Susquehanna and Potomac rivers empty into this body of water. A bridge-tunnel crossing at the mouth of this body of water connects the Hampton Roads area to the Delmarva Peninsula. For 10 points name this largest estuary in the United States, a bay between Virginia and Maryland.
A: Chesapeake Bay
Q: A strong wind called Xocomil ("show-co-meel") occurs on one of these geographic features, a major Guatemalan tourist attraction named Atitlan. Cocibolca ("co-see-bowl-ca") is the Nahuatl ("nah-waddle") name of the largest one of these features in Central America, located next to the city of Grenada in Nicaragua. A Bolivian one of these features named Poopo ("poh-poh") has disappeared due to climate change, mining, and agriculture. The Aztecs built (*) chinampas on these features. The Quechua ("keh-chwa") and Aymara ("ai-mah-ra") people live near the highest navigable one of these features in the world, located on the Bolivia-Peru border and named Titicaca. For 10 points, identify these bodies of water, exemplified by the Texcoco one on which Tenochtitlan was built.
A: lakes [or lagos]
Q: Emmanuel Konde examined this country's wealthy immigrant "Bushfallers," named for a pidgin word for "farm." The neologism "anusocratie" was coined during this country's moral panic over homosexuality, which led to the arrest of Jean-Claude Roger Mbede. In a 2020 Nature paper, Lipson et al. identified "ghost modern" humans using ancient DNA from the Shum Laka rock shelter in this country's Grassfields region, which may be the cradle of the Bantu languages. Floods have swamped this country's (*) Adamawa-speaking Far North region, which shelters Nigerian refugees from Boko Haram. Since 2017, this country has faced an "Anglophone Crisis" over the breakaway western region of Ambazonia, a former British Mandate first colonized by Germany. This country's economic center is the francophone port of Douala. For 10 points, name this country led since 1982 by Paul Biya from Yaounde.
A: Cameroon [or Republic of Cameroon; or Republique du Cameroun; or Renndaandi Kamerun; accept Ambazonia or Federal Republic of Ambazonia or Amba Land before read; accept West Cameroon or Southern Cameroons or East Cameroon]
Q: A CBC documentary investigated the 2016 theft of 200,000 dollars from a Quebec man in this occupation named Jean Marc Labonte. The Chinese government carved out pandemic exemptions for people in this profession to move from winter haunts in Yunnan to Hubei too late to prevent mass starvation. Hatidze ("HA-tee-jeh") Muratova, possibly the last European to work in the "wild" version of this profession, has her life disturbed by an itinerant family moving next door in an Oscar-nominated documentary shot in North Macedonia. Americans in this profession drive special trucks from the Midwest to (*) California each February to help a water-greedy industry. Many New Zealanders in this profession have had equipment stolen due to the rising demand for a certain manuka product. For 10 points, colony collapse disorder has devastated what profession that offers farmers pollination services?
A: beekeeper [or beekeeping; accept apiculture or honey maker or honey gatherer; accept pollinator before mentioned; prompt on farmer] (The documentary is Honeyland.)
Q: A group called WAG successfully lobbied Congress not to change conservation easement laws governing these places in the 2017 tax bill. They're not baseball stadiums, but a company called TrackMan has created high-fidelity mappings of hundreds of these places for expensive home simulation systems. These places, which occupy 2.1% of all land in Singapore, are discussed alongside the Ship of Theseus in a Revisionist History episode where Malcolm Gladwell criticizes their outrageous tax subsidies. Millennial disinterest in these places has caused more than 800 of them to close in the 2010s, often tanking (*) property values in neighborhoods built on top of them. One of these places unsuccessfully fought against Balmedie's ("ball-MED-ee's") plans to erect wind farms off the Scottish coast and is branded for Donald Trump. For 10 points, name these places that include Augusta National.
A: golf courses [or golf clubs; prompt on country clubs] (WAG is We Are Golf.)
Q: One of the largest gold mines in the world is this island's Grasberg mine, right next to this island's tallest peak, Puncak Jaya. ("poont-chak jah-ya"). The northwestern and southeastern peninsulas of this island are called the Bird's Head and the Bird's Tail because this island resembles a bird-of-paradise, a symbol one country on this island features in its flag. Three "success stories" of egalitarian land management in Japan, Tikopia, and this island were studied in (*) Collapse by Jared Diamond. A country on this island is home to over 800 living languages, including Tok Pisin ("toke pis-seen") and several Austronesian languages. The Torres ("torus") Strait separates this island from Australia to its south. For 10 points, name this large island divided between Indonesia and a namesake country.
A: New Guinea [or Niugini, or Niu Gini, or Papua; accept Papua New Guinea; prompt on Irian; do not accept or prompt on "Guinea"]
Q: Since 2015, the vast majority of seats in this city's legislative assembly have been held by the Aam Aadmi Party. In February 2020, dozens of people died in religiously-motivated violence in this city that flared up after sit-ins against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the neighborhood of (*) Shaheen Bagh. A slogan translating as "Let's go to [this city]" was spread by organizations such as Sanyukt Kisan Morcha to organize a highway blockade. That blockade protested three farm acts passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, both of which are located in this city. In January 2021, farmers stormed the Red Fort in, for 10 points, what capital city of India?
A: Delhi [or Dilli; accept New Delhi, Nai Dilli, or the National Capital Territory of Delhi]
Q: This country's Sea Monster Museum documents its many aquatic cryptids like the Shore Laddie and the Shell Monster. Until the UK passed it, this country had the highest number of books published per person, with one-in-ten of its citizens being published authors. The fairy-like "hidden people" are central to the folklore of this country, whose national dish is a type of (*) fermented shark called Hakarl. This nation's notoriously hard to learn national language is closely related to Faroese. This nation is home to a famous geothermal spa called The Blue Lagoon and the original geyser, after which all of those landforms are named. For 10 points, this Nordic island nation, with a capital at Reykjavik.
A: Iceland
Q: This nation's largest city is allegedly home to a thin, three-foot-tall gray humanoid with orange-red eyes called that city's "Tunnel Monster." The Ark of the Covenant is said to be located in a so-called "money pit" on this nation's Oak Island. Ka-Ki-Si-Kutchin was executed in this country after killing and eating his family while ostensibly suffering from a namesake (*) "psychosis" inflicted by a forest creature. A folk tale from this country involving a flying canoe is based on the real-life activities of voyageurs who transported furs through locales such as the Hayes River and Thunder Bay. For 10 points, name this country, the northernmost nation in which Sasquatch is typically sighted.
A: Canada (Ka-Ki-Si-Kutchin is also known as Swift Runner.)
Q: The phrase "Kennywood's open" references an amusement park in this state located in West Mifflin. The derogatory slang term "jagoff" originates from a dialect of English spoken in this US state, while a different dialect spoken in the southeast portion of this state uses the word "yet" to mean "still" and the phrase "so I do" to end declarative sentences. The use of the word (*) "hoagie" to describe sub sandwiches is most common in this state. The second person pronoun "yinz" is used by speakers of the unique dialect of the Western portion of this state. Mennonite and Amish people in this state speak a variety of German sometimes called this state's "Dutch." For 10 points, name this U.S. state that contains the linguistically unique city of Pittsburgh.
A: Pennsylvania
Q: Those who seek healing eat the boiled meat of these animals in a sacrifice called pory practiced by the Khanty people. In the 1840s, migrations that followed groups of these animals spread the revival of Laestadianism ("lay-STAD-ianism"), a Pietist movement that accommodated indigenous customs such as offerings at seidas ("SAY-duzz"). The Gwich'in ("gwee-chin") people and the U.S. government jointly manage a group of these animals that lives along the Porcupine River and belongs to their barren-ground subspecies. Managing the Taimyr ("tye-MURR") group of them is the primary economic activity of the Nenets. The Dolphin-Union population of these semi-domesticated land animals seasonally migrates to Victoria Island in Canada. The Lapponian ("lap-POH-nian") dog was bred to help manage these animals by the Sami, who herd them in northern Sweden and Norway. For 10 points, name these hoofed animals exemplified by the caribou.
A: reindeer [or Rangifer tarandus; accept reindeer herding; accept caribou or barren-ground caribou before "caribou"; accept Santa's reindeer; prompt on deer]
Q: This country's heavily forested and protected district of Dang is located within the Southern part of a belt of concentrated recognized Scheduled Tribes. In 2018, missionary John Chau was killed in this country while trying to convert the uncontacted Sentinelese people to Christianity. The north and south of this country are divided between the Aryan and (*) Dravidian peoples. Though descended from modern day Iran, the majority of Parsi people currently reside in this country. B. R. Ambedkar inspired a neo-Buddhist movement among this country's Dalits, who were historically considered "untouchable." For 10 points, name this populous South Asian country whose Brahmins are at the top of a historic caste system.
A: Republic of India [anti-prompt on Andaman Islands]
Q: Low-income residents of this metro area formed the Bus Riders Union to challenge discriminatory transit policies. Officials in this metro area controversially contracted Cambridge Systematics to track cellphone location data to plan new bus routes. Michael Manville, a professor at the Luskin School of Public Affairs in this city, found that most supporters of its 120-billion-dollar Measure M transit project don't plan to personally use it. In the early 2000s, JetBlue widely serviced (*) Ontario International Airport in this metro area, where many helicopter tours originate from Van Nuys ("van nyze") Airport. A plan to connect Union Station in this city to a different city's Salesforce Transit Center was killed in 2019 due to cost overruns on a high-speed rail project. For 10 points, name this city that is notorious for traffic between neighborhoods like Burbank and Hollywood.
A: Los Angeles [or LA; accept Anaheim]
Q: This country's Boldu Forest is home to a notable population of brown bears. This country's second-largest city of Iasi lies west of the Prut River in this country's historic region of Moldavia. This country's oil industry is centered on its city of Ploiesti. Cluj Napoca is the largest city in this country west of the (*) Carpathian Mountains. This country contains the majority of the Danube River delta, which empties near the port of Constanta on the Black Sea. Transylvania is a region within, for 10 points, what European country with capital at Bucharest?
A: Romania
Q: In 2020, Dominican protesters denounced the practice of buying poor people this food in exchange for PLD votes. Belgrade Gardens used a variant of djuvec ("JOO-vetch") to create a Serbian-American variant of this food that is now a staple of Barberton, Ohio. This food's Indiana variant features extra black pepper. This food names a company whose Pakistani patrons often also purchase Zinger Burgers. It's not pizza or King Castella cakes, but the Kim family is hinted to have lost money in the boom for (*) Korean corner restaurants selling this food in the film Parasite. "Flying Lesson" by Yo La Tengo references the restaurant Prince's, which makes this food without using sauces. An extra-spicy variant of this food was popularized by Hattie B's in Nashville. This food is paired with a breakfast dish at Roscoe's. For 10 points, name this flagship product of KFC.
A: fried chicken [prompt on partial answer; accept Southern fried chicken or hot chicken; accept pica pollo; accept chicken and waffles; prompt on chicken or chicken sandwiches or pollo]
Q: This country's capital city is home to a stone and glass pyramid called the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. It is also the location of an observation tower and monument known as the Bayterek Tower. This country is also home to several natural features including Lake Kaindy and the mountain range (*) Khan Tengri. For 10 points, name this Asian country which is the largest landlocked country in the world and whose capital is Astana.
A: Kazakhstan
Q: The type site of the Sintashta culture in this modern-day country contained the oldest known chariots in the world buried alongside sacrificed horses. The trickster raven god Kutkh is the subject of sometimes-mocking legends among native people of this country like the Itelmen and Chukchi. The Valley of Geysers is found on this country's (*) Kamchatka Peninsula. The world's deepest lake, Lake Baikal, and cities like Murmansk and Yekaterinburg are in this country. The Ural Mountains are in, for 10 points, what country, whose capitals have included St. Petersburg and Moscow?
A: Russian Federation [or Rossiya; or Rossiyskaya Federatsiya]
Q: The Starfield COEX Mall, the largest underground shopping mall in the world, sprawls underneath this city. SM and JYP Entertainment are headquartered in this city, whose success is synonymous with the hallyu phenomenon, or recent "wave" of global cultural exports. This city's hosting of the 1988 Olympics solidified a country-wide economic rise named the Miracle on the (*) Han, the river which flows through this city. Popular tourist spots include this city's ancient Five Grand Palaces like the one at Gyeongbokgung, ("gee-ong-bok-goong"), which were built during its reign of the Joseon dynasty. This city is the headquarters of the chaebols, or global conglomerates, of LG and Hyundai. The stylish night-life district of Gangnam is found in - for 10 points - what capital of South Korea?
A: Seoul
Q: One lake created by this river, Lake Burullus, sits in its delta. The Ruvyironza River, which is considered to be this river's farthest source, flows into the Kagera River. The Jonglei Canal was a proposed project to alleviate this river's Sudd wetlands. The city of (*) Damietta is located in this river's delta. Lake Nasser separates the last of this river's six cataracts from the Aswan High Dam. This river's "Blue" and "White" tributaries converge near Khartoum in Sudan. For 10 points, name this longest river in the world, which runs through Egypt.
A: the Nile River [accept the Blue Nile or the White Nile]
Q: Gordon Willis claimed that even "Rembrandt went too far sometimes" over a shot of this body of water in The Godfather Pt. II. Jacques Cousteau claimed the world "wasn't ready for what's down there" after diving into this body of water in search of the monster Tessie. In 2011, Lahontan Cutthroat trout were reintroduced to this body of water from nearby Pyramid Lake. The toeless ghost of Ben Holladay Jr. haunts this body of water's Fannette Island in its Emerald Bay. The Washoe (WOSH-oe) tribe settled along this body of water, which is emptied by the Truckee River. This second deepest lake in the United States lies just west of Carson City, and its nearby ski resort town of Squaw Valley hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. For 10 points, name this lake straddling the California-Nevada border.
A: Lake Tahoe
Q: Obsidian Cliff in this national park is the most widely dispersed source of obsidian in the United States. Brian Kalt discovered a legal loophole that supposedly makes felonies unpunishable when performed in its Zone of Death. Features like the Fountain Paint Pots and Dragon's Mouth Cave in this park are often accessed via (*) boardwalks. A 1995 ecological initiative aimed to reverse the effects of its earlier eradication of gray wolves. The multicolored Grand Prismatic Spring is one of many thermal features in this park. For 10 points, name this first National Park in the United States, the site of the geyser Old Faithful.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: Oyster Bay, a neighborhood in this country's largest city, was the birthplace of Tingatinga paintings, which use layers of bicycle paint. Homo habilis remains have been found in the Olduvai Gorge in this country, which also contains the world's largest intact caldera, Ngorongoro ("en-gorong-goro") Crater. A four-year-long war between the Kahama and Kasakela chimpanzee communities occurred in this country's Gombe National Park, where Jane (*) Goodall conducted her research. Two million wildebeest and zebra migrate across the Serengeti annually in this country. This country moved its capital to Dodoma from its largest city, Dar es Salaam. Africa's tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, is found in, for 10 points, what country, formed from the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar?
A: Tanzania
Q: A boiled form of this dish is the Acadian Poutine Rapee, which is eaten with fruit, sugar, or maple syrup. A steamed version of this food popular in Tibet and Nepal is called momo. Hyacinth of Poland is the patron saint of one type of this food, which is produced in America by the brand Mrs. T's. One type of this food filled with gelatinous soup comes from Shanghai and is called (*) xiaolongbao ("shyao-long-baow"). It's not pasta, but gnocchi ("nyo-kee") is a type of this dish. Jiaozi ("jow-zee") differs from a form of this food often served in soups, wontons, by the shape of the wrapper used. For 10 points, pierogies and potstickers are versions of what food made of a filling wrapped by a starchy dough?
A: dumplings [accept momo, accept pierogi, accept baozi before "xiaolongbao," accept jiaozi, gyoza, or potstickers before each is mentioned]
Q: One of these construction projects required moving the temples of Abu Simbel. In 2017, the spillways at a 770-foot-tall one of these projects named Oroville nearly failed. The baiji (*) dolphin went extinct in Hubei province after one of these projects, named Three Gorges, was built. For 10 points, name this type of structure that generates hydroelectric power and holds back immense amounts of water.
A: dams (prompt on descriptions of (hydroelectric) power plants, stations, etc. before "hydroelectric" is read)
Q: The decline of this region is examined in a nearly ten-hour-long film subtitled West of the Tracks. Falling steel demand has hampered an economic revitalization program for this region, cutting into profits at Beiman Special Steel. The massive Daqing ("dah-ching") oil field is in this region, which was historically populated via the Guandong migration north through the Shanhai ("shahn-high") Pass. Mao-era economic success in this region drove up labor costs, making this "Iron Rice Bowl" into "China's Rust Belt." This region is considered the northern part of the Bohai Economic Rim. Major cities in this region include (*) Liaodong ("l'yao-dong") and Harbin. For 10 points, name this region of China consisting of Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang ("hay-long-jyong") provinces, which no longer contains many members of an eponymous ethnic group that ruled China during the Qing dynasty.
A: Manchuria [or Inner Manchuria or Northeast China or Dongbei; accept Heilongjiang or Liaoning or Jilin or Guandong before any of them are read; prompt on Tiexi District by asking "what province or general region is it in?"; accept Northeast after "China"; do not accept or prompt on "Guangdong"]
Q: The traditional costume of men in this country is a toga-like cloth whose name means "holy," called the jard. Dozens of this country's people still die each year from landmines in its Nafusa Mountains and other regions. To honor the photojournalist Tim Hetherington, this country's city of Ajdabiya ("ahj-da-BEE-ya") named a square after him. Sabha ("SEB-ha"), the largest city within this country's poor (*) Fezzan region, is one of many cities containing newly opened slave markets in the past decade. One of the two major factions in this country's ongoing civil war is headquartered at Tobruk. This country re-adopted its traditional red, green, and black flag in 2011, replacing an all-green one. For 10 points, name this country whose non-Tobruk government is located in Tripoli.
A: Libya [or State of Libya]
Q: Satellites in geostationary orbit are placed directly above this feature and, as a result, don't appear to move in the sky when viewed from the ground. An African country with capital Malabo and a South American country with capital (*) Quito are named for their location on or near this geographical feature. Zero degrees latitude is defined at, for 10 points, what imaginary line that separates the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres?
A: equator
Q: One city in this province has a giant statue of a fish known as Husky the Muskie. In addition to that city of Kenora, Lighthouses such as Cove Island Light litter this province's Bruce Peninsula which is the site of the tourist-haven Sauble Beach. Muskoka Cottage Brewery in this province brews beers such as the Mad Tom IPA and a Cream Ale which can be purchased at local LCBOs. The southern region of this province is home to (*) Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, which are collectively called the "Tri-Cities." The largest city in this province is the home of the tallest free-standing land structure in the Western Hemisphere in its CN Tower. What largest province of Canada by population is, for 10 points, the site of Ottawa and Toronto?
A: Ontario
Q: Writers Elizabeth Pomada and Michael Larsen coined the term "Painted ladies" to refer to a series of Victorian houses that sit near this non-Texas city's Alamo Square. The second highest point in this city is a pair of hills known as "Eureka" and "Noe," which are collectively referred to as "Twin Peaks." This city's Russian Hill neighborhood is home to Lombard Street, which has earned the nickname of "the (*) crookedest street in the world" due to its eight sharp turns. This city's Chinatown is home to the City Lights Bookstore, which was founded by Lawrence Ferlinghetti and served as a spiritual center for the Beat Generation literary movement. For 10 points, name this Northern California city that is linked to Marin County by the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco
Q: This country is home to the oldest operating amusement park in the world, as well as the southern portion of Medicon Valley, a leading cluster of life science companies. Urban development in this country's capital follows the Finger Plan. The ruins of Hammershus ("hammers-hoose") are located on an island in this country, Bornholm. This country's capital is home to (*) Tivoli Gardens and is located on the island of Zealand in the Øresund ("air-uh-sund") Region. This country's flag, the oldest continuously used national flag, was the first to feature a Nordic Cross. The mainland part of this country is located on the Jutland Peninsula. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country whose capital is Copenhagen.
A: Kingdom of Denmark [or Kongeriget Danmark]
Q: This state is home to Mill Ends Park, the smallest park in the world, which consists of a single tree. Blue-green claystone forms the Turtle Cove Assemblage in this state's John Day Fossil Beds. An annual, months-long Shakespeare festival is economically crucial to this state's city of Ashland. This state is home to the deepest lake in the United States, (*) Crater Lake. This state's city of Eugene hosts a university whose athletic teams are called the Ducks. Players headed to this state's Willamette ("wil-lam-it") Valley in an old computer game may die of dysentery. For 10 points, name this northwestern state whose largest city is Portland.
A: Oregon [accept The Oregon Trail]
Q: In 2018, John Allen Chau was killed on an island in this ocean while trying to serve as a missionary to the Sentinelese. This ocean includes the Gulf of Khambhat and the Meghna River delta which are, respectively, part of the (*) Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, found on opposite sides of the country that shares its name with this ocean. For 10 points, name this ocean between Africa and Australia.
A: Indian Ocean
Q: It's not Greece, but the highest point in this country is Mount Olympus, found in the Troodos ("troh-ah-das") mountains. The northern part of this country declared independence in 1983 but is only recognized by one UN member. This country's flag is one of two that contains a map, and the only one which also depicts an (*) island. Two ethnic groups in this country fought over taksim, splitting this country between them, or enosis, unification of this country with Greece. A UN Buffer Zone in this country called the Green Line was extended after a 1974 invasion by Turkey pushed its Greek residents south. For 10 points, name this Mediterranean island country governed from Nicosia.
A: Republic of Cyprus
Q: The coastal resort of Provincetown lies on the tip of this state's eastern region, and cities like New Bedford lie on Buzzards Bay in this state's south. Myles Standish State Forest is found in a coastal region of this state, which includes the islands of Chappaquiddick, (*) Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Plymouth Colony was established in what is now, for 10 points, what New England state that borders both Connecticut and Rhode Island?
A: Massachusetts
Q: This city was the center of a movement of squatters who took over the property of former state-owned enterprises in the 1990s and formed collectives like Tacheles ("TA-khuh-liss") in its Mitte ("MIT-uh") neighborhood. This city's first gay mayor coined a slogan referring to it as "poor but sexy." A popular shopping district in this city is known by the shortened name "Ku'damm" ("KOO-dom"). Two bordering neighborhoods lend their names to a nightclub in this city called Berghain ("BAIRG-hyne"). A huge (*) concrete cylinder in this city was built to test whether its swampy soil on the river Spree could support a triumphal arch, as part of Albert Speer's plan to turn it into a "world capital." This city's Tempelhof Field was converted to a park after this city's airport relocated to Tegel ("TAY-gull"). For 10 points, name this city whose East and West halves were reunited in 1990.
A: Berlin [accept East Berlin]
Q: Scholar Diana K. Davis has argued that this problem is overhyped by colonialists to justify "capitalist expansion." Following Agenda 21, the 1994 UN Convention to Combat [this problem] measures GLADIS indicators like RUE decline and declared 2006 its international year. This problem is not tracked by the FLI index, but it may have gotten better from 1982 to 2006 after a spike from 1968 to 1974, based on NDVI data. This problem has been countered by ngitili systems and "magic stone" bunds; other countermeasures dating to (*) Deng Xiaoping's tenure may actually exacerbate it in the Three North region. The barrage vert ("vair") counteracting this problem forced many nomadic pastoralists to sedentarize. This problem may be reduced by building "windbreaks" or "shelterbelts" like the Great Green Wall in the Sahel. For 10 points, what process may expand regions like the Sahara?
A: desertification [accept descriptive answers like the expansion of deserts; prompt on ecological change or ecological succession or similar answers; accept land degradation; prompt on sandstorms or water runoff or evaporation or erosion by asking "contributing to what larger, ecosystem-wide problem?"; do not accept "deforestation"; accept United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification; accept International Year of Deserts and Desertification] (The Davis book is The Arid Lands: History, Power, Knowledge. The NDVI is the normalized difference vegetation index and the FLII is the forest landscape integrity index. RUE is rainfall use efficiency. GLADIS is Global Land Degradation Information System.)
Q: In this body of water, the theme park Blackgang Chine can be found on an island that hosts a garlic festival in the town of Ryde. Jersey and Guernsey cows are native to islands in this body of water which is also home to the Isle of Wight. The culturally Gallic regions of Cornwall and (*) Brittany are separated by this body of water. Traversing this body of water is a notable solo swimming feat, but many travelers use its namesake tunnel instead to cross from Folkestone to Calais. For 10 points, name this body of water which separates France and the United Kingdom.
A: the English Channel [accept La Manche]
Q: In this city, the architecture firm TFP Farrells built the CITIC Skyscraper. Residents of this city refer to a Rem Koolhaus-designed building as "the big pants." The Ten Great Buildings of this city include the Great Hall of the People and the Workers' Stadium. CCTV's headquarters are located within this city, as is an Olympic stadium nicknamed the (*) Bird's Nest. The Meridian Gate leads to the Palace of Supreme Harmony in a complex named The Forbidden City, which borders this city's Tiananmen Square. For 10 points, name this capital of China.
A: Beijing [prompt on Peking]
Q: A drugstore in this state's city of New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi. It's not Nova Scotia, but the Graveyard of the Atlantic can be found off this state's coast. The tallest mountain east of the Mississippi is this state's Mount Mitchell. Cape Fear and Cape Hatteras are located in this state, where the first (*) flight of the Wright Brothers' Flyer I occurred in this state's Outer Banks. The Research Triangle is formed by two of this state's flagship universities and Duke University in Durham. Asheville and Charlotte are cities in, for 10 points, what state with capital at Raleigh?
A: North Carolina
Q: A visit to this city by Congressmen Peter Meijer and Seth Moulton was criticized for draining security and personnel. An event in this city following the failure of the Doha Agreement was photographed in an image showing 640 people in a plane's cargo bay. The United States formally apologized two weeks after a drone strike that killed 10 innocent people in the wake of a suicide bombing in this city. That suicide bombing was carried out by ISIL-KP during a mass evacuation at this city's airport ahead of an August 31st deadline to remove troops from this city. For 10 points, name this city recaptured by the Taliban in August 2021, the capital of Afghanistan.
A: Kabul
Q: This country's city of Kirkuk is one of several cities that claims to hold the tomb of the prophet Daniel. The cities of Baqubah, Ramadi, and Tikri form this country's "Sunni triangle." This country's city of Qurna sits at the confluence of two rivers that then form the (*) Shatt al-Arab, which flows southeast past Basra to the Persian Gulf. The Tigris and Euphrates [yoo-fray-teez] Rivers irrigate the Fertile Crescent in, for 10 points, what country whose capital is Baghdad?
A: Republic of Iraq
Q: It's not the U.K., but a suburb of this country's capital named Eastleigh is home to a large Somali immigrant community. This country's capital is home to an informal busing service known as matatu. The western half of this country is home to the Kakamega Forest and the White Highlands, which were historically reserved for European settlers in this country. The Kibera slum in this country's capital is home to many members of the Luo ethnic group. The Kikuyu are the largest ethnic group in this country, whose largest port city is Mombasa. For 10 points, name this east African country with capital Nairobi.
A: Republic of Kenya
Q: The Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the historic site of one of these structures. The oldest extant structure of this kind is supposedly the site where Geryon's head is buried, is named for Hercules, and is found on the northern coast of Galicia, Spain. The tallest one of these structures in the U.S. is located at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The island of Pharos, which contained one of these structures, later gave its name for the Greek word for them. An earthquake destroyed one of the Seven Wonders of the World that was this type of structure at Alexandria. For 10 points, name these structures that guide ships near shore using lamps and lenses.
A: lighthouses
Q: The Fountain of Samson is found in the Podil neighborhood of this country's capital city. This country's third largest city is home to a former Vladimir Lenin statue that was turned into one of Darth Vader. The Monastery of the Caves is found in this country's capital city which also contains the Saint Sophia Cathedral. The north of this country is home to the ghost town of Pripyat, which was evacuated due to a nuclear disaster in this country. Odessa is located in this country which disputes the Crimean peninsula with Russia. For 10 points, name this country where the Dnieper River crosses through its capital city of Kyiv.
A: Republic of Ukraine
Q: Superstition claims couples who climb this city's Cerro Monserrate (mone-say-RAH-tay) never marry. Bargoers in this city's Zona Rosa throw metal disks at gunpowder-filled targets in the game of tejo (TAY-hoe). Tourists can stroll markets in this city's Usaquen (oo-sah-KEN) district before seeing its historic Candelaria neighborhood. This city's Museum of Gold contains relics thrown into Lake Guatavita by the Muisca (MWEES-kah) people, a story of which inspired the name of this city's El Dorado Airport. This city was rebuilt from riots after its former Mayor Jorge Gaitan was assassinated here. A painting of an obese, child Mona Lisa is found in this city's Fernando Botero Museum. This capital city's Palace of Justice was sieged by Pablo Escobar. For 10 points, name this capital of Colombia.
A: Bogota
Q: Mummified birds have been found in this desert near the oasis town of Pica, which is famous for its small and acidic limes. This desert is created by the Humboldt current and experiences a fog called camanchaca. The Very Large Telescope and the Extremely Large Telescope are observatories in this desert. This desert and the Antarctic Dry Valleys have been studied for their similarity to (*) Martian environments. The deforestation of the Pampa del Tamarugal in this desert was caused by the development of the paradas method for saltpeter mining. Parts of this desert did not see rain for over 400 years. For 10 points, name this driest non-polar desert in the world, located in the two-sided rain shadow of the Andes and the Chilean Coastal Range.
A: Atacama Desert [or Desierto de Atacama]
Q: This state's city of Beaumont near Port Arthur is home to Spindletop, the site of a 1901 discovery that triggered an economic boom. Geologists in this state have a hard time studying its Barnett Shale, a formation with massive (*) natural gas reserves, because it lies underneath a sprawling metroplex that includes Plano and Fort Worth. For 10 points, name this southern US state where the oil industry grew the cities of Dallas and Houston.
A: Texas
Q: One of these systems runs eight hundred miles from Prudhoe Bay to the port town of Valdez, and its revenue is used in a Permanent Fund that pays the residents of Alaska. President Trump put down the (*) Standing Rock protest of one of these systems, Dakota Access, that threatened sacred land and drinking water. Keystone XL is, for 10 points, what type of construction that transports crude oil over land?
A: oil pipeline (accept crude oil pipes; prompt on descriptions related to "transporting oil;" prompt on "pipe" alone)
Q: This country is home to popular tourist routes such as the Golden and Diamond Circle. The Westman Islands are located off the southern coast of this country, which is home to a fermented shark dish known as hakarl ("HOW-kartl"). The Dettifoss waterfall is located in this country, whose island of Surtsey was formed from a 1963 volcanic eruption. Thingvellir ("THINK-vet-leer") National Park in this country is the original site of the world's oldest surviving parliament, Althing. Flights departing from this country's Keflavik airport were grounded by the eruption of its Eyjafjallajokull ("ay-uff-YAHT-lah-YOH-kut-ul") volcano. For 10 points, name this European island nation with its capital at Reykjavik.
A: Iceland
Q: The largest munitions plant in the US during World War II was named for the mascot of this state's flagship university and based in its city of Baraboo. Regulations on streams were waved for the recent construction of a plant near the town of Mount Pleasant in this state that, despite receiving 5 billion dollars in subsidies, will likely never employ anywhere close to 13,000 workers making LCD screens. In 2018, a large GM plant was demolished in this state's town of (*) Janesville. Foxconn is currently building a huge plant in this state. Such companies as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Schlitz, and Miller have historically produced beer in this state's largest city, leading to the naming of its professional baseball team. For 10 points, what state is home to former speaker Paul Ryan, as well as the Milwaukee Brewers?
A: Wisconsin
Q: Canadian tightrope walker and explorer William Leonard Hunt described a supposed "lost city" in this non-political region, though in reality what he saw was probably a natural dolerite formation. Omurambas are dried river beds found in this region, whose unofficial capital is the small town of Ghanzi. An ethnic group native to this region hydrate using the Tsamma melon. The baobab-covered Kubu Island lies within this region's (*) Makgadikgadi Salt Pan, a major habitat for flamingos. This is the more eastern of the two large deserts that is a habitat for meerkats. The Okavango Delta lies in the endorheic basin containing this desert. The San Bushmen live in, for 10 points, what desert that covers South Africa, Namibia, and much of Botswana?
A: Kalahari Desert [accept Makgadikgadi Salt Pan until mentioned; accept Kgala or Kgalagadi]
Q: Specific term required. Kevin Hassett was heavily lobbied to include support for these initiatives in one bill by Napster tech bro Sean Parker, although the resulting bill explicitly disallowed massage parlors. A ProPublica story documented how an error at the Treasury Department involving I-395 allowed Kevin Plank to qualify for one of these initiatives thanks to an earlier program. These initiatives were created by legislation sponsored by South Carolina Senator (*) Tim Scott and Cory Booker. Under Armour has tied its Port Covington project to one of these initiatives via "the most valuable parking space in America." If approved prior to 2019, investors in these places could defer 15% of their capital gain taxes. For 10 points, name these regions created by the 2017 tax reform bill ostensibly to secure investment in under-funded census tracts.
A: opportunity zones
Q: A location whose name means "cow's mouth" in this mountain system is the terminus of the Gangotri Glacier. The Siwalik Hills are also called the "outer" part of this mountain range. The hangul, the goat-like tahr, and the yak are animals indigenous to this region. The Sherpa, including (*) Tenzing Norgay, serve as guides in this mountain range. Earth's tallest mountain above sea level sits in, for 10 points, what mountain range that is shared by India, China, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Nepal that contains Mount Everest?
A: Himalayas [or the Outer Himalayas]
Q: On this project, the engineering firm Bechtel heavily used the new technology of slurry walls. One of the more ambitious engineering feats on this project was "Pinning the Artery." The firm Gannett Fleming incorrectly used a glue called Powers Fasteners on this project, leading to the death of Milena del Valle in a ceiling collapse. Over a billion dollars on this project were spent redoing the "ugly" Zakim Bridge. According to Inspector General Bob Cerasoli, Governor (*) Bill Weld ordered the engineering firm on this project to lie about its true cost; it was started under the previous governor, Michael Dukakis. One of the first parts of this project to be completed was the Ted Williams Tunnel. A new tunnel to Logan Airport was built in, for 10 points, what massive Boston underground road construction project with a rhyming name?
A: Big Dig [or Central Artery/Tunnel Project; or CA/T Project]
Q: In the 1960s, a short fishing boom called the Gadoid Outburst occurred in this body of water. The Brent oilfield in this body of water is being decommissioned but continues to name its crude oil. During the Mesolithic, the exposed bed of this body of water formed a landmass called Doggerland. The Delta Works were made following a 1951 flood of this body of water to protect land around the mouths of the (*) Maas and Scheldt rivers. Independence activists use the slogan "It's Scotland's Oil" to claim reserves in this sea, which is located between the UK, Continental Europe, and Norway. For 10 points, give this sea named for its location relative to the Netherlands.
A: North Sea
Q: Triglav is the highest peak in the easternmost range of this mountain system, which reaches into Slovenia. Theodul Pass is to the east of a mountain in this range, first climbed by Edward Whymper. It's not the Carpathians, but edelweiss is a plant endemic to these mountains. A breed of rescue dog is named for the St. (*) Bernard Pass in this mountain range, the site of the Matterhorn. Mont Blanc is the highest peak in, For 10 points, this European mountain range that covers much of Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.
A: Alps
Q: This country's northernmost point is a disputed part of the Aves Ridge that it claims as an island, known as Isla de Aves. This country's Escalante River is a major area of production for Criolla cultivar cocoa beans. This country is home to the world's highest waterfall, (*) Angel Falls. A major lake in this country is the site of a weather phenomenon known as Catatumbo lightning. That lake is home to one of the longest bridges in the world, the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge. For 10 points, name this country where Lake Maracaibo is located, whose capital is Caracas.
A: Venezuela [or the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; or Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela]
Q: Christopher Schaberg wrote a book on the "end" of these places as "sites of excitement" due to the rise of smartphones. After a buying spree, a French company called Vinci is now the largest private owner of these places in Europe. The "Monster," a faulty smoke-extraction system, delayed the opening of one of these places in Europe for nearly a decade. A program called CAPPS, which is widely used at these places, has been criticized as (*) "theater" by people like Eric Levenson. A recently expanded place of this kind includes a mall with a rain vortex and the "world's tallest indoor waterfall." One of these complexes designed by Norman Foster, which was projected to cost 13 billion dollars and would have served Mexico City, was cancelled by the AMLO administration. For 10 points, name these transport facilities that are often too small for Airbus A380s.
A: airports [accept The End of Airports] (CAPPS is the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System.)
Q: In 1846, this country's city of Angostura changed its name to Ciudad Bolivar. The ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curac¸ao [koo-rah-sah-oh] are just north of this mainland country, a little east of the opening to Lake Maracaibo. The (*) Orinoco River flows through this country into the Atlantic Ocean just northwest of Guyana. For 10 points, name this South American country, found east of Colombia, whose capital city is Caracas.
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Q: This city became the largest city in its state by population due to a population swell immediately following the Summer of 1889's "Great Fire." This city contains the neighborhoods of Othello, Columbia City, and Rainier Beach. The Museum of Pop Culture and the Pike (*) Place Market are tourist attractions in this city. Companies headquartered in this city on the Puget Sound include Nordstrom, Amazon, and Starbucks. For 10 points, name this city whose landmarks include the Space Needle, the largest city in the state of Washington.
A: Seattle, Washington
Q: If built, this country's Grand Inga Dam would be the most productive power plant in the world. The longest headstream of this country's main river is fed from Lake Mweru, on its eastern border, and the largest, the Lualaba, once was explored by a man who also named this country's Malebo Pool. The "Lower" stretch of this country's main river is impassable between its capital and city of (*) Matadi, and its city of Boma lies at that river's mouth. Henry Morton Stanley explored this country's namesake river, which is the setting of Heart of Darkness and the longest river in Central Africa. For 10 points, name this country, formerly called Zaire, with capital Kinshasa.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [or DRC; prompt on Congo; do NOT accept or prompt on "Republic of the Congo"]
Q: Festivals of this ethnic group's music occur annually at the Blackham Coliseum and open with a "National Anthem" about Jolie Blonde. Reverend Jules Daigle created the first dictionary of this ethnic group's dialect, which frequently uses the conjunction "mais" (may) and non-purposive (PUR-puh-siv) subjunctive clauses. This people's folklore includes the Grunch and people who break Lent seven years in a row and turn into the werewolf-like rougarou (roo-guh-roo). This ethnic group's "joy of living" culture is characterized by zydeco music and their phrase "let the good times roll." Onion, celery, and bell pepper form the "Holy Trinity" of this people's cuisine, whose dishes include boudin (boo-dan) balls and gumbo. For 10 points name these descendents of exiled Acadians who settled in Louisiana.
A: Cajuns [accept Cadiens; prompt on French Louisianans; prompt on Acadians or Laurentians with "What ethnic group are their descendants?"; do not accept or prompt on creole]
Q: One city in this country is home to the Menara Gardens and Kutubiyya Mosque near the Jemaa el-Fna Square. After this country's Jews moved to Israel in Operation Yachin, their former neighborhoods became known as "Mellahs." The Draa River flows south of this country's highest point, Jebel Toubkal. This country is the northwesternmost in Tamazgha and in the (*) Maghrib. The Rif and the western end of the Atlas Mountains lie in this country. For 10 points, Tangier lies opposite Spain on the Strait of Gibraltar in what country whose capital of Rabat lies just north of its city of Casablanca?
A: Morocco [or Kingdom of Morocco; accept al-mamlakah al-maghribiyah before "Maghrib"]
Q: This city's final annexation of territories on its outskirts in 1860 created 20 clockwise municipal boroughs. Many couples write their names on locks attached to bridges in this city in a practice known as "love locks." In addition to its 20 (*) arrondissements, this city's Latin Quarter is home to The Sorbonne. This city is home to a monument commemorating the Battle of Austerlitz, known as the Arc de Triomphe. For 10 points, name this French city on the Seine River, home to the Eiffel Tower.
A: Paris, France
Q: This city's Gardens by the Bay park has solar-powered "supertrees." This city's Chinatown contains its oldest Hindu temple, which is devoted to Mariamman. The petrochemical industry in this city is centered on its artificial Jurong Island, while its largest prison and airport are both in Changi. This city, a member of the Straits Settlements, was founded by (*) Stamford Raffles and is south of the Strait of Johor. In a Wired article, William Gibson referred to this city as "Disneyland with the Death Penalty" due to its technocracy and harsh penal code, which includes canings. For 10 points, name this city-state, an "Asian Tiger" on the tip of the Malay Peninsula.
A: Singapore [or Xinjiapo or Sin-ka-pho or San'gabo or Sin-ka-pho or Sing-ga-po or Singapura or Cinkappur; accept Xingzhou or Seng-chiu or Xingguo or Seng-kok or Xingzhou or Shicheng or Sai-sia or Sernghakborey or Xin Ga Po or Tan Gia Ba or Tan Gia Pha or Singgaporeu]
Q: In the 1920s, significant grape farming took place on the slopes of this state's Sugarloaf Mountain, which sits on the western shore of Lake Apopka. This state's highest natural point is Britton Hill, the lowest high point in any U.S. State. This state's Osceola County is home to a master planned community that was originally developed byThe Walt (*) Disney Company. That community is called Celebration. This state's second most populous city sits on a plain between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades. For 10 points, name this state home to cities such as Orlando and Miami.
A: Florida
Q: This region is home to the wild Mazaalai bear and the Przewalski ["per-zhuh-val-skee"] horse. Oyu Tolgoi is a massive mining complex in this region, which is where Roy Andrews discovered the first dinosaur eggs in this region's Nemegt Basin. This homeland of (*) Bactrian camels is bordered by the Altai and Tian Shan Mountains. The rain shadow of the Himalayas created this region, which is the coldest non-polar desert in the world. For 10 points, name this largest Asian desert found in northern China and southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert [prompt on Mongolia or northern China]
Q: As part of one of its country's largest building booms, this city became home to its nation's first steel-framed high-rise building in 1885, the Home Insurance Building. It's not New York, but the Canal Street railroad bridge sits on the namesake river of this city. This city's Museum of Science and Industry was built for an 1893 World's (*) Fair exhibit known as the "White City." This city's major business district is known as "The Loop." The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, is in, for 10 points, what "Windy" midwestern American city on Lake Michigan?
A: Chicago, Illinois
Q: Geographic features of this country include the Rann of Kutch and the Thar Desert. This country owns the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep Islands as union territories. Several mountain ranges pass through this country, including the (*) Hindu Kush and Himalayas. The Ganges is this country's longest river. For 10 points, name this country with a capital at New Delhi.
A: Republic of India [or Bharat]
Q: This city is home to a Norman Foster-designed commercial skyscraper formerly known as the Swiss Re Building, nicknamed "The Gherkin." Another skyscraper in this city designed by Renzo Piano is 95 stories tall and nicknamed "The Shard." Inigo Jones was among the architects involved in the design of this city's St. (*) Paul's Cathedral, which sits on Ludgate Hill. A building sometimes referred to as the "Inside-Out Building" in this city is home to an insurance company known as Lloyd's of this city. Westminster Abbey is located in, for 10 points, what capital of England?
A: London
Q: This country's Mount Ruapehu is an active volcano that last erupted in 2007. Niue and the Cook Islands are in states in free association with this nation. The now-extinct moa was endemic to this country, which is also home to the tuatara ["too-uh-taa-ruh"]. The Tasman Sea separates this country from its northern neighbor. The Southern Alps and the cities of Dunedin and (*) Christchurch are on this country's South Island. For 10 points, what country to the southeast of Australia is governed from Wellington?
A: Dominion of New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: This country's capital contains the Istiqlal Mosque, which is adjacent to Merdeka Square. It's not Portugal, but the separatist group Fretilin fought for independence from this country, and this country shares an island with Timor-Leste. This country and (*) Malaysia are home to the world's remaining population of wild orangutans. This country contains the most populous island in the world, Java. For 10 points, name this island country with capital Jakarta.
A: (Republic of) Indonesia
Q: This city's waterfront, the IJ ("ay"), is the site of a maritime celebration every five years called SAIL [this city.] A Pablo Picasso sculpture called The Fish can be found at the Vondelpark in this city, whose neighborhoods include Jordaan. This city is served by the fourth-busiest airport in Europe, Schiphol Airport. This city's red-light district of De Wallen is home to many of its trademark coffeeshops that actually sell cannabis. The Anne Frank House can be found in this city, which is sometimes known as the "Venice of the North" for its many canals. For 10 points, name this capital city of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: Description acceptable. LNG Canada aims to create one of these things westward from Kitimat. The first one of these things in the North Pacific was discovered by Andres de Urdaneta. One of these things, the NSR, lies entirely within Russian authority and begins at Novaya Zemlya ("NOH-vuh-yuh ZEHM-lee-uh"). One of these things between Banks and Ellesmere Islands may become viable due to (*) climate change. Several of these things that follow trade winds and westerlies were made obsolete by powered vehicles. The Northwest Passage is one of these routes, the busiest of which by number of vehicles is the Strait of Malacca. For 10 points, name these routes used by vehicles that traverse the ocean.
A: shipping lanes [or sea lanes or sea roads or ship routes; accept any answers describing a route or path traversed by ships or boats]
Q: An Art Deco skyscraper built in 1931 in this city was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until 1961 and is named for a company that left the building in 1991. This city's 18th & Vine district is home to the American Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues (*) Baseball Museum. It's not Los Angeles, but a one block area with frequent live music performances known as "this city Live!" sits in this city's Power & Light District. A baseball stadium nicknamed "The K" is located in, for 10 points, what Missouri city, which shares its name with a city in a neighboring state?
A: Kansas City, Missouri [or Kansas City Live!]
Q: It's not in Europe, but this country's Very Large Telescope is operated by the European Southern Observatory. That telescope is located in the north of this country, which is also the site of its longest river, the Loa. The south of this country is home to Torres del Paine National Park, while an island governed by this country is home to a national park and UNESCO World Heritage site known for its many moai statues. That park is on this country's Easter Island. The Atacama Desert is located in the north of this country whose major cities include Valparaiso. For 10 points, name this South American country with capital Santiago.
A: Republic of Chile
Q: This river's tributaries include the Iller and Abens Rivers. Previously, this river contained the Ada Kaleh, now submerged following the construction of the two dams at the Iron Gates. The confluence of this river and the Siret is at the port city of Galati, while this river joins a large tributary called the Sava in a Balkan capital. Receiving the Tisza in Serbia, this river begins in the Black Forest of Germany and is the second longest river in Europe. For 10 points, name this river that passes through Belgrade, Budapest, and Vienna, and flows into the Black Sea.
A: Danube River
Q: It's not San Diego, but this city's Biofreeze Performance Center lies in its Mission Bay neighborhood. Footage of the Ferry Building in this city was found in a Miles Brothers film made three weeks after the film A Trip Down Market Street. Boudin ("boo-DAHN") Bakery's flagship location is on this city's Pier 39, part of Fisherman's Wharf. Hunter Thompson nicknamed one neighborhood in this city (*) Haight-Ashbury, where flower children came for the Summer of Love in 1967. This city, which is known for its steep hills, suffered a devastating fire and earthquake in 1906. For 10 points, name this Northern California city on a namesake bay crossed by the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco
Q: The Izu Islands lie off the Pacific coast of this city, which is home to 226 Michelin starred restaurants as of 2019. This city's neighborhoods include Shibuya, the home of United Nations University, and the high-fashion shopping district (*) Ginzu. This city's namesake Skytree is the world's second tallest structure after the Burj Khalifa. This city's metropolitan area, which also includes Yokohama, is the world's most populous. Formerly known as Edo, for 10 points, name this capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo, Japan [or Edo until it is read]
Q: Chushka Spit extends into this body of water from Taman Peninsula, where one can reach Port Krym by ferrying across the Strait of Kerch. That strait connects this body of water to its neighbor, a sea which is the outlet of the Kuban and Don Rivers as well as the shallowest sea in the world. In addition to being connected to the Sea of Azov, this sea is connected to the Sea of Marmara via the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered by Georgia, Bulgaria, and the Crimean Peninsula. For 10 points, name this inland European sea, located directly south of Ukraine and directly north of Turkey.
A: Black Sea [accept Sea of Azov or Strait of Kerch before respective mentions]
Q: This state's Presumpscot River flows through Windham and Gorham and begins in Sebago Lake, the largest lake in Cumberland County. This state's largest city contains Munjoy Hill, upon which stands the only remaining maritime signal tower in the United States. That city, which shares its name with Oregon's Portland, is on the shore of an Atlantic gulf named after this state, which also forms the shorelines of this state's southern neighbors, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For 10 points, name this state with capital Augusta which contains the most northeastern point in New England.
A: Maine
Q: This country is home to the second largest nickel reserves in the world, after Russia. An electric railway built by Hershey's chocolate company connects this country's capital to a province that contains the Zapata Swamp, Matanzas. The Hotel Nacional in this country's capital was home to a 1946 conference of organized crime (*) leaders organized by Meyer Lansky. A United States military prison off the coast of this country has been the site of internationally condemned incidents of torture. Guantanamo Bay is off the coast of, for 10 points, what Caribbean nation with capital at Havana?
A: Republic of Cuba [or Republica de Cuba]
Q: One city in this country contains the pedestrian street Jomfru Ane Gade. That city, Aalborg, is located on the Limfjord just south of Vendsyssel-Thy. Hammershus Castle overlooks the Baltic Sea on an island controlled by this nation, Bornholm, but this nation no longer governs a North Atlantic archipelago 450 kilometers southeast of Iceland, the Faroe Islands. This country's capital city in the Øresund region contains the Tivoli Gardens and is mere kilometers away from Malmo in Sweden. This nation's main peninsula, located east of the North Sea, is Jutland. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian nation with capital Copenhagen.
A: Kingdom of Denmark [or Kongeriget Danmark]
Q: This river forms a lake-like widening that is occupied by M'Bamou in its center. That area of this river is known as Pool Malebo. Soon after joining with the Ubangi River, this river narrows and forms a series of cataracts known as Livingstone Falls. This river is fed by Lake Tanganyika and it separates the two geographically closest (*) non-contiguous capitals in the world. This river was formerly known as the Zaire River under the Mobuto dictatorship. For 10 points, name this second longest river in Africa that separates Kinshasa and Brazzaville.
A: Congo River [or the Zaire River before it is read; or the Lualaba River before "Malebo" is read]
Q: Musicians in this country often learn the shvi before learning a double reed instrument named for its apricot wood, the duduk. Stone steles from this country marked with crosses are called khachkars, the largest collection of which lies along Lake Sevan. This country's namesake highlands surround a neighboring country's Lake Van. The earliest culture of this country, Urartu, survives in the name of its national symbol, Mount (*) Ararat. The breakaway Artsakh government of Nagorno-Karabakh seeks to join this country. For 10 points, name this Caucasian country whose family names often have the suffix "-ian" and that has a capital of Yerevan.
A: Armenia [or Republic of Armenia or Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun]
Q: This river is the larger of two rivers featured in Samuel Fritz's 1707 map that, for some reason, also includes Lake Parime. The Viscount of Maua established a steamboat service on this river. A tributary of this river is now named for Theodore Roosevelt, who visited it for two years after his loss in the 1912 presidential election. Henry Walter Bates's expedition to this river inspired him to develop his ideas of (*) Batesian mimicry. Seeking the "Land of Cinnamon," Francisco de Orellana led a west-to-east expedition along this river that ended at the island of Marajo. The dark Rio Negro meets the muddy Solimoes, the upper portion of this river, at the city of Manaus. For 10 points, name this river named after a comparison between nearby settlers and the women warriors of Greek mythology.
A: Amazon River
Q: This city's goldsmiths once lived in the small cottages along Golden Lane that were built in the 16th century to house the men guarding its castle. Cultural attractions in this city include the Estates Theatre, where Don Giovanni premiered, and a national art museum that houses the Slav Epic. In 2010, this city celebrated the 600th anniversary of an astronomical clock in the tower of its Old Town Hall. This city's Pinkasova memorial documents the 77,000 murdered (*) Jews who once lived in its prominent Jewish Quarter. Until the middle of the 19th century, the iconic Charles Bridge in this city was the only way to cross the Vltava River. For 10 points, name this chief city of Bohemia and capital of the Czech Republic.
A: Prague [accept Praha]
Q: An annual fireworks competition known as the Celebration of Light takes place on this city's English Bay and coincides with the SHOREFEST music festival. The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden and a stacked-rock sculpture called Inukshuk were created for Expo 86 in this city, where a century earlier Gassy Jack set up a tavern in what is now Gastown during the (*) Cariboo Gold Rush. TripAdvisor users really love the totem poles in Stanley Park in this city, whose second-tallest building, the Harbour Centre, is partially leased by Simon Fraser University. This city is bypassed by American tourists on their way to the Whistler ski resort, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. For 10 points, name this most populous city in British Columbia.
A: Vancouver, British Columbia
Q: This archipelago's most populous island is home to the second-oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. The barking noises of monk seals inspired the name of this archipelago's Dog Islands. A city in this island group originally had a name meaning "beer hall" and is home to Bluebeard's and Blackbeard's Castles. The large Hovensa refinery in this island group processes Venezuelan oil. An airport on Beef Island serves a capital city in this archipelago called (*) Road Town. Part of this archipelago is the only U.S.-owned territory that drives on the left, a remnant from when it was owned by the Danish. For 10 points, name this Caribbean archipelago divided between British and American parts, the latter of which includes St. Thomas and St. Croix.
A: Virgin Islands [accept United States Virgin Islands; accept British Virgin Islands; prompt on "Leeward Islands"; prompt on "Lesser Antilles"]
Q: On this continent, the Onyx River feeds into the highly saline Lake Vanda, while the Don Juan Pond is fed from deep groundwater. Both lakes are located in this continent's Dry Valleys. Overlapping shield volcanoes make up the Adare peninsula on this continent. Four volcanoes form an island on this continent named after its discoverer Sir James (*) Ross. This continent contains many subglacial lakes, such as Lake Vostok. Glaciers are studied at the Amundsen-Scott research station on, for 10 points, what least-populated continent, located at the South Pole?
A: Antarctica
Q: NOTE TO PLAYERS: Specific term required. Prince of Wales Island and Admiralty Island are off one of these geographic features. Palo Duro Canyon and Lake Meredith are near a city on one of these features, Amarillo. The first Spanish settlement in the continental US, Pensacola, is on one of these features. The city of Cumberland is on another of these features, and the Fort Henry Bridge crosses the Ohio River at Wheeling, which is on one of these features. The easternmost town in (*) West Virginia, Harpers Ferry, is on one of these features. Maryland has one of these features that at some points is only about two miles wide. The three westernmost counties of Oklahoma are on one of these features. For 10 points, what protrusions are named after a part of cookware?
A: panhandles [prompt on descriptive answers with "what is the term called"; anti-prompt on specific panhandles; do NOT accept or prompt on "peninsulas"]
Q: Along with the world's oldest shoe, several artifacts for making this substance were discovered in Armenia's Areni-1 Cave. A company named Recanati is currently working with Ariel University to replicate varieties of this substance dating back from the time of Jesus. A riot over this substance began in the town of Damery a few years after a Phylloxera infestation caused a significant drop in its production. In 1985, Austrian producers of this substance were caught mixing (*) diethylene glycol into it. Spain's La Rioja region and the Douro River valley are both well-known producers of this substance. During the 1976 "Judgment of Paris," American varieties of this substance were shockingly judged as superior to French ones. A Benedictine monk lends his name to a sparkling variety of this substance. For 10 points, name this product made from grapevines in Bordeaux and Champagne.
A: wine [anti-prompt on specific varieties, such as "port," "sherry," or "champagne"]
Q: A town in this country, Shibam, is known as the "Manhattan of the Desert" in reference to its mudbrick high-rise buildings. The Asir Mountains encompass this country, with cities such as Mocha. This country's province of Marib is believed to be the biblical Sheba. The currencies of this country's (*) Aden protectorate includes the East African Shilling. Forces involved in an ongoing crisis in this country include the Supreme Political Council and the Southern Transitional Government. Hodeidah is a major Red Sea port in this country, which is facing a war between a government coalition and Houthi rebels. For 10 points, name this country located on the Arabian Peninsula, whose capital is Sana'a.
A: Republic of Yemen
Q: The pioneering female anthropologist Gertrude Caton-Thompson was targeted with a lot of hostility for her assertions about this city. After the destruction of this city, the craftsmanship it pioneered moved to Khami to its south. The earliest written record of this city was made by Vicente Pegado, captain of the garrison at Sofala. Robert Gayre is the most prominent historian to claim that this city was built by a Jewish-descended group called the (*) Lemba. The "Conical Tower" at this site was constructed between the two walls of its "Great Enclosure." One of the eight soapstone bird carvings recovered from this site appears on the flag of a modern-day country. For 10 points, name this Shona-constructed fortified city located in the hills of a namesake southern African country.
A: Great Zimbabwe
Q: An island in this body of water produces a sheep's milk cheese called Paski Sir. The tide peaks in the northern part of this body of water which cause flooding are known in one language by a name meaning "high water." Most of the largest islands in this body of water lie in the Kvarner Gulf, including the aforementioned Pag Island as well as its two largest islands, Cres and Krk. One city on this body was formerly known as both Epidamnus and Dyrrhachium. Aside from Durres, cities on this body of water include Dubrovnik and Trieste. This body of water, which is connected to the Ionian Sea by the Strait of Otranto, is home to ports such as Bari, Split, and Venice. For 10 points, name this arm of the Mediterranean which lies between Italy and Croatia.
A: Adriatic Sea [prompt on "Mediterranean Sea" before mention; accept Kvarner Gulf before "high water"]
Q: It's not California, but the Berkeley Pit mine lies in this state's Silver Bow County and is full of heavily acidic water. A lake in this state, Flathead Lake, lies near this state's city of Kalispell ("kah-lih-SPELL"). Froze-to-Death Mountain is near this state's highest point, Granite Peak. The Fort Peck dam lies on the Missouri River, which runs through this state's city of (*) Great Falls. This state, which is the only to border Alberta, has the longest border with Canada. Heavens Peak and Lake MacDonald are near Going-to-the-Sun Road in a national park in this state. Butte, Billings, and Bozeman are cities in, for 10 points, what state that contains Glacier National Park, and its capital, Helena?
A: Montana
Q: The Naab is a tributary of this river. This river, which can be crossed via the Szechenyi ("zay-chen-yee") Bridge, flows through a city where the Illuminati were founded. The Battle of Nicopolis and Battle of Mohacs occurred along this river. This river splits the old and new parts of a city that contains Heroes Square. A city on this river is home to the (*) Schonbrunn ("SHAWN-brynn") Palace and a museum that holds many of Bruegel's ("brew-gull") paintings. This river flows through the Iron Gates that separate Romania and Serbia. This river flows through Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. For 10 points, name this second longest European river that originates in the Black Forest and flows through Budapest and Vienna.
A: Danube River
Q: One polity in this region was led from a fortress at Qashliq by rivals of the Shibanid Mongols, and was defeated by a man hired by Semyon Stroganov who drowned while trying to swim the Wagay river. That man was Yermak. One region in this polity was designated as a resettlement zone for Jews to counter the arguments of Zionists like Ber Borochov. This region's settlements include Mangazeya and Tobolsk. A major extinction event was caused when this region's Traps erupted 250 million years ago. Major rivers in this region include the Lena, Yenisey, Ob, and the Angara, which drains Lake Baikal. For 10 points, identify this portion of Russia east of the Urals, where one might have been exiled under the czar or sent to a gulag under the Soviet Union.
A: Siberia
Q: Portuguese Caspar Bacarro was the first European to report this body of water's existence, which was the site of the first naval action of the First World War, when a single gunboat was disabled by the SS Gwendolen in a port then called Spinxhaven. A territorial dispute in this body of water resulted from the 1890 Heligoland Agreement that gave the polity controlling its northeastern shore no jurisdiction over it. Other ports on this body of water include Likoma Island, Nkhata Bay, and Chipoka. This lake has a southeasterly wind called the mwera. Two countries that border this lake is prefer to call this lake by a generic term from languages spoken around it that literally means "Lake Lake." This lake lies south of the David Livingstone Mountain Range and is drained a tributary of the Zambezi River; that tributary is the Shire River. This southernmost lake of the Eastern African Rift Valley system separates Mozambique and Tanzania from its namesake country. For 10 points, name this lake named for a nearby nation with capital at Lilongwe.
A: Lake Malawi [or Lake Nyasa; or Lake lake before mention; prompt on "lake"]
Q: This country's cultural heritage agency is symbolized by an H with a stroke, a character only used in the alphabet of this country's language. David Hilary Trump helped excavate the Xagħra ("SHAH-ra") Stone Circle and Skorba Temples in this country. This country contains an island where people often scuba dive in Dwejra Bay's Blue Hole and dive off the Azure Window. This country's prehistory is separated into phases like the (*) Ggantijan ("juh-gahn-TEE-en"), during which its many Megalithic Temples were built on islands like Gozo. This country's flag displays the George Cross, and Fort Saint Elmo was built in this country by a French nobleman who founded its capital to defend against an Ottoman attack. For 10 points, name this Mediterranean island nation whose capital is Valletta.
A: Malta [or the Maltese Islands]
Q: A law named for this place was passed following a survey led by Pitt Langford that included artist Thomas Moran and photographer William Henry Jackson. The Northern Pacific railway opened a train station in Livingston to bring tourists to see sites like the West Thumb in this place. A Gilded Age inn at this tourist location designed by Robert C. Reamer is topped by a steep shingled roof; Reamer also designed the Canyon Hotel and (*) Roosevelt Arch here. In 1995, a pack of wolves was reintroduced to this site of a caldera that is North America's largest supervolcano. In 1872, President Grant signed an act named for this place which made it the country's first national park. For 10 points, name this home of the geyser Old Faithful.
A: Yellowstone National Park [prompt on Wyoming; prompt on Montana or Idaho before "Canyon," do not accept or prompt on those responses thereafter]
Q: s 21. Notable landmarks in this city include the Perseverance Theater, the Red Dog Saloon, and St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox church. Originally known as Rockwell, this town lies just west of the Taku River and north of Admiralty Bay National Monument. Located on the Gastineau Channel and first explored by Joseph Whidbey, this city is larger than Delaware in land area. It is located downhill from the Tongass National Forest and Mendenhall Glacier, and sits below its namesake mountain. This city lies 75 miles north of Sitka, and has no road access to Anchorage. For 10 points, name this town, home to a Governor's Mansion where Sean Parnell currently resides after replacing Sarah Palin, the capital of Alaska.
A: Juneau, Alaska
Q: It's not France, but this country features an Arch of Triumph 10 meters taller than Paris' in its capital. A large pyramidal "Hotel of Doom" sits unoccupied in this country's capital. The Yalu and Tumen rivers form this country's northern border. Pedestrians are not allowed on the "Friendship Bridge" that connects one country's city of (*) Dandong to this country's city of Sinuiju ("sea-nwe-dsoo"). The Taedong River flows through this country, along which lies a building dedicated to this country's state ideology, the Juche ("JOO-chuh") Tower. At this country's southern border, bright blue meeting houses can be found in the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone. For 10 points, what country's capital is located in Pyongyang?
A: North Korea [or Democratic People's Republic of Korea; accept DPRK; do NOT accept or prompt on "Republic of Korea" or "ROK"]
Q: This body of water was refilled by the Zanclean flood over five million years ago, ending the Messinian salinity crisis. The Barbary Coast was along this body of water, which lies west of the Levant and south of (*) Asia Minor. The Strait of Gibraltar separates this sea from the Atlantic Ocean, and its Aegean and Adriatic Seas were considered part of "the Great Sea" by the ancient Greeks and Romans. For 10 points, name this sea that separates Europe and Africa.
A: Mediterranean Sea SCOP B Round 2 Page 4 of 4
Q: The Three Steps must be passed on the way to this mountain's summit, and the area near the top of this mountain is known as the "Death Zone." On this mountain, a dead body known as "Green Boots" can be seen. Natives who live near this mountain refer to it as Chomolungma. The Great Trigonometrical Survey estimated this mountain's elevation in 1856. On this mountain, the Lhotse ("lote-say") wall and the (*) Khumbu Icefall provide dangers. This mountain was first climbed by Edmund Hillary and a Sherpa guide in 1953. For 10 points, name this mountain in the Himalayas, whose elevation of 29,032 feet makes it the tallest in the world.
A: Mount Everest [accept Sagarmatha; accept Chomolungma before mention]
Q: The Sky100 is an observation deck on the tallest building of this city, which also contains the HSBC Building. The Star Ferry takes tourists across Victoria Harbor in this city. The Tsing Ma Bridge connects this city to Lantau Island. This city's Kai Tak airport was replaced by one now the main hub of (*) Cathay Pacific. The majority of this city is located on a peninsula, which also names a "walled city" within this city. That peninsula is the Kowloon peninsula. This city is south of Shenzhen, and the Pearl River Delta separates it with another "Special Administrative Region," Macao. For 10 points, name this city, which in 1997 was transferred from Britain to China.
A: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China [or Xiang Gang]
Q: This state's town of Wallace claims to be the center of the universe since no one can prove it otherwise. Three tourists from Hawaii who died while exploring this state are the namesake of Owyhee ("ow-WAI-hee") County. Challis National Forest contains this state's highest point, Borah Peak, which is found in the Lost River Range. Twin Falls is found near this state's Craters of the Moon National Park. This state features the ski town of (*) Coeur d'Alene ("kore duh-LANE"), located in its north, which is in a different time zone from the rest of this state. This state, which lies west of the Bitterroot Range, is home to Lewiston in its panhandle, and a potato museum in its city of Pocatello. For 10 points, name this state with capital Boise ("BOY-zee").
A: Idaho
Q: NOTE TO MODERATOR: Emphasize "single-runway" in the second sentence. This city's baseball stadium holds a plaque where the first letter of every word says to "boycott" the sponsor of the ballpark. This city houses the busiest single-runway airport, which was formerly known as Lindbergh Field. This city's Imperial Beach is split from the main part of this city by Chula Vista and National City. Torrey Pines has a famous golf course near this city's suburb of (*) La Jolla ("hoy-yuh"). Coronado Island is connected by its namesake bridge to this city. The USS Midway Museum can be found in this city, and Balboa Park is located near this city's zoo, famous for its giant pandas. For 10 points, what Southern Californian city is across the border from Tijuana?
A: San Diego, California
Q: A self-declared country that broke off from this country in 1991 has its capital at Hargeisa. The island of Socotra is off the coast of this country's northeastern tip, in the autonomous state of Puntland on the south shore of the Gulf of (*) Aden. Ships leaving the Bab el Mandeb have been subject to pirate attacks off the coast of, for 10 points, what country that borders Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya on the Horn of Africa, and whose capital is Mogadishu?
A: Somalia (accept Federal Republic of Somalia; accept Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya)
Q: This country's cuisine uses fruit from the Berberis shrub called zereshk. The Gilaki language is spoken in this country's city of Ramsar, known for its abnormally high levels of natural background radiation. This country currently provides the only natural habitat for the Asiatic cheetah. Hara trees make up the mangrove forests found on this country's island of (*) Qeshm. One of the world's largest leopard subspecies inhabits this country's northern Alborz Mountains, which includes Mount Damavand, Asia's highest volcano. One of this country's few pockets of low-lying land is found in its southwestern Khuzestan province. This country objected to National Geographic's use of the term "Arabian Gulf" in atlases. For 10 points, name this large country south of the Caspian Sea and north of the Persian Gulf.
A: Iran [or Islamic Republic of Iran; or Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran]
Q: A popular comestible in this country is aebleskiver [ah-bul-skivver], a spherical type of pancake pastry. The enjoyment of aebleskiver and rod polse, a local red sausage, are aspects of the veneration of coziness and comfort with friends and family in this country's culture, a concept called hygge [hoo-gah]. This country's parliament, the Folketing, no longer legislates for its former constituent states of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Ole Kirk Christiansen invented Legos in this country. For 10 points, what Scandinavian country has its capital at Copenhagen?
A: Denmark
Q: This nation's highest point is technically the stratovolcano Mount Scenery, which overlooks a town fittingly called "The Bottom." Many residents of an archipelago owned by this country speak the creole language Papiamento. This country's islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius lie south of a (*) LeewardIsland that this country shares with France. This nation's Caribbean possessions include Sint Maarten and Bonaire, which is one of its ABC Islands along with Aruba and Curacao. For 10 points, name this European country whose overseas territories are administered from Amsterdam.
A: The Netherlands (accept Holland)
Q: One monument in this city was built for the 1889 World's Fair to mark the centennial of its country's revolution. The Arc de Triomphe is located in this capital city, which the Seine [sen] River flows through. A cathedral in this city inspired The Hunchback of Notre Dame. For 10 points, name this capital of France.
A: Paris, France
Q: The first word in this country's name comes from a term used to describe hair meaning "frizzled." The most widely used language in this country is the English-based creole Tok Pisin. This country's flag, which is divided diagonally into black and red halves, includes the Southern Cross and a yellow bird. Natives of an archipelago that currently belongs to this country were the subject of Malinowski's book Argonauts of the Western Pacific. This country owns the eastern half of its namesake island, the western half of which belongs to Indonesia. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Port Moresby.
A: Papua New Guinea [or PNG; or Papua Niugini; do NOT accept just "New Guinea"]
Q: A gigantic sea stack named for this shape is located 20 miles off Lord Howe Island. One of these shapes named for a Dutch explorer provides an alternate title for Puncak Jaya. A San Francisco skyscraper named for this shape once housed the Transamerica Corporation.This shape appears in the name of a model that uses back-to-back (*) histograms to map the age and sex distribution of a population. One of these structures known as "El Castillo" is the center of the Mayan site of Chichen Itza. For 10 points, give this shape also taken by many Ancient Egyptian burial structures, including a "Great" one located at Giza.
A: pyramid (accept Ball's Pyramid, Carstensz Pyramid, Population Pyramid, or TransAmerica Pyramid)
Q: Both North Korea and this country have calendar systems in which the year 1 corresponds to the Gregorian year 1912. A type of pineapple shortcake is popular in this country because "pineapple" sounds similar to "prosperity" in the Hokkien ("HOCK-yen") dialect spoken by most of its citizens. The southern tip of this country is thought to be the origin of the Austronesian expansion. The milk (*) tea drink boba is originally from this country, whose capital contains a skyscraper named for its 101 floors. For 10 points, Taipei is the capital of what country that is separated by the Formosa Strait from mainland China?
A: Taiwan [accept Republic of China; do not accept or prompt on "China" or "People's Republic of China"]
Q: Zephyr Cove lies on the eastern shore of this body of water. A Scandinavian-inspired tea house can be found on Fannette Island in this body of water. Pope and King beaches can be found along the shores of this lake, which has an arm at Emerald Bay. Water from this body of water flows into (*) Pyramid Lake via the Truckee River, its only outflow. Ski resorts such as Squaw Valley and Heavenly Mountain surround this lake, which is near Carson City and Reno. For 10 points, name this alpine lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains, which straddles the border between Nevada and California.
A: Lake Tahoe
Q: Musicians sit on top of the box-shaped cajon, an instrument from this country used to accompany marinera dancing. After his work in the Congo, Roger Casement was knighted for exposing abuse against rubber workers in this country, whose principal seaport is Callao. This country's capital is home to Latin America's oldest university, the National University of Saint Marcos. The huge adobe city Chan Chan was built in this country by the (*) Chimu empire near present-day Trujillo. This country is home to the largest city unreachable by road, Iquitos. Zoomorphic designs such as a pelican, spider, and hummingbird were etched into the sands of this country's Nazca desert. For 10 points, the ruins of Machu Picchu are found in which South American country whose capital is Lima?
A: Republic of Peru [or Piruw]
Q: In this state, a mythical race of dwarves called the Menehune ("meh-NAY-hu-NAY") are said to have built fish ponds and other structures. It's not Minnesota, but this state's "Big Bog" receives the most annual precipitation of any location in the United States due to easterly trade winds. An airport in this state named for the first (*) Japanese-American Congressman lies west of the 'Iolani Palace. Kona Coffee is produced on the slopes of two mountains in this state. This state is the home of the taro porridge poi and the diced raw fish dish poke ("POH-kay"). The ukulele is the official instrument of, for 10 points, what state whose islands include Oahu and Maui?
A: Hawai'i
Q: French territories in this ocean include an island with capital Saint-Denis [sahn deh-NEE], R´eunion. Near the Laccadive Sea, Adam's Bridge connects an island in this ocean to the mainland. The Nicobar and Andaman Islands are in this ocean, which was rocked by a 2004 (*) tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands of people after an earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra. The Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea are northern arms of, for 10 points, what ocean between Australia and Africa?
A: Indian Ocean
Q: Manila's "Smokey Mountain" is so named since this stuff was once continuously burned there, and the Philippines is a leading producer of examples of this stuff nicknamed "nurdles" and "Mermaid's tears." A book on our "Love Affair" with this stuff by Edward Humes describes the huge amounts of it in Puente Hills, California. In 2008, officials in New York City announced that within 30 years, a park would open a facility that once received 20 (*) barges per day of this stuff. The Pacific Ocean is home to an enormous gyre that contains a huge "patch" of this stuff, much of which consists of abandoned flotsam or jetsam. This material accumulated in Fresh Kills on Staten Island. For 10 points, name this material that is stored in landfills.
A: trash [accept garbage or refuse; accept plastic or microplastic; accept synonyms for trash like waste or scrap material or junk]
Q: The largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere, Old Sow, is located off the coast of this state. The International Seaplane Fly-In is hosted every September at this state's Moosehead Lake. An early 20th-century artist colony thrived on this state's Appledore Island, which is part of an archipelago that it splits with its southern neighbor, the Isles of Shoals. Twelve-year-old Donn Fendler survived nine days separated from his family in this state's (*) Baxter State Park while hiking its highest peak, Mount Katahdin. This state is also home to a national park that contains parts of the Schoodic Peninsula and Mount Desert Island. Acadia National Park is located in, for 10 points, what easternmost state in the contiguous U.S. whose capital is Augusta?
A: Maine
Q: Islands in this body of water contain Mount Tomanivi and Mount Talomo, which sits near Davao City on an island near the Sulu Sea. This body of water contains the Yap Trench and the islands of Viti Levu and (*) Mindanao. This large body of water is home to Mount Aso on Kyushu, and to Mauna Loa. For 10 points, name this ocean, whose "ring of fire" is marked by volcanic activity in the Philippines, Japan, and Hawai'i.
A: Pacific Ocean (anti-prompt on "Bohol Sea," "Philippine Sea," or "Sea of Japan" by asking the player to be less specific) SCOP B Replacements Page 4 of 4
Q: This body of water's southern shore contains the Cotentin Peninsula. The northeastern boundary of this body of water is between the Walde Lighthouse and Leathercoat Point, where this body meets the (*) North Sea. Since 1994, a train line between Coquelles and Folkestone has traveled under this body of water, reducing the traffic carried by ferries between Calais and Dover. For 10 points, name this body of water between France and the United Kingdom.
A: English Channel (accept La Manche) SCOP A Round 11 Page 4 of 4
Q: Base-jumpers can jump without a permit off the Perrine Bridge over this river, which irrigates Magic Valley. Both the "Big" and "Little" Lost Streams are tributaries of this river, whose plain contains Inferno Cone and Craters of the Moon National Monument. The Bonneville flood occurred 14,000 years ago along this river. This river's namesake fine-spotted cutthroat trout can be found in Grand (*) Teton National Park, through which it flows. In the 20th century, this river's diversion reduced the output of Shoshone Falls. Evel Knievel failed to use the Skycycle X-2 to jump across this river's namesake canyon. This river, whose largest tributary is the Salmon River, forms part of the Idaho-Oregon border and carved out Hells Canyon. For 10 points, name this largest tributary of the Columbia River.
A: Snake River [or Lewis River; accept Shoshone River until read]
Q: In 1893, a German businessman started offering this kind of service for tourists in Taipei's Xinbeitou ("sheen-bay-toe") neighborhood. A form of this service known as hanjeungmak ("han-jung-mahk"), is the main attraction of South Korean jjimjilbang ("jim-jeel-bahng"). In another country, the city of Beppu is nicknamed the "Las Vegas" of this service, and it mostly does not allow customers to have irezumi while undergoing it. A pefletti seat cover is used by those using this service, which is so popular in (*) Finland that Helsinki's Parliament has a chamber for it. In Japan, this service can be done in gender-separated rooms of businesses called sento. Geothermically heated onsen is another type of business that offers, for 10 points, what service of washing in a communal environment?
A: spa service [accept cleaning oneself; accept any answering indicating bathing or using public baths; or using a hot spring ; or using a sauna or steamroom; prompt on staying at a resort or staying at a hotel]
Q: Irish settlers of this island named it Talamh an Eisc ("TALL-uh wun aishk") and its native people built houses called mamateeks. This island's most populous city is on the Avalon Peninsula, while its Burin Peninsula is adjacent to the French-controlled islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. This homeland of the Beothuk people was the base for the cod fishing industry on the nearby (*) Grand Banks. This island is northeast of Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton Island across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The site of L'Anse aux Meadows on this island was settled by Vikings, who called the area Vinland. For 10 points, name this Canadian island that forms a province with Labrador.
A: Newfoundland [or Terre-Neuve; or Taqamkuk]
Q: The Pantanal is mostly in this country's state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The Iguacu Falls border this nation's state of Parana, whose state capital is Curitiba. The Treaty of Madrid established the (*) Javari River as the border between Peru and a state in this country that contains a section of the Amazon River basin. For 10 points, name this South American country whose statue of Christ the Redeemer towers over Rio de Janeiro.
A: Brazil (accept Federative Republic of Brazil or Republica Federativa do Brasil)
Q: Dionisio Pulido witnessed one of these geographic features appear in a cornfield outside the Mexican village of Paricutin in 1943. One of these features in the Tyrrhenian Sea is the namesake for a mild type of "Strombolian" event. Several of these geographic features in the Caribbean on islands like St. Vincent and Montserrat are named "Soufriere" after the French word for (*) sulfur. Chimborazo in Ecuador is another example of these features and has produced significant lahars composed of mud from melted ice. For 10 points, identify these geographic features where magma is expelled as lava during eruptions.
A: volcanoes [accept more specific terms like cinder cones, stratovolcanoes, or shield volcanoes since each of those are examples in this question; prompt on fumarole]
Q: Nancy Sch¨on designed a set of sculptures for this city's Public Garden to commemorate the Robert McClosky children's book Make Way for Ducklings. Frederick Law Olmstead designed this city's Emerald Necklace, which includes a (*) Common near this city's Financial District. This city's Back Bay contains the poorly-designed John Hancock Tower. Kenmore Square is near the oldest American baseball park in, for 10 points, what Massachusetts city whose Fenway Park is home to the Red Sox?
A: Boston
Q: The Bluestack and Blackstairs are small mountain ranges in this country. A number of Bronze Age wedge tombs are found in this country's central rural area called The Burren. The Skelligs are two tall, rocky islands off the west coast of this country, the larger of which was used as the filming location for Luke Skywalker's hideout in The Last Jedi. A center of crystal production in the southeast of this country is the city of Waterford. The River Liffey runs through, for 10 points, the city of Dublin in what country?
A: Ireland
Q: The Brahui language is primarily spoken in this country, although other languages in the same family are mainly used in this country's eastern neighbor. This country's Balti people are largely found in its northernmost territory, which is also named for Gilgit. This nation's city of Quetta is the capital of its Balochistan province, while its northwest contains the (*) Khyber ("KYE-ber") Pass. This nation's main languages include Balochi and Sindhi, the latter of which is largely spoken in Karachi. For 10 points, name this South Asian nation which is home to Lahore and Islamabad.
A: Pakistan [or Islamic Republic of Pakistan]
Q: This country is home to the opal capital of the world, Coober Peddy, which lies next to its largest lake, Lake Eyre. A series of fences were erected in this country's west near the city of Broome to keep out rabbits. This country's longest river is the Murray-Darling, and the Circular Quay Port borders this country's largest city. This country's tallest peak, Mount (*) Kosciuszko ("KOSS-ee-US-koh") is located in its Great Dividing Range. Its city of Alice Springs borders a large monolith, Uluru. This country is home to the Torres Strait Islanders and Aborigines. For 10 points, name this country with cities such as Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: During the Soviet era, one of these places named Popigai was sealed off after the discovery of nearby diamonds. Richat in Mauritania was long thought to be one of these places. One of these places named after Daniel Barringer can be found a few miles east of Diablo Canyon. The Murray Mine was established in one of these places, paving the way for (*) Sudbury, Ontario's nickel industry. Many of the largest examples of these places were formed by bolides. The largest of these places lies near Vredefort in South Africa, and the northern Yucatan Peninsula is home to another named Chicxulub. The Tunguska event notably failed to produce one of these locations. For 10 points, name these places formed when meteorites hit the Earth's surface.
A: impact craters [accept impact structures or astroblemes; prompt on "basins," "depressions," and other similar answers]
Q: With 26 lanes, the widest road in the USA, the Katy Freeway is located in this state. This state contains the Edwards Plateau, and the largest city in this state is located on the Buffalo Bayou. This state's tallest point is Guadalupe Peak, and it produces much of its (*) oil in its Permian Basin. The Brazos River runs through this state's town of Waco ("way-koah"). This state's Harris County contains its biggest city, which borders Galveston Bay. Big Bend National Park is named for a fittingly large bend in the Rio Grande river, which forms this state's border with Mexico. Galveston and Corpus Christi are often hit with hurricanes in, for 10 points, what state containing cities such as El Paso and Dallas?
A: Texas [do NOT accept or prompt on the "Republic of Texas"]
Q: A leader of this country fired tax collector Tom Moyane due to action from the Nugent Commission. A Katie Hopkins documentary titled Plaasmoorde covers a series of events in this country. A Trump tweet accused of promoting a "white genocide" conspiracy mentioned Mike Pompeo studying (*) farm killings in this country. Leaders of this country have predicted a "Day Zero", in which a certain service would need to be cut off in order to sustain the Theewaterskloof reservoir. This country has been led by Cyril Ramaphosa since the resignation of Jacob Zuma. For 10 points, name this country that is experiencing a water shortage in Cape Town.
A: South Africa
Q: On one of these islands, Wolfgang Kohler conducted experiments that led to the book The Mentality of Apes. The inhabitants of one of these islands communicate by a whistled language called Silbo Gomero. Horatio Nelson lost an arm at a battle named for one of these island's capital, Santa Cruz. The world's deadliest plane crash occurred on one of these islands when two planes collided on a runway. Tenerife is the largest of these islands, which are actually named for dogs, not birds. For 10 points, name these islands that belong to Spain and are located near the northwest coast of Africa.
A: Canary Islands [or the Canaries; or Islas Canarias]
Q: One building in this city was designed by Adrian Smith to look like a spider lily from above. A rectangular structure dubbed this city's "frame" provides views of its Deira district across this city's namesake Creek towards neighboring Sharjah. The district of Jumeirah and the artificial deepwater port of Jebel Ali both lend their names to (*) palm-shaped real estate developments on islands offshore of this city. This city contains the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. For 10 points name this most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.
A: Dubai
Q: Operation Wallacea often visits the Cusuco National Park in this country, where Baird's tapir can be found. The greatest ruler of one site in this present-day country was Waxaklajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, or 18-Rabbit, who sponsored the creation of a grand ball court and many fine stelae, before being executed by his vassal Kawak Sky. Its islands of Guanaja, Utila, and Roatan are collectively known as the Bay Islands, and that site is Copan. Hurricane Mitch literally destroyed this entire country, killing over seven thousand people and causing over four billion dollars in damage. This country's capital is a pair of twin cities separated by the Choluteca River; those twin cities are Comayaguela and Tegucigalpa. For 10 points, identify this country bordered by Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador, with which it fought the Soccer War.
A: Honduras
Q: The Spanish used the term "anden" to refer to these structures when they found them in South America. Structures of this type built by the Ifugao people on the island of Luzon are still used for the cultivation of rice. Many depictions of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon depict plants being grown on these structures. Machu Picchu has well known examples of these structures, on which the Inca grew potatoes on steep hillsides while avoiding soil erosion. For 10 points, identify this agricultural method that involves building flat farmland onto mountains in step-like platforms.
A: terraces [or terracing]
Q: This city's Van Buren Street was the historical dividing line segregating the African-American and Latino population from Caucasians. This city sits in a valley bounded by the Tank Mountains to the west and the Superstition Mountains to the east. Camelback Mountain is a popular day hike near this city. This city is the most populous state capital in the U.S., and its surrounding area is called the Valley of the Sun. For 10 points, what city is host to the NBA's Suns and is capital of Arizona?
A: Phoenix
Q: Adrian Daninos designed one of these structures that is located south of Philae. Several of these structures have been built near Inga to support the copper mining industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Rhodesian colonial governments promoted Operation Noah to save wildlife affected by one of these structures at Kariba that forced over 50,000 Tonga to relocate. Another of these structures at (*) Itaipu is the largest producer of electricity in South America. For 10 points, name these structures that include a "High" one at Aswan on the Nile.
A: dams [prompt on hydroelectric power stations]
Q: This structure is located about 20 miles to the east of some hills that have a name in Pit-jant-jat-jara meaning "many heads." A national park that contains this structure is also home to Kata Tjuta. This inselberg, which is composed of arkose, is around 1100 feet tall and has a circumference of about six miles. Mount Conner is sometimes confused for this structure, which is central to a mythical period called the Dreamtime and is thus sacred to Aboriginal people. For 10 points, name this large red rock that is located in central Australia.
A: Uluru [or Ayers Rock]
Q: A landform in this country that has red sand dunes is sometimes called the Valley of the Moon and was used to depict Mars in the film The Martian. An ancient city in this country has a narrow entrance called the Siq and served as the Nabataean capital. Winston's Hiccup and Churchill's Sneeze are humorous names for the zigzag border between Saudi Arabia and this country, which is home to Wadi Rum and Petra. This country is named for the river that separates it from its western neighbor, Israel. For 10 points, name this Hashemite Kingdom whose capital is Amman.
A: Jordan
Q: This region is home to Turner's Spring, which is named for Myles Turner. Soit Naado Murt is the tallest kopje in this region where simba kopjes are found. Species of bovids named for Grant and Thomson and endemic to this area. Musoma was one endpoint of a proposed road through this region that Jakaya Kikwete was not allowed to build. (*) It contains the world's largest inactive volcanic caldera, which names the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Leakeys found hominid fossils in its Olduvai gorge. The Maasai Mara is in its north, and it is named for the Maasai for "endless plains." For 10 points, name this East African grassland home to a great migration of wildebeest.
A: Serengetiplain [accept Serengeti National Park]
Q: A local specialty in this country consists of half a loaf of white bread filled with curry called bunny chow. The fynbos ("FAIN-boss") shrubland of this country contains many species of honeybush and rooibos ("ROY-boss") plants, whose leaves produce red tea. A nickname for a gold-rich escarpment that lies partially in Gauteng ("khow-TENG") province gave this country the name of its currency, the (*) rand. This country's 11 official languages include Xhosa ("KOH-sah") as well as one that arose from its Dutch colonization, Afrikaans. For 10 points, Johannesburg and Cape Town are cities in what African country?
A: Republic of South Africa [or RSA]
Q: A song about this "mother river" known by its refrain "yo, heave-ho!" or "Eh, ukhnyem" was sung by burlaks who worked along it. This river runs through the only majority-Buddhist area in Europe, which is occupied by Kalmyks. A German majority autonomous republic centered on this river had its capital at Engels. Ptolemy called this river the Rha when Scythians by it. Both Khazaria and a namesake Bulgaria near where the (*) Kama river meets this one were along it. It passes through the cities of Kazan, Saratov, and Astrakhan before emptying into the world's largest lake. For 10 points, name this river which drains into the Caspian Sea, the longest in Europe and Russia.
A: Volga River
Q: A green wheel designates a series of byways along this river called the Great River Road, which runs through cities like Moline ("moh-LEEN") and Davenport. Reelfoot Lake was created during an event in which this river reportedly flowed backwards after the 1811 New Madrid earthquake. This river was used to power mills at (*) St. Anthony Falls. This river flows south from Lake Itasca and meets tributaries such as the Ohio and Missouri. For 10 points, name this river that flows from Minnesota through cities like Memphis and New Orleans en route to the Gulf of Mexico.
A: Mississippi River
Q: s 21. The Palace of the Shirvanshahs is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in this city's Inner City, wherein the Maiden Tower also lies. This city's Crystal Hall hosted the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. The SOCAR Tower, which is currently under construction, will be this city's tallest building, and other buildings being built in this city include the Flame Towers. The March Days was an event in this city where Bolsheviks killed between 12,000 and 30,000 civilians, mostly Muslims. For 10 points, name this city which once produced over half of the world's petroleum, the current capital of Azerbaijan.
A: Baku [or Bakı]
Q: Pre-dating Pangaea, a supercontinent of this name, also called Nuna, came into being in the Precambrian Era. The University of Missouri is in a city of this name. The Congaree River originates in a state capital city with this name where the first secessionist convention in the U.S. was held. A river of this name rises in the Canadian Rockies and flows south into the U.S., where it turns west and forms most of the border between Washington and Oregon. For 10 points, the U.S. capital is found in a district of what name?
A: Columbia
Q: One of these features is named for the playa lake Acraman. These geographic features are found within strewnfields of tektite. One of these features near Winslow was declared a national landmark. The remnants of the largest known one are in the province of Free State's town of Vredefort. Phantom Ship and Wizard Island appear in a lake named for one of these features, which itself names a (*) national park in Oregon. Shocked quartz is often found at these sites. One of these features found below the town of Chicxulub is dated to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. For 10 points, name these features which can be created by a meteor striking the Earth.
A: Crater [prompt on caldera]
Q: This river flows into a namesake gulf located between the Gydan and Yamal peninsulas; that namesake gulf is an inlet of the Kara Sea. This river arises from the confluence of the Biya and Katun in the Altai Mountains. A city that grew around the Trans-Siberian Railway crossing of this river is now the most populous city in Asian Russia and is Novosibirsk. An important tributary of this river is the Chulym while important tributaries of its main tributary include the Tobol and Ishim rivers; that main tributary is the Irtysh. For 10 points, identify this Siberian river usually grouped with the Yenisei and Lena, as all their outflows reach the Arctic Ocean.
A: Obi-Irtysh River [prompt on Irtysh River until it is read]
Q: A book on Magic and Mystery in [this region] was written by Alexandra David-Neel after visiting this place when foreigners were not allowed. Theosophists like Heinrich Himmler took trips to this region to find its mythical land of Shambhala. Francis Younghusband took a 1904 expedition into this region. Its Mount Kailash is identified with the Mount Meru mentioned in several scriptures. The Sutlej and (*) Brahmaputra have their sources in this region, home to the folk religion of Bon. This region has been ruled in exile from McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala since 1959. For 10 points, name this region formerly headed in Lhasa by the Dalai Lama.
A: Tibet Autonomous Region [or Bod; or Xizang]
Q: The Lerma River, which ends in Lake Chapala, flows through this country. In this country, a building owned by its national petrol company exploded in its city of Reynosa. It's not Bolivia, but the Peninsular Ranges in this country cross the city of La Paz. People cliff dive at La Quebrada in a city on this country's western coast, (*) Acapulco. This country's city of Ciudad Juarez is located on the Rio Grande River, which forms its northern border. This country owns the majority of the Yucatan peninsula on which its city of Cancun lies. Quintana Roo and Chihuahua are states of, for 10 points, what country, the second most populous in North America, located south of the USA?
A: Mexico [accept United Mexican States or Estados Unidos Mexicanos]
Q: This city houses a "Frog Pond" near an equestrian statue of George Washington. The Long Wharf is a pier in this city, whose Red Line stops by Park Street and South Station. A tunnel under this city that connects it to its Logan International Airport was part of this city's "Big (*) Dig" project. It's not Chicago, but this city's tallest building, the I.M. Pei designed John Hancock Tower, is located near its Prudential Tower and its neighborhood of Back Bay. Many tourists visit this city's Quincy Market in its Faneuil ("FAN-ull") Hall Marketplace. The Charles River splits this city and neighboring Cambridge. For 10 points, Fenway Park is located in what Northeastern capital of Massachusetts?
A: Boston, Massachusetts
Q: This state is home to the eastern end of the Ouachita Mountains and the southern end of the Ozark Mountains. Tourists in this state can dig up gemstones at Crater of (*) Diamonds State Park and visit the oldest National Park in Hot Springs. This state's town of Bentonville boomed with the founding and growth of Wal-Mart. For 10 points, name this southern state that is sandwiched between Missouri and Louisiana, and whose capital is Little Rock.
A: Arkansas
Q: This state's Moosehead Lake is the source of the Kennebec River, which runs through this state's capital. This state's Baxter State Park contains its tallest point, Mount Katahdin. Eagle Lake and Cadillac Mountain are located in a national park in this state. One country's Campobello Island is only connected to land by a bridge in this state. Presque Isle is in this state's (*) Aroostook ("UH-roo-stook") County, which fought a "bloodless war" with Canada. This state only borders one other state, New Hampshire. Mount Desert Island is the site of Acadia National Park in, for 10 points, what state with cities such as Portland and Bangor, and capital at Augusta?
A: Maine
Q: One city in this state is known as the "City of the Five Flags" due to it having been controlled by five different countries throughout its existence. This state's longest river is the St. John's, and Ernest Hemingway introduced a species of six-toed cats to an island controlled by this state. (*) Britton Hill is this state's highest point, which is also the southern terminus of the I-95. The retirement community of The Villages is in this state. Dry Tortugas National Park is located in this state, and another national park in this state is bordered by Biscayne Bay and Lake Okeechobee ("OH-chee-CHOH-bee"). For 10 points, what state is home to the Everglades and the cities of Jacksonville and Miami?
A: Florida
Q: In this country's 1979 "Mississauga Miracle" two hundred thousand people were safely evacuated with no casualties when a chemical train derailed and exploded. A 2016 wildfire in this country forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray, where an oil industry developed on the (*) Athabasca tar sands. In 1917, the French cargo ship Mont-Blanc exploded in this country's closest port to Europe. For 10 points, name this country where the Halifax explosion took place in Nova Scotia.
A: Canada
Q: People near this body of water often live in longhouses called malocas. This river's basin contains a tract of the land preserved for the Man of the Hole, an isolated native whose territory is threatened by ranchers from Rondonia. The largest cities lying on this river are Belem and (*) Manaus. The largest blackwater river in the world is a tributary of this river called the Rio Negro. Animals found in this river include a pink dolphin and the carnivorous red-bellied piranha. The most biodiverse region in the world is the rainforest surrounding this river. For 10 points, name this longest river in South America.
A: Amazon River
Q: The Pangani River originates on this mountain as the River Lumi. This mountain's highest peak was named Kaiser Wilhelm Peak by Hans Meyer, who climbed it in 1889, and is separated by the Saddle Plateau from one of this mountain's extinct cones, (*) Mawenzi. This mountain's dormant cone, Kibo, contains its highest peak, which is named Uhuru in Swahili. For 10 points, name this Tanzanian volcano, the tallest mountain in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro (accept Mawenzi until "Kaiser" is read)
Q: In this country, the X-Seed 4000 was a hypothetical skyscraper with 800 floors. The Gate Tower Building in this country has a highway through part of its floors. It's not the U.S, but a "Rainbow Bridge" crosses a bay in this country's capital. This country's namesake sea contains Sado Island and the Golden Horn Bay. This country's capital contains a building called the (*) "Skytree." The "suicide forest" is near a mountain in this country, which disputes the Kuril Islands with Russia. This country's bullet train network is called the "Shinkansen," and its island of Honshu features Mount Fuji. For 10 points, name this country with cities such as Kyoto and Tokyo.
A: Japan [accept Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku]
Q: An eleven-year-old schoolgirl who lived on this country's island of Wolin found a golden disc that belonged to Viking King Bluetooth. In the Old Town of this country's capital, a statue of a young boy, the "Little Insurrectionist," is holding a submachine gun. It's not Slovakia, but the highest point in this country, Mount Rysy, is part of the Tatra Mountains. The largest stadium in this country, Stadium Narodowy, sits on the (*) Vistula River, and this country shares the region of Pomerania with Germany. An exclave of Russia, Kaliningrad is sandwiched by this country and Lithuania. A city in this country, Gdansk lies on the Baltic Sea. For 10 points, name this country with a capital at Warsaw.
A: Republic of Poland [accept Polska]
Q: This mountain's Fake Peak, found on Ruth Glacier, was the subject of Frederick Cook's false claim that he summitted this mountain in 1906. The Kahiltna Glacier is between Mount Foraker and this mountain, which contains the (*) Churchill Peaks. This mountain was renamed by a gold prospector in 1896, but in 2015, its name was reverted to "the High One" in Athabascan. For 10 points, name this tallest North American peak, an Alaskan mountain formerly named for William McKinley.
A: Denali (accept Mount McKinley before it is read)
Q: One of these locations called Huacachina [waka-cheena] in Peru is featured on that country's 50 Nueva Sol note. Perhaps the largest of these locations, Tafilalt, in Morocco, is known for its date production and straddles the Ziz River. One of these places called En Gedi in Israel is a tourist destination in the Negev. One of the most famous of these places was home to the Oracle of Amun and provided a place of respite for travelers through the Sahara. For 10 points, what are these fertile areas with a water source inside larger deserts?
A: oasis or oases
Q: A chef from this state, Paul Prudhomme, popularized the turducken. In this state, people have been encouraged to eat a large invasive rodent called the nutria. A sandwich popularized by Sicilian immigrants in this state contains olive salad and is called the muffuletta. This state is the origin of a doughnut covered with (*) powdered sugar called a beignet ("ben-YAY"). This state's Avery Island is the traditional growing site of the peppers that make up Tabasco sauce. Red beans and rice is a popular side dish here which may be served with a po'boy, jambalaya, or gumbo. For 10 points, name this state which prominently features Creole and Cajun cuisine.
A: Louisiana
Q: This landmass once held an outpost named for Jean-Baptiste Charcot, a scientist who studied this landmass, and is the site of a research facility named for Archibald McMurdo. A shelf on this landmass named after the British Explorer James (*) Ross is the final resting place of Robert F. Scott's expedition, and was explored by Roald Amundson. France claims Ad´elie Land on this continent, a region that is home to a namesake species of penguin. For 10 points, name this southernmost continent that is often covered in ice.
A: Antarctica (prompt on "Ad´elie Land" before "McMurdo" is read)
Q: Dall's Sheep inhabit this state's Chigmit Mountains, which lie in a protected area surrounding Lake Clark. A plain of fumaroles known as the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes lies northwest of this state's Mount Katmai. The northernmost dune field in the U.S. is found in this state's Kobuk Valley, which lies at the southwestern edge of the (*) Brooks Range. This state contains a humpback whale sanctuary in Glacier Bay National Park, and another preservation area in this state is home to the highest point in North America. Denali and Gates of the Arctic are among the eight national parks of, for 10 points, what largest state in the U.S.?
A: Alaska
Q: Australian chef David Thompson popularized "street food" from this country, often sold at the outdoor Chatuchak Market, to a British audience. Maria Guyomar de Pinha ("PEEN-yah") introduced this country to numerous egg yolk-based Portuguese desserts, including a duck egg and coconut milk custard prepared in a square aluminum pan. The Monkey Buffet Festival in this country intentionally feeds thousands of crab-eating macaques in (*) Lopburi. An iced milk tea from this country is dyed a characteristic orange color. A noodle dish flavored with fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind and served with lime, bean sprouts, and chopped peanuts is named for this country, whose cuisine includes massaman curry and tom yum. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian country with capital at Bangkok.
A: Thailand [or Kingdom of Thailand or Prathet Thai or Mueang Thai or Ratcha Anachak Thai]
Q: Hamilton and Kahn cited a baseball stadium in this non-Cleveland city as an outlier to the trend of taxpayer-funded stadiums being economic burdens to cities. That idea is termed "feeding the downtown monster" in Spaces of Hope by David Harvey, who initiated a social justice movement while teaching in this city. The Power Plant Live! Complex was formed as part of a long-term urban renewal in this city along with an HOK-designed stadium that sparked a 1990s (*) retro ballpark movement. Near the Patapsco River, the construction of M&T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards sought to renew this city's Inner Harbor. The lowest point on I-95 is in the Fort McHenry Tunnel in this city. For 10 points, name this Chesapeake Bay city, the most populous in Maryland.
A: Baltimore
Q: This region contains the two-hundred-foot-tall Obsidian Cliff near the Mammoth-Norris section of its Grand Loop. Mats of heat-seeking bacteria cause the bright colors of this park's Morning Glory Pool and Grand Prismatic (*) hot spring. A feature in this park, named Steamboat, is the world's largest active geyser, and releases steam heated in the caldera of this park's namesake super-volcano. For 10 points, name this national park, mostly in Wyoming, known for the regular eruptions of Old Faithful.
A: Yellowstone National Park (prompt on "Wyoming" until "this park" is read)
Q: This country disputes the Scarborough Shoal with China and Taiwan as part of a territory claim along the nine-dash line. This country's Sebwano language is commonly spoken in Palawan province and on the island of (*) Mindanao, although this nation's official language is Tagalog. This country's most populous city, Quezon City, is near its capital on the island of Luzon. For 10 points, name this southeast Asian archipelago governed from Manila.
A: Philippines (accept Filipinas; accept Republic of the Philippines; accept Republika ng Pilipinas)
Q: This river's Grand Inga Dam is downstream from where it is fed by the Kwilu and Inkisi Rivers. This river is crossed by the Matadi Bridge between a national capital and Banana, a city on the Atlantic Ocean. Lake (*) Tanganyika drains into this river, which was once known as the Zaire. For 10 points, name this second-longest river in Africa, which separates Kinshasa and Brazzaville, the capital cities of two countries named for this river.
A: Congo River (accept Nzˆadi Kˆongo; accept Lower Congo River; accept Zaire River before it is read)
Q: At Yugyd Va National Park in this country, the Komi people have protested potential gold mining in the Pechora Basin. The Yamal Megaproject threatened the nomadic lifestyle of the Nenets people in this country. Drilling in the Shtokman field in this country has threatened cod populations. Indigenous activism in this country is organized on the social media site VK. The MMK plant contributes to air pollution in a "city of (*) steel" in this country. Annual summer wildfires melt permafrost, an effect that caused a 2016 anthrax outbreak among reindeer in this country, the location of Magnitogorsk. For 10 points, name this country where drilling by Gazprom endangers habitats in the eastern Barents Sea and household sewage pollutes Lake Baikal in Siberia.
A: Russia [or Russian Federation or Rossiya or Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; accept Rochmu or Roch Federatsiya]
Q: This city contains the unfinished Palm Jebel Ali archipelago. In the late 2010s, this city was embroiled in a copyright claim over a "Frame" in Zabeel Park. This city's Logo Islands form the shape of a palm, and its World Islands replicate a world map near the (*) Palm Jumeirah, an artificial archipelago. This city contains the Burj Al Arab and the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. For 10 points, name this most-populated city in the United Arab Emirates.
A: Dubai
Q: One city named for this person contains a clock tower similar to the Vauxhall Clock in London and is located on Mahe Atoll. Another city of this name is home to Beacon Hill Park and the historic Fairmont Empress Hotel. That same city with this name is also home to the second-oldest Chinatown in North America, and is located at the northern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A mountain named for this person can be reached by the Peak Tram and offers views of a harbor also named for this person, which separates the (*) Kowloon Peninsula from Hong Kong Island. In 1868, Henry Morton Stanley discovered that a lake of this name was the primary source of the White Nile River. For 10 points, name this 19th-century monarch who names both the Australian state with capital at Melbourne, and the largest lake in Africa.
A: (Queen) Victoria [or Lake Victoria]
Q: In July 2022, fish in this body of water's Andvord Bay were found by Desvignes ("day-VEEN") et al. to have alarmingly high rates of skin tumors. It's not in British Columbia, but this body of water is home to a hexactinellid sponge which is likely the longest-lived animal on Earth. The high oxygen solubility of this body of water allows channichthyids, a family of fish which lack hemoglobin, to survive. Although this body of water is the world's largest high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll region, due to (*) upwelling from thermohaline circulation, algal blooms often occur around its Palmer Archipelago. A reserve in this ocean's Bellingshausen Sea prevents the overfishing of krill and toothfish, hunted by this ocean's crabeater seals and Weddell seals respectively. For 10 points, name this ocean where a marine reserve in the Ross Sea protects leopard seals and emperor penguins.
A: Southern Ocean [accept Antarctic Ocean; accept Bellingshausen Sea or Weddell Sea or Ross Sea before "this ocean's" is read; accept (de) Gerlache Strait before "hexactinellid" is read, and anti-prompt afterwards]
Q: Ancylus Lake is a predecessor of this body of water, and the Sambia Peninsula is located in this body of water. Oulu and Vaasa are located on this body of water. The Great and Little Belts drain this body of water into the Kattegat, and Lake Peipus flows into it. Islands in this sea include (*) Aland ("OH-land") and Gotland, and Kaliningrad Oblast borders this sea. The Gulfs of Bothnia, Finland, and Riga are parts of this sea, and cities on its shore include St. Petersburg and Stockholm. For 10 points, name this sea whose namesake states include Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: A proposed World Heritage Site protecting the Balti ("buhl'ts") Steppe aims to conserve this resource. The typical form of this resource defines the upper bound of 100 points of the bonitet score; in comparison, solonetz ("sol-uh-NETS") ranks in the low 30s. The black market sale of this substance once earned nearly a billion dollars a year for sellers in cities like Vinnytsya ("VEE-nits-yuh") and Zhytomyr ("zhih-TOH-mir"), and this substance was earlier described as "inexhaustible wealth" by Vasiliy Dokuchayev. Iron mining in the world's largest magnetic anomaly decreases the bioturbation of this resource in a (*) six-oblast region named for it. Studies of this substance in Kursk show that urbanization increases its bulk density and decreases its SOM. The high cation exchange capacity of this substance is largely due to humus ("HYOO-muss") of the Eurasian steppe. For 10 points, name this soil whose very high fertility makes Ukraine the breadbasket of Europe, named for its color.
A: chernozem ("CHUR-nuh-zem") [or chornozem or chernozyom or cernoziom; accept black soil or black earth; accept Central Black Earth Region or Central Chernozem Region or Tsentral'no-Chernozyomnaya oblast'; accept The Typical Chernozem Soils of the Balti Steppe; prompt on soils or earth or dirt or humus before "soil"; prompt on mollisols with "What is the corresponding WRB soil group?"; reject "dark earth" or "terra preta"]
Q: Axel Erlandson created distinctly-shaped ones of these objects for a "circus" that is now found in a theme park in Gilroy. The second California Historical Landmark commemorates one of these objects, which lends its name to the city of Palo Alto. The 17-Mile Drive near Carmel contains an oft-photographed "Lone" one of these objects. An area north of Kings Canyon contains some of these objects named for (*) Civil War figures. The locations of Methuselah and Hyperion, the oldest and tallest known ones of these objects, are kept secret to prevent vandalism. The largest two of these objects are named General Grant and General Sherman. For 10 points, name these objects, the namesakes of Sequoia and Redwood National Parks.
A: trees [accept Circus Trees; accept Lone Cypress; accept sequoia or redwood before read]
Q: This country's Bocas del Toro district is home to the port of Almirante and a namesake patois dialect known as guari-guari. This country's island of Coiba is home to a namesake endemic species of howler monkeys. The Sierra de Talamanca contains much of this country's highest peaks and extends into its western neighbor, and the San Blas Archipelago runs along its northern coast. An island administered by the Smithsonian Institution lies in this country's Lake (*) Gatun. The Darien Gap is an area of inhospitable jungle in this country and its neighbor to the southeast, and creates a discontinuity in the Pan-American Highway. For 10 points, name this Central American country on a namesake isthmus, which is bisected by a namesake canal.
A: Republic of Panama [or Republica de Panama]
Q: This sea was once called Maeotis, and it is the shallowest sea in the world. This sea is separated from the Rotten Sea by the Arabat spit. The Battle of the Kalka River occurred near this other body of water. It is fed by the Kuban and (*) Don rivers; most shipping on this sea originates in the nearby port of Rostov-on-Don. Peter I captured this sea's namesake city in 1696. In December 2018, Ukrainian sailors headed to Mariupol were arrested by the Russian navy in the Kerch Strait while attempting to enter this body of water. For 10 points, name this arm of the Black Sea, north of Crimea.
A: Sea of Azov [prompt on Black Sea before mentioned]
Q: The Enerparc and Rodina firms built a solar farm on the former site of this event in 2018. This event led the British Food Standards Agency to implement a mandatory sheep testing program that persisted until 2012. The town of Slavutych ("sla-VOO-titch") was built to accommodate people displaced by this event, which forced a nearby capital to switch its water supply to the Desna River after the (*) Dnieper ("nee-pur") was found to be contaminated. A concrete "sarcophagus" covers the present site of this disaster, which occurred after a power surge generated a steam explosion that destroyed a Soviet nuclear facility. For 10 points, name this 1986 nuclear meltdown in Northern Ukraine.
A: Chernobyl disaster
Q: This island's highest point is named for the flagship of Francis Drake, The Golden Hinde. The colonial government of this island had a dispute with a southern neighbor over the nearby San Juan islands, leading to the Pig War in 1859. The Strait of Georgia separates this island from the United States and from the mainland of its nation. This island's largest city is Victoria, although a much larger namesake city lies on the mainland opposite this island. For 10 points, name this island on the pacific coast of Canada, northwest of Seattle.
A: Vancouver Island Delta Burke 2017 Round 5
Q: This body of water is divided into three parts: the Haut, Grande, and Petit Lacs, the latter two of which are separated by the Strait of Nernier. The French name for this lake is Lac Leman. This lake is where oscillatory fluctuations called seiches [say-shez] were first observed. The north shore of this lake belongs to the Canton of Vaud, while its namesake canton lies on the southeast. The Rhone River enters this lake in the east and exits on the west into France. For 10 points, what largest Swiss lake shares its name with the country's second-largest city after Zurich?
A: Lake Geneva
Q: The Liard River joins this river at Fort Simpson, and the only bridge across this river is 10 kilometers north of Fort Providence, the Deh Cho bridge. This river's namesake branded it "Disappointment River" after finding that it did not end in the ocean he expected. A tributary of this river forms when the Peace and Athabasca Rivers meet; that river is the (*) Slave River. The Great Bear River also flows into this river that ends on the Beaufort Sea and starts at the Great Slave Lake. For 10 points, name this river in the Northwest Territories, the longest entirely in Canada.
A: Mackenzie River [accept Deh Cho until mention]
Q: This national park is home to the Mount Le Conte lodge, which can only be reached by hiking. In 2001, a population of elk was relocated to this national park's Cataloochee Valley. Remains of an early settlement in this national park are preserved in Cades Cove, while visitors can access an observatory on its highest point of Clingman's Dome. This national park received its name from the (*) Cherokee tribe due to the blue mist that coalesced in its peaks and valleys. The southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway is located in this national park, which was devastated by a fire in the fall of 2016. For 10 points, name this national park which straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina along its namesake mountain range.
A: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Q: The SICGAL ("SICK-gahl") baggage check is performed on visitors to this region to prevent the spread of non-native species. The use of insecticide-laced cotton balls in bird nests in this region has reduced damage caused by the parasitic fly Philornis downsi. In the first usage of hormonally-altered Judas goats, invasive goats, pigs, and donkeys were eradicated from this region as part of Project (*) Isabela. Conservation efforts in this archipelago cite the legacy of "Lonesome George," the last surviving member of his species. El Nino events cause population decline for a namesake penguin species on this archipelago, to which the marine iguana is endemic. For 10 points, name this Ecuadorian archipelago where Charles Darwin studied finches.
A: Galapagos Islands [or Islas Galapagos or Archipielago de Colon or Columbus Archipelago]
Q: The Chadian government's 2017 ban on these objects to fight Boko Haram devastated the Buduma people and was called "the world's most complex humanitarian disaster" by journalist Ben Taub. A Canarian type of these objects called a lanche has ended the subsistence lifestyle of the Imraguen ("im-RAH-gun") people, leading to concerns of their impact on Banc d'Arguin ("bonk dahr-GAN") National Park. The Yeyi people brought knowledge of these objects called mokoros to Ngamiland and often serve as polers today. The use of these objects, carved from ebony tree trunks, makes the village of Ganvie ("gahn-v'YAY") one of Benin's top tourist attractions. The Malagasy (*) lakana, one of these objects, bears similarities with Polynesian vaʻas like Hokuleʻa. Thor Heyerdahl used reeds from Lake Tana for one of these objects named Ra which succeeded the balsa Kon-Tiki. For 10 points, name these vehicles which include feluccas, used in Sudan and Egypt to travel on the Nile.
A: boats [accept canoes or sailboats or pirogues or rafts or dugouts; accept markab or marakib or qarib or qawarib or bateaux or barques; accept jirgi or jirgaye or sambo or seketswana or diketswana or merkeboch]
Q: This region's island of Temwen, off the coast of Pohnpei, contains Nan Madol. Unlike the Phoenix and Line Islands, the Gilbert Islands are in this region. An Australian-owned phosphate mine on an island in this region was exhausted by the early 2000s, and that island is the most (*) overweight country in the world, Nauru. This non-Polynesian region was first inhabited by the Lapita, whose inhabitants include the Chamorro. With Palikir as the capital of a namesake country, for 10 points, name this region of Oceania containing the Carolines, Marshalls, and Marianas, whose name means "small islands."
A: Micronesia [prompt on Oceania or Pacific]
Q: The Seventh Ring Road was completed in this city in December of 2016. A common expression states that there are too many stone lions on a bridge in this city to count; that is the Marco Polo Bridge. A second airport planned for this city will be located in its Daxing district. This city will host the (*) 2022 Winter Olympics, making it the first city to host both a Winter and a Summer Olympics, having hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics. This city is also home to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. For 10 points, name this capital city of China.
A: Beijing [accept Peking]
Q: They're not train lines, but Copenhagen's "Finger Plan" detailed the development of these things, which were extensively documented in a monograph by Bill Owens titled for them. London's "Metro-Land" was an early example of these things. They're not parks, but (*) Frederick Law Olmsted developed these things in response to miasma theory. Crabgrass Frontier details the development of these things, common features of which include cul-de-sacs. Examples of these in New York include Rye, Scarsdale, and White Plains. For 10 points, name these sprawling population centers surrounding major cities.
A: suburbs [accept suburbia]
Q: This range includes the ¨Otzal subrange, where a five-thousand-year-old natural mummy was found in 1991. Mount Triglav is the tallest peak of this range's Julian subrange, and is the largest mountain in (*) Slovenia. This range includes the "mountain of mountains," the Matterhorn; and the second-highest mountain in Europe, Mont Blanc. For 10 points, name this European mountain range that stretches through Switzerland, France, and Italy.
A: Alps (accept Alpine Mountains)
Q: This city is home to Zug Island, site of a large steel mill where photography and most outside visitors are prohibited, and it also has the only international wildlife preserve in the world. Bridges in this city include the MacArthur Bridge and the Ambassador Bridge. Belle Isle Park is in this city's (*) namesake river, into which the River Rouge flows. This city is located across its river from a major Ontario city, Windsor. 8 Mile Road in this city titled a film starring Eminem. For 10 points, name this largest city in Michigan, the center of the car industry.
A: Detroit
Q: One national park in this country's center contains a rock formation known as the Olgas. This nation's Tanami Desert borders its coastal Kimberly region, whose largest city is Broome. This country's indigenous people include the Torres Strait Islanders. The south of this nation contains the treeless Nullarbor Plain, as well as the opal mining town of Coober Pedy. Mount (*) Kosciuszko [KOSS-ee-US-koh] is part of this nation's Great Dividing Range, which has a subrange named for the blue haze produced by eucalyptus trees. The Great Barrier Reef is located off its state of Queensland. Uluru is a large natural monolith sacred to the Aboriginal people of, for 10 points, what country known for its outback?
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: This state is the location of the largest canyon system in the world, the Copper Canyon. It is home to the archeological site Las Casas Grandes, a prehistoric Mogollon Culture collection of buildings. It is bordered on the west by Sonara and the east by Coahuila, and its nickname is El Estado Grande. Its Ciudad Juarez lies across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. For 10 points, name this largest state in Mexico, the namesake of a small breed of dog.
A: Chihuahua
Q: Richard Haag converted an abandoned coal gasification plant into this city's Gas Works Park. A concrete Troll is located in this city's Fremont neighborhood, and houseboats line the shore of its nearby Lake Union. Two of the five longest pontoon bridges in the world carry an interstate across a lake from this city to its suburbs of Mercer Island and (*) Bellevue. A museum containing the glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly is located at the base of a feature in this city, which was built alongside a monorail for the 1962 World's Fair. For 10 points, name this city on Puget Sound that contains the Space Needle, the largest city in Washington.
A: Seattle
Q: The "Natural Entrance" to a cave in this state leads to a room nicknamed the Post Office. That cave in this state, along with Jewel Cave National Monument, is home to most of the world's frostwork and boxwork mineral formations. A national park in this state has a unit called the Stronghold District and is named for its eroded and difficult-to-travel terrain. This state is home to (*) Wind Cave National Park. This state's Rapid City is the nearest city to the site where Korczak Ziolkowski (CORE-chalk jewel-CUFF-ski) began the massive and unfinished Crazy Horse Monument. This state contains Badlands National Park, as well as a range chosen by Gutzon Borglum to house a sculpture of four presidents. For 10 points, name this state whose Black Hills contain Mount Rushmore.
A: South Dakota
Q: In the easternmost portion of this region, the Gilyak people speak the Nivkh ("NIFFK") language isolate. The largest national subdivision in the world, the Sakha Republic, lies in this region. "Paleo-Asiatic" is a term used by linguists to classify some languages in this area's northeast, including Chukchi. Magadan is a minor port in this region, but (*) Vladivostok is the region's main ice-free port and is one terminus for the namesake railway of this region, which curls north at Lake Baikal, en route to Novosibirsk. Gulags were once found in the frigid lands of, for 10 points, what Asiatic portion of Russia?
A: Siberia [prompt on Russia until "Vladivostok"]
Q: This system is split into two parts, the "A Division" and "B Division," based on what was owned by the two corporations that it bought in 1940, the IRT and BMT. A famous angular map depicting this system was drawn by Massimo Vignelli. A 2012 hurricane caused extensive flood damage to this system, in particular its South Ferry station. This transit system includes 12 crossings of the (*) East River, and its riders can transfer to the AirTrain to JFK Airport, its city's largest. For 10 points, identify this busiest rail transit system in North America, which runs underneath places like Grand Central Station or Times Square.
A: the New York City subway [accept obvious equivalents, prompt on just the subway or similar; prompt on public transit in New York; prompt on the MTA]
Q: The Shaybanids were based in this country, whose city of Qarshi was the last capital of the Chagatai Khanate. Kantubek in this country is a ghost town where the Department of Defense neutralized over 100 tons of anthrax. A pass to the east of this country connects the neighboring city of Osh with this country's (*) Fergana Valley. This country contains the lower reaches of the Amu Darya, where extensive cotton production has dried up the southern half of the Aral Sea. For 10 points, name this doubly landlocked country with capital Tashkent, directly south of Kazakhstan and west of Kyrgyzstan.
A: Republic of Uzbekistan [accept Oʻzbekiston Respublikasi]
Q: Susan Clarke argues that one of these geographic features has formed a rare "symbolic regime" that creates uniform policy networks between cities like Blaine and Douglas. Robert Alvarez and George Collier identify Los Angeles markets as theoretical examples of these features in a 1994 paper comparing how business practices of Mayan and norteno truckers vary with two of these features. A protected area complex around one of these features was proposed to protect the Santa Elena Canyon and the Chisos Mountains but remains unimplemented, unlike a UNESCO-listed complex around another of these features which protects the (*) Waterton Lakes and Grinnell Glacier. A book titled for these features describes how they form subcultures like pachucos in the section "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," and is by Gloria Anzaldua. For 10 points, name these political features which are more permeable between Windsor and Detroit than between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso.
A: borders [accept boundary or boundaries; accept borderlands or border zones; accept frontiers or fronteras; accept political borders or international borders or national borders or Mexico-United States border or Canada-United States border or Guatemala-Mexico border; accept Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza; accept international borders of the United States although the second line references the Guatemala-Mexico border]
Q: A Filipino form of this economic activity called jueteng ("h'weh-TENG") historically drove the economy of Pampanga Province. Tajen branangan earns revenue through forms of this economic activity called toh ketenga and toh kesasi, unlike other forms of tajen. A subset of this industry generates 4% of Japan's GDP through transactions of items called tokushu keihin, part of the "three-store system." A border effect created by spatial imbalances in this industry boosts tourism in (*) Zhuhai ("JOO-high"). Cotai, a strip of reclaimed land used mainly for this industry, takes its name from the former islands of Taipa and Coloane ("co-lo-AHN"). A building owned by a company in this industry consists of three towers topped by an infinity pool. Hospitality and this activity are the main economic activities of Marina Bay Sands. For 10 points, name this industry that predominates in Macau
A: gambling [accept word forms; accept betting industry or casino industry; accept similar answers like betting money or wagering money; accept forms of gambling such as lotteries or pachinko or numbers game or sports betting or fan tan or sic bo or keno or roulette or baccarat or blackjack or slot machines or casino games; prompt on cards; prompt on cockfighting; prompt on hospitality or tourism or hotel industry or resort industry; accept sugal or perjudian or tobaku or dubo or douchin; accept taruhan or kakeru or dadu or syudou; accept totohan until "toh" is read and prompt afterward; prompt on sabung alam or tajen; prompt on zhaodai or perhotelan]
Q: This country's largest island is often called Fernando Pao for its discoverer and lies in the Bight of Bonny. This country's new planned capital of Oyala has been renamed Ciudad de la Paz and lies east of its largest city, Bata. This country's island of Annobon lies south of its Rio (*) Muni region and is separated by Sao Tome and Principe from its largest island, Bioko. This country northwest of Gabon and south of Cameroon has capital Malabo. For 10 points, name this only African country to officially speak Spanish, which shares part of its name with a country with capital Bissau.
A: Republic of Equatorial Guinea [accept Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial]
Q: Until the discovery of a source at Jari Hill in the late 20th century, most geographers believed that this river's furthest source was a glacier in the Tanggula Mountains. A tributary of this river flows through the Tiger Leaping Gorge before its confluence with the Min River at Yibin. A channel serves as an outflow from Lake Poyang to this river, which meets its largest tributary at Wuhan. A now-extinct (*) dolphin species called the baiji was once native to this river, whose lower reaches are also home to the only populations of the Chinese Alligator. The creation of a reservoir displaced 1.2 million people along this river following the construction of its Three Gorges Dam. For 10 points, name this longest river in China.
A: Yangtze River [or Chang Jiang]
Q: The production of this good in Bahia via the sustainable cabruca system relies on the canopies of natural forests for shade. In 2021, the Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit brought by eight Malians who alleged that they were kidnapped into producing this good. Jo Fairley supported the Q'eqchi' ("cake-CHEE") in producing the trinitario type of this good, marketed as "Maya Gold" in the United Kingdom. A notched, wooden whisk known as a molinillo ("mo-lee-NEE-yoh") is used to mix this good in (*) Mexico. The failures of the Harkin-Engel Protocol to reduce the use of child labor in Cote d'Ivoire are exhibited in a 2010 documentary punningly titled for the "Dark Side of" this good. A blend of condensed milk and this good was developed in Switzerland by the founder of Nestle. For 10 points, name this good produced at factories in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
A: chocolate [accept hot chocolate; accept the Dark Side of Chocolate; accept cocoa beans or cacao or Theobroma cacao]
Q: In 2011, Andres Ruzo was allowed to study the Boiling River in this country's Huanuco region. The world's most populous city inaccessible by road, Iquitos, is located in this country's northeastern rainforest region. The seaport of Callao is adjacent to this nation's capital. A coastal desert in this country contains giant hummingbird and monkey figures, which are among the (*) geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines. This nation's Temple of the Sun is part of a complex in the Sacred Valley. For 10 points, name this South American country with a capital at Lima, which also contains the ruins of Incan cities like Machu Picchu.
A: Republic of Peru [or Republica del Peru]
Q: One of the last major portions of interstate highway to be completed has cantilevered portions and passes through Hanging Lake Tunnel in this state's Glenwood Canyon. Mount Princeton and Mount Harvard are among this state's Collegiate Peaks, a part of the Sawatch Range. The Painted Wall is a sheer cliff located in this state's Black Canyon of the (*) Gunnison, and its San Luis Valley contains the tallest sand dunes in North America. The Garden of the Gods is located outside a city in this state that is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, and this state's flagship university is located in its city of Boulder. Mesa Verde and Pike's Peak are located in, for 10 points, what Rocky Mountain state with a capital at Denver?
A: State of Colorado
Q: The Holmenkollen neighborhood in this country's capital contains a manmade ski jump ramp. This country's Rogaland County is home to a 2000-meter-high cliff known as the "Preacher's Chair." A powerful system of eddies and whirlpools, commonly known as "the maelstrom," is found in this country's (*) Lofoten Archipelago, which is also home to the world's largest deep-water coral reef. A vault housing nearly one million samples of seeds can be found in this nation's island territory of Svalbard. This country's north includes borders with both Finland and Russia. For 10 points, name this Scandanavian country home to many fjords, with capital at Oslo.
A: Kingdom of Norway
Q: West of this city is a volcanic caldera called Campi Flegrei which seismologists fear is becoming an active threat to this city. This city is the center of activity of the crime syndicate called the Camorra. This city sits on the northern shore of a namesake gulf on the southern end of which is the Island of Capri. The pizza associated with this city must be made with San Marzano tomatoes which grow on the slopes of a nearby volcano. That volcano northeast of this city destroyed the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. For 10 points, Mount Vesuvius stands near what Italian city, inhabitants of which are called Neapolitans?
A: Naples (or Napoli from Guiseppe)
Q: Due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam, the Temple of Debod was moved to this city, whose KIO Towers were built with a 15 degree slant towards each other. The western part of this city is dominated by the Casa de Campo park. This city is served by the Atocha train station, which contains a memorial to a 2004 terrorist attack, and by (*) Barajas [BAH-rah-hahs] Airport. Sporting venues in this city include Santiago Bernabeu and Las Ventas, which is used for bullfighting. The main public square of this city is the Puerta del Sol, and its Golden Triangle of Art includes the Reina Sofia and Prado museums. For 10 points, name this capital of Spain.
A: Madrid
Q: A body of water with this name has an arm called "Turnagain" after William Bligh failed to discover a Northwest Passage there. A dolphin named Pelorus Jack guided ships through another body of water with this name that was mistaken as a bight by Abel Tasman. Anchorage, Alaska lies on the Knik Arm of an inlet of this name. A 1998 treaty with the Ngai Tahu prepended the name (*) Aoraki to this English name of a mountain in the Southern Alps. A group of self-governing islands next to Niue; New Zealand's highest peak; and the strait that separates North and South Islands all have this name. For 10 points, give this name of an English captain who gave the name "Sandwich Islands" to Hawaii shortly before his death there.
A: James Cook [accept Cook Inlet, Cook Strait, Mount Cook, or Cook Islands]
Q: In January 2014, protests over the delays in closing one of these places caused the Lebanese company Sukleen to stop serving Beirut for three days. One of these places became the site of Moerenuma Park in Sapporo, thanks to Isamu Noguchi's final project before death. One of these places in the Fresh Kills estuary on Staten Island was once the world's largest. Thousands of people live in a slum established at an infamous one of these places nicknamed "Smokey Mountain" in Manila. (*) Hooker Chemical used one of these places at Love Canal, then covered it with soil. Clay is often used to line the bottom of these places to prevent toxic chemicals from leaching into the ground. For 10 points, name these places designated as sites for trash disposal.
A: landfills [or dumpsites]
Q: A vast plateau to the west of this mountain system and sharing its name includes protected areas like the Pisgah National Forest and Cloudlands Canyon State Park. A sub-range of this mountain system includes the Ocoee Supergroup, a geologic region which includes mountains like Mount Guyot and Clingman's Dome. The Catskills are a sub-range of this system, while the Adirondacks are the only prominent mountains in the east that are geologically unrelated. Including sub-ranges from the White Mountains of New Hampshire to the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, for 10 points what vast mountain system runs from Alabama to Maine and includes a namesake trail?
A: Appalachian Mountains (accept "Appalachians")
Q: Kabocha squash is used in a noodle soup called hoto that is from this island's Kofu Basin. One city on this island, which lies east of the Hida Mountains, used the M-Wave and Mount Iizuna as venues for the 1998 Winter Olympics. A stringed instrument is the namesake of this island's Lake Biwa, which is in Shiga Prefecture. This island is separated from its (*) northern neighbor by the Tsugaru Strait, which is spanned by the Seikan Tunnel. The Taiheiyo Belt on this island extends from the Kanto Plain to Hiroshima, and its Tokaido Shinkansen, the world's first bullet train, links cities like Nagoya and Osaka. Mount Fuji is on, for 10 points, what largest Japanese island that contains Tokyo?
A: Honshu
Q: Abadan and Khorramshahr lie in this country on its extreme southwest border. Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh both border this non-landlocked country. Asiatic cheetahs are found in this country on a plateau bounded by Khorasan and the Elburz and Zagros mountains. This country contains the southern coast of the (*) Caspian Sea as well as the northern coast of a true sea, the Sea of Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, largely controlled by this country, separates that sea from the Persian Gulf, which is named after this country's historical name. For 10 points, name this Islamic Republic with capital Tehran.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran
Q: The now-destroyed port of Bagdad sat at the mouth of this river, which is the primary inflow of Falcon International Reservoir. This river forms the Elephant Butte Reservoir north of a city that renamed itself after a quiz show in 1950, Truth or Consequences. The Chisos Mountains lie in a region named for this river's Big (*) Bend. This river has its source near Telluride in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and passes through Albuquerque before flowing between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez and Laredo and Nuevo Laredo to reach the Gulf of Mexico. For 10 points, name this river that forms the international boundary between Texas and Mexico.
A: Rio Grande [or Rio Bravo del Norte.]
Q: This state's highest point is Granite Peak, part of this state's Beartooth Range. The Missouri Breaks are a series of rocky outcroppings on the Missouri River in this state. In 1806 William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition carved his name in Pompey's Pillar, part of the Hell's Creek Formation, a major source of dinosaur fossils in this state. The only national park entirely in this state contains Going-to-the-Sun Road and the namesake geological entities, which are shrinking rapidly. It's the only state to border three Canadian provinces. For 10 points, Glacier National Park is in what US state with capital at Helena?
A: Montana
Q: This body of water contains a namesake naval shipyard located at Bremerton. Islands in this body of water include Lopez Island, San Juan Island, and Fidalgo Island. The Duwamish Waterway empties into Elliott Bay in this body of water. A city on this body of water contains a (*) Queen Anne district and a building designed by John Graham Jr. This body of water borders both the Kitsap Peninsula and an island which shares a name with the most populous city in British Columbia: Vancouver. For 10 points, identify this sound on which Seattle is located.
A: Puget Sound
Q: The Ten Degree Channel lies directly south of this region, whose largest town is Port Blair. The Onge and Jarawa live in this region, where the antagonist of The Sign of Four was imprisoned. This region is at the India Plate's southeastern edge, and its namesake sea ends a bit north of Sumatra. In November 2018, John Allen (*) Chau was killed by an uncontacted people on this archipelago's North Sentinel Island. For 10 points, name this mostly Indian-controlled archipelago with a namesake Negrito population, north of the Nicobars, in the Bay of Bengal.
A: Andaman Islands [anti-prompt on Sentinel Islands; prompt on Andaman and Nicobar Islands]
Q: In this country, a Tsagaan Zud is a winter in which snowdrift is so high that livestock die because they can't reach the grass. The Khangai mountain range is entirely contained within this country. Over half of the population of this country lives in its capital, which was founded around a monastery called Daschoilin Khid. That monastery was built in the form of a yurt, a tent used by this country's nomadic population living in its steppes. This country's southern border is dominated by the Gobi Desert. For 10 points, what country wedged between China and Russia has capital at Ulan Bator?
A: Mongolia
Q: The Yasuni-ITT initiative was proposed to protect a region in this country. Almost all balsa wood in the world comes from this country, including the wood in Kon-Tiki. This country's largest island is Isabela, which lies on a hotspot near the edge of the Nazca Plate. This country contains Mount Cotopaxi, and its Mount (*) Chimborazo is the farthest point on Earth's surface from its center. Darwin's Finches and giant tortoises live in this country's Galapagos Islands. North of Peru, for 10 points, name this country with largest city Guayaquil and capital Quito, named for its latitude.
A: Ecuador
Q: Mount Nyiragongo ("nye-i-ra-GONG-o") in this region erupted in 2002, devastating the city of Goma. That volcano lies in the Virunga mountains, which lies in the Albertine portion of this region. One definition of this region has it ending at Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, but the more conventional definition has that boundary at the (*) Afar Triple Junction. "Nubian" and "Somali" refer to the land to the two sides of this region. The African Great Lakes lie in this region, including Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria. For 10 points, name this geologic region, named for where the African Plate splits into two smaller plates.
A: Great Rift Valley [accept African Great Lakes before "Beqaa"]
Q: Gorham's Cave in this territory is believed to be have been one of the last known habitations of Neanderthals, due to its relatively mild climate. The Fortress of Luxembourg was known as this place "of the North" for its fortifications. Barbary (*) macaques were introduced into this city in the 700's and they remain, the only wild non-human primates in Europe. Either Monte Hacho in Ceuta or Jebel Musa in Morocco is paired with this place as the site of the Pillars of Hercules. Taken from Spain by Britain in 1713, for 10 points, name this British Overseas Territory, whose namesake "Rock" patrols the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea through its namesake strait.
A: Gibraltar
Q: This body of water is thought to have formed during the late Neogene Period, and derives its name from a native word meaning "sea of islands." A 1971 smallpox outbreak in a settlement near this body of water caused the deaths of three people. One such island in this body of water, Vozrozhdeniya, also known as Rebirth Island, was used for nuclear testing by the (*) Soviet Union. This body of water is fed by the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers. It lies between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. For 10 points, name this rapidly shrinking sea in Central Asia.
A: Aral Sea
Q: In an essay, Achille Mbembe ("ah-SHEEL um-BEM-bay") and Laurent Dubois ("dew-BWAH") argue that this activity is not representative of an African "ecstatic cult" but a worldwide "act of communion" by comparing Ghanaian drums with a "trumpet of the poor." Accusations of witchcraft in this activity led to Thomas N'Kono's ("ung-KO-no's") 2002 arrest in Mali. An event of this activity in Bouake ("boo-ah-KAY") contributed to the 2007 end of a civil war in Cote d'Ivoire ("COAT div-WAHR"). A song celebrating this activity pays tribute to the Cameroonian makossa group Golden Sounds. In a study of this activity in Africa, Peter Alegi analyzes the migration of certain (*) Congolese people to Belgium as an "expression of neocolonialism." A professional in this activity succeeded Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as President of Liberia in 2018; that man is George Weah ("WEE-uh"). For 10 points, name this most popular sport of West Africa, played by Senegal's Sadio Mane ("SAH-dyo mah-NAY").
A: soccer [or association football; accept football or balɔntan or ntolatan or futbol or motopi or voetbal] {The "trumpet of the poor" which Mbembe and Dubois discuss is the vuvuzela. Golden Sounds's "Zamina mina (Zangalewa)" was paid tribute to in Shakira's "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)" for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.}
Q: Note to players: the answer to this tossup includes both a direction and a country, such as "Southeastern Wakanda" or "Central Arendelle." Cardinal directions will NOT be prompted for ordinal directions OR VICE VERSA, so "Southern Wakanda" and "Southeastern Wakanda" are considered to be completely different answers. Lushai animists in this region conserve rare trees as part of sacred ngawpui ("ung-GAW-pwee") groves. This region's Apatani people have developed a highly efficient joint fish-rice cultivation system called aji in the Ziro Valley. The Hornbill Festival, famous for Konyak fire-eating performances, celebrates agriculture in this region near the Barak River's headwaters. Demojong, a valley below this region's highest mountain, is a cultural landscape sacred to Bhutiya-Lepcha peoples. Floating islands called phumdi make up this region's Keibul Lamjao National Park and are used for aquaculture by Meitei ("MEE-tay") fishers on this region's Loktak Lake. Living (*) root bridges that extend over 50 meters are made near Mawsynram ("MAO-sin-rahm"), the world's rainiest place, in this region. Soil in this region's states of Nagaland and Tripura is threatened by jhum agriculture. For 10 points, name this region home to tea plantations in the Brahmaputra River's floodplain in Assam.
A: Northeastern India [or Purvottara Bharat; anti-prompt on Arunachal Pradesh or Assam or Manipur or Meghalaya or Mizoram or Nagaland or Sikkim or Tripura; anti-prompt on Seven Sisters or Sat Behenon; prompt on North Eastern Region or NER by asking "of what country?"; prompt on Republic of India or Bharat Ganarajya by asking "What region of India?"; reject "North (ern) India" or "Uttara Bharat" or "East (ern) India" or "Purvi Bharat"] {The eight clues correspond to the eight states of Northeast India; in order, they are Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Assam. The 'Seven Sisters' include the above minus Sikkim.}
Q: This city's Shilshole Marina lies of the coast of the Ballard neighborhood. The artificial Harbor Island sits at the point where this city's Duwamish Waterway empties into Elliott Bay. It's not Rome, but the Queen Anne neighborhood is located on one of this city's "seven hills." Next to the Frank Gehry-designed building formerly known as the (*) EMP Museum, the newly-installed Skybeam shines from an observation tower in this city that features an iconic hovering disc. For 10 points, the Space Needle stands in what city on Puget Sound, the largest city in the state of Washington?
A: Seattle
Q: This body of water contains the Tyuleniy Archipelago and Ogurja Ada, its largest island. A lagoon that is thirty times saltier than this body of water is separated from its western portion and is called Garabogazkol. Atyrau and Aktau are located on this body of water, which is connected to Ceyhan by a pipeline. The Flame Towers are located in one city on this body of water, which is on the (*) Absheron Peninsula. This body of water is bounded to the south by the Alborz Mountains in Iran. Baku is located on this body of water, whose oil production is led by Kazakhstan. For 10 points, name this "sea" in Central Asia that contains the mouth of the Volga River, the largest lake in the world.
A: Caspian Sea [or Daryaye Khezer; or Girkansk; or Kaspiskoye More; or Khazarsk; or Khvalynsk]
Q: Suburbs of this country's capital include Almada and Setubal. A 2016 American-based survey concluded that the world's best place to retire was this country's southern region, the Algarve. The two autonomous regions of this country include a group of nine volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean ruled from Ponta Delgada and the (*) Madeira archipelago. Wine is exported from this country's second-largest city of Porto. The Azores are part of this European country that has its capital city located at the mouth of the Tagus River. For 10 points, name this Iberian country with capital at Lisbon.
A: Portugal
Q: The largest lake on this island is Lake Enriquillo, which runs parallel to the Sierra de Neiba. The Gulf of Gonave borders the western portion of this island, which also contains Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean. A capital city on this island is at the mouth of the Ozama River, and was formerly called Ciudad (*) Trujillo. A popular resort city on this island is its eastern town of Punta Cana. The Mona Passage separates this island and Puerto Rico. The most populous Caribbean island is, for 10 points, what island shared by the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic and French-speaking Haiti?
A: Hispaniola
Q: A hotspot under this tectonic plate contains the Picabo volcanic field and created the Ashfall Fossil Beds. This plate forms the eastern part of the Kolyma region and the Queen Charlotte Fault. The Farallon plate's subduction under this plate to this plate's west formed the (*) Cocos Plate and Cascadia Fault. It's not the Eurasian Plate, but Eyjafjallajokull ("ey-ya-fya-tla-YER-kutl") in Iceland was formed from this plate's divergent fault in the Mid-Atlantic. A geyser erupting either every 65 or 91 minutes, Old Faithful, lies in, for 10 points, what tectonic plate containing Yellowstone, named after a continent?
A: North American Plate
Q: William of Tyre called this substance "very necessary for the use and health of mankind," and described massive cultivation of this crop outside of his city. The ruler of La Gomera in the Canary Islands, Beatriz de Bobadilla y Ossorio, gave her lover, Christopher Columbus, the samples that would become the source for the cultivation for this crop in the (*) Western Hemisphere. The Continental System led to the widespread use of beets to produce this substance, as traditional Caribbean sources of this substance, which was often transported to Europe in the form of rum, were not available. For 10 points, name this sweet, white substance that can cause tooth decay.
A: sugar
Q: Ignacio de Arteaga led an expedition to this region, and on the site of native barabaras, Three Saints Bay was the first European settlement in this region. This US region was the western terminus of a corridor through the Laurentide region; that corridor was thought to have allowed "overkill" and housed the ancestors of the (*) Clovis culture. A colonial conflict in this region saw the Tlingit ("KLINK-it") lose the Battle of Sitka. Found by Bering's expedition, for 10 points, name this state bought by William Seward for the US, formerly controlled by the Russian-American Company, the northernmost state.
A: Alaska
Q: This practice resulted in the creation of the Chinese booi aha, and led to the formation of the Siddi in India and Pakistan. Elmina Castle was a key site in this practice, which was authorized by Nicholas V's papal bull Dum Diversas. This practice led to the formation of quilombos, or Maroon communities, and this practice was outlawed by the successive Rio Branco and (*) Golden Laws during the reign of Pedro II in Brazil. This practice was opposed by William Wilberforce throughout his career. For 10 points, name this practice, opposition to which was led by Toussaint L'Ouverture in a Haitian revolt, and which involved the transportation of Africans via the Middle Passage.
A: slavery [or the slave trade, accept more specific answers]
Q: The highest point on this island is Jayne's Hill, which sits atop the the Harbor Hill Moraine, which makes up the "spine" of this island. The 1995 Sunrise Fires destroyed tens of thousands of acres of Pine Barrens on this island. A long barrier strip on the southern edge of this island comprises the Fire Island National Seashore. On the South Fork of this island is the tourist mecca for the wealthy called The Hamptons. Nassau and Suffolk Counties comprise the eastern end of, for 10 points, what island that also includes the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens?
A: Long Island
Q: The kiwano or horned melon is native to this climatic region, which contrary to what its name suggests, is actually mostly semi-arid steppe. This region's Makgadikgadi ("mack-ga-deek-ga-DEE") Salt Pan is the (*) southernmost breeding spot for greater flamingos. The Omaheke province in this region contains the majority of the Herero ethnic group. Following the formation of an inland delta in this region, much of the water of the Okavango River evaporates. This region's endorheic basin includes the city of Windhoek ("VEEND-hook"). For 10 points, name this desert in Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana, home to the San, or Bushmen.
A: Kalahari Desert [accept descriptive answers of the biome/climate as long as Kalahari is said, since it isn't technically a desert]
Q: Colombian doctor Roberto Franco's discovery of this disease's sylvatic cycle in 1907 was largely ignored in the West for thirty years. Van der Stuyft ("stowft") et al. note that a 1997 outbreak of this disease in Santa Cruz could reestablish this disease's urban cycle in South America. The brown howler monkey is a sentinel species used to monitor this disease. A map of an 18th-century outbreak of this disease helped to spark the contagionism debate in health geography; that map by Valentine Seaman was the first dot map of a disease. The anthropozoonosis transmission chain's structure was first determined after Cuban doctor (*) Carlos Finlay hypothesized this disease's spread by Aedes mosquitoes. The Rockefeller Foundation's promotion of the 17D vaccine is why South America has lower transmission of this disease than Africa, the other continent where this disease is endemic. For 10 points, name this disease which Walter Reed studied in the Panama Canal Zone.
A: yellow fever [accept fiebre amarilla or vomito negro or febre amarela]
Q: In the 1940's, this city adopted the nickname "City of Flowers." An affluent neighborhood in this city is named after Queen Anne and contains its highest hill. A public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in this city is its most popular tourist attraction. An attraction in this city and home of the (*) Pike Place Market was built for the hosting of the 1962 World's Fair and has a rotating observation deck where features such as Puget Sound and Mount Rainier can be viewed. For 10 points, name this home of the Space Needle, the largest city in the state of Washington.
A: Seattle
Q: The capital of the Magadha Empire, now known as Patna, is located on this river. It is the home to an eponymous species of dolphin, which is endangered. In the state of Bihar it is joined by the tributaries Gandak, Ghuri, and Kosi. The capital of a country formerly known as East Pakistan lies on its "old" variant. Its source is a glacier known as the Gangotri, and it discharges from Bangladesh with the Brahmaputra River. For 10 points, some Hindus believe immersion in what river absolves sin and is thus sacred?
A: Ganges River
Q: Note to players: description acceptable. Syed Areej Safvi gained fame in Kashmir for reviving a traditionally male form of this profession called ladishah ("LUH-dee-shah") in 2020. The Yakut olongkhohut ("oh-long-ko-HOOT") tradition represents the oldest Turkic tradition of this profession. People of this profession called bakhshi ("BACK-shee") often serve the roles of judges and seers in Central Asia. During events called aitys ("eye-TUSS"), aqyns ("ah-KUNZ") of this profession like Toktogul Satylganov may use a qomuz or dombra. A competition called meykhana between amateur Talysh and Azeri members of this profession is the source of the viral Russian meme "Ty kto takoy? ("TICK-toh TUCK-oy") Davay, do svidaniya!" This profession may center on (*) dastans about Koroglu ("KYOR-oh-gloo") or Dede Korkut. Figures like Semetey and Seytek are central to one tradition of this profession popular in the Ala-Too ("ah-lah-TOH") Square of Bishkek, which is claimed to be a thousand years old. For 10 points, give this profession, whose duties in Kyrgyzstan involve reciting the Epic of Manas ("mah-NAHSS").
A: oral poets [accept singers or bards or minstrels or storytellers or narrators or orators or singer-poets or court poets or epic poets or folk rappers or spoken word poets or oral historians; accept ladishah or bakhshi or aqyn or dastanchi or manaschi before read; accept sannovchi or sozanda or jomoqchu or yrchy; accept answers like people who recite epics or poetry or ulgers or tuuli or dastans or alpamysh before "reciting" is read and prompt afterwards; prompt on incomplete answers like musicians or entertainers or performers or comedians or historian; reject answers like "griot" or "praise singer" that refer to specific non-Central Asian oral poetry traditions]
Q: On an island in this body of water, Colonel John Wilcox started a short-lived "agricultural and horticultural association" that was actually a free-love community; that island in this body of water is the home of the Bluff Point Light and is Valcour Island. The Abenaki tribe gave the name Tatoskok to a large horned (*) serpent that allegedly lives in this lake. This lake, which separates the Adirondacks from the Green Mountains, sits adjacent to Fort Ticonderoga. For 10 points, name this lake that borders both New York and Vermont and is named for a French explorer.
A: Lake Champlain
Q: This river is called the Jihang after it descends from the mountains before it merges with the Pihat. The "Hidden Falls" of this river were first reported to the West in 1998, inside the deepest canyon in the world. The Yarlung Tsangpo is the upper portion of this river and flows eastward through Tibet before making a steep descent and (*) ninety-degree turn into India. The main distributary of this river is the Jamuna, which flows into the Padma. The world's largest delta is formed after this river and the Ganges merge in Bangladesh. For 10 points, name this river whose name means "son of Brahma."
A: Brahmaputra River [prompt Yarlung Tsangpo before mention; do not accept "Siang"]
Q: A famous one of these events occurred at Danan, Perboewatan ("per-BA-wa-tawn"), and Rakata. The largest known one of these events occurred at the site of Lake Toba before the lake formed. On February 20, 1943, one of these events began suddenly in the (*) cornfield of Dionisio Pulido. One of these events caused a nuee ardente that destroyed Saint-Pierre on Martinique, and another caused "the year without a summer" and occurred at Mount Tambora. Plinian events of this type release much pumice. One of these events at Eyjafjallajokull ("eh-ya-fyat-la-yo-coolt") caused widespread air travel shutdowns due to the ash created. For 10 points, name these events, in which a mountain expels lava.
A: volcanic eruption [prompt on volcano]
Q: This country hosts the Valhalla Experimental Station, which plants macadamia trees to restore local agribusiness. This country claims territory between the Hondo and Sibun Rivers, but it agreed to a "Line of Adjacency" in 2000. This country's northernmost department, Peten, has its capital at Flores. In colonial times, this country was governed from the city of Antigua. The world's first Mixed Cultural and Natural World Heritage Site, (*) Tikal, is located in this country, whose currency, the quetzal, is named for a bird sacred to one of its indigenous peoples, the Quiche Maya. For 10 points, name this Central American country embroiled in a border dispute with Belize, which also borders Honduras and Mexico.
A: Republic of Guatemala [or Republica de Guatemala]
Q: The active stratovolcano Volcan Baru represents the highest point in this country. This nation controls the San Blas Islands and the damming of the Chagres River in this country created its Gatun Lake. The Miraflores is used by one prominent piece of infrastructure in this country which shares La Amistad International Park with its northern neighbor (*) Costa Rica. The most famous waterway in this nation was ceded by the US in 1999 and prevents ships from having to sail through the Straits of Magellan. For 10 points, name this Central American isthmus nation which contains a namesake canal.
A: Panama
Q: The chief god of the Chagga people resides in this location. Harry Johnston was the first European to document the existence of this place, which is drained by the the Lumi and Pangani Rivers. In 1889, Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller became the first people to scale this mountain, whose (*) Saddle Plateau divides two of its prominent features. Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira are the three cones of this stratovolcano, and this tallest freestanding mountain in the world is called Uhuru in Swahili. For 10 points, name this Tanzanian peak, the tallest in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro (accept Uhuru until mentioned, prompt on "Shira" until "mountain" is read)
Q: This island's Samaria National Park is the last refuge of the agrimi, a type of goat once thought to be wild but was in fact introduced by Bronze Age colonists. Spinalonga, a small artificial island near this larger island, was used as a Venetian outpost after this island's government, known as the "Kingdom of Candia," was overthrown by the (*) Ottomans. Heraklion is the largest city on this island, where Duncan Mackenzie and Arthur Evans excavated a palace containing tablets written in Linear A. That city, Knossos, was located on, for 10 points, what island in the Mediterranean that was once the center of the Minoan civilization?
A: Crete [or Kriti]
Q: Landmarks in this territory include a battery named for Charles O'Hara as well as Gorham's Cave, which may have been a last refuge for turtle-eating Neanderthals. August de la Motte's Hanoverian troops defended this place during a three-and-a-half year "Great Siege" that attempted to reverse the verdict of the Treaty of (*) Utrecht, which transferred control of this territory and Minorca. Europe's only wild population of barbary macaques is found in this territory, which was the northern of two features called the "Pillars of Hercules." For 10 points, name this British territory located opposite Morocco across a namesake strait.
A: Gibraltar
Q: In 1994, this country's western neighbor invaded its islands of Diamant and Jabane as part of a border dispute over the Bakassi peninsula that was resolved by the 2006 Greentree Agreement. The city of Kousseri in the north of this country is flooded with refugees who crossed the Logone and Chari Rivers. In 1986, 2,000 people died from volcanic gas emitted by Lake Nyos in this country. A common language in this country is a pidgin hybrid of French and English, though prior to World War I it was a (*) German colony. Douala, the most populous city in this country, is a major port on the Gulf of Guinea. Both Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria have had border disputes with, for 10 points, what country whose capital is Yaounde?
A: Republic of Cameroon [or Republique de Cameroon]
Q: In 2014, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights opened in this city. This city is home to the High Museum of Art and sprawling Piedmont Park, as well as a prominent memorial at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The site of a 1996 bombing during the Summer (*) Olympics held in this city is now park of Centennial Park. Spelman, Morehouse, and Emory Universities are all found in this city whose Hartsfield-Jackson Airport is the busiest airport in the world. For 10 points, name this southern city, the capital of Georgia.
A: Atlanta, Georgia
Q: A proposed $2.3 billion causeway across this body of water from near Askar to Zubarah would be the world's longest causeway and would link two countries that continue to dispute the Hawar Islands. This body of water is home to the Safaniyyah Field and to the nearby port of Dhahran, where a 1996 bombing killed 19 American Air Force personnel. The Arvand Free Trade Zone surrounds (*) Abadan, another port on this body of water, which can be accessed via the Strait of Hormuz. Other cities on it include the former site of the Pearl Roundabout, Manama, as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For 10 points, name this oil-rich body of water bordered by such countries as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iran.
A: Persian Gulf [or Arab Gulf; accept Gulf of Bahrain before "Safaniyyah" is mentioned]
Q: This province's Ruskin Dam is currently being renovated. In February 2012, Mitsubishi purchased a stake in this province's Cutbank Ridge field to explore shale gas opportunities. First Nations advocates in this province have denounced an oil pipeline near its city of Kitimat. Wetlands in its city of Mission are threatened by plans to build a (*) container port to relieve the burden on existing facilities on the Burrard Inlet of the Strait of Georgia and at the mouth of the Fraser River; those ports are located in this province at the western terminus of the Canada Pacific Railway. For 10 points, name this westernmost Canadian province, which contains Victoria and Vancouver.
A: British Columbia
Q: An estuary that is part of this sea, fed by the Nene (NEN) and Great Ouse (OOZ) rivers and known as "the Wash," has been the subject of land reclamation projects. The city of Stavanger, which is located on this sea, relies economically on the oil wells in it, including the offshore Ekofisk oil field. Fishing boats in this sea often congregate near Dogger Bank. (*) Dundee is a port on the Firth of Tay, which feeds into this sea. This sea is at the western end of the Kiel Canal. The busiest port in Europe by tonnage, Rotterdam, can also be found on this sea. For 10 points, name this sea that borders England, Norway, Germany, and the Netherlands.
A: North Sea
Q: In this region, a paramilitary hit squad was trained during "Operation Marion." In 2002, this region became home to a breakaway republic attempting to recreate the ancestral Lozi kingdom of Barotseland. Mishake Muyongo was allegedly promised independence for this region in exchange for supporting SWAPO. This region's existence was acknowledged in the (*) "Heligoland Treaty" that also acknowledged a British protectorate in Zanzibar. This geopolitical entity was originally created to provide a nonexistent outlet to the Indian Ocean, as German authorities conveniently disregarded Victoria Falls. For 10 points, name this region of Southern Africa that was named for Otto von Bismarck's successor and tacked onto what is now Namibia.
A: Caprivi Strip [or Caprivi Finger; or Caprivi Zipfel]
Q: In 1983, the completion of a suspension bridge in this country's principal ocean port of Matadi linked its capital to the coast for the first time. This country's city of Goma has suffered because the Dodd-Frank Banking Act requires companies to report the use of coltan originating in this country. The northeastern part of this country relies on trade in the city of Kisangani, while its southern city of Lubumbashi has boomed because of the high price of copper mined in the (*) Katanga region. Angolan security forces raped female citizens of this country en masse in 2010 while deporting them, and this country has also seen a dramatic rise in rapes in provinces that border Rwanda and Uganda. For 10 points, name this African country whose capital is Kinshasa.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [accept DRC; prompt on "Congo"; accept Congo-Kinshasa before "Kinshasa" is mentioned; do NOT accept "Republic of the Congo"]
Q: This state's John Day Fossil Beds are the source of brontothere specimens. Eagle Cap Wilderness is located in this state's Wallowa Mountains, part of a national forest that contains the southern part of Joseph Canyon and adjoins the western side of Hells Canyon. In this state, Wizard Island lies in a lake that was formed when the eruption of Mount (*) Mazama caused a caldera to fill with water. Crater Lake and Mount Hood are landmarks in this state's section of the Cascade Range. For 10 points, the Willamette Valley of what northwestern state was the destination of 19th-century pioneers who traveled on a cross-country trail?
A: Oregon
Q: In 2008, the Canadian company Cameco helped this country build a uranium processing plant in its eastern city of Oskemen. This country, which boasts the world's second largest reserves of uranium, was the site of the Semipalatinsk nuclear facility before it voluntarily abandoned the world's fourth largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. It is also the site of Baikonur (*) Cosmodrome, and it owns the northern part of Renaissance Island, an anthrax burial site that was once an island in the shrinking Aral Sea. Almaty is the most populous city in this second largest former Soviet republic after Russia. For 10 points, name this Central Asian country whose capital is Astana.
A: Republic of Kazakhstan
Q: In 1734, the body of a man who died around 300 BCE was found in an ancient source for this resource in Hallstatt, Austria. A below-ground merry-go-round was built at a site that's been used to obtain this resource since Roman times in Turda, Romania. English cities such as Leftwich get their suffix from trading this resource, and a nuclear waste repository in Remlingen, Germany was formerly a mine for it. A large mine for this resource in Khewra, Pakistan was supposedly discovered when (*) Alexander the Great's horse started licking the ground. Jordan's Arab Potash Company is located on a body of water noted for its high concentrations of this substance. For 10 points, name this mineral that allows people to float easily in the Dead Sea.
A: salt [or table salt; or NaCl; or sodium chloride; or rock salt; or halite; accept potash before mentioned]
Q: To discourage migration into this geographical region, a ditch and embankment planted with willows called the Willow Palisade was constructed. This region has a historical name meaning "east of the pass," referring to the Shanhai Pass, an entry point into this region. Part of this region was ceded in the Treaty of Aigun, and this region's northern border was set in the Treaty of (*) Nerchinsk. A Neo-Byzantine Saint Sophia Cathedral was constructed by Russians in this region's city of Harbin. A border between this region and a foreign country to its south is the site of Mount Paektu and is marked by the Yalu River. For 10 points, name this region in China, located between Russia and North Korea, which has an English name that derives from an ethnic group native to it.
A: Manchuria [or Manzhou; accept Dongbei or Northeast China; accept Guandong] (Dongbei means "Northeast.")
Q: During the Great Depression, workers in this region popularized a dish similar to shepherd's pie called "Chinese Pie." A dish from this region was supposedly invented in its city of Drummondville. Reuben Schwartz founded a delicatessen in this region's largest city that serves its namesake style of smoked meat. On Christmas Eve, families in this region traditionally eat a spiced meat pie called (*) tourtiere. A candy known in this region as tire sur la neige can be created by pouring hot maple syrup on snow and allowing it to harden. This region produces 70 percent of the world's maple syrup and is home to a dish consisting of gravy-covered fries. Poutine was invented in, for 10 points, what French-speaking region of Canada?
A: Quebec [prompt on French Canada]
Q: The highest point on this island is a mountain on the southwestern Iveragh [eye-veer-uh] Peninsula; that mountain, Carrauntoohil, is located in an area in which major mountains are known as reeks. This island, called Hibernia by the Romans, is divided into 32 counties, including Tipperary and Wexford. A series of basalt columns on the north coast of this island is called the (*) Giant's Causeway, which is partially owned by the Crown Trust. The River Shannon bisects this island and meets the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Limerick. For 10 points, name this island- home to two distinct states with capitals at Belfast and Dublin.
A: Ireland [do not accept or prompt on "Northern Ireland"]
Q: In 2012, this city completed work on a 58-story glass skyscraper with a roughly macaroni-shaped footprint called The Bow, which was designed by Norman Foster's firm. The 201 Red Line and 202 Blue Line, which make up this city's light-rail system, share a west-to-east track just north of this non-U.S. city's central Beltline neighborhood. In 2013, floods in this city caused the Bow and Elbow rivers to burst their banks. The southwesternmost (*) riding in this city is represented by Stephen Harper in the House of Commons. This city, about an hour and a half east of Banff National Park, is served by an airport with the code YYC and hosts an annual rodeo called the Stampede. For 10 points, name this city south of Edmonton, the most populous in Alberta.
A: Calgary, Alberta
Q: The 2019 iteration of an annual month-long festival in this city saluted the country of Colombia and featured walking tours of DJ Dewey Phillips's studio. A single-artist Sirius-XM station broadcasts from a museum in this city that includes a pink Cadillac in its collection. This city's "In May" festival coincides with a food competition that includes Whole Hog and Ribs divisions, the World Championship (*) Barbecue Cooking Contest. An eccentrically decorated recording studio known as the Jungle Room is part of this city's Sun Studios, where blues artists like B.B. King and W.C. Handy got their starts. A mansion in this city lends its name to Paul Simon's 1986 album, Graceland. For 10 points, Elvis Presley died in what city in southwestern Tennessee?
A: Memphis, Tennessee
Q: This state's only national park is located west of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and has a name that commemorates French-Canadian fur traders; that is Voyageurs National Park. The Mesabi Range, in the northeastern part of this state, is near this state's city of (*) Duluth. The largest city in this state is downstream from the Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River and forms the Twin Cities metropolitan area with this state's capital. For 10 points, name this midwestern state, which includes such cities as Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
A: Minnesota
Q: The first European in this body of water was the second-in-command of Pedro Fernandes de Queiros. It's not the Antarctic Sea, but in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the Nautilus gets stuck in this body of water. This body of water north of the Cape York Peninsula contains a submerged portion of the Great (*) Dividing Range and connects the Arafura Sea with the Coral Sea. Inhabited by namesake Melanesian islanders often grouped with the Aborigines, for 10 points, name this strait between Australia and New Guinea.
A: Torres Strait
Q: During the 2017 French presidential election campaign, the Collective of 500 Brothers occupied one of these facilities and demanded more infrastructure spending. One of these facilities on the southern tip of the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand was purchased following one company's development of the Electron. A European agency uses one of these facilities in Kourou ("coo-roo") in northwestern French Guiana due to Kourou's proximity to both the coast and the equator. One of these facilities in Xichang ("shee-chahng") in central China is a key part of the (*) Chang'e ("chong-uh") program; another in West Texas will be used by Blue Origin to test its New Glenn vehicle. For 10 points, name these places that include Florida's Cape Canaveral, where the Apollo missions began.
A: spaceports [or rocket launch sites; or space launch sites; or space center; or satellite launch center; or launchpads; or Cosmodrome]
Q: In spring 2013, one prisoner held by this country's government renounced nationalism after reading Benedict Anderson. In December 2011 this country launched an airstrike against smugglers in Uludere, which sparked protests in Diyarbakir. An ongoing trial in this country seeks to prove that members of "Operation Sledgehammer" were plotting a coup. More recently, popular outrage over a plan to reconstruct a historic military (*) barracks led to the occupation of Taksim Gezi Park and angry clashes between protestors and the ruling Justice and Development Party. This country's government continues to take a heavy hand with its Kurdish minority. For 10 points, name this country where many protestors have challenged Recep Tayyip Erdogan [air-doe-AHN] in Istanbul.
A: Republic of Turkey [or Turkiye Cumhuriyeti]
Q: Tourists in the UK can head to facilities in Scout Moor or Scroby Sands to view this technology, while in the US shoppers can marvel at one in the parking lot of a Walmart in McKinney, Texas. New Bedford, Massachusetts may be the first city in the US to get a form of this technology already widely deployed in the Walney Extension near Cumbria, England. Another British deployment of this technology visible from Balmedie, Scotland was called (*) "ugly" by a golf course owner who tried to prevent Vattenfall from building them. "Farms" of this bird-harming technology have been built offshore in the Irish Sea, and in 2014 German ones produced 41,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity. For 10 points, name this renewable energy technology powered by gusts.
A: wind turbines [accept wind energy converter or offshore wind turbines or windmills; accept wind farms before "farms"; prompt on turbines]
Q: Kholat Syakhl, or the "Dead Mountain," is located in this mountain range, which is home to the Mansi people. The Manpupuner rock formations are a popular tourist attraction in the Komi Republic just west of this range, and Vaygach Island and Novaya Zemlya are a northern continuation of these mountains. The south of this mountain range is home to its country's largest iron and steel works at Magnitogorsk in (*) Chelyabinsk Oblast. These mountains extend south from the Kara Sea to Kazakhstan. For 10 points, name this mountain range that traditionally divides Russia into Asian and European parts.
A: Ural Mountains [accept Uralskiye Gory]
Q: For National Geographic, Mike Hettwer photographed the remains of this region's Kiffian and Tenerian cultures. Rock art in the Cave of Swimmers and the Acacus Mountains suggest that humans inhabited this region as early as 10,000 B.C.E. Multiple meteorite impacts formed the concentric circles of this region's Aorounga Crater, which lies just south of the Tibesti Mountains. During the Neolithic Subpluvial, this region was home to a (*) megalake which covered the Bodele Depression, which now provides the majority of nutrients used to fertilize South America. A "Great Green Wall" is being built to stop this region's expansion, which has caused Lake Chad to decrease in size by 90%. For 10 points, name this large North African desert.
A: Sahara Desert [accept Maghreb; anti-prompt on Libya or Algeria; anti-prompt on Chad before "Chad"]
Q: This mountain range is home to the shortest known viper, which grows to be just over a foot long, and to a species of gazelle named for naturalist George Cuvier. The Kabyle people, who build villages in a high section of these mountains, were studied by cultural sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Ouarzazate is a city high in a western "Anti-" section of this range, whose easternmost portion is called the (*) Aures region. The Ourika and Draa Rivers flow through part of this range, which is separated by the Sebou River from the Rif region to its northwest. This range's highest peak is Jebel Toubkal. The highlands south of this range contain the city of Marrakesh, which was founded by Berbers. For 10 points, name this mountain range spanning Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
A: Atlas Mountains [accept Tell Atlas until "Anti-"]
Q: This state is the only American state in which Dall sheep can be found. Native tribes in this state created a type of treat that is made in part by mixing animal fat with berries and is called akutaq [ah-goo-duk]. This state is considered to have the most symmetrical (*) volcano in the world, Mount Shishaldin, which is located on Unimak Island. Instead of being divided into counties, this state divides itself into boroughs, including the very large Unorganized Borough. For 10 points, name this state home to Anchorage and Juneau, the largest and northernmost American state.
A: Alaska
Q: This mountain range is home to the exclave of Llivia, which was unintentionally created by a 17th-century treaty ceding all of Llivia's surroundings. This mountain range was southwest of the historical border region of Septimania. The motto "Virtus unita fortior" appears on the coat of arms of a sovereign entity in this range, whose coat of arms shows the miter hat of its co-leader, the (*) Bishop of Urgell, in the upper-left. Five citadels known as the "Sons of Carcassonne" were built along this mountain range, where pilgrims to the Rosary Basilica honor the Lady of Lourdes. This range's Roncevaux Pass opens out near Basque country. For 10 points, name this mountain range home to Andorra, on the border between Spain and France.
A: Pyrenees [or Pirineos]
Q: This country contains the type site of the Sintashta culture, whose burials contain the world's oldest chariots. Four ivory "Venus" figurines are named for the town of Buret in this country's Angara river valley. A woman dubbed the "Ice-Maiden" was found within this country's Ukok Plateau. An old name for a region in this country, Yughra, lends its name to the Ugric language family. A large igneous province in this country contains the (*) "traps" blamed for the Permian extinction. In this country, the world's longest estuary receives the flow of a river that flows north from the Altai mountains, called the Ob. The Lena river is found in, for 10 points, what country where the Yenisei River receives water from Lake Baikal in Siberia?
A: Russia [accept Russian Federation or Rossiyskaya Federatsiya]
Q: A textile tycoon built a skyscraper in this city to save the remains of Dante from the ravages of World War I called the Palacio Barolo. In this city, one can visit the tomb of the "twice dead" socialite Rufina Cambaceres ("cam-bah-SAIR-ace") in Recoleta Cemetery. A memorial in this city commemorates where an Israeli embassy stood until it was destroyed in a 1992 bombing. The President shuffles between a mansion in this city's Olivos suburb and an office building that houses the Seat of (*) Rivadavia known as the Pink House. In 1882, a youth group proclaimed this city's heavily Italian barrio of La Boca as an independent country. Portenos are residents of, for 10 points, what city on the estuary of the Rio de la Plata, the capital of Argentina?
A: Buenos Aires [accept Autonomous City of Buenos Aires or CABA or Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires]
Q: An ape-like cryptid from this country is said to inhabit the area near Springbrook Mountain. The Centurion tree is the tallest specimen of the world's tallest flowering plant, which is native to this country. John King was the only survivor of the Burke and Wills expedition, which explored this country. Meat ants and cricket bats are often used to kill an invasive species to this country, (*) the cane toad. Tourists to this country are often convinced to stick forks into their hair to defend against "drop bear" attacks. An animal native to this country is said to sit "in the old gum tree" in a common children's rhyme. The thylacine was native to an island in this country originally named Van Diemen's Land and whose apex predator was its namesake "devil." For 10 points, name this home country of the laughing kookaburra and kangaroo.
A: Australia
Q: A national park in this state contains the Kolob Canyons and features a vantage point called Angels Landing. Visitors walking along the Queens Garden Trail in a park in this state can see such features as Thor's Hammer. A national park in this state is home to a canyon known as the (*) Fiery Furnace; that park in this state is serviced by the town of Moab [moh-ab]. A national park in this state has features named "Landscape" and "Delicate" that are made of curved red sandstone. For 10 points, name this western American state home to Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Arches National Parks.
A: Utah
Q: This country's city of Simon's Town is home to its navy and is located on the shores of False Bay. Another city in this country is located on the shores of Algoa Bay, just south of Addo Elephant National Park; that city is Port Elizabeth. This country's most populous province, Gauteng, contains this country's administrative capital (*) and its largest city. This country contains much of the Orange River and the Kimberley diamond mines, and completely surrounds the country of Lesotho. Johannesburg is a city in, for 10 points, which country with three capitals at Bloemfontein, Cape Town, and Pretoria?
A: Republic of South Africa
Q: Silbo is a whistled language spoken on this polity's island of Gomera. A Combre Vieja ridge here might cause a megatsunami if it collapses catastrophically. The indigenous peoples of this archipelago, known as guanches, believed that the volcano Mount Teide was sacred. The largest island in this group is home to Los Rodeos airport, the location of the deadliest aviation disaster in history; that island is (*) Tenerife. Contrary to expectations, this island group derived its name from the local dog population and not from any kind of bird. For 10 points, name this Spanish-held island group located just off the western coast of Morocco.
A: Canary Islands [accept the Canaries; accept Islas Canarias, accept Santa Cruz de Tenerife until "archipelago"]
Q: An island once predicted to be eroded away by 2020 still stands as the northernmost point of this country. A protein-rich yogurt-like staple in this country is called skyr (SKEER). Sites in this country include the valley of Haukadalur and Silfra, a pool between two tectonic plates. Visitors to this country can drive the Diamond and Golden Circles from a (*) ring road that circles the entire country. A concrete sphere is continually moved to mark the Arctic Circle on this country's island of Grimsey. In 2010, European air travel was slowed by the eruption of this country's volcano Eyjafjallajokull (AY-uh-FYAH-luh-yoe-kl). Geothermal energy powers much of this country and heats its Blue Lagoon. For 10 points, name this island Nordic country whose capital is Reykjavik.
A: Iceland
Q: Two fountains shaped like nagas comprise this city's Democracy Monument, which is found about halfway between a royal burying ground and its Golden Mount temple. This city's extremely long official name declares it home to a precious green stone statue which was once believed to cure diseases, called the Emerald Buddha. An iconic prang shaped like the trident of Shiva adorns the top of this city's Temple of Dawn. This city was first established as the capital of the Thonburi kingdom by (*) Taksin the Great after the decline of the Ayutthaya ("ah-YOO-tuh-yuh") kingdom. The current monarch of the Chakri dynasty, Rama X ("the tenth"), lives in this city, which sits on the delta of the Chao Phraya ("chow PRA-yuh") river. For 10 points, name this capital of Thailand.
A: Bangkok [or Krung Thep]
Q: The "correction" of this river to make it straighter was achieved by an engineer named Tulla. Efforts to clean this river began in earnest after a chemical spill in 1986 caused by the Sandoz fire. The Stork Plan has focused on reforesting land around this river's main distributary, the Waal. The most polluted tributary of this river, the "biologically dead" Emscher River, flows through Dortmund. A 1976 convention to protect this river from pollution was signed in (*) Bonn, a city south of its confluence with the Ruhr. This river, which marks the eastern border of Alsace, meets the Main between Strasbourg and Cologne. For 10 points, name this river that rises in the Swiss Alps, flows through western Germany, and empties into the North Sea in the Netherlands.
A: Rhine River [or Fluss Rhein; or Riviere le Rhin; or Fleuve Rhin; or Rivier Rijn ("RHAYN"); or Rivier de Rijn or Flum Rain]
Q: Every August, this city hosts a festival featuring exclusively tomato-themed art. This city contains the North American headquarters for both Bridgestone and Nissan, and its tallest building is colloquially known as the "Batman Building." Though this city is not Atlanta, its (*) Centennial Park houses a statue of Athena within a full-scale replica of the Parthenon. The Grand Ole Opry is located in this city, which is also home to Belmont and Vanderbilt Universities. The Country Music Hall of Fame is located in, for 10 points, what city known as the "Music City" that is also the capital of Tennessee?
A: Nashville, Tennessee
Q: This state's northeastern city of Decorah is home to an impact crater where a five-foot-long sea scorpion fossil was discovered in September 2015. A "University of Management" in this state teaches Transcendental Meditation and is located near a Maharishi Vedic City in Fairfield. This state's eastern and western borders are formed entirely by rivers. One of the first settlements in this state was founded by fur trader Julien (*) Dubuque near some lead mines. This state's Madison County is famous for its many covered bridges. A baseball diamond in this state was built for the movie Field of Dreams. For 10 points, name this heavy producer of corn, a midwestern U.S. state where the first presidential caucuses are held in cities like Ames and Des Moines.
A: Iowa
Q: A cricket tournament held from 1993 to 2001 between teams representing each British country had this name. Had Fernando Alonso won the Indianapolis 500 in 2019, he would have become the second driver to accomplish this in motorsport after Graham Hill. A Grand Slam is achieved by winning the (*) Breeders' Cup and also completing the best known feat of this name. In 2012, Miguel Cabrera achieved a feat of this name in baseball, the first since 1967. For 10 points, name this feat completed by Justify in 2018 that occurs when the same horse wins the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.
A: triple crown [accept Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing; accept Triple Crown Tournament; accept Triple Crown of Motorsport]
Q: It's not Stockholm or Boston, but some of this city's train stations are marked by the letter "T" in a circle. This city's monorail system was decommissioned in 2013, and this city's Central Railway station is located between its suburbs of Haymarket and Surry Hills. TrainLink service connects this city to Dungog and (*) Wollongong. The T1 Northern and North Shore Line crosses this city's Harbour Bridge, and the Circular Quay ["key"] station provides access to this city's Royal Botanic Gardens and its iconic Opera House. For 10 points, name this state capital of New South Wales, the most populous city in Australia and Oceania.
A: Sydney
Q: A well-known joke in this country holds that its second-smallest division of Molise [moh-lee-say] "doesn't exist." This country is home to reclaimed marshes called the Maremma, which produce the famed Canino oil. Because of its declining population, such towns as Ollolai in this country are offering houses for only (*) one euro. Lake Garda is in this nation's Dolomite range, and the Apennine mountains form the backbone of this country. For 10 points, name this country through which the Arno, Po, and Tiber Rivers flow, the last of which goes through this country's capital, Rome.
A: Italy [or Italian Republic or Italia or Republicca Italiana]
Q: In early 2019, the town of Sambuca ("sahm-BOO-kah") in this place made headlines by selling historic homes for one dollar in an attempt to preserve them. An air-conditioned room in its capital built in the 17th century is named for the cooling Sirocco winds. A traditional sponge cake eaten in this place is called cassata, a word derived from Arabic. Arabs also influenced the style of the Palatine Chapel built on this island by (*) Roger II for the Palace of the Normans and renamed its ancient town of Lilybaeum ("lee-lih-BYE-um") to be "port of god" or Marsala. The Arabic word ma'hias may be the source of the name of a group from this island also called "La Cosa Nostra." The original mafia is from, for 10 points, what large, triangular Italian island with capital at Palermo?
A: Sicily [or Sicilia; prompt on Italy before "its capital" in the second sentence]
Q: Major motorways passing through this city include Diagonal Avenue and Meridiana Avenue, and it is served by Sabadell Airport. The plain on which this city rests is bounded to the north by the Besos River, to the south by the Llobregat River, and elsewhere by a ring of mountains peaking at Tibidad. On April 23, the feast day of St. George, this city hosts a large book fair. In 2008, the AVE high-speed rail was extended to this largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, which contains the Palace of the Generalitat. A mosaic salamander can be found in Park Guell in this city, built by the architect of its Casa Mila. For 10 points, name this home of the still incomplete Sagrada Familia, second largest city of Spain and capital of Catalonia.
A: Barcelona
Q: The motto "Dying for Salvation" is used by this country's leading political party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement, which is led by president Idriss Deby. This country's lowest point, the Bodele Depression, is the source of dust which is blown by the wind to fertilize the Amazon Rainforest. The shield volcano Emi Koussi is the highest point in this country's Tibesti Mountains. This country's flag, which is identical to that of Romania, drew its design from the (*) French flag, but replaced the white stripe with a yellow one for the desert. This country disputes the Aouzou Strip with its northern neighbor, Libya. An endorheic lake for which this country is named has shrunk significantly in recent years. For 10 points, what African country is led from N'Djamena?
A: Republic of Chad
Q: This location includes the Washington Column and Lost Arrow rock formations, and Galen Clark spent 24 years as the guardian of this place. Glacier Point sits 2,500 feet above Half Dome in this location. One damming project in this place's Hetch Hetchy Valley was opposed by John (*) Muir. This park can be seen from the Tunnel View, which offers a stunning view of its namesake waterfall. Ansel Adams took many famous photographs of this park's El Capitan monolith. For 10 points, name this national park in the Sierra Nevadas of eastern California.
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: A geographic feature with a name meaning "Great White Place" can be found in this region, which is also home to the Dragon's Breath Cave. The cities of Marienthal and Ghanzi are located in this region, which lends its name to an ecoregion containing many Baikiaea and acacia trees. The (*) Okavango River flows through this region and previously flowed into Lake Makgadikgadi. The Namib Desert lies to the west of this region, which is also home to the Herero and San peoples. For 10 points, name this large African desert that covers most of Botswana, along with parts of Namibia and South Africa.
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: This city's Vondel Park contains a statue by Pablo Picasso which mostly resembles a fish. The Nieuwmarkt Riots protested the creation of this city's metro system, and the Amstel River ends in this city's center. Schiphol Airport serves this city, whose Oude Kerk church can be found in its De Wallen (*) red light district. This city is often called the "Venice of the North" due to its system of circular canals, and it is home to the Anne Frank House. For 10 points, name this largest city and capital of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: Every spring, this territory celebrates a festival featuring three 60-foot towers of buns. Carrie Lam serves as chief executive of this region often symbolized with the Bauhinia orchid. The International Commerce Centre and many other major landmarks can be found within this territory's Kowloon Peninsula, and the Pearl River Delta separates it from (*) Macau. Located just south of Shenzhen, this region has been governed by the "One Country, Two Systems" policy since it was transferred from British rule in 1997. For 10 points, name this densely-populated Special Administrative Region in southern China.
A: Hong Kong (accept Xiang Gang)
Q: The center of one city in this country contains the Max Liebling House, Dizengoff Square, and thousands of Bauhaus and International Style buildings designed by exiled German architects in its White City. The Tikotin Japanese Art Museum and Baha'i Gardens are located on Mount Carmel in this country. Caesarea Maritima and (*) Masada are Roman-era sites in this country. The white-domed Shrine of the Book in its capital houses the Isaiah and other scrolls found by Bedouins in a Qumran cave. Buildings in its capital must use local white limestone, as in the Western Wall. For 10 points, name this country where the golden Dome of the Rock is found on the Temple Mount in its capital, Jerusalem.
A: Israel
Q: David Lewis-Williams extensively studied the rock art found in this mountain range, which often depicts elands; that rock art was deciphered after one was viewed in the Kamberg Reserve. The endemic range of the Mountain Pipit is mostly in this mountain range. Notable peaks in it include Giant's Castle and Thabana Ntlenyana. A shelter for the rare white rhinoceros located on the foothills of this mountain range is near the historically important town of Ladysmith. This mountain range contains the world's second-highest waterfall, Tugela Falls, in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. This range is the source of the Orange River. For 10 points, identify this South African mountain range.
A: Drakensberg Mountains [or Barrier of Spears; or Maluti; or uKhahlamba; or Quathlamba]
Q: In this country, the Seddon Park stadium in Hamilton is the home ground of the Northern Districts domestic cricket team. The steepest street in the world, Baldwin Street, is located in this country's city of Dunedin, which is the largest city in the (*) Otago region. Mount Cook is the tallest peak in this nation's Southern Alps, which are located on this country's South Island. This nation is also known as Aotearoa, its Maori name. For 10 points, name this Pacific dual-island country off the Australian coast whose capital is Wellington.
A: New Zealand [accept Aotearoa until read]
Q: This state's Capulin Volcano National Monument is a certified Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park and is located east of the Sangre de Christo range of the Rocky Mountains. A national park in this state has notable features like "The Big Room" and "Chocolate High," and the Rio Grande flows through it near the city of (*) Taos. This state uses a red and gold state flag with the sun symbol of the Zia people. The Trinity missile test occurred in the White Sands National Monument in this state, and it's the home of Carlsbad Caverns. For 10 points, name this southwestern state with capital at Santa Fe.
A: State of New Mexico
Q: The Trans Wonderland amusement park and Cocoa House are located in this country's third most populous city. The Kaduna River flows through a city that is home to this country's only military academy. The Kwara and Plateau States are located in this country's Middle Belt, which separates this country's predominantly (*) Muslim north from its predominantly Christian south. A planned city in this country includes the Three Arms Zone and the Millennium Tower, and replaced the city of Lagos as this country's administrative center. For 10 points, name this most populous country of Africa, with a capital at Abuja.
A: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Q: The Makgadikgadi [mack-gah-deek-gah-DEE] Salt Pan covers nearly 2,000 miles of this desert, which takes its name from a Tswana word meaning "great thirst." One tribe from this desert uses the Diamphidia beetle to make poison arrows, and this desert's only permanent river is the Okavango. The film The Gods Must Be Crazy is set in this desert, where for centuries the (*) San people, also known as the Bushmen, have spoken a language known for its clicking sounds. For 10 points, name this desert which covers much of Southern Africa, including Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana.
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: Wind Cave National Park can be found north of Hot Springs in this state. This state is home to the iconic Corn Palace as well as the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok are buried in the former boom town of (*) Deadwood in this state where in 1874 gold was found in the Black Hills. This state's most famous attraction is the site of a chase scene in North by Northwest and was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum. For 10 points, name this Plains state with capital at Pierre which contains Mt. Rushmore.
A: South Dakota
Q: This state's Rainbow and Black Eagle Falls make up a set of waterfalls that are depicted on its state seal and name this state's third-most-populous city. Waterton Lakes National Park combines with a national park in this state to form an (*) International Peace Park. Trapper Peak is in this state's section of the Bitterroot Mountains and lies along the popular scenic route Going-to-the-Sun Road. This state is the only to border Alberta, and it contains Glacier National Park. Missoula and Billings are the two largest cities in, for 10 points, what American state governed from Helena?
A: Montana
Q: The designation of a "humanitarian space" in the Puente Nayero neighborhood of this country's main western seaport led to a 90% drop in the homicide rate in Buenaventura, once this country's most violent city. In this country, feral hippos live around the former residence and current theme park Hacienda Napoles [ah-see-end-ah NAH-poh-les], which was once owned by (*) Pablo Escobar, the head of a drug cartel based in this country's city of Medellin [med-eh-YEEN]. For 10 points, name this South American country that borders both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and has a capital at Bogota.
A: Republic of Colombia [or Republica de Colombia]
Q: Manu National Park is located in this country's Madre del Dios region. Another region in this country, Loreto, occupies a third of its area. A major river in this country is the Maranon, a tributary of the Ucayali, and the summit of the tallest mountain in this country has the weakest gravitational force in the world; that mountain is Huascaran. Its second largest city, (*) Arequipa, is located in its southwest, as well as hundreds of designs traced in the desert, the Nazca Lines. Along with Bolivia, this country shares the world's highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Lima.
A: Peru
Q: Charles Marie de La Condamine led the first major exploration of this river and the city of Belem is located where this river reaches the ocean. Though originally known by the name of its main source river, the Maranon, this river received its contemporary name after Spanish conquistadors battled a band of female (*) warriors along its banks. One state named for this river has its capital at Manaus, while spider monkeys and many varieties of tree frog can be found in its namesake rainforest. For 10 points, name this great river of South America, the second longest in the world.
A: Amazon River
Q: Rotuma is a dependency of this nation, and its most populous province of Ba lies on the island of Lautoka. This country's Naitasiri Province contains its capital as well as ANZ stadium, the home of this nation's national rugby team. In 2014, Kiribati [KEER-a-bas] bought the Natoavatu Estate in this country to prepare for if Kiribati becomes uninhabitable due to climate change. Like Tuvalu, this nation uses a baby-blue ensign with a Union Jack as its flag. The Koro Sea borders (*) Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, the largest islands of, for 10 points, what Pacific island country that is a popular tourist location governed from Suva?
A: Republic of Fiji [or Matanitu Tugalala o Viti]
Q: In 1545, Diego de Huallpa discovered a source of this resource in a place referred to as the "Red Mountain" in the Viceroyalty of Peru. According to Mary Weeks, the Phoenicians found so much of this substance in Spain that they used it to weight their fishing lines instead of lead. The Spanish used the Patio Process to extract this metal from ore. In ancient Athens, this substance was produced in the Mines of Laurion, from which the Greeks made the tetradrachm. For 10 points, identify this precious metal that the Romans called "argentum, which is considered slightly less precious than gold.
A: silver
Q: This state contains a thirteen mile long portion of the historic Route 66, which passes through its cities of Riverton and Baxter Springs. This state's I-135 connects Selina with its largest city, which is home to an airport named for the 34th President of the US, who was born in its city of Abilene. This state's I-470 bypasses the downtown portion of its capital, which is home to the lunatics of the Westboro Baptist Church. A former cattle trail that starts in Texas and is named named for Jesse Chisholm ends in a city in this state which is home to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Overland Park, Wichita, and Topeka.
A: Kansas
Q: A swampy area in this location was drained and landscaped to become The Ramble, a green area that abuts the generically named "Lake," which is spanned by the Bow and Bank Rock Bridges. A marionette theater performs in the summer in the Swedish Cottage in this location. The Belvedere Castle is a "folly," or purely decorative building, near the Lake in this place. A large greensward in this location is called the Sheep Meadow, the namesake animals of which used to be housed in a building that became this location's restaurant Tavern on the Green. Also home to the John Lennon memorial Strawberry Fields, for 10 points what is this large park in Manhattan?
A: Central Park
Q: The Ava Bridge crosses this river at Sagaing, while other bridges cross at Dedaye and Chauk. Its westernmost distributary passes through the city of Pathein. The Myitsone Dam is under construction on this river two miles downstream from the confluence of the Mali and N'mai Rivers in Kachin State, whose cities of Myitkyina and Bhamo lie along this river. The Chindwin is the chief tributary of this river, which lies between the Arakan Mountains to its west and the Salween River to its east. Home to a namesake beakless dolphin, this river rises in the Himalayas and flows into the Andaman Sea after passing by Mandalay. For 10 points, identify this river which flows through Myanmar.
A: Irrawaddy River
Q: This body of water contains the Cayman Islands. The Virgin Islands are located in this sea which borders the east coast of Guatemala and Nicaragua. Major islands in this sea are Jamaica and and Puerto Rico. For 10 points, name this sea located between North America and South America.
A: Caribbean Sea
Q: An ancient construction of this type called the Hong Gou is the earliest portion of a much larger construction of this type overseen by engineer Yuwen Kai of the Sui Dynasty. Farmers in Sindh Province in Pakistan rioted in 1971 after the construction of one of these structures was shown to be more beneficial to city dwellers in the Punjab. An interconnected series of these structures around Milan are called Navigli. A series of three treaties signed by American John Hay paved the way for the largest construction of this type, an engineering project led by George Washington Goethals [GOH-thuhlz]. For 10 points, what type of man-made waterway sometimes uses locks to move ships, as exemplified by the large one across Panama?
A: canals
Q: In the 1980s, this body of water was the testing ground for a 240-foot-long military aircraft designed to only fly 10 feet above the water's surface, known as its namesake "Monster". Its eastern shore is indented by a hypersaline lagoon known as the Garabogazkol, and its western shore is home to the port of Rasht and the Absheron Peninsula. This body of water causes lake-effect snows to fall on Mount (*) Damavand, the tallest of the Alborz mountains to its south. An oil boom from discoveries in this body of water has brought wealth to Astrakhan and the port of Baku. For 10 points, the Volga River flows into what landlocked Central Asian "sea" east of the Caucasus?
A: Caspian Sea
Q: An official set of guides for outdoor tours in this state was begun by a woman with a fondness for its Rangeley region known as Fly Rod Crosby. The Marginal Way footpath is in this American state, whose northern border was once home to the unrecognized Republic of Madawaska. This state lies west of Campobello Island, which contained the summer home of Franklin (*) Roosevelt. It contains the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, the longest uninhabited section of the Appalachian Trail. This state's Schoodic Peninsula is part of its Down East region, across the water from its city of Bar Harbor. For 10 points, name this home state of Acadia National Park, located southwest of the Bay of Fundy and the Canadian province of New Brunswick.
A: Maine
Q: People of this island practice a funerary ritual known as "the turning of the bones," or famadihana, in which the bodies of deceased relatives are dug up and hoisted around at parties. Tourist attractions on this island include the limestone needle formations of its Tsingy region, as well as its Avenue of the Baobabs. The iconic traveler's (*) palm and extinct elephant bird were both endemic to this island, which has high biodiversity because it split from the mainland about 90 million years ago. During the colonial era, it was ruled as the Malagasy Protectorate by France. Separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel, for 10 points, name this island off eastern Africa that is the native habitat of the lemur.
A: Madagascar
Q: It's not Chicago, but a building in this city used a technique called "walking the columns" to support its curving floor slabs and facade. That building will soon be surpassed as the tallest residential building on its continent by Christian de Portzamparc's One57. This home of Frank Gehry's 8 Spruce Street is also home to a building whose Nirosta-clad crown features seven terraced arches; that William (*) van Alen building also features ornamentation resembling radiator caps. David Childs reworked a contest-winning design by Daniel Libeskind for a building in this city which stands 1,776 feet tall and features the America's Response Monument at its base. For 10 points, name this city, home to both the Chrysler Building and One World Trade Center.
A: New York City [or NYC]
Q: In this country, children may be given names meaning "No name" or "Don't know" to ward off evil spirits. The saline Uvs Lake lies mostly in this country, which encloses the ancient Lake Khovsgol. In this country south of Tuva, the Tuul River is held sacred. This country lies northwest of a similarly named, rare earth metal-rich, and desertifying region in another nation, called "Inner [this country]."The ger is a round, portable dwelling found in this country, whose namesake ethnicity invented the yurt. This country's south lies in the Altai Mountains and Gobi Desert. For 10 points, name this landlocked steppe country between Russia and China.
A: Mongolia [or Mongol Uls]
Q: In 2013, this city opened the world's largest natural flower garden, the Miracle Garden. The Al Shindagha Tunnel under this city's namesake creek links it with the Al Ras community. The Business Bay is a district in this city which is home to Port Rashid. The Palm Islands are two artificial islands off the coast of this city, which contains an artificial (*) archipelago in the shape of a world map. This city is home to the world's largest shopping mall as well as a supposed "seven star" hotel built in the shape of a sail. For 10 points, name this city on the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates that is home to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
A: Dubai
Q: This archipelago contains a series of stone terraces known as the Pyramids of Guimar (gwee-MAR), which were enthusiastically studied by Thor Heyerdahl. This archipelago's island of La Gomera is known for the Silbo Gomero, a whistled language used to communicate across long distances by its native Guanche people. In 1977, the worst accident in aviation history occurred when two Boeing 747s collided on a runway on its island of (*) Tenerife. In 1936, Francisco Franco was appointed General Commandant of these islands, which sit just off the western coast of Morocco. They are situated south of the Azores and north of the Cape Verde Islands. For 10 points, name these Spanish islands in the Atlantic that are actually named for their dogs, not a type of bird.
A: Canary Islands [or the Canaries; accept Islas Canarias (eeh-lah kah-nah-ryah)]
Q: Julio Popper recruited Croatian immigrants to found Porvenir during this archipelago's gold rush, in which its Selknam people were massacred. Because these islands are exempt from VAT, they have recently become a hub for laptop manufacturing. It is not in Greece, but this archipelago's Navarino Island is home to a midden created by its native Yagan people. This archipelago's highest point, Mt. (*) Darwin, was so named because it was surveyed by the HMS Beagle. Ushuaia is the capital of a province on this archipelago northwest of the Scotia Sea. These islands lie north of the Drake Passage, and they are separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, name these islands shared by Chile and Argentina.
A: Tierra del Fuego [or Land of Fire]
Q: This country's Ardeche River, and its distinctly turquoise Verdon River, both run through large limestone gorges that are currently major tourist attractions. More than 10,000 Neolithic monoliths stand in this country's town of Carnac, which lies near the popular yachting destination of Quiberon Bay. Norman Foster designed this country's (*) Millau (mee-YO) Viaduct, the tallest bridge in the world, which crosses over a tributary of its Garonne River. The three-story tall Pont du Gard aqueduct stands in its historic region of Languedoc. The iconic monastery of Mont Saint-Michel, which is only accessible during low tides, sits on an island in this country's region of Normandy. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Paris.
A: Republic of France
Q: One of these places in Columbus, Ohio employs Jennie Gerhardt. In 1946, Menachem Begin's Irgun bombed one of these places in Jerusalem named for King David. The top-ranked school for managers of these places is among the seven schools at Cornell. New visitors cause paradoxes at an infinitely large one of these places named for David Hilbert. Dorothy Parker met with the Algonquin Round Table at one of these buildings in Manhattan, where a historic one called the Plaza is also located. These buildings include the sail-shaped, 60-floor-high Burj al Arab in Dubai. For 10 points, name these buildings which made a fortune for the Ritz and Hilton families.
A: hotels
Q: This island's cultural exports include cloth on which a tjap is used to apply hot wax against indigo and brown dye, called batik. Its central Kedu plain features a spiraling stone temple complex called Borobudur. Madura, found to this island's northeast, is co-administered with it. This island's many volcanoes include its tallest, Semeru, and Mount Merapi. Southeast of the Sunda strait, this island's large cities include Bandung and Surabaya, and its Ijen plateau is a growing site for Arabica beans. For 10 points, name this most populous island in the world, where administrators in the city of Jakarta run Indonesia.
A: Java [or Jawa]
Q: Colonial settlement along this river's upper course was historically impeded by the unnavigable Khone Pha Pheng (cone pah pehng) Falls. The basa fish is widely farmed within this river's massive delta, where an extensive canal system was built in the 1st century by the Kingdom of Funan. Large numbers of this river's namesake giant (*) catfish currently live in a river-lake whose water flow annually reverses direction during the monsoon season. To the west, the Chao Phraya River runs roughly parallel to this river, which flows past the lake of Tonle Sap. This river flows through the capitals of Vientiane and Phnom Penh before emptying into the South China Sea. For 10 points, name this river that flows through much of Southeast Asia.
A: Mekong River
Q: This country's "flying men" deliver packages by zip line in a region where a deadly hillside road to its town of Coroico claims over 200 lives a year. This home of the eastern Yungas valley is home to the Oruro carnival. Towns like Huanuni in this country declined along with its still-existent tin industry in the 80s, and a quarter of its population is of the Aymara ethnicity. The Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, is north of Lake Poopo within this country's share of the altiplano. This country's government encourages coca cultivation. For 10 points, name this landlocked South American nation with two capital cities, La Paz and Sucre.
A: Plurinational State of Bolivia [or Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia; or Bulivya Mamallaqta; or Wuliwya Suyu]
Q: This island's Busang mine was found to be worthless in a scandal that caused the demise of Canadian company Bre-X. This island hosts the world's greatest diversity of dipterocarps, including many in its Danum Valley. Kerangas are a type of moist heath forest found on this island, whose largest city is Kuching. The Mega Rice project attempted to convert this island's peat swamp forests to rice paddies. This home of the Dayak people lies just west of the (*) Makassar Strait and Wallace's Line, across from Sulawesi. Its northern portion includes the states of Sabah and Sarawak. For 10 points, name this third largest island in the world, which is shared by Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
A: Borneo [or Kalimantan]
Q: In this body of water, the Devil's Hole trench causes the loss of many trawling nets. Stavanger is a town on this sea, which is made shallow by a large underwater moraine and former landmass called Doggar Bank. The Bates family controls an abandoned pontoon base with a helipad in this sea, where they demand national recognition as the Principality of Sealand. The western end of the Skaggerak empties into this sea whose southern part, the Wadden sea, is north of the Frisian islands and the Zuiderzee. It contains profitable oil rigs at Statfjord. For 10 points, name this sea abutting the English Channel between Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Norway.
A: North Sea
Q: This city's Scandinavian immigrants live near canal locks in the Ballard neighborhood. This city is connected to Bremerton and Bainbridge Island by ferry, and its Industrial districts lie along the Duwamish river. Drivers in this city can cross east on the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge to its suburb of Bellevue. This home of the Pike Place market and Pioneer Square is the seat of King County, and visitors can ascend a structure, built for the 1962 World's Fair, whose circular observation deck offers views of Puget Sound. For 10 points, name this home of the Space Needle, the largest city in Washington State.
A: Seattle, Washington
Q: This island's Whispering Cliffs are irregularly-angled basalt columns accessible via the Diamond Circle route. On this island, where fermented shark is a delicacy, the Glera River enters this island's longest bay at Akureyri. This island's Dettifoss waterfall is its continent's largest by volume, and it lies north of Surtsey, an island formed in 1963. This island's highest-per-capita use of geothermal energy, its geysers like Strokkur, and its volcanoes like Grimsvotn are all due to its position atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It lies between the Faroe Islands and Greenland. For 10 points, name this Nordic-settled island with capital Reykjavik.
A: Iceland [or Island]
Q: One of this country's cities includes the square Jemaa el-Fnaa and includes the gate Bab Ksiba in its red sandstone walls. This nation's largest city contains the enormous Hassan II Mosque. Its border with its southeastern neighbor is formed by the Draa River, this nation's longest. In an incident named for this nation's city Agadir, its sultan fled. This nation's highest peak, Toubkal, is also the highest in the Atlas Mountains, of which this country contains the westernmost part. This country contains the city of Fez, and lies south of the Strait of Gibraltar. For 10 points, name this north African country whose cities include Marrakesh, Rabat, and Casablanca.
A: Kingdom of Morocco [or Maroc; prompt on "Al-Maghrib"]
Q: A savanna between this country's western border and the Rupununi River is said to be the former site of Lake Parime and El Dorado. This present-day country is where the One-Cent Magenta stamp, which is now valued at nearly 9.5 million dollars, was issued. The sugar-producing region of Demerara is one of this country's three original counties. An airstrip in this country's city of Port Kaituma was where the (*) Red Brigade assassinated Congressman Leo Ryan. A mass-suicide by cyanide-laced Flavor Aid brought an end to a Peoples Temple commune in this country nicknamed "Jonestown." This country's eastern neighbor is a former Dutch colony named Suriname. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Georgetown and which is the only former British colony in South America.
A: Guyana [or British Guiana; do not accept "French Guiana"]
Q: It's not Mexico, but a geological area in this country is central to Gerta Keller's theory challenging the Alvarez hypothesis. This country's northern border, which was once partly set by the Macartney-MacDonald Line and the McMahon (mac-MAN) Line, runs across its disputed regions of Ladakh and Aksai Chin. In 1972, the Simla Agreement set part of its western border along the (*) Line of Control, which did not include the now-disputed Siachen Glacier. Another part of its western border runs through the Great Rann of Kutch and the Thar Desert. Its eastern state of Assam lies south of its state of Arunachal Pradesh, parts of which are claimed by China. Amritsar is in this country, which controls eastern Punjab. For 10 points, name this country whose state of Rajasthan is bordered to the northwest by Pakistan.
A: India [or Republic of India; or Bharatiya Ghanarajya]
Q: At one of these places, the Gunnison River's canyon bottom receives sunlight only a few hours per day, and another one is called "Capitol Reef" despite being nowhere near the ocean. Constitutional scholars have debated whether the "perfect crime" could be committed at part of one of these sites in Idaho, and another one includes thousands of natural rock (*) arches. The majority of "America the Beautiful" Quarters show these areas, including one home to El Capitan and others named Olympic and Acadia. Distinguished from national preserves and monuments, this is, for 10 points, what highest level of federally protected areas, including Yosemite and Yellowstone?
A: national parks [or National Park System; or NPS; prompt on "parks"; do NOT accept or prompt on "national preserve (s)," "national monument (s)," etc.]
Q: An escarpment of this name runs through the Bruce Peninsula. The first safe railway suspension bridge, built by John Roebling, crossed a gorge of this name, and an Aero Car crosses a whirlpool of this name. A Lewiston hydroplant is named for "Robert Moses" and this. The Welland Canal bisects a peninsula home to Hamilton called this. In 1969, a landmark of this name was dammed to clear rockslides. Cave of the Winds and Goat Island are at that landmark, at which Annie Taylor traveled in a barrel. A river called this, flowing past Buffalo from Lake Erie, is plied by the Maid of the Mist. For 10 points, give this name for a big waterfall between New York and Ontario.
A: Niagara [or Niagara Falls; or Niagara Escarpment; or Niagara Gorge; or Niagara Whirlpool; or Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station; or Niagara Peninsula; or Niagara River]
Q: Anthropologist Roy Chapman Andrews visited this country in 1922 and heard its prime minister discuss a cryptid that is five feet long, can discharge a fatal blast of electricity, and can spit acid that turns anything yellow and kills humans. This country's Djadochta Formation is the location of a sandstone ridge named for its orange-red color where all known (*) velociraptor fossils have been found, the Flaming Cliffs. The Ubsunur Hollow is located near this most sparsely-populated country's border with Russia. Orkhon is the smallest of this country's "aimag" provinces and is home to its second most populous city, Erdenet. For 10 points, name this Asian country where most of the Gobi Desert is located.
A: Mongolia [or Mongol Uls]
Q: This country's capital, which contains an International Center of Culture nicknamed "La Piramida" for its sloping shape, can be observed from the peak of Mount Dajt. Hundreds of thousands of hemispherical concrete containers were built all over this country during its phase of "bunkerization." The Buna river runs through this country's historic city of (*) Shkodra. An ancient port once called Epidamnos and then Dyrrhacium is now this country's port of Durres. This country's namesake language has northern and southern dialects called Gheg and Tosk, which are also spoken by its namesake ethnic group in nearby Kosovo. For 10 points, name this country bordering the Adriatic Sea, the ex-Communist northwestern neighbor of Greece.
A: Albania [or Shqiperia]
Q: The topography of this location led to the development of the Koehler Depressing Gun Carriage. This territory contains Gorham's Cave, one of the last habitations of the Neanderthals. This territory is administered from an old Franciscan building known as "the Convent." According to legend, this location's bottomless St. Michael's Cave allowed the arrival of its population of (*) barbary macaques. Over 30 miles of defensive tunnels run through an iconic limestone monolith in this territory, which lies about 100 kilometers southeast of Cadiz. This territory, which was ceded by Spain in the Treaty of Utrecht, historically constituted the northern Pillar of Hercules. For 10 points, name this small British territory on the southern tip of Spain.
A: Gibraltar
Q: In this city, an arched fountain topped by the Roman goddess Flora sits in the historic Fort Precinct. Vihar Lake supplies some of the water for this city, which lies south of the suburb of Trombay. This city now sits on Salsette Island, but it was originally built on seven islands now connected by land reclamation. Raigad District lies across Thane Creek from this metropolis. When the Shiv Sena took power in this capital of (*) Maharashtra, they replaced its Anglicized name with a Marathi one. Aside from Karachi, it is the largest city on the Arabian Sea. For 10 points, name this most populous city in India, home of the film industry Bollywood.
A: Mumbai [or Bombay; or Mumbai City District; or Mumba'i Jil'ha; or Mumba'i Sahara Jil'ha]
Q: In this country, Watarrka National Park lies near the range of the world's largest camel herd. In the early 1900s, a series of fences were erected to keep rabbits out of this country west, one ending near Broome. In the 30s, veterans in this country's Campion district used machine guns to mow down flightless birds. The now extinct Paradise Parrot may have ranged as far north as this country's Gulf of Carpentaria. The majority of monotremes have habitats in this country, where the alleged murder of Azaria Chamberlain turned out to be the result of a dingo attack. For 10 points, name this home country of the duck-billed platypus and the koala.
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: The country's Potwar Plateau is home to large deposits of rock salt. A large geographical region of this country is the endorheic Sistan Basin in the south, which is bordered by the Sulaiman Mountains. This country is demarcated on its north by the British-established Durand Line. The Swat valley is located in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the north, which also contains the city of Abbottabad. This country is home to the state of Balochistan and the city of Lahore. For 10 points, Peshwar and Karachi are both in what South Asian country with capital at Islamabad?
A: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Q: While searching for oil off this island's coast, Exxon drilled the world's longest borehole in 2011. After visiting a prison colony on this island, Anton Chekhov wrote his only work of non-fiction, a sociological piece criticizing the penal system. In 1983, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was accidentally shot down off this island's western shore by the (*) Soviet Union. This island lies east of the Strait of Tartary and north of the La Perouse Strait. Its city of Korsakov was rebuilt as the city of Otomari after this island was divided in two by the Treaty of Portsmouth. The Soviet Union reclaimed this island's southern half from Japan in the last days of World War II, along with the nearby Kuril Islands. For 10 points, name this large Russian island north of Hokkaido.
A: Sakhalin [or Karafuto]
Q: This state lost the Oblong and the Congamond Notch in territorial disputes. The first nuclear submarine, the U.S.S. Nautilus, is now a museum in its town of Groton. The peak Sleeping Giant overlooks a polling center at this state's Quinnipiac University in Hamden. Its namesake river passes Windsor Locks on its way to Old Saybrook. The Mohegan Sun casino is close to its towns of Mystic and New London, and its wealthy cities of Greenwich and Stamford are in Fairfield County. A debated high speed train proposal bypasses its cities of Bridgeport and New Haven. For 10 points, name this "Nutmeg State" north of Long Island Sound, with capital at Hartford.
A: State of Connecticut
Q: One area of this city is home to the triangular prism-shaped Torre Insignia and a massive run-down apartment complex designed by Mario Pani. The Ajusco Mountains lie southwest of this city, and a roundabout in this city circles a golden angel on a column that celebrates its country's independence. This city's Plaza de las Tres Culturas was the site of student anti-government protests in 1968. A presidential residence, Los Pinos, is found in this city's sprawling Chapultepec Park, and its Metropolitan Cathedral and National Palace overlook the Zocalo. For 10 points, name this populous city built on the former site of Tenochtitlan in the country south of the United States.
A: Mexico City [or Ciudad de Mexico; or Mexico, Distrito Federal; or Mexico, D.F.; prompt on "Mexico"]
Q: It's not Lake Superior, but this sea contains St. Matthew Island, where overpopulation combined with extreme weather caused the island's reindeer population to fluctuate from 29 to 6,000 to 42 over the course of two decades. In 1943, American and Japanese fleets fought one of the few surface engagements of World War II around this sea's (*) Commander Islands, formerly home to the extinct Steller's sea cow. During the Cold War, the strait at the northern end of this sea was divided by the "Ice Curtain," which separated the Big and Little Diomede Islands. This sea, which lies south of the Chukchi Sea, is named after a Danish explorer who explored nearby Kamchatka for Peter the Great. For 10 points, name this sea separating Russia from Alaska.
A: Bering Sea
Q: This body's Kerguelen islands were the site of a seal-hunting feud. Settlements in this body of water dominate the trade in "bourbon vanilla" beans. This body of water contains the Agulhas current and the Rodrigues triple junction under its surface. Contested islands in this body of water include Mayotte. In 2009, a national cabinet met underwater in this body of water to draw attention to climate change. The southern end of the Lombok strait is in this body of water, which contains Pemba and the French overseas possession of Reunion. Island nations in this body of water include Comoros and Seychelles. For 10 points, name this ocean east of Madagascar.
A: Indian Ocean
Q: This city was the site of the so-called "Trefa (TRAY-fuh) Banquet", which was held to honor the first graduating class of its Hebrew Union College. Its Alhambra-inspired Plum Street Temple is now named for the Reform rabbi Isaac M. Wise. This city is the origin of a food consisting of spiced ground meat mixed with steel-cut oats; that sausage, goetta(GETT-ah), was introduced by the many German immigrants who settled in its Over-the-Rhine district. Martha, the last (*) passenger pigeon, died in this city's zoo, which is the U.S.'s second oldest. Macedonian immigrants to this city created a spiced meat sauce used to top hot dogs or spaghetti that is served by Gold Star and Skyline restaurants. A namesake "chili" is a characteristic dish of, for 10 points, what large city on southwestern Ohio's border?
A: Cincinnati, Ohio
Q: For centuries, gold was mined in this country's Kolar Gold Fields. The Tapti and Narmada rivers empty into the Gulf of Khambhat on the western coast of this country. The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman and Nicobar islands in this country, while its largest lake is Sambhar. Kanchenjunga, its highest point, is the third-tallest mountain in the world. Its northwestern area is dominated by the Thar Desert, while its south contains the large Deccan Plateau. This country is located just north of the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka. For 10 points, name this country in which one can find the Ganges River.
A: India
Q: This region was the site of the empire of the Garamantes, who may have produced the Uan Muhuggiag "black mummy." Foggara were crucial to the success of sites in this region's Tuat region, near the Tanezrouft. Trade empires in its southwest included Kanem-Bornu. Ibn Battuta described the Taghaza salt mine in this region. Cities like Zinder and Agadez, founded by the (*) Tuareg, were important stops for trade in this region. Much of this region's trade in gold and salt was conducted out of Timbuktu by Berbers. It's not Arabia, but the introduction of camels massively aided trade across this region. For 10 points, name this large desert in North Africa.
A: the Sahara [or Sahara Desert; as-Sahraʾ al-Kubra; prompt on "Africa"; prompt on "West Africa"; prompt on "North Africa"; generously prompt on "Sahel"]
Q: This river is home to the most contaminated nuclear site in the U.S. The Celilo Canal was flooded by this river's "The Dalles Dam," which lies near the entrance of its namesake gorge. A city along one of its tributaries is where Nike was founded and where Pre went to school. That tributary of this river flows past the Rose Garden and the city of (*) Eugene. This river is the location of the Bonneville Dam and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake, which is created by the Grand Coulee Dam. Its tributaries include the Snake and Willamette Rivers. For 10 points, name this river in the Pacific Northwest that flows along the border between Washington and Oregon.
A: Columbia River
Q: This country sent troops to Angola in Operation Carlota. A coup in this country was attempted by Brigade 2506. A leader of this country rose to power after sailing on the yacht Granma and establishing a base in the Sierra Maestra mountains. Attempts to kill that leader of this country, who lead the storming of the Moncada Barracks on the (*) 26th of July, used items like a poisoned wetsuit and an exploding cigar. That leader gave the "History will absolve me" speech after trying to overthrow this country's dictator Fulgencio Batista. An CIA coup attempt in this country led to the Bay of Pigs fiasco. For 10 points, name this Caribbean island nation once ruled by the communist Fidel Castro.
A: Republic of Cuba [or Republica de Cuba]
Q: One tributary of this river is fed by the Duchesne and Yampa rivers; that tributary of this river is called the Green river. The Black Canyon is formed by this river, which then flows south where it is met by the Gila River near the city of Yuma. The town of Page is near the Glen Canyon Dam on this river. A Compact named after this river divvies up its water between six states, although California's use of the surplus water has caused calls for renegotiation. Lake Powell and Lake Mead are both formed by dams on this river. For 10 points, name this river of the Southwestern U.S. that flows through the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: The highest point in this state, Campbell Hill, is located in its town of Bellefontaine, which is also the home to Court Avenue, the first concrete paved road in the United States. This state's unfortunately named city of Sandusky is home to the second oldest operating amusement park in the United States, Cedar Point. One of this state's rivers had so much garbage in it that it caught on fire in the 1970's; that river is the Cuyahoga. This state's namesake river is the largest tributary of the Mississippi. For 10 points, name this state that contains cities like Toledo and Cincinnati.
A: Ohio
Q: The Macuira National Park lies to the northwest of this body near the Bahia Cocinetas, which lies directly on an international border. Both sit on the Guajira Peninsula, off of which are the Los Monjes Archipelago. Across from that peninsula lies the Paraguana Peninsula, which is connected to the mainland by the isthmus of Medanos. The Paraguana Peninsula lies just south of the island of Aruba and west of Curacao. To the south of this gulf is a 5 mile sandbar containing the islands of Toas and Zapara. This gulf is connected to a larger body of water by the Tabrazo Strait, near which is the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge. For 10 points, name this gulf that sits just north of Lake Maracaibo in its namesake country.
A: Gulf of Venezuela
Q: In 2000, a sanctuary for these creatures was established on the Coromandel peninsula. Eco-activist Philip Anderton faked the death of one of these creatures to inspire outrage against the pesticide 1080, which has little effect on them. A giant one of these creatures was carved in chalk on Sling Hill in England by visiting soldiers. These creatures, the smallest ratites, include a small brown-colored population which outlasted a now-extinct eagle in the Haast area. The (*) tokoeka and rowi are varieties of these birds, which are distantly related to the predatory moa which once walked the same islands. Cloaks made from them were described by James Cook. For 10 points, name these enormous-egged flightless birds, whose name is also used to refer to human New Zealanders.
A: kiwi birds
Q: An art studio in this country employs 4,000 people to create massive monuments for African capitals, such as the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar. Former leaders of this country lend their names to a red begonia and a purple orchid, the latter of which is displayed during the Day of the Sun. This country is home to the world's largest active stadium, which holds an annual "Mass Games" during the (*) Arirang Festival. This country's eastern bank on the Yalu River was once nicknamed "MiG Alley." This country claims that one of its leaders was born on Baekdu (PECK-too), a mountain it shares with China, and enforces the official state ideology of Juche (joo-CHEH). For 10 points, name this isolated country that considers its Eternal President to be Kim Il-Sung.
A: North Korea [or Democratic People's Republic of Korea; or DPRK; prompt on Korea]
Q: The Tsodilo Hills are located in the northwest of this country, and the Sowa and Ntwetwe pans make up part of the Makgadikgadi salt plain in this country. The Moremi game reserve in this country is found in an eastern portion of an endorheic water basin formed by the Okavango Delta. Watersheds in this country include the Chobe River, which forms the border with a region outside of it to its north, the Caprivi Strip. Its eastern part is drained by the Limpopo River. For 10 points, name this southern African country located between Namibia and Zimbabwe and to the north of South Africa.
A: Botswana
Q: This modern-day country was the site of the Staburags Cliff, a travertine rock formation that was flooded by the Plavinas hydroelectric plant. That cliff was the site of a battle against the Black Knight in this country's national epic, a work written by Andrejs Pumpurs about the "Bear-Slayer."A June 2013 election victory by Harmony Center threatens this country's plan to adopt the Euro in 2014. Semigallia and Courland are historical regions of this country, whose western coastline is home to the last speakers of the endangered (*) Livonian language. Aside from Russia, this country's population has the highest Russian percentage of any post-Soviet state. The Gulf of Riga indents, for 10 points, what Baltic country between Estonia and Lithuania?
A: Republic of Latvia [or Latvijas Republika]
Q: This region is home to the European Southern Observatory's La Silla and Paranel outposts, including the Very Large Telescope. This region is the location of the Tamarugal Plateau and the Loa River. It is home to the largest open-pit copper mine in the world, Chuqui, which is owned by Codelco. This region is also home to cities like Iquique in the Tarapaca Region, as well as the (*) Antofagasta Region. This desert south of the Altiplano has vast saltpeter reserves. It is primarily the result of a rain shadow from the Cordillera Domeyko, a range of the Andes Mountains. For 10 points, name this driest non-polar desert on Earth, located in Chile.
A: Atacama Desert
Q: The Sara people live around this lake, and major cities located along it include Kano. The Bodele Depression is northeast of it. The Logone and Chari rivers form a delta as they flow into it. Its namesake basin is bounded in the north by the Air Mountains. There have been several plans to divert the (*) Ubangi river into it. Inefficient irrigation practices and overuse have turned it into an environmental disaster. It is divided between Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon. For 10 points, name this dangerously-shrinking shallow lake that shares its name with a central African country with capital N'Djamena.
A: Lake Chad
Q: The largest sauropod dinosaur to be discovered was found in this region and is named for the principal country in which this region is found. The lowest point in the Western hemisphere, at the Laguna del Carbon, is found here. Historically paired with Araucania, this region has an economy based on oil production and sheep farming, especially in its province of Magellanes. This region was named by Magellan after the giant natives he expected to find here. This region extends down to the Tierra del Fuego and consists of thirteen progressively higher plateaus. For 10 points, name this region located south of the Pampas in the south of Argentina and Chile.
A: Patagonia
Q: Several religious summer camps in this province are located around the shore of its Skeleton Lake. Over two-thirds of this province's population is located in an area called the Golden Horseshoe. Territory in this province provides the western shore for the James Bay, and the Rainy River forms part of the southeastern border of this province. The long-running Niagara Escarpment overlooks this province's city of Hamilton. One city in this province is home to the tallest building in the country; that building is the CN Tower. For 10 points, name this province that gives its name to a Great Lake, and also contains the capital of Canada, Ottawa.
A: Ontario
Q: In this body of water surrounding Bulla Island, Alfred Nobel's brothers launched a ship called the Zoroaster. This home of the kutum fish was the center of the original habitat of the zebra mussel. The landfill-expanded city of Oil Rocks is on oil platforms in this body of water, into which the Absheron Peninsula juts. A delta that ends here contains Astrakhan, and the largest city on this salt lake's shores is Baku. A Stalin-era project to bring its shore fresh water was begun in Turkmenistan, across this body of water from Azerbaijan. The Ural and Volga Rivers feed this lake. For 10 points, name this inland sea between Iran and Russia.
A: Caspian Sea [or Kaspiyskoye More; or Kaspiy Tenyizi; or Hazar Denizi ("DENG-izi"); or Kaspi Dengzi; or Khazar Danizi; or Darya-i Khazar; or Darya-i Kaspyan; or Darya-i Mazandaran]
Q: Southeast of this city lies the Safety Valve, a series of shoals on which is built a group of raised buildings called Stiltsville. The artificial islands of the Venetian Causeway extend east from near this city's Overtown district. It's not New York, but this city's Freedom Tower overlooks Biscayne Bay. The Villa Vizcaya is a historic mansion in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of this seat of Dade County. The Calle Ocho Festival occurs annually in this city in the same metropolitan area as Fort Lauderdale. For 10 points, name this city whose Little Havana is the heart of America's Cuban immigrant community, in the south of Florida.
A: Miami, Florida
Q: Around this river, Henry Walter Bates's decade-long study of butterflies led to a pioneering biology paper on mimicry. This river's basin contains large amounts of charcoal-rich terra preta soil. This river is home to an aquatic mammal which turns pink when excited, a dolphin called the boto. This largest habitat of the bony-tongued arapaima fish joins a darker-colored tributary at the (*) Meeting of Waters after a sandy-colored upper section often called the Solimoes. It empties into the ocean near Marajo Island and rises near Iquitos, the largest city in the world inaccessible by road. The Rio Negro, which rises in Colombia, joins this river at the rainforest city of Manaus. For 10 points, name this longest river in South America.
A: Amazon River
Q: Both the menacing Doubtful Sound and Browne Falls can be found on this island's region of Fiordland. The Foveaux Strait separates this island from Stewart Island. Both the Heathcote and Avon River flow through this island's largest city, which sits near the Banks Peninsula. In 2011, this island's province of Canterbury was struck by a massive earthquake. This island, which is separated from its (*) northern counterpart by the Cook Strait, is known as the "canoe of Maui" in the Maori Language. The Southern Alps runs through portions of this island, and it is home to its country's second largest city, Christchurch. For 10 points, name this larger of New Zealand's two main islands.
A: South Island
Q: Border disputes concerning coastline on this sea focus on the Klek Peninsula and the Bay of Kotor next to the Prevlaka Peninsula. Another boundary dispute concerns access to an inlet of this sea, the Gulf of Piran. The island of Hvar in this sea attracts tourists to the protected city of Stari Grad, and other cities on this sea include Rijeka and Ancona. The most populous city on this sea is the only site of chemical warfare in the European theater of World War II, (*) Bari. The largest port on the eastern side of this sea is Split. This sea has been in the news because of a proposed gas pipeline across it to San Foca, just south of Brindisi. Venice is at the northwest tip of, for 10 points, what sea between Croatia and Italy?
A: Adriatic Sea [or Deti Adriatik; or Mare Adriatico; or Jadransko Morje; or Jadransko More]
Q: This state is home to a cave full of utterly massive gypsum crystals, some larger than people, near its Naica mine. The Basaseachic Falls grace a natural landmark in this state. For the past two decades, this state's largest city has been the site of unresolved "femicides" that inspired part of Roberto Bolano's novel 2666. A canyon deeper at points than the Grand Canyon, known as (*) Copper Canyon, is in this state's portion of the Sierra Madre Occidental range. Explorer Zebulon Pike was once jailed in this non-U.S. state, which lies just west of Coahuila and north of Durango. The United States city of El Paso lies just across from this state's most populous city, Ciudad Juarez. For 10 points, name this largest state of Mexico by area, the namesake of a dog breed.
A: Chihuahua
Q: This state's southwestern county was named for three Hawaiian explorers who disappeared on an expedition led by Donald Mackenzie. Protected lands in this state include fossil beds with many Hagerman horse fossils, a spring called Big Springs that is the source of part of Henrys Fork, and a basalt lava field known as the Craters of the Moon. Shoshone Falls on this state's largest river is part of a canyon system carved by the Bonneville Flood; that river's tributaries include the (*) Clearwater and one that rises in the Sawtooth Valley, the Salmon. This state, which contains Coeur d'Alene and lies west of the Bitterroot Range, is home to Lewiston in its panhandle and Pocatello near the Snake River. For 10 points, name this Gem State, whose capital is Boise.
A: Idaho
Q: This city is home to a UFO-shaped ice cream parlor called Coppelia, which was founded by a world leader. Nearly a million people are buried in this city's Colon Cemetery, including chess champion Jose Raul Capablanca. The Hershey Electric Railway connects this city to Matanzas. A constructivist building resembling a sword hilt contains this city's Russian embassy. A presidential palace-turned-museum in this city includes a glass enclosure protecting the yacht (*) Granma. This city's Morro Castle can be seen in the background of Watson and the Shark. Waterfront hotels in this city owned by Meyer Lansky hosted a 1946 meeting of Mafia leaders during a tourist-friendly period under Fulgencio Batista. For 10 points, Jose Marti International Airport serves what capital of Cuba?
A: Havana, Cuba [or La Habana]
Q: A building in this city contains an installation called Fiori di Como that consists of more than 2,000 Dale Chihuly-blown glass flowers. Another building in this city focuses 39 xenon lamps to create the world's strongest beam of light. A Yale field trip to this city inspired a book by Izenour, Scott Brown, and Venturi titled for Learning from this city. The nearby unincorporated towns of Winchester and Paradise actually contain most of the landmarks associated with this city, including its (*) McCarran International Airport. A 20-foot statue of Julius Caesar stands in front of a faux-Roman building in this city, where Bugsy Siegel helped develop the Flamingo Hotel. For 10 points, name this city whose namesake "Strip" contains the Bellagio, the Luxor, Caesar's Palace, and many other hotel-casinos.
A: Las Vegas, Nevada [accept Paradise, Nevada until read]
Q: The Vitousek lab uses a four-million-year chronosequence in this region to understand the successional dynamics of nutrient cycling. A fungal pathogen and the nitrogen-fixing firetree are causing the decline of this region's dominant tree, the 'ohi'a(OH-HEE-uh). The Tanager expedition sought to eliminate rabbits on this region's island of Laysan. Many bird species on this archipelago are threatened by the introduction of the small Asian mongoose, including a goose called the (*) nene(nay-nay). Two mountains in this region are the only growth sites of Kona coffee. The world's largest shield volcano is on the same island in this chain as its highest point, the site of an extensive observatory complex. For 10 points, name this archipelago, whose Big Island is home to Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
A: Hawai'ian islands [or the Hawai'ian archipelago; or Mokupuni o Hawai'i]
Q: Along with a church, the village of Jukkasjarvi (YOOK-koss-YAIR-vee) constructs one of these buildings annually near the Torne River. At one of these buildings in Kansas City, over 100 people were killed after two walkways collapsed during a dance party in 1981. Jason Collins and transgender model Geena Rocera appeared in an LGBT marketing campaign for buildings of this type despite their founders devout Mormon faith. A 105-story, pyramid-shaped building of this type called the (*) Ryugyong (RYOO- kyung) has been under perpetual construction due to distressed North Korean economy. In 1946, Menachem Begin (BAY-geen) helped bomb the British headquarters at one of these places in Jerusalem named for King David. In Dubai, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab was once the world's tallest one of these buildings. For 10 points, name these commercial locations that provide lodging for guests.
A: hotels
Q: Visitors to this city can spin around on top of a floor mosaic of a bull for good luck, below a massive glass dome in a glass-covered shopping complex. The Fininvest holding company was founded in this city. This city, which founded a renowned tram system in 1881 which maintains an orange color scheme, contains an Arch of Peace lying at the northwest end of its Sempione Park. Expo (*) 2015 began in this city on May 1. Malpensa airport brings visitors into this city, whose reputation as the financial center of its country grew in part due to native media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. The Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele is in this city, whose opera house is called La Scala. For 10 points, name this capital of Lombardy, a bustling city of northwestern Italy.
A: Milan, Italy
Q: A massive 2,000-year-old system for growing this crop was built by the Igorot (ego-ROTE) inhabitants of the Ifugao (ee-foo-GOW) region. Many growers of this crop simultaneously grew the mosquito fern to promote this crop's well-being. It's not cannabis, but the sativa species of this crop is the most widely consumed. Activist Vandana Shiva vehemently opposes the development of a genetically modified Vitamin A-rich (*) "golden" form of this crop. This crop is grown in the Philippine Cordilleras in a series of hand-carved terraces. Water buffalo are often used to plow fields of this crop, whose varieties include India's basmati and Thailand's jasmine. For 10 points, name this grain often grown in paddies, a staple of many cuisines throughout Asia.
A: rice [or Oryza sativa; accept Asian rice]
Q: In 1879, John Robertson founded the world's second national park just south of this city. Pulbah Island is in a saltwater lake north of this city. One annual event in this city involves running up from Pitt Street Mall to the top of its tallest building, which used to be called the AMP Tower and is now known as its Tower Eye. In this city's City2Surf run, runners end up in the suburb of Bondi Beach. In the 19th century, (*) Lachlan Macquarie opened economic opportunities to the Emancipists in this city. The long steel-arch bridge over Jackson Harbor in this city is sometimes called the Coathanger. Jorn Utzon designed the distinctive shell appearance of its opera house. For 10 points, name this capital of New South Wales and most populous city in Australia.
A: Sydney
Q: In 2010, bread riots broke out in this country's city of Chimoio after a 30% hike in bread prices. This country's Moatize district, home to one of the world's largest coal mines, is part of its Tete Province, which is also home to the Cahora Bassa dam. The recent economic boom in this country has resulted partly from the liberalization of its ruling FRELIMO movement. Many of this country's exports leave through its port of (*) Beira. Massive flooding occurred in this country in 2000 on the Limpopo River, which, like the Zambezi, has its mouth in this country. Maputo is the capital of, for 10 points, what country that is the namesake of the channel separating Africa from Madagascar?
A: Mozambique [or Mocambique]
Q: Mountain bikers frequent the Black Mountain Open Space Park in this city, found near its Rancho Penasquitos neighborhood. In 2006, the federal government used eminent domain to seize a part of this city in an attempt to resolve Steve Trunk and Philip Paulson's longstanding Establishment Clause lawsuit over the Mount Soledad cross. This city hosted the Panama- (*) California Exposition in 1915, celebrating the economic boom that canal traffic brought to its harbor, which is between the Silver Strand and Point Loma. South of this city is the world's busiest land border crossing at San Ysidro; this city's center is only twenty-five miles from that of Tijuana, Mexico. For 10 points, name this California city, home to a large, koala-breeding zoo.
A: San Diego
Q: Goods produced by this ethnic group were carried by the ship United Kalavryta, which was stuck in legal limbo for six months off the coast of Texas in 2014. Photographer Jacob Russell captured many images of female fighters of this ethnic group within a force whose name means "one who faces death." These people, who made up a plurality of the short lived Mahabad Republic after World War II, have yet to carry out a (*) self-rule referendum proposed by Masoud Barzani. Soldiers from this ethnic group's peshmerga force helped defend the city of Kobani against an ISIS siege. In Halabja, thousands of people of this ethnic group were killed in a gas attack orchestrated by Saddam Hussein. For 10 points, name this ethnic group concentrated in Turkey and Northern Iraq.
A: Kurds [or Iraqi Kurds; do not prompt on just "Iraqis"]
Q: A prominent visitor center in this region is named for Ernest Coe, whose advocacy for this region alienated pretty much everyone. The Bear Lake Mounds are in this ecological region, where humans built the Mud Lake Canal between 750 and 1200 AD. HM-69, a Nike Hercules Missile base, is located in this region. The Calusa people once inhabited this region which is cut through by the (*) Tamiami Trail. Marjory Stoneman Douglas advocated for saving this region, which is afflicted by invasive species such as the melaleuca tree and the Burmese python. It held an early ballistic anti-nuke system to defend against the Cuban nuclear threats. For 10 points, name this so-called "River of Grass," a protected wetlands between Lake Okeechobee and Biscayne Bay in southern Florida.
A: Florida Everglades [or Everglades National Park; prompt on "Florida"]
Q: This state's Saint Mary Lake is where Stanley Kubrick filmed the opening scene of The Shining. The Laurentian and Great Divides meet at this non-Californian state's Triple Divide Peak, from which water can flow into either the Pacific, Atlantic, or Arctic Oceans. The popular Going-to-the-Sun Road runs through a national park in this state, whose western border is formed by the (*) Bitterroot Mountains. In the southern part of this state, the confluence of the Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison Rivers forms the Missouri River. This state contains Glacier National Park and a small northern strip of Yellowstone National Park, which it shares with Idaho and Wyoming. For 10 points, name this "Big Sky" state whose capital is Helena.
A: Montana
Q: Several landforms in this region used to be a part of a larger structure called Wokokon. This region contains Jockey's Ridge. During the Civil War, a failed Confederate offensive in this region led to the Chicamacomico Races. Feral horses live on this region's Ocracoke Island. One division of this region contains the towns of Frisco and Buxton. U-85 was sunk near Bodie, which is an island in this place. The waters off the coast of this region are known as the (*) Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Wright Brothers conducted their first flight in Kitty Hawk, which is located in this region. For 10 points, name this group of barrier islands including Hatteras, which lies off the coast of North Carolina.
A: Outer Banks, North Carolina [prompt on "North Carolina"; prompt on "Atlantic Coast"]
Q: This mountain is the tallest one accessible via the town of Skardu. This mountain rises near the Shaksgam River and the Baltoro Glacier lies between it and the Masherbrum Mountains. The Abruzzi Spur is the most frequent route up this mountain in Gilgit-Baltistan, which was first summited by the Italians Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli. Once called Mount (*) Godwin-Austen, this Kashmiri peak, the tallest in the Karakoram Range, is nicknamed "Savage Mountain."Lying on the China-Pakistan border, it is usually known by its surveyor's mark. Deadlier per capita and 237 meters shorter than Mt. Everest, this is, for 10 points, what tersely named second-tallest mountain in the world?
A: K2 [or Qogir Feng; or Kechu; or Ketu; or Qiaogeli Feng; or Ch'iao-ke-li Feng; or Chogori; or Dapsang; or Qogri; accept "Mount Godwin-Austen" until mentioned; prompt on "Karakoram 2" or "Karakorum 2" until "Karakoram"]
Q: Residents of this place remember the order of streets with the mnemonic "Jesus Christ Made [this city] Under Protest". Kris Kime was murdered during this city's 2001 Mardi Gras Riots in Pioneer Square. The multi-site Mars Hill megachurch in this city disbanded after controversies involving its pastor Mark Driscoll. This city's alternative newspaper The Stranger was the first to run an advice column by (*) Dan Savage. Near Elliott Bay, one can find this city's Pike Place Market. A famous landmark of this city houses SkyCity, a rotating restaurant 500 feet above ground. Frank Gehry designed this King County city's Experience Music Project, which houses musical paraphernalia from Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana. For 10 points, name this West Coast city home to the Space Needle.
A: Seattle, Washington
Q: This state's Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest contains a world's oldest tree candidate called Methuselah. The Hells Angels Motorcycle gang was founded in its city of Fontana. A series of eruptions from 1914 to 1921 prompted the creation of a national park around its Lassen Peak. This state's Fallbrook County contains the vast majority of US avocado production. Its largest mountain range is separated from the White Mountains and Inyo Mountains by the Owens River. Santa Catalina is the largest of the Channel Islands off the coast of this state, which is the site of the Coachella Music Festival near its Salton Sea. Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, is found in Death Valley National Park in this state's Mojave Desert. For 10 points, name this site of San Diego and Los Angeles.
A: California
Q: The Bogomerom archipelago is located in this body of water, as well some notable floating islands. The Chari and its tributary the Logone form a major delta with this body. Seasonal water level fluctuations create problems for fishermen who also have to deal with the thousands of square kilometers of wetlands that surround it. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization labeled this lake an ecological catastrophe because of its unsustainable depletion by growing population in the four countries that share its shores. For 10 points, what is this shallow African lake located on the southern edge of the Sahara desert that lends its name to the country directly to its east?
A: Lake Chad
Q: This country teaches preschool, primary, and secondary school students in three different languages, respectively, with the first used being a Germanic language that shares its name with this country and has nine different pronunciations for the letter "g." This country, whose population is almost twenty percent immigrants from Portugal, is divided into Oesling and Gutland regions, and is separated by the Sauer, Our, and (*) Moselle rivers from Germany. This smallest founding member of the European Economic Community is a constitutional monarchy headed by Democratic Party prime minister Xavier Bettel and Grand Duke Henri. For 10 points, name this country which makes up a longstanding economic union with Belgium and the Netherlands.
A: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Q: The 1947 "Finger Plan" concerned the redevelopment of this city along five corridors. Schmidt Hammer Lassen designed the Black Diamond library in this city which also contains the Frederiksberg and Amalienborg palaces. Hyde Parker ordered Horatio Nelson to retreat during a battle near this city, but Nelson (*) refused. The Little Mermaid statue can be found in this city which hosted a 2009 climate summit. The Øresund Bridge links Malmo, Sweden with this city which occupies much of Amager and Zeeland. For 10 points, name this capital and largest city in Denmark.
A: Copenhagen (accept Kobenhavn)
Q: This state's odder historical nicknames include the "Stubbed-Toe State," and in 1995 its tourism department attempted to market the vanity plate "EZ 2 LUV" as a state slogan. This state was the last to maintain a "reasonable and prudent" daytime speed limit with no maximum. Organizations such as Carroll College and the Flathead Lake Protection Association sponsor alternative license plate designs in this state, whose standard license plate includes the slogan "The Treasure State." For 10 points, name this state whose other nicknames include "Big Sky Country," and which includes the cities of Butte, Billings, Missoula, and its capital, Helena.
A: Montana
Q: Mount Spurr can be found in this state, as can the Colville River. This state features the Saint Elias Range and the Wrangell Mountains, and it contains the Copper River. The 1912 eruption of Novarupta formed a region in this state with numerous fumaroles called the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Large islands in this state include Umnak and Unimak, and its other islands include the Alexander Archipelago. It contains the two largest cities in the U.S. by area with Sitka and its capital. A diphtheria epidemic in 1925 happened around its city of Nome. For 10 points, identify this U.S. state that is home to cities such as Fairbanks and Anchorage.
A: Alaska
Q: The Serra da Estrela is the primary mountain range of this country. The tourist rich Algarve region makes up the south of this country which is home to imposing cliffs along Cape St. Vincent and Gustave Eiffel's Dom Luis Bridge in Porto. The Tagus River flows through this European country which controls the (*) Madeiras and the Azores. The largest city in this country contains the Praca do Comercio and survived a massive 1755 earthquake and tsunami. For 10 points, name this non-Spanish country on the Iberian Peninsula whose capital is Lisbon.
A: Portugal
Q: This region's east is marked by the Greater Khingan mountains. A much-publicized ghost town outside its city of Ordos was supposed to house a million people, but very few people have moved there. The world's largest rare earth metal mine is at Bayan Obo west of this region's megacity of Baotou. This region's capital is Hohhot, and a national government is planting trees and reclaiming farms for a "Great Green (*) Wall" in this region. The Yellow River reaches its northernmost point in this region, where the Gobi desert's rapid expansion is displacing yurt-dwelling nomads. For 10 points, name this Chinese autonomous region that remained part of China after the independence of a country centered at Ulaanbaatar.
A: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region [or Nei Menggu Zizhiqu]
Q: This lake is connected to a northern lake by the Tipitapa River. The poet-priest Ernesto Cardenal moved to its Solentiname Islands to set up an artists' colony. It is called "Cocibolca" and "Mar Dulce" by residents of the surrounding region. The volcanic peaks Concepcion and Maderas combine to form its largest island, Ometepe. Cities on this lake's coast include Granada, San Carlos, San Jorge, and San Miguelito. In the 1960s, ecologists discovered that the sharks believed to be native to this lake were actually bull sharks that swam through the San Juan River. Since the expiration of the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty, proposals have been floated to build a canal through this lake, mirroring the original plans for the Panama Canal. For 10 points, name this large freshwater lake about 20 miles south of Managua.
A: Lake Nicaragua
Q: The Twa people were removed from an "impenetrable" forest in this geographic feature. A mountainous subsection of this feature names a clawed frog endangered by the clearing of the Lendu Plateau. The common name of this feature was coined in a memoir of an expedition to Lake Rudolf by the Australian geologist John Gregory. The three branches of this feature radiate from a triple junction in the (*) Afar depression. The "Albertine" section of this geographic feature is home to a set of Great Lakes, including Albert, Edward, and Kivu. This feature begins in Lebanon and extends south through the Olduvai Gorge and into Malawi. For 10 points, name this divergent plate boundary which splits a namesake continental plate in Kenya, Nairobi, and other countries.
A: The Great Rift Valley [or The East African Rift Valley; or the East African Rift System; accept Albertine Rift before "Rudolf"; prompt on rift or rift valley]
Q: One awesome species that lives in this river is the Giant Tigerfish, which has been known to attack humans and crocodiles. The Inga Dams lie on this river, which features the Malebo Pool. This river is the second most voluminous but the deepest in the world and its tributaries include the Lomami and the Kasai, which runs through Angola. The Livingston Falls prevent boat access to the sea through this river, and it also includes the Stanley Falls. Sources of this river include Lake Tanganyika. Kinshasa and Brazzaville lie on, for 10 points, what second largest river in Africa and namesake of two central African countries.
A: Congo River
Q: This international boundary is where the Ababda group lives. This line was set at the 22nd parallel by the 1899 Condominium Agreement. To the north of the extreme eastern section of this line is the Hala'ib Triangle, which is claimed by both countries defined by this line. As a result of historical claims to the Triangle, neither country claims the (*) Bir Tawil to the south of this line. The similar Wadi Halfa Salient along this border is of less concern because its villages were largely destroyed by the creation of Lake Nasser. For 10 points, identify this international border located between Abu Simbel and the second cataract of the Nile, which separates two former British colonies in northeastern Africa.
A: the border between Egypt and Sudan [order not important, but do not accept or prompt if only one country is given]
Q: This island was known in Sanskrit as Swarnadwipa and Swanabhumi, or "land of gold," in ancient times. Jambi and Pekanbu are cities on this island, where the Batak people live on Lake Toba, its largest lake. The Barisan Mountains span the entire west coast of this island, whose tallest mountain is Mount Kerinci and whose largest city is Medan. This island is separated from the Malay Peninsula to the north by the Strait of Malacca, and from Java to the south by the Sunda Strait. For 10 points, name this largest island completely owned by Indonesia.
A: Sumatra [or Sumatera]
Q: The Amethyst Incident led one British warship to be trapped in this body of water for three months. Flooding from this river can be moderated by Dongting Lake; nonetheless, this river's 1931 floods may have been the deadliest natural disaster in history. This river is inhabited by a namesake species of crocodiles, while a type of (*) dolphin named for this river is functionally extinct. The Three Gorges Dam generates electricity from this river, which flows south of the Yellow River and reaches the Pacific Ocean near Shanghai. For 10 points, this Chinese river, the longest in Asia.
A: Yangtze River (accept Da Jiang or Chang Jiang until mentioned; prompt on "Long River")
Q: This country's capital is home to a green domed market called the Chorsu Bazaar. One of its traditional foods is a lamb and rice dish called plov. One of the world's largest gold mines is located in the north of this country at Muruntau in the Kyzl Kum Desert. Many members of its Karakalpak ethnic group have been emigrating from the nominally autonomous region in this country's west to its northern neighbor. A fortress called The Ark and the great Kaylan minaret can be found in its city Bukhara. This country contains the mouth of the Amu Darya River and the majority of the Fergana valley. The site of the historic city of Samarkand, it shares the shrinking Aral Sea with its northern neighbor Kazakhstan. For 10 points, name this Asian country with capital Tashkent.
A: Uzbekistan
Q: An island in this sea is home to the "King's Chair" and other chalk cliffs. A city on it includes the Eduskunta parliament building. Another city on this sea is home to Santiago Calatrava's "Turning Torso." Islands in it include Rugen and Gotland. It is separated from the Kattegat by the "Little" and "Great" Belts. Provinces on it include (*) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A city on it is home to the Winter Palace and the Hermitage Museum. At Kiel, a canal was built from it to the North Sea. It includes the Gulfs of Riga, Bothnia, and Finland. For 10 points, name this sea surrounded by Scandinavia, Russia, and Poland.
A: Baltic Sea [or Ostsee]
Q: The Kahiltna glacier begins on this mountain before flowing between Mount Hunter and Mount Foraker, and the Moose's Tooth can be found beside Ruth Glacier near this mountain. This mountain can be viewed from across Wonder Lake, and climbed via the West Buttress route. This mountain sits in the ancestral homeland of the the Koyukon (*) Athabaskan people, in whose language this mountain's name translates to the "High One." For 10 points, name this third most prominent peak on Earth and the highest point in North America, which sits in Alaska and is named after the victor of the 1896 and 1900 US presidential elections.
A: Denali [Accept Mount McKinley, reluctantly.]
Q: In 1789, a mural of the Virgin Mary appeared in a mineshaft in this country in an apparent miracle; a few years later, the Virgin of the Mineshaft was named the patron saint of its Oruro Carnival. Its popular foods include a baked empanada called a saltena. Two of this country's lakes are Lake Rogagua and Lake Rogoaguado, both of which lie in its Beni Department. The Beni and Mamore Rivers join to form the Madeira River at Villa Bella on this country's northern border. Near this country's warm Yungas region is the higher elevation site of Lake Poopo and the Salar de Uyuni. That plateau is known as the Altiplano and also contains the eastern part of Lake Titicaca. For 10 points, name this landlocked South American nation with capitals at La Paz and Sucre.
A: Bolivia
Q: In 2004, 30 scientists were held hostage in this archipelago by fisherman who demanded the right to use more efficient fishing methods. These islands were removed from UNESCO's danger list in 2010 because of lobbying from Rafael Correa. Fernandina is the most volcanically active of these islands, which are governed from the capital of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on (*) San Cristobal. The island of Isabela here, which lies on the Equator, is home to an endemic species of penguin as well as giant tortoises and marine iguanas. Many varieties of finch are also associated with, for 10 points, what Ecuadorean island group visited by Charles Darwin?
A: Galapagos Islands
Q: One lake in this state is surrounded by the Rim Canal, around which it may be easier to travel than cutting directly through the lake. This state, along with North Dakota, has the smallest number of earthquakes in the country. An island chain off the coast of this state has a military base on Fleming Island. The Chattahoochee River flows through this state's panhandle. This state's largest freshwater lake is Okeechobee. The Okefenokee Swamp is located in the north of this state, and a national park in this state features the Kissimmee River and is home to both crocodiles and alligators. For 10 points, name this state that houses the Everglades.
A: Florida
Q: National parks in this transnational region include The Impenetrable, a former ranch called La Fidelidad whose owner was murdered for possession of it. This region's indigenous Ayoreode (ey-o-REE-o-day) and Chiquitano (chi-ki-TA-no) peoples protect its endemic peccary, the tauga, in a national park known as the "Kaa-Iya of" this region. This area has its continent's highest concentration of Plautdietsch (PLAUT-deech) speakers which are connected with its Mennonite population. This is the only home of the pink fairy armadillo and the southern limit of the range of the nine-banded armadillo. This region's Pirity Basin is a source of oil. The frequent clash of the friagem and pampero airmasses above this region produces that continent's "Pasillo de Tornados." The north end of this region is the Izozog Swamp, and the Bermejo (ber-ME-ho) and Pilcomayo (pil-co-MEY-o) divide it into its Austral, Central and Boreal demarcations. For 10 points, name this giant South American plain, the setting of a 20th Century conflict between Paraguay and Bolivia.
A: Gran Chaco
Q: According to one account, a man who wanted to trade cotton with the people on this vehicle was given a red cap and two hawk's bells before being sent away. The crew of this vehicle included the ultimately unneeded interpreter Luis de Torres. This vessel was made for holding cargo and was nicknamed for having been built in Galicia. The log of this carrack was reconstructed from the Barcelona Copy. Rodrigo de Jerez sailed on this ship and became the first European to smoke tobacco. Juan de la Cosa owned this ship, which Diego Arana used to build the walls at La Navidad after it ran aground on Hispaniola. For 10 points, name this flagship that only made one westward trip to the New World in 1492 as part of Christopher Columbus's voyage with the Pinta and Nina.
A: Santa Maria [accept Gallega before "Galicia" is read]
Q: The Chamizal Dispute saw conflict over the natural movement of this entity. The IBWC holds some jurisdiction over this area whose initial structure was established by the 1828 Treaty of Limits. The Battle of Columbus occurred after an illegal crossing of this boundary, which was the subject of the Secure (*) Fence Act of 2006. The Rio Grande makes up much of this border whose busiest checkpoint divides San Diego from Tijuana. For 10 points, name this most frequently crossed geopolitical boundary in the world which separates North America's two most populous countries.
A: US-Mexico Border (or obvious equivalents, prompt on answers mentioning only the U.S. or Mexico)
Q: The Apostle Islands are found in this body of water which is drained by the St. Mary's River. This lake, known to French Jesuits in the 17th century as Lac Tracy, is the traditional home of the Ojibwe and Chippewa tribes and contains (*) Isle Royale National Park. Duluth, Marquette, and Thunder Bay are all port cities on this body of water, while a 1976 song by Gordon Lightfoot describes the sinking of a ship in this "big lake they call Gitche Gumme." For 10 points, name this largest of the Great Lakes.
A: Lake Superior (accept Gitche Gumee until mentioned)
Q: Places like Buccaneer Cove located at this place were named in honor of the buccaneer Ambrose Crowley, who drew the first navigation chart of this archipelago. It is believed that this archipelago was once connected by the Cocos Ridge. This archipelago is located at the confluence of five ocean currents, and at a triple junction of tectonic plates, although most of the islands of this archipelago lie on the Nazca Plate. For 10 points, identify this archipelago of volcanic islands west of Ecuador, famed for its vast number of endemic species and visits from Charles Darwin.
A: Galapagos Islands [or Islas Galapagos; or Archipielago de Colon]
Q: The Consag and Wagner Basins are located in the northern part of this body of water, which is home to the Ballenas Fault. The Yaqui River passes through the Plutarco Calles Reservoir before emptying into this body of water, which was once known as the "Vermillion Sea" due to its extensive red plankton. The totoaba and the endangered mini-porpoise known as the (*) vaquita are endemic to this body of water, which Jacques Cousteau called "the world's aquarium." Mazatlan is located on the far southeastern part of this body of water in the state of Sinaloa, and the Colorado River empties into this body of water in the state of Sonora. For 10 points, name this body of water located between mainland Mexico and a namesake "Baja" peninsula.
A: Gulf of California [or Sea of Cortez; or Golfo de California; or Mar de Cortes]
Q: It isn't in Oregon, but this peninsula's "Valley of the Giants" contains many gigantic cactuses. This peninsula was explored by Francisco de Ulloa ["day oo-YO-uh"], who disproved the long-held misconception that this peninsula was actually an island. Japanese immigrants to this peninsula's city of Ensenada may have invented the fish taco. The mouth of the Colorado River is located on the northeastern base of this peninsula. Many obnoxious American college students visit this peninsula's resort town of Cabo San Lucas. For 10 points, Tijuana is the largest city in what Mexican-controlled peninsula located to the south of California?
A: Baja California [do not accept or prompt on "Alto California"]
Q: This city is building the Koye Feche housing project to alleviate its dangerous overpopulation, its continent's second largest housing project. An ethnographic museum in this city is organized by life stages rather than its country's geography. The spring Filwoha is the nucleus of this city which is nourished by a reservoir at Gefarsa and a hydroelectric power station at Akaki, and lake Gargori to this city's west gives rise to its nation's second longest internal river. A museum in this city contains a replica of a skeleton known as Dinkinesh taken from that river, the Awash. A ridge above this city is home to its nation's former capital of Entoto. Afewerk Tekle painted many murals for this city's churches, including its St. George's Cathedral and the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the seat of its nation's autocephalous Orthodox Tewahedo (te-wa-HEE-do) Church. For 10 points, name this city, the headquarters of the African Union and capital of Ethiopia.
A: Addis Ababa
Q: A lake in the far east of this region is associated with the mythic cannibal Ngayurnangalku (nga-yur-nan-GAL-ku), which may even attack airplanes that fly over Lake Disappointment. Yindjibarndi (yeen-jee-BARN-dee) is the most widely spoken native language in this region. This region's Witteroom Gorge is restricted due to large quantities of asbestos. Another gorge, the Juukan, contained stone age tools, but was destroyed by the expansion of its Brockman #4 Mine. This region contains one of only two pristine Archaean continental cores in the world, the other being the Kaapvaal, and its Strelley Pool is home to a fossilized 3.4-billion-year-old sulfur-processing bacterium. This region contains Marble Bar, the hottest settlement in its nation. Karijini (ka-ree-JEE-nee) National Park contains its state's highest mountain, Mt. Bruce. A railroad connects mines at Paraburdoo (pa-ra-BUR-doo) and Newman in its Hammersley Range with its ports Dampier and Port Hedland. For 10 points, name this large iron ore-mining region of West Australia which includes parts of the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts located between the De Grey and Ashburton Rivers.
A: The Pilbara (prompt on "Great Sandy Desert" before the end of the first sentence; prompt on "Northwestern Australia")
Q: This country's southwestern region contains a large peneplain located at the Hardanger Plateau. In the Jotunheim Mountains lies this country's highest point, Galdho Peak. At the southern end of the Gudbrands Valley lies this country's largest lake, Mjosa. Hydroelectric power is provided by this country's longest river, the Glomma. The Royal Society of Sciences is located in this country's port of Trondheim and the historic wooden structures of Bryggen are located in Bergen. It is largely bordered to the east by Sweden and separated by the North Sea from Denmark. For 10 points, name this country in which the Nobel Prizes are presented in its capital city, Oslo.
A: Kingdom of Norway [or Kongeriket Norge]
Q: The confluence of the Bafi and Bagbe Rivers is one of the more accessible sources of this mineral in this country. The main producer of this commodity's Bombali District is a mine at Makeni. The falls of the Sewa River are a fruitful source of its detrital form. Members of the Themne and Mende ethnic groups have been displaced by the extraction of this mineral in this country. The Yenguema (yen-GWE-ma) Mine in the district of Kono is a source of this mineral, which is north of the Tongo-Tonguma field, its nation's largest commercial operation. Much of this mineral is sourced in this country's Eastern Province at Kenema, as well as the Southern Province around the city of Bo. Foday Sankoh became a leader of this industry in this country despite a death sentence for crimes against humanity. For 10 points, name this once nationalized mineral often traded for weapons in this country, an example of which was a 900-carat specimen from Koidu known as its country's "star."
A: Diamonds from Sierra Leone
Q: Abbott Peak is an extinct vent on this peak, and the Helo Cliffs were named for a wrecked helicopter abandoned on its north face. The only active phonolite eruptions on Earth come from this volcano which produces a namesake type of anorthoclase (a-NORTH-o-klays) crystal. A route up this volcano passes Williams Cliff and the Three Sisters Cones before reaching Cashman Crags and the respite of Hooper's Shoulders, and begins adjacent to the Harne Glacier at Cape Evans. The remnant rim of a previous crater forms a series of cliffs called Fang Ridge on this mountain. The northwest slopes of this volcano overlook Wohlschlag (VOL-shlag) Bay. A TE-109 aircraft from New Zealand crashed here after flying over Lewis Bay. A hut belonging to Ernest Shackleton is at the base of this mountain which shares an island with Mt. Terror and is known for its ice fumaroles. For 10 points, name this southernmost active volcano in the world located on Ross Island in Antarctica.
A: Mt. Erebus
Q: A well known as the Myrtle III once leaked gas from the Walloon Coal into this basin via the associated Springbok inflow. Witjira (wi-JI-ra) National Park contains several mound formations linked to this basin. A copper-uranium mine operating at Roxby Downs in this basin, the Olympic Dam mine, is the principle draw on this resource. The Eromanga (air-o-MANG-a) and Surat Basins lie west and east of this region that is crossed by the Gray Range. A geothermal plant near Birdsville once relied on this resource, and deep bores, such as Beel's Bore near Cunnamulla (cun-na-MULL-a), have mostly elevated temperatures. This remnant of the Illawarra Sea is bracketed on the north by the Selwyn Range, and is located between Coober Pedy and Darling Downs from east to west. For 10 points, name this giant aquifer located beneath the Simpson Desert mostly under Queensland, Australia, whose name also denotes a type of gravity-fed spring.
A: Great Artesian Basin or Aquifer (prompt on "Simpson Desert," though they are not exactly continuous)
Q: Pony Penning occurs annually in Assateague Island in this body of water. The Calvert Cliffs extend for over 20 miles along this estuary, which is crossed by the Lucius Kellam Bridge-Tunnel. Skipjacks are traditionally used in one of this body of water's largest industries, and it receives the James and (*) Susquehanna Rivers. The Potomac River also empties into this body of water, in which pollution over the past 75 years has critically damaged populations of oysters and blue crabs. For 10 points, name this large bay which borders Virginia and Maryland.
A: the Chesapeake Bay
Q: This city's offshore island of Changuu once served as its prison, and along with Bawi served up most of the coral used in its construction. The Masingini (ma-san-GI-ni) Ridge stands over this city to its east. Its native inhabitants, the Tumbatu and Hadimu, refer to themselves as Shirazi, a reference to a Persian colony that once assimilated into its population. Illicit slaves were stored at this city's slave caves following slavery's abolition, and it lies east of a town whose name means "lay down your heart," the terminus of a slave trail at Bagamoyo (bag-a-MOY-o) which later became a German administrative center. This city features an Arab fort which was actually built by the Portuguese. The Beit al-Ajaib, or "house of wonders" in this city was the residence of a ruler who relocated to it from Musqat. For 10 points, name this clove-trading settlement on the island of Unguja, a former sultanate known for its stone town off the coast of Tanzania.
A: Zanzibar
Q: This nation's southernmost city is the port of Leticia, and its city of Buenaventura is often called the world's wettest city. This country occupies the northern portion of the Guajira Peninsula. The Cauca department is home to its third-largest city Cali. This nation's Magdalena River empties into the ocean at the city of Barranquilla, and this nation is known for its emerald production. Its border with a northern neighbor is formed by the Darien Gap, and this country is home to the cities of Medellin and Cartagena. For 10 points, name this South American nation troubled by a guerilla group called FARC, which has its capital at Bogota.
A: Colombia
Q: A prominent example of this type of feature is known as Porsanginvuono (por-sang-in-VWO-no) by a Kven population living on it. A statue called the Havmann was built in the middle of one of these features in the town of Mo-i-Rana. The Kjeragbolten (KYE-rag-bol-ten) Boulder is wedged in a cleft above another one. Two of them surround a mountain range locally called the Lyngen Alps. Many examples of these features were created by the descending arms of the Jostedalsbreen (yos-TE-dals-breen). The Flam Railway traces a branch of the longest one, and waterfalls known as the Suitor, Seven Sisters and Bridal Veil empty into another example. That one is crossed by ferry from Hellesylt (HEL-le-seelt) to Geiranger (gai-ran-GER). The southernmost example, which is known for its apple orchards, is towered over by Pulpit Rock, and strikes inland as far as the Hardanger (har-dan-GER) Plateau. For 10 points, the cities of Tromsø, Alesund, (AH-le-sund) and Stavanger lie at the entrances of what glacier-carved coastal features of Norway?
A: Fjords
Q: The official residence of the President of Ireland is located in one of these places in Dublin that is walled off from the rest of the city. In addition to that one named Phoenix, one of these types of areas in London features a space where anyone can talk about any topic, known as the Speakers' Corner. Belvedere Castle is located in one of these areas that was designed by Calvert Vaux and (*) Frederick Olmstead. That one of these areas is bordered on the east by Fifth Avenue and is situated in Manhattan. For 10 points, name this type of area exemplified by the Hyde one in London and the Central one in New York City.
A: urban parks [or city parks; or municipal parks; or public parks]
Q: The south flowing Jauaperi (ja-wa-PE-ri) sometimes is connected to this river at its source during heavy floods, which explains its commonality in fish populations to a more southerly basin. The Wai-Wai people guided a team to what may be the source of this river on the Sipu in 2018. The Amuku Mountains rise sharply from this river's upper course, so its first tributaries, including the Kassikaityu (ka-si-KAI-choo), share an origin common to the Acarai Mountains. This river's chief tributary enters it via the Kamaria Falls above Bartica. Another tributary contains the largest volume-based single-drop waterfall, the Kaieteur (ka-YE-tyur) Falls. The Mazaruni (ma-za-ROO-nee) and Cununi are this river's main tributaries. Fort Island on the mouth of this river was its country's colonial capital. A nation to the west of this river claims it as its eastern boundary rather than the Pakaraima (pa-ka-RAY-ma) Mountains. For 10 points, what is this river named for a Dutch colony whose basin forms most of the country of Guyana?
A: Essequibo River
Q: A rainforest microclimate is found in Darby's Cave in the north of this country, while petroglyphs are found in another of this country's chief archaeological sites in Two Foot Bay National Park. Spanish Point stands on a hill above its largest ruins. A frigate bird reserve on Wa'Omani Beach and the Martello Tower, which features on its coat-of-arms, is part of a dependency with capital at Codrington in this nation. Runaway slaves on another island were warned about a soul-stealing figure who lived in the Sherkeley Mountains above Cades Bay; its highest mountain is named for that figure, Boggy Peak, but was briefly named for Barack Obama. Those mountains extend from Johnsons Point to Falmouth Harbor. A non-Mediterranean Pillars of Hercules guard the entrance to Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbor in this country. For 10 points, name this island nation located north of Montserrat, the home of Jamaica Kinkaide who was born in St. John.
A: Antigua and Barbuda
Q: This city's Chinese community is centered on its Zanja (ZAN-ha) Canal, while its large African-American community is headquartered in its Callejon de Hamel (ka-ye-HON de AH-mel). Its neighborhood of Atares contains many of its "at-risk" structures, which lie near its Galainela (ga-lai-NAY-la) shipyards. That district was the former indigenous neighborhood of Guaicanamar (gwai-ka-NA-mar), now its district of Regla. The current incarnation of this city is founded on the ruins of La Chorrera and Mayabeque (ma-ya-BE-kay). Many of the streets in this city's center pass under the Almendares (al-men-DA-res) River. This city contains a former university in its western suburb of Marianao (ma-ree-AN-ow), and a functioning one in its neighborhood of Vedado. Its Palace of the Captains General stands on a Plaza de Armas first fortified by Hernan de Soto. Guanabacoa (gwa-na-ba-KO-wa) is located east of this city whose harbor is protected by fortresses on El Morro and La Cabana (la-ka-BAN-ya). For 10 points, name this city on the Straits of Florida, the capital of Cuba.
A: La Havana
Q: This is the middle river of the Three Parallel Rivers protected area, and another UNESCO World Heritage site along its course is the former royal capital of Luang Prabang. The 150-pound giant river carp native to this river are nearly extinct, for which this river's namesake Commission blames the Manwan Dam upstream in Yunnan Province. Annual floods of this river irrigate farmland and replenish the (*) Tonle Sap, but in September 2011 hundreds of people died in this river's floods, which even forced several tourists to be airlifted out of Angkor Wat. Both Vientiane and Ho Chi Minh City are located on this river, which forms the boundary between Thailand and Laos. For 10 points, name this river that flows into the South China Sea in southern Vietnam.
A: Mekong River
Q: Slumping and faulting at this location, which is underlain by the Esna Shale, has exposed its panels to gypsum and salt intrusion. The Grand Cascade is a system of interfluves in this place beneath the Geir Al-Qurn. The ruined monastery of Deir el Rumi is found on a promontory of this location's Valley of the Rope. Three shafts located in its southwest are the etymology of its Valley of the Three Pits, whose sites are labeled A through L which were constructed using a trail from the Valley of the Dolmen, and which are found at a higher elevation than the Valley of Amasis. Khaemwaset (khem-WA-set) and Amunherkhepshef (A-mun her-KEP-shef) are two princes who rest at this location. This location west of Deir el-Medina contained a large temple of Hathor, an homage to a figure that once occupied QV66, one of its 91 tombs. For 10 points, name this gorge west of Luxor, the resting place of Sitre and Nefertari located adjacent to the Valley of the Kings.
A: Valley of the Queens or Ta-Set Neferu or Wadi al-Malekat
Q: The Escadas do Carmo are a famous staircase in this city that leads to its Church of Sacramento do Passo. The southern tip of this city is dominated by the Farrol da Barra fortress which also serves as its lighthouse. A giant cliff divides this city's Cayru Square from its Cidade Alta, and is traversed by the Lacerda Elevator. That upper district also contains the Palacio Saldanha (pa-LA-si-yo sal-DAN-ya) and the Palacio Ferrao. A Yoruba-speaking congregation meets in its Nossa Senhora do Bonfim (NO-sa sen-YO-ra do bon-FIM) on its Itapagipe (i-ta-pa-HI-pe) Peninsula, and celebrates the Feast of Yemanja in its borough of Rio Vermelho (REE-yo ver-MEL-yo). This city's light blue Third Order Church of Rosario dos Pretos, on a gift of land of Dom Pedro II to this city's slaves, stands in its Largo do Pelourinho (LAR-go do pe- lu-REEN-yo). Amerigo Vespucci landed on this city's Itaparica (i-ta-pa-REE-ka) Island on All Saints Day, 1501, a date which names a large body of water to the west of this city. For 10 points, name this city whose Liberdade district is home to its nation's most concentrated Afro-Brazilian population, the capital of the state of Bahia.
A: Salvador da Bahia
Q: This city's main market districts include the Liulichang, a tile and craft market, as well as the Russian market at Yabao Lu. The Miyun Reservoir is one water source for this city, while the Yongling River is a historic flood hazard. Yuquan Hill and a chain of springs in the Fragrant Hills supply water to this city's center, which includes Song-li park on Yingtai Island within a lake known as this city's Southern Sea. The surrounding Jundu and Yan Mountains form an enclave that is known as the "Bay of" this city, which is drained by the Chaobai. This city was arranged along a central axis passing through Jingshan Park and the neighborhood of Tianqiao (tyan-tsiao), which are north and south of a large structure that contains the Hall of Imperial Zenith and the Gate of Celestial Harmony. For 10 points, name this city that contains the Marco Polo Bridge and the Forbidden City, the capital of China.
A: Beijing or Peking
Q: An isolated high elevation rainforest in this province's Chicligasta (chee-klee-GAS-ta) department is protected by its Campo de los Alisos National Park. Ranching dominates on the flattops of its Sierra de Medinas. This province's Tafi Valley contains a series of prehistoric stone carvings known as menhirs. This is the westernmost of the provinces formerly occupied by the Tonocote (to-no-KO-tay) People, and the easternmost occupied by the Quilmes (KEEL-mes) Civilization, who lived in its Valles Calchaqui (kal-cha-KEE). In this province, hydroelectric projects hold back rivers like the Hondo, Sosa and Marapa, and irrigation projects spread out from its principal river, the Sali, which waters this province's cane fields. This province was the world's first commercial producer of lemons. A painting by Geraldo Flores Ivaldi depicts its capital's San Francisco Basilica and its Cabildo. An important battlefield near this city is the Campo de las Carreras. For 10 points, name this province of the Aconquija (a-kon-KEE-ha) whose capital of San Miguel saw the signing of the Argentine Declaration of Independence.
A: Tucuman
Q: This highland area contains a series of cave monasteries carved into a pinnacle at St. Michel d'Aiguilhe (san-mi-CHEL dai-GEEL-he). Its northern extension begins with the Saulieu Foothills and climaxes at the Signal du Bois-de Roi Plateau and is known as the Morvan. The southeastern edge of these mountains gives its name to a meteorological episode arising from the collision of northwestern and southern winds responsible for its autumnal floods. That name is also the alternate name for the only symphony of a composer from Ardeche, (ar-DESH) and identifies an area that contains its Tarn River Gorge, the Cevennes. This area, which also contains a series of cinder cones known as the Chaine des Puys in its Volcans d'Auvergne (vol-KANS dau-VERN) Regional Park, gives rise to the Allier and Dordogne Rivers. For 10 points, name this large volcanic plateau bounded by Languedoc, the Loire Valley, and the Aquitaine located in south-central France.
A: Massif Central
Q: A bronze age site in these mountains has provided the world's oldest DNA family tree. A peak in these mountains contains an impression of a mythical hoofprint known as the Rosstrappe. St. Cyriakus' Church and St. Servatius's Church are part of the historic architecture of towns in these mountains; another church is an unusual-for-its-nation stave church named for Gustavus Adolphus. The Gorge of the Bode divides these mountains in two; the rolling hills of its lower section give rise to the Selke and Wipper (VIP-per) Rivers, while the upper region is characterized by the heavily forested Acker. An ancient capital in these mountains contains the heart of Henry III in St. Ulrich's Chapel. Heinrich Heine described a duel fought in these mountains, and Goethe wrote a poem about a journey through them in winter. Both the high and low dialects are spoken in these mountains on the border of Saxony and Thuringia which was the final region of Central Europe to abandon its Pagan roots. The Kaiserstul rests at the Domvorhalle in Goslar in, For 10 points, what mountain range, the most northern in Germany, where the Walpurgisnacht (val-PUR-gis-nakt) is celebrated on the peak of Brocken?
A: Harz Mountains
Q: Languages spoken on this waterway include Koti, which is heard on Angoche Island, and Nathembo, spoken on the Sangange (san-GAN-ge) Peninsula. Namwani fishermen of the Querimba (ke-RIM-ba) Archipelago have been targeted for recruitment by a non-Somali al-Shabaab terrorist group operating on its northwestern shores. The Namuli Mountains terminate on this waterway, and the Bongolava (bon-go-LA-va) Plateau drains into it from the east, mainly through the Ikopa River, while it receives the Save and Lurio Rivers from the west. The ports of Toliary and Mahajunga (ma-ha-JUN-ga) lie on this waterway, as does an island whose chapel of Our Lady of Baluarte is the oldest European structure in the Southern Hemisphere. That island and this channel were named for a sultan encountered by Vasco da Gama. Cyclone Idai caused significant damage to its port of Beira in 2019. The islands of Europa and Mayotte mark the entrances to, For 10 points, what channel which receives the Zambezi River as it separates the island of Madagascar from its namesake nation?
A: Mozambique Channel
Q: The spring of this river is the Sakala. A palace on Bezawit Hill overlooks an outflow of this river, and its end below Tuti Island is overlooked by the Shambat Bridge. The wreckage of the Melik Gunboat is found in this river. This river's first serious rapids are encountered at Famaka following its exit from the Choke Mountains. This river is diverted by the Al Rusyaris (al-ru-SYE-ris) and Sannar Dams to irrigate the cotton plantations of Al-Jazirah (al-ja-ZEE-rah) after absorbing the Dinder and Rihad, forming the southern border of the Butana. A gorge of this river near Debre Markos was the first to be given the name Grand Canyon, and is entered following its plunge over the Tis Issat following its exit from Lake Tana. The Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has dramatically reduced the flow of this river, leading to threats of war from Egypt. For 10 points, name this tributary that meets its main river, the White Nile, at Khartoum.
A: Blue Nile or Bahr al-Azraq or Abay
Q: The southernmost hill in a city known as the "gateway to" this physiographic region hosts the Karthika Light in late autumn, and is the Arunachala (a-ru-na-CHA-la). The Pennai Aaru is one of its only northward-flowing rivers; another river exits this landform via the Hogenakkal (ho-GHEN-a-kal) Falls. Its principal rock type comprises the ruins of Patadkal, and was hollowed into a series of Buddha statues in its Caves of Ajanta. This region contains the Kollur Mine, the source of a gem named for the house of Wittelsbach (VI-tels-bok), as well as the Koh-i-noor Diamond. Basaltic "traps" that make up this landform are associated with a gradual decline in biodiversity that preceded the K/T extinction. This plateau extends from the Vindhya Range south of the river Narmada and is bisected by the Godavari (go-da-VA-ree) River. For 10 points, name this large plateau found in south-central India.
A: Deccan Plateau
Q: In its high reaches the Mambucaba (mam-bu-KA-ba) Path accesses several waterfalls which cascade from this formation, while the deep Itaimbezinho (ih-taym-be-ZEEN-yo) Canyon forms a state border through it in its south. That section also contains the large portico of the Casa de Pedra Cave and the speleothems of the Santana Cave. The Aimores Range is part of this formation in the north. West of Caxias (KASH-as) do Sul it is known as the Serra Geral (jer-AL), and is penetrated by the Iguape, and between that portion and the Mantequeira (man-te-KEI-ra) it is known as the Serra do Mar. That portion abuts the Paranagua (pa-ra-na-GWA) Bay. The Atlantic Forest survives in conservation areas in its Caparao and Serra do Bocaina National Parks. The Sao Francisco River is the longest of the watercourses that flows east from this formation that reaches its height in the range of the Orgaos, where it is punctured by Guanabara (gwan-a-BA-ra) Bay, and contains the Pico da Bandeira, its highest point. For 10 points, name this 1,600-mile-long cliff found along the eastern coast of Brazil.
A: Great Escarpment or Serra do Mar or Serra Geral before those things are mentioned
Q: In a region of this country, children celebrate Christmas Eve by feeding snacks to anthropomorphic "Christmas logs," which "release" presents as excrement on Christmas morning. Roughly three-quarters of this country's population participates in its annual Christmas lottery, which is the biggest lottery in the world. Revellers wearing white clothes and red scarves pray to Saint Fermin before participating in the encierno portion of a festival held in this country. Many pilgrims walk this country's Way of St. James to visit the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. For 10 points, name this country where Pamplona hosts an annual "running of the bulls."
A: Kingdom of Spain [or Reino de Espana]
Q: This region's primary forest is known as the Tamarugal (ta-MA-ru-gal), and is located beneath the Painted Hills. Many mummies of the Chinchorro people have been found in this region. The Aroma River flows past a geoglyph known as this region's "giant." The Plain of Patience is located between its Cordillera de Domeyko (kor-di-YE-ra de-do-MEY-ko) and the Cordillera de la Sal (kor-di-YE-ra de la sal), a mountain range composed of gypsum. Its Laguna Chaxa (la-GU-na CHA-ha) is home to three of the world's four species of flamingo, and is part of a larger salt flat currently being drained for its lithium content. Chuquicamata (choo-kee-ka-MA-ta) is a copper mine in this region that has the largest open pit on Earth. Its main source of water is the Loa River. In El Nino years, this nitrate-mining region is noted for rare rhodolirium (ro-do-LEE-ri-yum) blooms which turn its landscape pink, but otherwise this home of the tuco-tuco only experiences the sea-mists of the camanchaca (ca-man-CHA-ca). For 10 points, name this exceptionally dry desert of northern Chile.
A: Atacama Desert (prompt on "Norte Grande de Chile" or anti-prompt on "Antofagasta")
Q: This city was founded by refugees from Thira and was known as Oea to the Romans. Prominent parts of this city's skyline include its Dat al-Amad towers and the Suq al-Thulathaa (sook al-thu-LA-tha). The An-Nasr Forest and the Maydan Jazair break up this city's core. Its western shore consists of the beaches of Gurgaresh. Two branches of an underground aqueduct project beginning at Jabal Hasouna end at this city, and are part of its nation's Great Man-Made River. This city's Maltese community worships principally at its Santa Maria degli Angeli (san-ta ma-RI-ya de-li-an-JE-li) Church, as its namesake cathedral on Algeria Square is now the Jamal Abdul Nasser Mosque. The 16-domed Gurgi Mosque and the Arch of Marcus Aurelius are found in this city's medina, which is enclosed by the Ottoman-era Assai al-Hamra, or Red Castle, which overlooks its Italian quarter. Martyr's Square, this city's center, was once called Green Square. For 10 points, name this capital of Libya.
A: Tripoli or Tarabulus
Q: Tomas Ribas is a noted collector of the folk stories of this people group, many of which involve the ossobo, the emerald cuckoo. A ritual possession ceremony called the djambi (jam-BEE) is common to this group. These people dwell in stilt-houses surrounded by gardens called kinteh in settlements known as luchans. A creole related to Annobonese (an-no-bon-EEZ) also known as Ling'la is spoken by these people, some of whose ancestors once worked at the Agua Ice Cocoa Plantation, but were replaced by the servicais (ser-vi-SAYS) following the Batepa Massacre. Less successful members of this people group practice a form of visiting marriage, though wealthier members may attain prestige and become filhos da terra. Unlike the Angolares, they were not marooned, but may assimilate those with European ancestral roots. For 10 points, name these descendants of freed slaves in Sao Tome and Principe which form the core of its ethnic identity.
A: Forros
Q: The principal edifice that was part of this structure contained an underfloor heating system called an ondol, which released its fumes through chimneys over its Amisan gardens. Lionlike figures known as haetae festoon this location and guard against fires from Mt. Bukak, which lies immediately to its north. The Dong-sipjagak (dong-sip-ja-gak) Tower guards the southeast approaches to this complex that contains a tapered five-layered pagoda on a marble pedestal at its northeastern end that houses a folk museum. The Wongak Pavilion was moved from Kaesong to this location that survived a fire during the Imjin War as well as a peasant revolt. The Gwanghamun Gate is the main entrance to this structure built by Taejon, who dwelled in its Geunjeongjeon (gyun-jong-jon). For 10 points, name this royal residence of the Choson dynasty, the national palace of Korea located in Seoul.
A: Gyeongbokgung Palace or Northern Palace
Q: The first novel written in the language of this people group was the Feso. Families of this ethnic group dwell in roundhouses known as musha guarded by statues known as mutupo. These inventors of the percussion keyboard mbira practice a type of dance called the amabhiza (a-ma-VI-sa). The Ndau dialect of this people group contains unique borrowings from Khoisan languages and Nguni, and dwells along the lower basin of the Odzi. The stone city Makungubwe (ma-kun-GUB-way) may be a creation of their Kalanga subgroup, who were mostly absorbed by the Zuzuru. Another group occupying the highlands around Mt. Nyangane (nyan-GA-nee) and south of the Pungue (PUNG-way) River have considered themselves separate from this people group due to their preferred status during colonial days, the Manyika. Most of this ethnic group lives north of the Lundi River, including in Kadoba and Milundera (mee-lun-DE-ra), which lie to the east of the lands of the Ndebele (n-de-BE-le). For 10 points, name Zimbabwe's most populous ethnic group.
A: Shona
Q: Universities in this city are in its neighborhoods of The Ivy and The Pine. The St. Lawrence Gap separates this city from its suburb of Oistins, whose Christ Parish Church is connected to a possibly Masonic legend concerning autokinetic coffins, the Chase Crypt. The Garrison Savannah also lies south of this city adjacent to a yellow plantation house which housed George Washington on his only international sojourn. Its Nidhe Israel Synagogue is one of the oldest in the Americas. This city's St. Michael's Cathedral, which keeps getting destroyed by hurricanes, is the source of the former name of this place. Needhams Point and Cheapside define this city's harbor at Fontabelle, near where Independence Arch passes over its Careenage. The Constitution River flows into that harbor adjacent to its Pierhead. This city's Browne's Beach fronts its shipwreck-strewn Carlisle Bay. For 10 points, name this capital of Barbados.
A: Bridgetown
Q: Controversy rages over this ecoregion's Toca de Tira Peia rock shelter, whose stone tools appear to contradict the Clovis origins of its inhabitants, like the nearby Pedra Furada, an arched rock in its Capivara (ka-pi-VA-ra) National Park. The rain forest of the Babacu (ba-BA-su) lies to the west of this ecosystem. Broader limits of this region include the endemic lizards of the paleodunes of Xique-Xique (SHI-kay SHI-kay), thus extending it into the valleys of the Campos, though its proper portion lies between the Serra dos Cariri Novos and the Chapadas das Mangabeiras (cha-PA-das das man-ga-BEY-ras), and is characterized by mosaic plateaus which are dissected by the seasonal Caninde and Gurgueia (gur-GWAY-a) Rivers. Those rivers drain towards the northern boundary of this ecosystem, the Parnaiba River. No wind direction dominates in this ecosystem which includes the cliffs of the Chapada Diamantina (cha-PA-da dia-man-TEE-na) and features the native Jamacaru (ja-ma-KA-ru) cactus. For 10 points, name this xeric thorn forest region centered in the southern portion of the state of Piaui (pya-WI) in northeastern Brazil.
A: The Caatingas (prompt on "Southern Piaui)
Q: The central portion of this river flows beneath the Eola Hills. Its left tributaries include one that flows over the Ki-a-kuts Falls, named for a chief of the Atafalati (a-ta-fa-LA-ti) People, and one whose English name the Long Tom River, refers to a band of the Chelamela (che-la-MEH-la). A boulder in Alton Baker Park on this river preserves its indigenous name, which means "rippling and fast." Most of this river's indigenous population was removed to the Grand Ronde Reservation along its Yamhill tributary, including the Calapooya (ka-la-POO-ya). A network of waterfalls in its basin is found along Silver Creek, which feeds its most important tributary, the Santiam. A downstream city on this river sees this river split by Sauvie Island shortly after meeting the Clackamas and includes its St. John Bridge. For 10 points, name this river which passes through Eugene and Salem and meets the Columbia River at Portland, whose valley hosts the dominant agricultural corridor of Oregon.
A: Willamette River
Q: A northern foothill region of these mountains is known as the Wasgau (VAS-gow). A dialect known as Altromanisch (alt-ro-MAN-ish) is spoken on the east side of these mountains. A target of much fighting over the centuries were the silver mines of its Liepvrette (lee-PVRET) Valley. The central portion of these mountains contain the Permian St. Die Basin, while its northern part culminates in the Borrstadt Basin, is known for its red sandstone outcrops, and climaxes at Le Donon south of the Col de Saverne (KOL de sa-VERN). The granite domes of its southern reaches are located north of Belfort Gap, and are known as its balloons. This range forms the western extension of a graben whose eastern edge is the Black Forest. The Storenkopf, Hohneck and the Grand Ballon are the highest peaks of, For 10 points, what northern extension of the Jura Mountains which separate the valley of the Moselle and the Rhine, located between the plain of the Alsace and the plateau of Lorraine?
A: Vosges Mountains
Q: The outer northeast perimeter of this location hosts the Fontana de la Tiare. The Church of San Lorenzo in Piscibus (pi-SKI-bus) and the Galleria Savelli overlook this location from the east. The arms of theChigi (KEE-jee) are displayed on a base for a structure in the center of this place. In the construction of this place, the south side of this structure was restricted by the Porta Cavallegeri (ka-va-le-JE-ri). Carlo Maderno designed a fountain at this location that taps the Acqua Paola Aqueduct and is one of the foci of its ovato tondo, which along with a structure at its center forms a gnomon. This location west of the Borgo contains an obelisk that was taken from Heliopolis (he-li-O-po-lis) by Caligula, which sits at its center which is surrounded by four rows of Doric columns designed by Gianlorenzo (jan-lo-REN-zo) Bernini and approached by the Via de Conciliazione (wi-ya de kon-chi-lia-tsi-O-ne). For 10 points, name this plaza designed under the patronage of Alexander XII, the chief space of the Vatican City.
A: St. Peter's Square (prompt on "Vatican City)"
Q: Oak Hammock Marsh is an important wetland to the north of this city. The Provincher Bridge connects this city's ward of St. Boniface with its center, which includes the densely populated Osborne Village. The Oodena Amphitheater protects an archaeological horizon in this city; the world's largest alabaster structure was built on that horizon and is the Hall of Hope, part of a national Museum of Human Rights designed by Antoine Predock in this city's neighborhood of The Forks. The Battle of Seven Oaks was fought over pemmican in this city's suburb of West Kildonan. The nucleus of this city on the La Salle and Seine Rivers is defined by the neighborhoods around Fort Garry and Fort Rouge, and includes Assiniboine Park. A glass pyramid hosts a national mint in this city. Founded by the Voyageur Pierre La Verendrye (la-ve-REN-dree) and named for its province's largest lake, For 10 points, name this center of the Metis people, the largest city on the Red River of the North, and the capital of Manitoba.
A: Winnipeg
Q: This region's Reckling Peak is a source of meteorites collected at Elephant Moraine, which lies southwest of its Convoy Mountains. A lake in this region has a deep-water temperature of twenty-five degrees Celsius despite being covered by six meters of ice and a salinity greater than the Dead Sea; that meromictic Lake Vanda receives the Onyx River from Lake Brownworth in Wright Valley. The hematite-rich Blood Falls descends from Taylor Glacier in this region. The Minna Bluff is generally regarded as the southern boundary of this region whose largest geographic feature is the Talos Dome Plateau. This region's northwest coast is defined by the Usarp and Admiralty Mountains which extend east to Cape Adare. This area's only permanent settlement is part of the Scott Coast and is the McMurdo Station adjacent to the Ross Ice Shelf. For 10 points, name this Antarctic region named for a British monarch.
A: Victoria Land
Q: A maritime gateway town for this park contains a notable Milodon Cave visited by Charles Darwin. Pingo Lake lies beneath Zapata Peak in this location's west, which is covered by the Gray and Tyndall Glaciers. Amarga Lake is the principal land-based entrance point to this protected area, and the starting point of its "W" route, which leads to a viewpoint in the Frances Valley below an arete known as the Aleta de Tiburon. Mascara, Hojo and Agostini are lesser-known formations of this area's principal feature, which first bore the name Cleopatra's Needles. This park's interconnected Pehoe and Sermiento Lakes eventually drain into Last Hope Sound, which was named by the lost captain Juan Ladrillero (la-dri-YE-ro) attempting to find the Strait of Magellan. This park is named from the Tehuelche for "blue," which applies to its range of iconic glacier-carved spires which stand above Lake Nordenskjold (NOR-den-skyold). For 10 points, name this national park in southern Chile.
A: Torres del Paine National Park
Q: The cave Taiwhetuki (tai-we-TOO-key) is the entrance to the underworld in the mythology of this people. A deity of this people was devoured by a lonely war-god after being discovered hiding in the form of a fern, and these people use an unfurling fern frond, known as a koru, to decorate their meeting houses, known as wharenui (wa-re-NOO-ee). Dendroglyphs known as rakau made by an offshoot population of this people that moved to the Chatham Islands are protected by the Hapupu Reserve, though that population was later massacred by the Taranaki (ta-ra-NA-kee). The districts of Opotiki (o-po-TEE-kee) and Wairoa have the greatest concentration of this ethnicity. A parliament house, the Hikurangi (hi-ku-RANG-ee), was founded by this people at Papawai. The Ngai Tahu division of these people reclaimed a settlement of land on an island they refer to as Te Waipounamu (te wai-poo-NA-moo) in 1997. Their most important cultural center is at Waikato, which was their capital under their first king, Potatau I. For 10 points, name these settlers who traveled from Hawaiki in waka canoes, the native population of New Zealand.
A: Maori (accept Moriori until "Chatham Islands")
Q: A Commission of Government was formed after this polity's 1934 bankruptcy, and was abolished by Joey Smallwood's Confederate Association in 1949. A company that caused a scandal in the British government had made a technological breakthrough at Signal Hill in this polity. This region was claimed for Britain by Humphrey Gilbert and was once populated by the Beothuk people. One early explorer of this region claimed to be able to catch (*) cod with buckets on the rich Grand Banks fisheries to its southeast; that explorer was John Cabot. This region contains L'Anse aux Meadows, which was probably attacked by Skraelings and formed part of Vinland. For 10 points, name this Atlantic Canadian province whose capital St. John's lies on a namesake island across from Labrador.
A: Newfoundland and Labrador [or Terre-Neuve et Labrador; or Dominion of Newfoundland; or Newfoundland Island; or New Found Land; prompt on "Vinland" before it is read; do not accept or prompt on "Labrador"]
Q: A study by Andrei Zavrotsky found this phenomenon to be most intense in the Claras Aguas Negras as well as the Juan Manuel de Aguas National Park. This phenomenon, compared to the "dawn of the tropics" by an early 20th Century poet laureate, was referenced as the "beacon" of its region by geographer Agustin Codazzi (ko-DAT-si). When locally intense, this phenomenon caused by the convergence of two Low Level Jets may produce a type of non-photochemical smog due to the large amount of ozone it creates. In La Nina years this phenomenon can cease for as much as two months, as the moisture confined by the Sierra de Perija (SYE-ra de pe-RI-ha) is no longer present to combine with methane from the lagunetas of its namesake, which combine near San Carlos. This phenomenon appears on the flag of the state of Zulia. For 10 points, name this atmospheric phenomenon which may have foiled a night raid on Maracaibo (ma-ra-KAI-bo) by Sir Francis Drake, a "continuous storm" over its namesake river in Venezuela.
A: Catatumbo Lightning
Q: Frost-wedging of Cambrian-age limestones in this river's central basin have created its namesake Pillars, many of which occur at Sinyaya and Tit-Ary. The dominant people living in this river's basin are known for a tradition of epic poetry known as Olonkho. This river's name means "Large River" in a minority language of its basin. A hunting party of those Evenki-speaking peoples once rescued a starving party of survivors of the Jeannette expedition which reached its banks at Arrhu. Of this river tributaries, only the Vilyuy can support hydroelectric projects due to its irregular flow, 85% of which occurs during its brief spring. A plateau to the south of its course is the source for its main tributary, the Aldan, whose absorption causes its braided channel to widen to 5 miles. The sharp escarpment of the Verkhoyansk (ver-ko-YANSK) Mountains defines its eastern arc and creates a climactic vortex responsible for producing the coldest temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. Supporting the city of Yakutsk, the dominant watercourse of the Sakha Republic is, For 10 points, what river, the third longest of Siberia's rivers, with a massive delta on the Laptev Sea?
A: Lena River
Q: The Skouries is a porphyry copper and gold mine in development on this landmass where lead and zinc are extracted at Stratoni. Amouliani (a-mu-li-YA-ni) Island lies off the coast of this landmass. A cave on at the base of its Mt Katsika is a source of fossils including the Petralona (pe-tra-LO-na) Skull. Cape Kanastralon (ka-NA-stro-lon) is the southern limit of this landmass that is separated from Mygdonia (mig-do-NI-ya) by lakes Bolbe and Koroneia (ko-ro-NEY-a). The Cholomon (ko-LO-mon) Massif comprises its hard center which is home to Mt. Kissos, though two canals, one running from Tripiti to Nea Roda, and another terminating in the Toronian (tu-RO-ni-yan) Gulf, have been cut through two of its isthmuses. Its city of Neos Marmaras saw the presentation of the first draft of the European Union Constitution, though a promontory east of the Syngitic (sin-GI-tik) Gulf is the center of an access dispute with the EU concerning its ban on females. For 10 points, what is this Aegean peninsula whose three extensions are Kassandra, Cythonia (ki-THO-ni-ya), and Mount Athos?
A: Chalcidice
Q: This peak is called Yaripo in a local native language. Only the second species of black uaraki to be discovered dwells on this mountain, and was described along with the Araca uaraki in 2008. A southern ascent of this peak begins with an expedition along the Igarape Itamirim (i-ga-ra-PAY i-ta-MI-rim), and may cross the south flowing Demiti and Cauburis rivers, which originate in this peak's mother range. A plateau called the Garimpo do Tucano serves as the final base camp for this peak, and is often occupied by gold panners. The Brazo Casiquiare (BRA-zo ca-si-KYA-re) rises on this peak whose namesake national park is part of the Ilha Pedro Segundo as well as a reservation of the Yanomami people. An international boundary just north of this peak lies on Pico Treinte-y-uno de Marzo. This climax of the Imeri Mountains supplanted Bandeira Peak following its 1962 discovery. For 10 points, name this cloud-shrouded highest point in Brazil located near its border with Venezuela.
A: Pico da Neblina
Q: A narrow pass near this mountain is the site of its Chapel of St. Penteleimon (pen-te-LAY-mon), known locally as the Church of the Donkey. A secondary promontory on this peak is the oblate Ras Safsafa. The dammed Arimziya (a-rim-ZEE-ya) Basin sometimes hosts a lake just northwest of this mountain, and its Shrayj and Ghaf depressions host Byzantine ruins. Wadi Arbain is the starting location of one route to this mountain, which begins at The Monastery of the Forty Martyrs. The Jebeliya (je-be-LEE-ya) Bedouin commonly serve as guides when ascending this peak which contains a mosque and the Holy Trinity Chapel. Camels may be used on its Siket El Bashait route, and most pilgrims return using the 3,750 "steps of penitence" which ends behind St. Catherine's Monastery. This peak's significance is in dispute due to similarities with Jebel El Tarif and Mt. Horeb. For 10 points, name this Egyptian peak, the southernmost of the proposed sites of the delivery of the Decalogue.
A: Mt. Sinai or Jebel Musa
Q: The Pointe des Lataniers (point de-la-TA-ni-yay) overlooks this body of water whose northern limit is the Pointe du Cheval Blanc (she-VAL blank). The Anse d'Azur is a cavern-lined beach on this body of water, and its longest stretch of rare flatlands is known the Cote des Arcadins (kot de-zar-KA-dins). Coral reefs in this body of water are found around its Cayemite (ka-ye-MEET) Archipelago, which lies at its southern opening. Another island in this body of water is its nation's driest quarters, being in the shadow of the Chaine des Matheux (shen de ma-TOOZ) and the Trou d'Eau Mountains. A namesake microplate whose southern edge is defined by the Enriquillo-Plantain Fault rests on this body of water bordered in the south by the Massif de la Hotte and in the north by a range containing the Citadelle Laferriere (si-ta-DEL la-fe-REER). The Artibonite (ar-TI-bo-neet) River empties into this gulf where an earthquake with epicenter at Gressier (GRE-si-yay) devastated its port cities of Grand Gouave (GOO-av) and Leogane (LAY-o-gan) in 2010. For 10 points, name this gulf whose largest harbor can be found at Port-au-Prince, defined by the northern and southern peninsulas of Haiti.
A: Gulf of Gonave
Q: The Attarwala of Gujarat claim to be an offshoot of this ethnicity. A western population of these people which is known as the Taimuri in one country and Khawari in another, dwell in the Sefid Kuh and are largely nomadic. Twenty-first century massacres involving these people have occurred at Yakaolang (ya-kaw-LANG) and in the Robatak Pass. Their Dai Mirdad Tribe dwells in the Dara-i-Suf of Samangan Province, although their greatest concentrations are found in the provinces of Daikundi, Bamyan, and Ghor, which is their traditional homeland, or "jat," and their largest tribe is the Behsud. Many of these people worship at the Masjid Jamek, which is the largest Shi'a mosque in Kabul. For 10 points, name this Persian speaking third dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan following the Pushtu and Dari.
A: Hazara
Q: The Ibhubesi (i-bu-BE-si) and Kudu Gas Fields lie beneath this watercourse, whose net transport is dispersed by eddies due to the Columbine cell. Ekman transport causes a net offshore flow which is most pronounced as it departs the coast offshore of the Farta and Azul Bays. It absorbs upwelling trends like the Cunene and Luderitz Cells, though the Walvis Ridge prevents Antarctic Bottom Water from influencing the trajectory of this watercourse. Winds paralleling it are responsible for offshore dune drift that has claimed ships at sea off the Skeleton Coast, and are responsible for the dryness of the Namib Desert. It interacts with a south-flowing boundary current to produce the Angola Dome. For 10 points, name this north-flowing cold-water current found off the southwest coast of Africa.
A: Benguela Current
Q: A system of faults beneath this body of water has created the Wagner and Delfin Basins and includes the Ballenas Transform, which separates its coastline from the island of Angel de la Guarda. A canyon below the El Boleo copper and cobalt mine drains to this body of water at Santa Rosalia. Cape Pulmo on this body of water contains its only active coral reef. Concepcion Bay and San Jorge Bay are extensions of this body of water that receives the Mayo, San Lorenzo and Yaqui (YA-kee) Rivers. Espiritu Santo Island is the center of a marine reserve within it, and the Seris people were evicted from its largest island of Tiburon after it was declared a nature reserve. Topolobampo (to-po-lo-BAM-po) and Puerto Penasco are key ports on this body of water. For 10 points, name this gulf on which the port of Guaymas and the state capital of La Paz are located, which no longer receives the Colorado River that is separated from the Pacific by Baja California.
A: Sea of Cortez or Gulf of California
Q: The Dollabarat (do-LA-ba-rat) Reef is a nautical hazard on the southeast approaches to these islands which lies on the edge of the submerged Formigas Plateau. Their oldest known settlement is found on the Biscoitinho (bis-kwa-TEEN-yo) Plateau, though a number of carvings on Monte Facho have been posited to belong to a cult of Tanit. A group of blue and green lakes said to have originated with a lovestruck prince and shepherd is found in its Sete Cidades area, and like the scalding Lago Furnas are caldera lakes. A poem of Alfred, Lord Tennyson describes an encounter in these islands involving Sir Richard Grenville, who pitted a single ship, the Revenge against 58 Spanish galleons. Much of the Alabama Claims centered on 69 ships sunk off one of these islands, including the Starlight. That island is the westernmost of this archipelago, Flores. Angra do Heroismo is the judicial capital of these islands and rests on Terceira, while their most populated island is Sao Miguel. For 10 points, Ponta Delgada is the administrative capital of what group of Portuguese islands in the mid-Atlantic?
A: Azores
Q: Hiron Point and Tin Kona Island are birdwatching highlights of a national park in this forest. A species of barking deer exists on its Holiday Island, while its westernmost part is found at Sagar Island in the Hugli River. The Baleswar and Harinbanga (ha-rin-BAN-ga) Rivers bracket a protected reserve in this forest. The Sudanyakhali (su-dan-ya-KA-lee) Watch Tower provides views of the habitat of an apex predator that hunts and kills humans in this ecosystem, and the Bhagabatpur (va-ga-BAT-pur) Crocodile Project is also headquartered in these wetlands. The Raimangal River forms part of an international boundary that crosses this forest, which is home to endangered white Bengal tigers. For 10 points, name this forested delta of the Ganges shared by India and Bangladesh, the largest mangrove forest in the world.
A: the Sundarbans
Q: A growing problem for this river is an increased number of drownings each year during the Sham el Nessim holiday. It is home to a namesake type of monitor lizard that has been listed as an invasive species in the Everglades. One of its tributaries is the Atbara River, which dries up rapidly during the drier period of January to June. An ancient quarry and a staircase-like device used to measure this river's height are found on its island of Elephantine. One major tributary of this river causes the Tis Issat Falls just after originating at Lake Tana. After a massive and well publicized search by Speke, Livingstone, and Stanley, another of its major tributaries was found to flow from Lake Victoria. For 10 points, name this African river with namesake Blue and White tributaries, the longest in the world.
A: Nile [do not accept "White Nile" or "Blue Nile"]
Q: This region's Sawi people once revered Judas Iscariot as the most venerable figure of the New Testament, but were converted to Christianity using an analogy to their cultural exchange of children to end wars. Language families found in this region include Lower Mamberano (mam-be-RA-no), Bayono-Awbono, and Geelvink Bay. A diplomatic sanction known as the salat jalan (sa-LAT ja-LAN) is necessary to visit many sites in this region, including the Dani people of its Baliem Valley. Michael Rockefeller disappeared when exploring this region's Asmat area, and its tree-dwelling Korowai tribe was only contacted in 1971. A low-level insurgency in this region began with the Arfai Incident, an attack on a military base on a peninsula referred to as the Vogelkop (VO-gel-kop), which is connected to the main body of this region by the Isthmus of Cenderawasih (jen-der-a-WA-sih). A mountain in this region's Sudirman Range alternately known as the Carstenz Pyramid is the tallest island mountain on Earth. For 10 points, name this region containing the mountain Puncak Jaya (PUN-chak JA-ya), comprising the western portion of the island of New Guinea, ruled from Jayapura.
A: Papua or Irian Jaya (prompt on "New Guinea")
Q: Traffic entering this river may be observed from a ridge within Huangshanlu Forest. A northern tributary of this river rises on Mt. Sanbai, while a river that enters it from the west is formed by the Gui and Xun before passing through the gorge of the Lingyang. One hundred and four islands lie off its main entrance, forming a chain formerly known as the Ladrones and now known as the Wanshan Archipelago. The Gobernador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge crosses a distributary of this river. The common name for this drainage system is extended to the Xi (HSI), Bei and Dong rivers which converge at Guangzhou to create its main channel in the largest urban area in the world. For 10 points, name this river whose estuary on the South China Sea supports the cities of Macau and Hong Kong.
A: Pearl River or Zhujiang or Canton River
Q: This city was known to the Romans as Aeminium (e-MIN-i-yum). The Arzila Swamp is on the western edge of this city. A suburb of this city contains the Garden of the Quinta das Lagrimas, which was built on the spilled blood of one of its kings' mistresses, Ines. This city's upper town is entered by way of the Almedina Arch and a steep stairway known as the Rua Quebra-Costas, and is its Moorish district. Its Santa Cruz Church contains the tombs of its nation's founding monarchs. This city's main art museum is entered through the cryptoporticus of its ancient forum, and is the Machado de Castro. The core of this city is divided into the Se Velha (se-VEL-ya) and the Se Nova. This city's main enterprise is entered by the Porta Ferrea and features the San Miguel Chapel and the Joanine (JWA-neen) Library which contains the original copy of Luis Camoens The Lusiads. For 10 points, name this great University town on the Mondego River in Portugal.
A: Coimbra
Q: The steep northern flank of this structure contains Flanigan Arch and Ashdown Gorge, which are part of the Markagunt Plateau, which rose due to tilting along the Hurricane Fault, and water which rises along the Sevier Fault flows out of it at Pipe Spring at the base of one of its constituent formations. That formation's surface makes up a plain southwest of the Kaiparowits (kai-PA-ro-wits) Plateau, is incised by the Paria River, and contains the Coyote Buttes. Red Canyon cuts through another of its formations, the Paunsaugunt (PON-sa-gunt) Plateau. Its high northern section is protected by Dixie National Forest and is drained by the Virgin River, and an eastern drainage flows into Glen Canyon. Zion Canyon is the deepest gorge within this structure which is composed of the Chocolate, Vermilion, White, Gray and Pink Cliffs. For 10 points, name this large structure which connects the Grand Canyon with Bryce Canyon, a collection of stacked plateaus which names part of a doubly-eponymous national monument in Utah with the canyons of the Escalante.
A: the Grand Staircase (accept Markagunt Plateau or Pink Cliffs if given before "Markagunt Plateau" is mentioned; prompt on "Colorado Plateau")
Q: Bodies of water off the coast of this region include the Queen Charlotte Sound and the Hecate Straight, and this region is home to the wine producing Okanagan Valley. This territory's economic center is home to Arthur Erickson designed Robson Square. The Fraser River runs entirely through this territory. This territory also controls the northern portion of the San Juan Islands and was the site of the brief Pig War. This territory north of the Juan de Fuca straight is home to the resort town of Whistler and borders Montana, Idaho, and Washington. For 10 points, name this southwestern province of Canada which has capital at Victoria and contains the city of Vancouver.
A: British Columbia
Q: A village on this river observes the shamanistic Hahae Mask Dance and houses the Jingbirok, or Book of Corrections, which criticizes military errors made during a 16th century invasion. The Upo is one of the few remaining wetland regions along this river. One of this river's tributaries is guarded by Jinju castle; another flows past the Yeongnam Alps on its way to Samnangjin (sam-NANG-jin). Those two rivers are the Nam and the Miryang. Formed from the confluence of the Cholam and Hwangji in the Taebek Range, at its estuary it is crossed by the Miyeonji (mi-YON-jee) Bridge. Another bridge over this river was destroyed at Waegwan to prevent an army from taking the city of Daegu. It reaches the Tsushima Straits at Gangseo (GANG syow). For 10 points, name this river that flows through Pusan, the longest in South Korea.
A: Nakdong River
Q: A thesis arguing for mutual agreements concerning this structure focuses on the fact that it eludes the fertile slopes of the Long Mountain and bulges east at Pennygadden. Hatterall Ridge is a natural barrier separating the two sections of this structure, which despite its name has large sections that date to the 5th Century. An earlier structure parallel to its newest portion runs from Basingwerk to Morda Brook to its east and is attributed to Cynwulf. Part of this structure stretches from Rushock Hill to Llanfynydd (thlan-VI-nith), and was erected on the eastern side of the Wye Gorge. A national trail beginning at Prestatyn and ending at the Severn Estuary parallels this structure which overlooks Tintern Abbey near Chepstow and that cuts across the western borders of Herefordshire and Shropshire with Powys. For 10 points, name this large earthwork structure that parallels the border of England and Wales, named for an 8th Century king of Mercia.
A: Offa's Dyke or Clawdd Offa
Q: Sticky travertine deposited by this city's Buatong Waterfall enables it to be climbed barefoot. Covered truck taxis called Songathew serve this city, where they can be found about its Wararat and Ton Yom Lai marketplaces. Banana-leaf candle boats called krathong are released during a festival known as Yi Peng in this city, which also involves the launching of sky lanterns. This city supplanted Wiang Kum Kam as capital during its hegemony, founding a kingdom that names the major dialect spoken in this city, that of the Lanna. The Doi Suthep Highlands overlook this city from the west, contain Phu Phing Palace, its nation's monarchs' summer residence, and houses the most important statue of the Buddha venerated in the north of its country. Hill tribes such as the Lisu, Hmong and Karen surround this highland city. For 10 points, name this third largest and chief northern city of Thailand.
A: Chang Mai
Q: Konjo is a type of millet wine produced on this formation. The northern city of Kundu located on this formation is known for its crocodile worship. The Chutes de Teli (SHOOTS de TE-li) are a series of waterfalls that cascade through this formation near the southern city of Djiguibombo (ji-gi-BOM-bo). A religious event revolving around the star Sirius is its Sigui festival held every 60 years. This feature found northwest of the plains of the Seno-Gondo is noted for its conical thatch-roofed granaries, which were constructed by the Tellem people, and its totemic binu sanctuaries which are guarded by priests called Hogons. Togu-na are communal long-houses on this formation which features the triple-terraced village of Begnimato (beg-ni-MA-to). The east end of this 90-mile cliff culminates in its nation's highest point, the Hombori Tondo, and its south end parallels the Bani River. For 10 points, name this home of the Dogon People of Mali.
A: Bandiagara Escarpment (prompt on any early mention of "Dogon" including any kind of highland feature)
Q: The Fafen Shet is a seasonal stream that waters this ecoregion. The Marar Plain is in this area's northwest and contains the ruins of a former capital located here named Zeila. An intense famine in this region is concentrated at its city of Gode. An invading power launched an invasion from its Walwal Oasis near its town of Werder, and in 2007, following in the footsteps of an army that ruled from its fort of Dakkar, that power attacked the Obole oil well in this region. To the northeast, this area grades into the Haud before reaching the Darie Hills, while its southwestern border is the Audo Range, which overlooks the Wabi Shabeele River. The Sultanate of Adal was anchored in this area, and the Ahmar Mountains overlook its nation's only majority Muslim city, Harar. For 10 points, name this thorny, semi-arid plateau of Eastern Ethiopia, home to the ONLF, the majority Somali region of Ethiopia that was the setting of a namesake 1977-78 war.
A: The Ogaden (prompt on "Somali Region of Ethiopia" or "Soomali Galbreed" and similar)
Q: The two followings of a faith practiced by some of this city's population of African descent are centered in its Casa de Nago and Casa de Mina. This city shares the landform it is on with the Bacanga State Park, which protects its Batata Reservoir. A national park consisting of interspersed sand dunes and lagoons like the Lagoa Azul is east of this city. The Mosquito Strait is a channel that separates this bauxite and hematite processing city from the mainland, and its location is called an island, but is in fact a peninsula between the mouths of the Mearim and Itapicuru (i-ta-pi-KU-ru) Rivers which is served by the industrial port of Itaqui (i-ta-KI). This city's Teatro Arturo Acevedo is the second oldest in its nation, which considers this city its "Athens." The city hall of this settlement is its Palacio de la Rivardiere (pa-LA-syo de la ri-var-DIER), and exhibits a statue of its founder Daniel de la Touche (TOOSH), while a governor in this city dwells in its Palace of the Lions. For 10 points, name this city on Sao Marcos Bay, the only Brazilian city to have been founded by the French, and the capital of the state of Maranhao (ma-ran-YOW).
A: Sao Luis da Maranhao
Q: The Caverns of Betharram are found to this city's west. Myroslav Nimciv (NIM-tsiv) designed a 5-domed Ukrainian Church in this city in 1982. An abandoned railway, the Voie Verte des Gaves (voy vert de GAV), accesses the Pic du Jer (pik du JER), which is this city's main overlook. This city's castle fort was once occupied by a Moor who was converted by the Black Virgin of Puy and took a name that was later given to this city. The Moulin de Boly and a former prison named Le Cachot (lay ka-SHO) were former homes of this city's most famous resident. This city lies at the mouth of the Gavarnie Gorge on the rapids of the Gave de Pau (GAV de pow). The Basilique du Rosaire (ba-si-LEEK du ro-SEIR) and the Basilique Superieur (ba-si-LEEK su-pe-ri-YUR) cover a series of caves in this city. For 10 points, name this city, a pilgrimage site known for a miraculous spring beneath the Massabielle Grotto that was the site of several apparitions of the Virgin Mary to St. Bernadette in Southern France.
A: Lourdes
Q: These animals typically congregate around Lola and Mushukula (mu-shu-KU-la) in the short dry season of their habitat from May to July. A ceremony involving a journey of a king from Liminlunga (li-min-LUN-ga) to Limalui, the Kuomboka (kwom-BO-ka), parallels a biannual event involving these animals which attracts apex predators. In their largest continuous range, these animals forage mainly on Borgu millet and vossia grasses of a plain that begins at a four-way confluence involving the Kashiki and Kabompo Rivers. In another area, crocodiles await the arrival of these animals at the Grumeti River. One national park which protects these animals stretches between the tributaries of the Luambimba (lwam-BIM-ba) and the Luanginga (lwan-GIN-ga), and another surrounds the Tarangire ecosystem. Tsessebe often accompany a mass movement of these animals, which crosses the swamps of the Lungwebungu (lung-we-BUN-gu) onto the Barotse Plain, and typically begins in May or November with the Zambezi River floods. For 10 points, name this animal known for its migrations in the Liuwa Plains of Zambia, which is second only to those of Kenya's Masai Mara.
A: (blue) wildebeest or gnu
Q: A 2013 UN Survey found that 62% of the men on this island had committed some form of rape. Rotokas and Halia are the dominant languages of this island's main language families. Sohano Island housed the colonial government of this island. This island'sTorao and Naasioi People were forcibly removed from their village at Arawa in 1969. The southern half of this island is dominated by the Crown Prince Range and is economically depressed, while the developed northern half contains the Emperor Range, which includes its active Bagana Volcano. Operation Cartwheel saw this island's Empress Augusta Bay host a US Air Base at Torokina. Dissatisfaction with a subsidiary of Conzinc-Rio Tinto fomented a secession movement on this island opposed to its Panguna Copper Mine in the 1980s. For 10 points, name this autonomous island in Papua New Guinea that was once part of its North Solomons Province with capital Buka.
A: Bougainville
Q: A kingdom on this island was based on trade with its Bajo sea nomads, who have several villages on the three reefs of the Togean Archipelago. The Minahasa are the chief ethnic group of this island's north, while its south contains the rice terraces of Tana Toraja (TA-na to-RA-ja), whose inhabitants labor to spend their earnings on tomate funerary rites, including burial in cliffside graves. Australian cave art features the vessels of its indigenous Bugi population. Its interior valleys of Bada, Besoa and Napu include megalithic ruins protected by Lore Lindu National Park. Lake Poso is a source of wild orchids at the center of this island which is indented by the bays of Tolo, Bone and Tomini, and which features the peninsulas of Api and the long northern Tanjung Kandi. Known for its population of large butterflies, For 10 points, name this h-shaped Indonsesian island administered from the city of Makassar.
A: Sulawesi
Q: The Xicalango (shi-ka-LAN-go) Fields are a large source of natural gas on this peninsula. A style of architecture defined by its Puuc Hills is visible in buildings like Codz Poop, The Palace of the Masks, and the Nunnery. The Temple of the Seven Dolls is found at a site which once mined salt at its Laguna Rosa, part of its Las Coloradas, or Pink Lakes. Another settlement on this peninsula is located around the lake Manxoc (MAN-shok) and once controlled the port of Xel-Ha (shel-HA). Point Allen and Point Herrero enclose the two major maritime indentations of this landmass, Espiritu Santo Bay and Ascenscion Bay. Located northeast of the Candelaria River, its northern coast features a ring of cenotes which surrounds an enriched zone of stishovite, the outer rim of a shock wave. For 10 points, name this large Central American peninsula which contains the crater Chicxulub (CHIK-shu-loob), the state of Quintana Roo, the ruins of Chichen Itza, and the cities of Chetumal, Merida, Tulum and Cancun.
A: Yucatan Peninsula
Q: Paleolithic petroglyphs are found at this region's cave of Badanj (ba-DAIN). An antiquated route into this region leads south through the pass of Ivan Sedlo. Dugo Field in its Blidinje (bli-DEEN-ye) Plateau is its main archaeological site and is known for its ornate stecci tombstones. The Sutjeska (sut-YES-ka) National Park is found in this region's Bjelasnica (bye-las-NEE-tsa) Mountains in its south, which protects its highest point, Mt. Maglic (ma-GLITS). The eastern part of this region is its Trebinje (tre-BIN-ye) District. This region contains the Neum Strip, which provides its nation's only access to the sea. A bridge over the Naretva River which was destroyed but rebuilt following its nation's Post-Independence War is the main symbol of this region's largest city. For 10 points, name this former duchy, a Balkan region surrounding the city of Mostar located south of its northern neighbor Bosnia.
A: Herzegovina
Q: Tributaries of this river's wild northern basin water the Hunza and Yasin Valleys, which nourish a people who speak its basin's only isolate language, Burushaski (bu-ru-SHA-ski). That region also sees the confluences of its Skyok and Shigar, which joins it near Skardu. The Astor River joins its main channel just before it enters a 17,000-foot-deep gorge around a peak whose name means "naked mountain." A barrage called the Kalabagh controls canals leading through the Thal region on the center right bank of this river. That central section also receives the Zhob River, after which its path is bounded on the west by the Sulaiman Range. The Pashupati (pa-shu-PA-tee) Seal and an idol known as the Priest King were recovered from a ruined city on that section, south of which this river reaches its delta below Hyderabad. For 10 points, name this river system whose valley names an indigenous civilization that included Mohenjo Daro, the principal waterway of Pakistan.
A: Indus River
Q: This common name designates a stream also referred to as the Colorado in Catamarca (ka-ta-MAR-ka). The Cabra Corral Dam is an irrigation project on another river whose only tributary begins as the Cajon. That river starts as meltwater from Mt. Acay and Mt. Cachi under the name Juramento (he-ra-MEN-to), receiving this name only after reaching Santiago del Estero. The southernmost river bearing this name waters the Cuyo after rising on the volcano Tipas, and receives the Jachal (HA-chal) and Tinuyan. Still another bearing the appellation "del Sur" begins in the El Chanar Lagoon, flows through General Belgrano and empties into the Samborombon (sam-bo-rom-BON) Bay. The longest is also called the Bermejo (ber-ME-ho) or Desaguadero, and forms the western boundary of La Rioja (la ri-O-ha) and San Luis provinces, barely reaching the Colorado due to overirrigation. For 10 points, give the common name of these Argentine rivers, the northernmost of which is the final tributary of the Parana, a name which is contrasted with the sweet waters of the parallel Dulce River.
A: Rio Salado
Q: Resources in this area are hosted by the Silurian Qusaiba Formation and the Cretaceous Wasia. A chain of lakes around its town of Mundafen is sustained by moisture from the Tuwaiq Escarpment. Surah 89, Ayad 6 through 14 references a kingdom believed to lie in this area that was destroyed, possibly for disobeying a prophet called Hud. A series of craters known as Wabar were discovered on an expedition to that kingdom in the region of 'Aad which bears the epithet "of the pillars." A salt marsh known as the "mother of worries," the Al-Samim, is found on the eastern edge of this location. A fortified spring called Luwi is found in this region's northeast. The natural gas reserve Al-Shaybah lies in this region as does the largest oil field in the world, the Al-Ghawar. The lost kingdom of Imer may lie within, For 10 points, what large desert in Saudi Arabia, the largest continuous area of sand in the world?
A: Rub al-Khali or Empty Quarter
Q: Formations found in this park include El Hongo, Las Bandejas (las ban-DE-has), and El Submarino, which were carved by the Zonda winds. This place completes an important sedimentary basin along with the Villa Union. This park contains petrified trunks of an ancestor of the juniper tree. The giant red wall of the Cerro Morado is found at the entrance of this park and offers views of its Valle Pintado. This park, one of its continent's many "Valleys of the Moon," contains a field of hundreds of sandstone spheres called the "Ball Court." That sandstone is part of a formation which is a source of eoraptor and cynodont (KAI-no-dont) fossils. Located in its province's Valle Fertil (VA-ye fer-TIL) department, For 10 points, name this provincial park in the Sierras Pampeanas (pam-pe-YAN-yas) of San Juan administered with adjacent Talampaya (ta-lam-PA-ya) National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site in Argentina noted for its complete Triassic fossil record outlining the evolution of dinosaurs.
A: Ischigualasto Provincial Park (begrudgingly prompt on early "Valley of the Moon" or "Valle de la Luna" by asking "where is that?" before mentioned because that's literally what "Ischigualasto" means, and because there are at least 3 other places called "Valley of the Moon" in South America). Accept any clear knowledge answers that include "Argentina" or "San Juan," do not accept anything mentioning Chile, the Atacama or Bolivia.
Q: This mountain is located within its indigenous community's Tachal region, known as "Grandfather Country" to the Southern Tutchone People, and the Aishihik People dwell in the maze of valleys to its east. The King's Trench, as well as Hummingbird and Warbler Ridge are ascent routes leading to this mountain, and most of the ascent is complete by the time climbers reach Prospector's Col. This source of the Hubbard and Malaspina Glaciers has eleven summits, including its north peak, Tudor Peak, and its east peak, Stuart Peak, which are included within the largest base circumference in the world. Towering over the Seward Glacier to the west, this is, For 10 points, what mountain, the centerpiece of Kluane National Park, named for the founder of the Canadian Geological Survey, located in the St. Elias Mountains of the Yukon, the highest point in Canada, which was nearly re-named for Pierre Trudeau?
A: Mount Logan (I apologize for being unable to find any native names, but if someone gives a native name as an answer, please call time out to confirm it).
Q: The largest settlement directly on this river was once known as the Granary of Margus, and is one of only a few to settle its banks due to its disastrous floods. This river passes into the Kostolac (ko-STO-lats) Coal Basin below that town of Cuprija (tsu-PREE-ya). This river exits its Bagrdan (ba-GUR-dan) Gorge at Lapovo, and for the remainder of its length forms its nation's main agricultural region. Most of this river's hydroelectricity is supplied by water from Lake Vlasina. One of its forks begins at Golija (go-LEE-ya) Mountain, and another begins near the monastery of Poganovo. Its middle course passes through the deforested Sumadija (shoo-MA-dee-ya) region as it absorbs the Belica (be-LEE-tsa). A city at its confluence with its main tributary contains a famous skull tower and its Mediana was the home of the emperor Constantine. This river ends at Smederovo (sme-de-RO-vo), while it begins with the confluence of its West and South branches above the city of Nis (NISH). This is the northernmost of the two rivers involved in a proposed canal that would connect the Aegean Sea to the Danube. For 10 points, name this longest river entirely within Serbia.
A: Great Morava River or Velika Morava ("Morava" is wrong, do not prompt)
Q: Kuuku-Ya'u, Lamu-Lamu and Guguyimidjir (gu-gu-YI-mi-jeer) are languages spoken on this peninsula. A stand of red cliffs on its west coast comprises a bauxite deposit which is mined at its town of Weipa on its Hay River Estuary. The McIlwraith Mountains form the backbone of this peninsula. Thursday Island is a settlement off its northern coast, which was the objective of an ill-fated expedition of a party of 13 whose leader was speared near Newcastle Bay. This peninsula's main rivers are west-flowing and include the Archer and Mitchell Rivers. Cyclone Yasi caused significant damage to a city on this peninsula, and was the most expensive disaster to affect its nation. That city is known as the main access point for its state's Wet Tropics region. This peninsula is defined by Cape Keer-Weer and Albatross Bay in the west and Princess Charlotte Bay and Cape Flattery in the east. For 10 points, name this peninsula that separates the Gulf of Carpentaria from the Coral Sea, home to the city of Cairns, Australia.
A: Cape York Peninsula
Q: The homeland of the Yaminawa (ya-mi-na-WA), known as the "people of the axe," is found in this state, and its capital was built on the land of the Canamari (ka-na-MA-ri) and marked with a Gameleira tree. The geoglyphs of Placido de Castro can be found in this state. The Foz do Breu are found on its southwestern boundary, on a river basin which includes the streams of Gregorio and Embira, to the west of which is found the Serra do Divisor National Park. The Ayahuasca (a-ya-WAS-ka)-using Santo Daime syncretism was founded in this state's capital's Alto Santo neighborhood. The Abunha River is the southeastern border of this state. The Seringa Waterfall is found in the east of this state which is dominated by the basin of the Purus and contains the home of Chico Mendes in Xapuri (sha-PU-ri). For 10 points, name this rubber-producing westernmost Brazilian state, the namesake of a war with Bolivia, with capital Rio Branco.
A: Acre
Q: This nation's Bohol province is home to over a thousand hills that turn brown during the dry season, an attraction known as the Chocolate Hills. The oldest Chinatown in the world is located in the Binondo neighborhood of this country's capital. Many dishes in this country's cuisine are served adobo style and make of use of the purple ube root. One of the world's longest underground rivers runs through this nation's Palawan Island. Tagalog is spoken in this nation, and its two largest islands are Luzon and Mindanao. For 10 points, name this island country with a presidential palace located in Manila.
A: the Philippines
Q: In Judeo-Christian tradition, this city was once known as Baniqia (ba-nee-KEY-a). The ancient walls of this city are sometimes undercut by vaulted cellars called sirdabs, which connect multiple houses. This city's importance, which depends on grain and palm groves that once supplied tribes like the Anaza, has waxed and waned with its dominant river's meandering, but is now largely restored due to the building of the Hindiyya (hin-DEE-ya) Canal. A group from this city, the Ulema, was exiled to Qom, which in the 20th century supplanted this city's primacy; that primacy is evident by the presence of its Wadi-us-Salaam, the largest cemetery in the world, whose dead aspired to rise again with a prophet revered at its Imam Ali Mosque. For 10 points, name this south-central Iraqi city that is the spiritual capital of Shi'a Islam, as well as Islam's third holiest site worldwide.
A: An-Najaf
Q: The Las Mesas and Malpais lava flows are located beneath glaciers on this mountain. The Calpan Fan surrounds this mountain. This natural northern boundary of the region of Tlamacas destroyed the ancient village of Tetimpa in a landslide. The Ecatzingo (e-kat-ZIN-go) Cones are part of a lineament on this peak, and the avalanche deposit of Tlayecac is associated with the formation of its side vent of El Ventorillo (el ven-to-REE-yo), which is all that remains of the eroded Nexpayantla (nex-pa-YAN-tla), its predecessor. Huejotzingo (we-ho-TZIN-go) is the oldest of 14 monasteries built on the lower slopes of this mountain, many of which feature syncretic depictions of Coyolxauhqui (ko-yolk-SAU-kee). A mythic warrior at the center of this mountain is stirred to anger upon remembering his grief-stricken love Ixtaccihuatl (iks-tak-si-WA-tl), which lies across the Paseo de Cortez from this mountain to the west of Puebla. For 10 points, name this volcano whose name is Nahuatl for "smoking mountain," Mexico's second highest volcano.
A: Volcan Popocatepetl or Xalliquehuac or Popocatzin
Q: A sculpture of a bear ripping open an anthill is found in Karhu Park in this city's Kallio District, which also contains a mirror coated sphere called The Symbol. The curving metallic Kiasma is a modern art museum in this city. This city's Great Church on its Senate Square is one of the many neoclassical structures designed by Carl Ludwig Engel following a fire in 1808. A museum in this city was the first to purchase a van Gogh painting, Street in Auvers-sur-Oise, but is more famous for a triptych depicting a national epic painted by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. This city was built at the mouth of the Vantaa River to compete with a member of the Hanseatic League that was once known as Reval, and after being conquered by a neighboring nation replaced Turku as provincial capital. For 10 points, name this city whose concert hall was completed by Alvar Aalto, and whose train station was designed by Eliel Saarinen, the capital of Finland.
A: Helsinki
Q: Quarries at Hutki and west of Orlich Gniazd Park provide the best exposure for this area's underlying geology. Corynephorus (co-ree-NE-fo-rus) and Koeleria (ko-LE-ri-a) grasses have begun to stabilize this area's northern reaches. Local high points in this area are the Czubatka (choo-BAT-ka) and Dabrowska (dam-BROV-ska) Hills. The northern portion of this area is classified as a deflation field, and its southern area is sustained by the windy Gornicza (gor-NI-cha) microclimate. The Roza Wiatrow (RO-zha VYAT-rof), or Rose of the Winds is a compass-shaped series of boardwalks that provides this area's main access. The Biala Pszemsza (BYA-wa CHEM-sha) River bisects this area into two distinct strips which were created by harvesting timber for the Olkusz Silver Mine, and ongoing zinc mining has lowered the water table at this location beyond the reach of its native pines and willows. For 10 points, name this pair of sand arenas between Chechlo (KEK-wo) and Klucze (KLOO-chay), an artificial wilderness in Poland that comprises its only "desert."
A: Bledowska Desert
Q: Mango Pir is the highest hill in this city. Oyster Rocks and the islands of Kiamari and Manora protect this city's harbor from storms. Though this city is served by a nuclear power station at Paradise Point, electricity does not reach its shantytowns known as katchi abadis, many of which are located in the overpopulated plain of the mostly dry Layari River. This city's business districts of Defense and Clifton define most of its skyline, which includes Bahria Icon tower, its nation's tallest, and the Mohatta Palace. A stock exchange in this city was consolidated with two others in 2016, forming a national index which Bloomberg reported as the third best performer of the 2010-2020 decade, the KSE. The capital of the province of Sindh, For 10 points, name this city on the Arabian Sea, the financial capital of, and largest city in, Pakistan.
A: Karachi
Q: The Los Guatuzos Wildlife Preserve on this body of water hosts a caiman nursery in its main wetland area. Its island of Mancaron was the setting of a magical realist short story by Julio Cortazar focusing on a community of artists led by Ernesto Cardenal. That island is part of its Solentiname (so-len-ti-NA-may) Archipelago. The Isthmus of Tistian is found within this body of water, and a stagecoach line owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt crossed the Isthmus of Rivas to its west. Its waters are deepest southeast of its largest island, which contains the eroded remains of Concepcion and Madera volcanos, Ometepe, while Momotombo (mor-mo-TOM-bo) and Mombacho stand at its edges. Most of this body of water's more than 300 islands, including Zapatera are found near its junction with the Tipitapa River near its northern city of Granada. For 10 points, name this former bay of the Pacific Ocean noted for its swordfish, tarpon and sharks which is drained by the San Juan River to the Caribbean and shares its name with a Latin American country.
A: Lake Nicaragua (accept Cocibolca or Granada until mentioned before the last clue)
Q: Cultural artifacts of these islands include portable shrines called iran and its vaca-brutas, which are masks which in this case portray animals like sharks and stingrays. These islands' fanado ceremonies were documented by the alternative anthropologist Hugo Bernatzik. A colonial prison on their Galinhas (ga-LEEN-yas) member housed dissidents involved in their nation's long independence war. Praia Bruce is located on Bubaque in these islands. A savanna surrounds Anor Lagoon in this group's Ilhas da Orango (EEL-yas da o-RAN-go) National Park, which protects a species of hippopotamus that dwells in fresh and salt water. This island chain was formed from the flooding of the combined Buba and Geba estuaries. A former capital of the colony that would become its nation is its city of Bolama, which is accessed from a port containing the Pidjiguiti (pi-ji-GWEE-tee) Monument. For 10 points, name this island group, a UNESCO Biosphere reserve belonging to Guinea-Bissau.
A: Bijagos (or Bissagos) Archipelago
Q: Gideon Fagan wrote a symphony named for this ecosystem which ends with a musical depiction of its blossoming following winter rains. The mostly dry Carnarvonleegte (kar-NAR-von-leeg-te) drains this region. The town of Graaf-Reinet is found in this region's Camdeboo Plains. Its greater and lesser portions are separated by the Swartberg (SVART-berg) Mountains. The Touws (TOOVS) and Gourits Rivers pass through the "little" example of this region, whose Oudtshoorn (OOTS-horn) is known for its ostrich population, while the Sundays River passes through its Valley of Desolation west of the Sneeuberg (SNA-yu-berg). The Square Kilometer Array is a radio telescope located in this region which contains its hemisphere's largest optical telescope. The driest portion of this desert is located north of the Cedarberg and is known as the Tankwa, which is part of a succulent biome which also contains its Namaqualand Daisies. For 10 points, name this large desert on the northeast side of the Great Escarpment that forms most of the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
A: The (Great) Karoo (prompt on "Cape Province")
Q: The Nogoon Sum, or Winter Palace, in this city houses the relics of its last monarch, whose name also graces a highland area to the south of this city that was one of the world's first protected forests. The Blue Sky Tower currently dominates this city's skyline. An early Western mention by John Bell described a mobile monastery operating within this city in 1723. Its Gandan Monastery houses a 75-foot high Avalokitesvara (a-va-lo-ki-tes-VA-ra) statue and was home to the 13th Dalai Lama. Divided into 173 wards known as khoroos, it is located on the Tuul River, and is home to the Ikh Kural, its country's unicameral parliament. In 1924 this city was re-organized around Sukhbataar Square following a people's revolution. Bearing a name meaning "Red Hero," this is, For 10 points, what capital of Mongolia?
A: Ulaan Bataar
Q: Balagan-Tas, part of the Moma Nature Park, is an allochthonous cinder cone in these mountains. The Oymyakon Plateau separates this range from the Suntar-Hayata mountains to the southwest, and includes a granite massif, the Ynnakh (ee-NAH), which is known as Mother Mountain to the dominant ethnic group in them. The Ulakhan (oo-la-HAN) Fault enters these mountains from the east, and they may be part of a geologic triple junction. These mountains are mainly drained by the Yana and Indigirka Rivers. This mountain range is crossed by a highway known as the Road of Bones, as it was constructed from the bodies of inmates from the Dalstroy Gulag, the Kolyma Highway. The northern branch of the Yukaghir (yoo-ka-GHEER) ethnic group considers these mountains sacred. For 10 points, name this far eastern Russian mountain range that defines the northwestern boundary of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.
A: Chersky Mountains or Range or Cherskovo Hrebet
Q: This area's village of Kafountine (KA-fun-teen) contains the Kassel ornithological reserve. A type of mud roundhouse called an impluvium serves as a shelter from war in this area, examples of which are found at Enampor and Affiniam (a-FIN-yam). A large swamp dominated by the Marigots of Kalissaye (ka-li-SAY) and Dioloulou (ju-LU-lu) makes up the west of this area, which contains a Breton church on its island of Carabane (ka-ra-BAN). The upper portion of this area is administered as the regions of Kolda and Sedhiou. Cap Skiring is a southwestern promontory of this area which is known for its beach resorts. This area was populated by ethnic groups fleeing the collapsing Mali empire, the largest of which are the Diola (JO-la), who are now the leaders of its slow-burn insurgency. For 10 points, name this restive Portuguese speaking area along a namesake river in southern Senegal which is governed from Ziguinchor (zi-GWIN-shor) and named for the ancient king of Kasa.
A: The Casamance (anti-prompt on "Ziguinchor," "Kolda," "Sedhiou" before mentioned)
Q: Some of these items are attributed to a recent ancestor named Tamake, but they were certainly in use before the arrival of missionaries from Upolu. They would have been used in conjunction with lessons dispensed at a maneba utilizing principles represented by imaginary rafters called oka. They are found adjacent to a beach known for disappearing and reappearing near Tamaroa, from which they are no longer visible. Three further examples of these items have also been found on Butaritari (boo-TA-ree-TA-ree). Two of them likely represented exile. A missing example pointed toward Gemini in winter and would have indicated Onotoa. Two pairs of them align with Tamana, and possibly with more distant Orona. Eight of these items remain following sketches made by Captain E.V. Ward, including one that indicated the current rin teaira, represented Nikunau, and was called the "Death Stone." For 10 points, name these educational tools which served as directional guides made out of coral found on the island of Arorae in Kiribati.
A: Navigation Stones of Arorae or Te Atibu-ni-Borau Arorae
Q: The 14th Century epic Nagarakartagama (na-ga-ra-kar-ta-GA-ma) refers to this city as Temasek. Kranji is a mangrove swamp in this city's northwest. This city's legacy architecture is its Peranakan style, which is displayed at its Baba House, though many of its poor still live in neighborhoods called kempongs. This city's topography is dominated by the Maindai Hills which form a rugged plateau including the rainforest Bukit Timah. This city's harbors are the Keppel and Serangoon Harbors and its main market is on Orchard Street. A number of epistles to Goa were written from this city by St. Francis Xavier. The Eastern and Orient Express Rail starts in Bangkok and ends in this city whose northern neighbor lies across the Strait of Joror. That neighbor is home to one of this city's official languages in addition to Tamil, Mandarin and English. For 10 points, name this wealthy city-state on the the tip of the Malay Peninsula.
A: Republic of Singapore or Singapura or Cinkappur Kutiyaraku or Xinjiapo
Q: El Baga Nature Park is a part of this nation's Jardines del Rey, which is an archipelago that is part of the Sabana-Camageuy. The Marea del Portillo is part of this country's Turquino National Park, which contains Pica Turquino, this nation's highest point. The Canarreos Archipelago contains the Isla de la Juventud, which is the second largest island in this nation and which is located south of its capital city. Its longest river, the Cuato, flows through the province of Santiago before emptying into the Caribbean. It is located approximately 90 miles south of Florida. For 10 points, name this largest Caribbean island nation home to Guantanamo Bay with capital at Havana.
A: Republic of Cuba
Q: This city's Kibera slum is home to a large majority of its Luo people. The Nations Environmental Program is headquartered in this city, and on its outskirts are the Karura Forest and a national park known as the Kifaru Ark. Its urban footprint is found from the Ngong Hills to the River Athi. The Opus Dei inspired Strathmore University is located in this city. This city's Upper Hill neighborhood contains much of its overseas business. The Fehda Towers are part of this city's skyline, which will soon include the Pinnacle Towers, its continent's second tallest. The Anglican All Saints Cathedral stands on Uhuru Park west of its Holy Family Cathedral on its City Square. Karen Blixen's bungalow is located in a suburb of this city which succeeded Machakos as capital after being built on the lands of the Masai. For 10 points, name this city that contains the Kenyatta International Conference Center, the capital of Kenya.
A: Nairobi
Q: The ancient barley-farming village of Jeitun lies just to the north of this city, its nation's first evidence of agriculture, and it was built on the ruins of the wine-trading hub of Konjikala (kon-ji-KA-la). A suburb of this city contains the ruins of a fortress of the imperal capital, Nassi. This city's Azadi Mosque was inspired by the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, and it was the site of the Mashriku l'Adkar (ma-SHREE-koo LAD-kar), the first Baha'i house of worship, which, like most of this city's brick structures, was destroyed in the Gara Gaudan Earthquake, after which rebuilding campaigns constructed its Howdan and Parahat apartment blocks, as well as its center around the Galkynys Meydani (gal-KEE-nees may-DA-nee), or Renaissance Square. This city which contains several large monuments to Toghril Beg was formerly named Poltoratsk (pol-to-RATSK), is located between the Kopet Dag Mountains and the Kara Kum Desert, and is decorated with more marble than any city on Earth, much of which adorns the mausoleum of its late leader, the author of the Ruhnama. For 10 points, name this resting place of Separmurad Niyazov, (se-PAR-mu-rad ni-YA-zov), the capital of Turkmenistan.
A: Ashgabat
Q: A chain of alluvial fans associated with this resource's formation is known as the Gangplank. It lies south of the similar, but smaller and younger Brule and Arikaree systems. Its host rock preserves fish fossils at Lake Meridith and the Alibates Flint Quarries, spans the Hemphillian to Barstovian land mammal ages, and is divided into the upper Kimball Limestone and the lower Valentine Sandstone. Its southern edge is protected by a layer of caliche that also defines the edge of the Llano Estacado known as the Caprock. The Optima Lake Dam was rendered useless by a lowering of its elevation which desiccated the Beaver River, and the Brazos and Red Rivers begin in this resource. Its deepest point lies beneath the Sand Hills, its northern recharge zone. The diesel-powered central pivot irrigator is largely blamed for the depletion of this resource. For 10 points, name this massive underground reservoir beneath the American Great Plains, named for a Nebraska town whose name pays homage to a Lakota people group.
A: Ogallala Aquifer
Q: The Tantramar Marshes, which lie northeast of this body of water, are attributed to a giant mythological beaver slapping his tail in it. That beaver, which was really the deity Glooscap in disguise, dwelled on its Cape Blomedon (BLOW-me-don). The fossiliferous Wasson's Bluff and the Five Islands Fault lies along a section of its coast known as the Parrsboro Shore which extends from the Apple River to the Portaupique (por-taw-PEEK) River, and which are known as the "cliffs of" this place. The Cobequid Mountains line that section of coast on Minas Basin. An international park which was a popular retreat for the Roosevelts lies on Campobello Island at the entrance to this body of water whose northwesternmost extension is Passamaquoddy (pa-sa-ma-KWO-dee) Bay. A phenomenon associated with the mushroom-shaped Hopewell Rocks and the Old Sow whirlpool in this body of water is also responsible for a bore on the St. John River which causes its reversing falls. Truro and Annapolis Royal lie on, For 10 points, what Canadian bay noted for its extreme tidal fluctuations?
A: Bay of Fundy
Q: Estates like those at Bompai and Chawalla comprise much of this city's industry, which is based around peanut processing. This city's modern section includes the Waje District and Sabon Gari, which lie north of its medieval Syrian Quarter. This city's ancient but still functioning dye pits are located at the Kofar Mata Gate, one of the last remaining of this city's medieval walls, which have fallen into disrepair. The Kurmi Market is a series of narrow, winding alleys beneath this city's Dala Hill district, and once passed its wares from Ghana to Cairo. This city's Abagagyawa (a-ba-ga-GYA-wa) minority claim descent from its original people, whose artifacts are displayed at the Gidan Makama. That people, the Fulani, was displaced by a people described in this city's namesake Chronicle, which tells of its legendary blacksmith king, Bagauda. This city's Gida Dan House and its Emir's Palace are classic examples of its Hausa architecture. For 10 points, name this city-state, the largest city in Nigeria's Islamic northern section.
A: Kano (or Kanawa)
Q: One city in this physiographic region contains the huge Hindu temple Sri Kamadchi Ampal in its Uentrop Industrial Park. That city also features a glass elephant created for a garden show in its former Maximilan Coal Mine that has become its symbol. Another city contains the Jarhunderthall (yar-HOON-der-thal), a concert hall in a former gas plant. A Mansion of Labor is part of its former Zech Zollern coal mine. The Villa Hugel is a Grunderzeit (GRUN-der-zeit) mansion in another city which is famous for its Zollverein (ZOL-ve-rain) Industrial Complex. The Lippe River crosses its areas of Kreis and Recklingshausen (REK-lings-hau-zen), and its Emscher was once an open sewer but now forms a greenbelt in this region. This valley's namesake river rises at the Winterberg (VIN-ter-berg) and flows through Hagen and Witten (VI-ten). For 10 points, name this heavily urbanized valley of Nordrhein-Westphalia (NORD-rain-vest-FAIL-ya) extending from Duisberg to Hamm containing the industrial cities of Dortmund, Bochum and Essen, Germany's most densely populated region.
A: Ruhr Valley (prompt on "Nordrhein-Westphalia," although that's not a physiographic region).
Q: A gypsum mine beneath this neighborhood once yielded a tooth which George Cuvier used to correctly sketch a paleothere. The upper portion of this area is accessed by the steps of the Rue Foyatier (roo fo-YA-ti-yay). Its city's smallest graveyard, the Cimetiere de Calvaire (see-mee-TYER de KAL-ver), is found on its Rue de Cenis. One of its intersections, the Carrefour de l'Auberge (kar-FOR de law-BERJ) was a favorite subject of an artist buried in its St. Vincent Cemetery. Poulbot House was a former administrative center of this neighborhood whose unifying structure today is surrounded by the Parc de la Turlure and overlooks Square Louise-Michel. A statue in the grounds of its Chateau des Brouillards (SHA-to de-BROO-yar) pays homage to a beheaded body which fell dead in this place after finishing a sermon. Later, a patron of the arts dwelled at 27 Rue de Fleurus in this neighborhood. For 10 points, name this neighborhood once haunted by the likes of St. Denis, Maurice Utrillo and Gertrude Stein whose namesake summit is occupied by the Sacre-Cœur Basilica of Paris.
A: Montmartre
Q: The Iles Cerbicale (eels ser-bi-KAL) are a series of granite sea stacks found in this body of water. A poet who dwelled on its shores once referred to it as the "water of the sweet islands of God" in a poem addressed to the winds of Tindari. This body of water formed due to trench rollback which gave rise to its Vavilov and Marsili Basins as well as an island that gives its name to a style of frequent, violent volcanic eruptions of fluid lavas. A notable arched rock is found on the Cala Goloritze (KA-la go-lo-ri-TZAY) on the shores of this body of water within its Gulf of Orosei. That rock is found near its port of Artabax, known for a tower built to warn of corsairs. Another fortress, the Bastion de l'Etendard, guards a western entrance to this body of water, the Strait of Bonifacio (bo-ni-FA-cho). When passing through this sea, Odysseus received a bag of winds from Aeolus. Named for an Etruscan prince who led his people from Lydia, For 10 points, name this sea which receives the Tiber River and includes the island of Stromboli, defined by the eastern coast of Sardinia, the north coast of Sicily and the Italian mainland.
A: Tyrrhenian Sea (the poet mentioned is Salvatore Quasimodo).
Q: The assigned gender role of ashtime is unique to this river valley's Maale people. The canoes of the Kwegu people are noted for their imperviousness to this river's rapids, which include its Kokobi Falls. This river that forms from the confluence of the Gibe and Wabe gives its name to a modern hominid fossil named from its Kibish formation. This river's lower Mui and Usno tributaries join it within the lands of the Hamar and Kamar peoples, who practice a type of child abandonment known as mingi. Another ethnic group of this river practices a stick duel called the sagine and wars with the Toposa and Nyangatom in Mago National Park. This river of the Gregory Rift ends in a lake formerly called Lake Rudolph. For 10 points, name this river whose lower valley is home to Ethiopia's lip stretching Surma and Mursi peoples that gives its name to an Afro-Asiatic language group, and empties into Lake Turkana.
A: Omo River (or Valley) or Omotic
Q: In March 2012, Gen. Burton Field gave a speech demanding complete freedom of navigation in this sea. Controversy erupted over the "Nine-Dashed Line" in this sea, where one country claims the Reed bank as part of its exclusive economic zone. In May 2012, a fight over the Scarborough Shoal in this sea led one country's travel agencies to boycott sending tourists to another country. In March 2012, another country protested plans to search for oil near the (*) Paracel Islands in this sea, and the Spratley Islands here are claimed by six different countries. Maritime rights off the island of Palawan have caused the war of words between Benigno Aquino and the People's Daily. For 10 points, name this sea that lies between Vietnam, the Philippines, and China.
A: South China Sea
Q: Many of this city's recent immigrants live in makeshift shacks called jhuggi-jhompri (JOO-gee JOMP-ree), while older tenements of this city were built around courtyards and are known as katra. This city's gardens include the Roshan Ara, as well as the Lodi Gardens, which host its Bara Gumbad mosque, and its main green space is its Central Ridge Reserve Forest. This city's Qutb Minar is the pinnacle of this city's Pashtuni architectural style, and was built by Iltutmish, whose lavish tomb is also located in this city. The southern part of this city's avenues are constructed as a series of intersecting hexagons on Raisina Hill, two of which enclose a War Memorial Arch and the Connaught Circus. Its old city contains the Red Fort and the Tomb of Humayun, while its new city contains a circular colonnaded structure that houses the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, its nation's parliament. For 10 points, name national capital territory of India.
A: (New) Delhi
Q: This city's neighborhoods of Sunnydale and Visitacion Valley once hosted the largest Maltese community outside of Valetta, though that population has been largely replaced by Samoans, while Tagalog may be heard in its neighborhood of Crocker-Amazon in its Southern Hills. This city's first church was erected near the coastal village of Chutchui, a formerly coastal settlement of the Yelamu. Much of its fourth most prominent people group dwell on unstable landfills that make up Hunter's Point. Its Armenian community reveres a cross on Mt. Davidson as a genocide memorial. Another people of this city occupy a district built on Old Gold Mountain centering on Portsmouth Square and revere a temple on Waverly Place. That Tin How Temple serves a people who entered this city by way of an immigration center on Angel Island. Its formerly Scandinavian Eureka Valley now hosts a prominent gay village. For 10 points, name this city known for neighborhoods like Russian Hill, the Castro and the Mission District located at the end of a peninsula adjacent to the Golden Gate, the fourth largest city in California.
A: San Francisco, California
Q: The Bellows Pipe Trail begins ascending this mountain by following Notch Brook, while another route passes Round Rock Vista as it skirts the cliff face of Jones Nose. An author who referred to this peak as Porphyrogenitus (por-fi-ro-JEN-i-tus) dedicated his seventh novel to it, and a poet stated its summit sends a welcome from a "cloud gilded...purple throne." That summit was rounded by a now-retreated glacier that left behind the Lanesborough Balanced Rock and carved its cirque, the Hopper. Its taiga-boreal forest also covers Saddle Ball Peak and Mount Fitch. A veteran's memorial tower which quotes from George Eliot's poem "The Choir Invisible" stands on this peak from which the Comet Dorati was photographed by an observatory of Williams College. This peak, on which a wandering penitent commits suicide in a lime-kiln, connects the Hoosac Range with the Green Mountains. For 10 points, name this setting of "Ethan Brand," whose profile from Pittsfield may have inspired Moby-Dick, located in the Berkshire range, the highest point in Massachusetts.
A: Mount Greylock
Q: The petroglyphs of Oukaimeden (oo-KEI-me-den) are found in a valley northeast of this mountain. The Dome of Ifni is located across a gorge from this mountain, which is located at the junction of the Adrar n'Tichk (a-DRAR n TISHK) with the ridge of the Quimeksane (kwi-mek-SA-nee). The Sidi Charamouch (sha-ra-MOOSH) is a marabout (MER-a-bawt) shrine located on a route which follows the gorge of the Issougouani (is-soo-GWA-nee) to this mountain. The Tizi n'Ouanoums (TI-zi nwa-NOOMS) is a pass on the west side of this location, and the Ikhibi Nord reaches a col that also accesses Mounts Imouzzer and Tibherine (tib-her-EEN). A national park containing this mountain also preserves the Irhoulidene (i-GHOO-li-deen) Cascade and is accessed via the town of Aremd. The principal trail accessing this peak begins at Imlil at the head of the Mizane Valley. This mountain supplies the meltwater for the system of khettara canals which supply the city of Marrakech. For 10 points, name this highest peak in the Atlas Mountains.
A: Jebel Toubkal
Q: Breaches such as the Kasilamaka (ka-see-la-MA-ka) Passage in these islands form barriers to spirit-possession, and their inhabitants believe life begins with possession by spirits from Tuma. A calendar in use in these islands consists of 10 fixed lunar cycles and three which constitute "free time," and begins with the Milamak Festival. Inhabitants of houses known as bakumatula (ba-ku-ma-TOO-la) use a form of notched banana leaf as currency in these islands. Other members on these islands acquire prestige via the filling of yam-storage towers. A leader on this island who was controversially referred to as "universal brother-in-law" traditionally dwells at Omarakana (o-ma-ra-KA-na) Village, which is found at the center of a soulava-based clockwise and mwali-based counterclockwise shell trading system which includes Kaileuna and Vakuta, but is also practiced by the Muyuw and Dobuan peoples. For 10 points, name this archipelago which practices a type of cricket as a substitute for war, whose kula ring exchange was made famous by Bronislaw Malinowski's (BRO-ni-swaf ma-li-NOF-skis) Argonauts of the Western Pacific, administered from Kiriwina (kee-ree-WEE-na).
A: Trobriand Islands (accept Kiriwina Islands until mentioned).
Q: One of the few novels by an author raised on this island was cobbled together from stories from its Bush Hill and Brown plantations, and is entitled Only God Can Make a Tree, which was written by Bertram Roach. Examples of this island's historical plantations include Romney and Wingfield. A fortress on this island was compared to Gibraltar in Chapter 5 of Derek Walcott's epic novel Omeros. A long peninsula which is indented by Friar's Bay and Frigate Bay connects the southern edge of this island to its main body, which contains the dormant volcano Mt. Liamuiga (lyam-WEE-ga), formerly known as Mt. Misery. White House Bay contains one of this island's best-preserved coral reefs, and Cockleshell Beach and Nag's Head Point wrap around its southern edge, which contains its Great Salt Pond. The center of its capital, which contains the green Berkeley clock tower, was once called Pall Mall Square. Following the Treaty of Utrecht, this island saw only one occupation of Fort George, part of its Brimstone Hill Fortress. For 10 points, name this island of the Lesser Antilles located southeast of St. Eustatius, containing its capital Basseterre and located across the Narrows from its companion, Nevis.
A: St. Kitts or St. Christopher or San Cristobal
Q: Geologically younger examples of this chain of features were named for the discoverer of an east-flowing submarine equatorial current, Thomas Cromwell, and for the birth name of a Belgian priest who established a colony that now makes up the bulk of Kalawao County, De Veuster. The second youngest example in this chain is known as the Academician Berg, and the oldest date associated with them is 80 million years and comes from a member called Detroit. A reverse concave pattern observed in the more northerly Kodiak-Bowie chain and the linear trend of the southern Tuamotu suggests a change in trend associated with them may be due to "mantle wind." That change, which occurred 50 million years ago, created an angle called the "Big Bend." Many of them are plateaus called guyots, the largest of which is Nintoku. Koko is the largest and Meiji is the oldest example of, For 10 points, what chain of extinct volcanos that form the oldest portion of a collection of seamounts with the Hawaiian chain?
A: Emperor Seamounts (accept Hawaii-Emperor Seamounts before "Academician Berg.")
Q: A city in this country is home to the largest Japanese gardens in Europe. The Dyle River flows through this country's city of Mechelen. The High Fens plateau area is located in the province of Liege in this country. Jains control two-thirds of the diamond business in this country's largest city, (*) Antwerp. The headquarters of NATO and the de facto capital of the European Union are located in this country's capital, which is the seat of a Flemish-speaking region. For 10 points, name this European nation whose capital is Brussels.
A: Belgium
Q: A ruined hand sculpture that emerges from this body of water commemorates the loss of the barque Pajtas (pay-TAS). An island castle once existed in this body of water at Fonyod. The rolling wine country to the north of this body of water includes the extinct Badacsony (ba-da-CHO-nee) Volcano, part of the Bakony Mountains. This body of water began as a chain of lakes conjoined by erosion of ridges like the Szantodi (san-TO-di) and Tihanyi Peninsulas, which restrict it to roughly half a mile wide in its northeast. The main river feeding this body of water, the Zala, is known for its forty watermills. A palace on this body of water was called Helicon Hall by its founder George Festetics (fe-STE-tich) and is located in its western town of Keszthely (kes-THE-lee). The main outflow is controlled by a canal at Siofok, the largest town on the south of this lake which is located southwest of the city of Szekesfehervar (se-KES-fe-HER-var), For 10 points, name this large lake in Hungary sometimes called the Magyar (MAD-yar) Sea.
A: Lake Balaton
Q: A bay near this city lies over the Posorja (po-SOR-ha) and Jambeli (ham-BE-li) detachment zones, and experiences earthquakes from the Point Santa Clara fault. Samanes and Cerro Blanco are forested parks in this city. This city's cathedral stands in a park containing a sculpture of two fighting boars which is known for its population of iguanas. The Isla Santay is a large island between this city and the city of Duran. An important literary district along Calle Numa Pompilius Llona (NOO-ma pom-PIL-ius YO-na) is located beneath the Fortin del Cerro, which defends this city from atop Santa Ana Hill. The National Union Bridge connects the peninsular city of Samborondon (sam-bo-ron-DON) to this city, which lies at the junction of the Daule and Babahoyo (ba-ba-O-yo) Rivers. This city's center is marked by the Torre Morisco, a clock tower. This city's Rotunda Monument commemorates an 1822 meeting between Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar. For 10 points, name this city whose center is the riverfront malecon square adjacent to the colonial area, Las Penas, upstream of Puerto Maritimo, the chief Ecuadorian port city.
A: Guayaquil
Q: An alternate name for this mountain derives from a peak Gilgamesh tunneled through to reach Dilmun, and other endonyms used for it translate to the Mountain of Pain and the Mountain of Fire. The overlapping Dogubeyazit-Gurbalak (do-gu-be-YA-zeet-gur-BA-lak) and Igdir Faults have created a pull-apart basin separated by this mountain. Balik Lake gives rise to the Gurgure Stream on its southwest flank, which defines its southern drainage. This mountain is commonly photographed from the Khor Virap Monastery. A chapel dedicated to St. James and the city and monastery of St. Jacob once existed on this mountain, which contains a stone structure said to be an altar built by the father of Haik, whose descendents dwell in a nation to its east. That nation features this mountain on its coat of arms, namely Armenia. Divided into its greater and lesser cones, For 10 points, name this high mountain in Eastern Turkey, the supposed resting place for Noah's Ark.
A: Mt. Ararat or Agri Dagi or Ciyaye Ayiri
Q: This city's recent development projects include Roppongi Hills and Shiodome, both of which are located in one of this city's 23 special wards. Two waterfronts in this non-American city are connected by the Rainbow Bridge. This city's Skytree is currently the second tallest structure in the world. Many of this city's subway stations are served by (*) pushers whose job is to push passengers into crowded trains. This city's Tsukiji Fish Market is being relocated in preparation for hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics. For 10 points, name this city with a view of Mount Fuji, the capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo
Q: This city, founded on the homeland of the Humbu and Teke, spreads southeastward from the Malebo Pool. A district of this city contains the Limete Tower. Most of this city's European population inhabits its hillside community of Binza or the district of Gombe adjacent to its industrial port Ndombe. A device called TRICO I was built at a university on Mont Amba in this city that was Africa's first nuclear reactor. The Ngaliema (nga-LYE-ma) commune on the Lukungu River contains its Camp Tchatchi military base as well the former home of its commander, the Marble Palace. Much of northern portion of this Lingala-speaking city's commune of Bandalungwa (ban-da-LUNG-wa) displays Flemish architectural themes. Its urban core is found north of the Kasavubu (ka-sa-VOO-boo) Hills and is the southernmost of the pair of the world's closest international capitals. For 10 points, name this massive city once called Leopoldville, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A: Kinshasa
Q: Two mountains east of this city are named Little Marlene and Big Marlene, and are accessed from Circus Lake. An art museum in this city's Kissarneqqortuunnguaq (ki-sar-ne-kor-TOON-gwak) district contains the largest collection of Emanuel Petersen paintings, and it contains a sculpture of the orphan Kassassuuk (ka-sa-SOOK). Navigators looking for this city are guided by the landmark Hart's Antlers formation, also known as Hjortetakken (hyor-te-TA-ken), and the island Sermitsiaq (ser-MITS-yak). Though much of this city's architecture is dominated by long row concrete apartment blocks, its wavy Katuaq (KA-twak) Cultural Center was designed to evoke a phenomenon known locally as the selamiut (SEH-la-myut), and its seaside Myggedalen (MIH-ghe-da-len) district contains colorful clapboard houses evocative of its colonizing culture. Before arriving in this city, ships pass the ruins of Vesterbygden (VES-ter-big-den), or the "Western Settlement." For 10 points, name this city whose Danish name comes from a fjord of the Davis Strait and means "Good Hope," the home of the Landsting Parliament and the capital of Kalaallit Nunaat (ka-LA-lit nu-NAT) on Greenland.
A: Nuuk or Godthab
Q: A 1994 study by Hartung and Koeberl (KER-berl) suggested the basin now occupied by this body of water as a source crater for the Australasian tektite meteorite field. The Dangrek and Cardamom Mountains define that basin which includes the plain of the Veal Poc. The Sreng and Sen Rivers flow into this body of water in which a fisherman supposedly found the Sword of Victory in a fishing net and gave it to Chao Phraya Chakri. Another civilization built a network of canals and reservoirs connected to this lake, whose tributaries support modern cities like Battambang, and which is fed by a reversing river during the monsoon season, to supply cities like Yasodhara (ya-so-DA-ra) and Angkor. For 10 points, name this central lake of the Khmer Empire, a tributary to the Mekong River in central Cambodia.
A: Tonle Sap
Q: This river is first crossed by the double deck Rollemberg-Vuollo Bridge. In its first four hundred miles it absorbs tributaries like the Sucuriu and Pardo from the Serra da Maracaju (Se-ra da ma-ra-KA-ju) after a river that flows through Itumbiara (i-tum-bi-YA-ra) joins the Rio Grande at the Salteiro Island Reservoir to create it. This river flows past the ruined missions of Jesus de Tavarangue (je-SUS de ta-va-RAN-ghe) and Santissima Trinidad (san-TI-si-ma tri-ni-DAD) near Encarnacion (en-kar-na-si-ON) as it forms the southern border of Itapua (i-ta-POO-a) Department. That city's low-lying areas were flooded out by the construction of its Yacireta (ya-si-re-TA) Dam. Forests dominate the banks of this river until it reaches Corrientes, where it enters the Esteros de Ibero, a savanna. Its lower course is mostly found south of a structure that drowned its Guaira (GWAY-ra) Falls, the Itaipu Dam. For 10 points, name this river which joins the Uruguay to form the Rio de la Plata which is named for a people of the Central Plateau of Brazil, not a ferocious fish.
A: Parana River
Q: The Monte de Ombues and Laguna de Rocha reserves protect significant coastal wetlands in this country, which were a stronghold of a people described in a national epic concerning a romance of Blanca with a member of that group that was nearly exterminated, then enslaved at the Cave of the Tiger, the Tabare. The northeast-southwest trending Cuchilla de Haedo (koo-CHEE-ya de AY-do) and Cuchilla Grande (koo-CHEE-ya GRAN-day) ridges bracket the valley of the only interior-flowing navigable river in this country, which has reservoirs on the Baygorria and the Rincon del Bonete. That river, the Rio Negro, flows through Paso de los Torros and meets a river that flows on this country's western boundary below Fray Bentos. The aforementioned Charrua People have an ethnic cemetery in its city of Piriapolis (pi-ri-AP-o-lis). Cape Mary is this country's southernmost extension near its resort city of Punta del Este. Its capital's historic center extends from the Plaza Cagancha to the Rambla and contains the Salvo and Estevez Palaces as well as the Casa Lavalleja (la-va-YE-ha). For 10 points, name this South American country with capital Montevideo.
A: Oriental Republic of Uruguay or Republica Oriental de Uruguai
Q: The body of a bull totem of the Bozo people represents this river, while its horns represent their pirogues, and along with the Sorko fishermen they are said to be the "masters of" this river. A gap in this river's navigability occurs in the rapids and defiles between Ansongo and Labbezanga (la-be-ZAN-ga), below which it meanders through the W National Park. This river receives the Niandan and Milo from the south and the Tinkisso from the north before reaching its central section marked by the Sotuba Dam. The Kainji Dam creates the chief reservoir on its lower course. Of its distributary channels in its delta, including the Brass and Bonny, only the Escravos is navigable. In its first hundred miles it flows out of the Timba Ravine and is known as the Joliba as it flows through Faranah and Kourousso (ku-RU-so). Its central wetlands experience the white and black floods of its inland delta around Segou, Djenne (je-NAY) and Mopti. For 10 points, name this river which flows in an arc through Bamako and Gao, and gives its name to two Sahelian African countries.
A: Niger River (accept any of the following: Oya, Orimili, Egerew n'Egerewen, Isa Beeri, Toru Beni, Kwara)
Q: This location is currently the southern limit of the influence of the northern Tekna people, though the southern Oulad Tidrarin people also claim this place. The Sebja Arryd (SEB-ja a-RID) is a salt plain inland and directly east of this location. The underwater Nwayfadh (NWAY-fath), Chtoukane (shtoo-KA-nay) and Cordero canyons lie off this promontory. A poem by Fernando Pessoa (PE-sho-wa) states that "who wants to pass (this location) / Must also pass beyond pain." The first modern explorers to do so fought a battle at Angra dos Cavalos south of this location. This place which claimed the American brig Commerce was first called Abu Khatar, or "father of danger," and is found between Tafaya and the port of Dakhla. Gil Eanes successfully rounded this location known for its rocky shoals and sharp reefs, in 1434. For 10 points, name this cape known for disappearing ships, an early target of Henry the Navigator, now located in the Western Sahara south of El Aaiun.
A: Cape Bojador
Q: A 1960s era policy saw the habitat of one population of this species reduced for pyrethrum cultivation. A center at Rumangabo (roo-man-GA-bo) that bears the name Senkwekwe has the only captive population of this species, which are survivors of a massacre at Bikenge. Mbuti nets may inadvertently snare this animal which is threatened by charcoal smuggling. The Jomba site frequented by these animals is found in the Mikeno Sector of the westernmost national park which protects them. A facility monitoring this species has been internally displaced to Musanze. The Hagenia (ha-JEN-ya) and Giant Senecio zones of Karisimbi, Mikeno and Visoke are home to most of their population, half of which is found in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, while smaller groups dwell in the Parc National des Volcans of Rwanda and in the Virunga region of the Congo. For 10 points, name these large primates which have longer hair and shorter arms than their lowland relatives.
A: Highland Gorillas or Mountain Gorillas or Gorilla berengei berengei
Q: An Austronesian tribe in this state's hill country is divided into the Arsi weavers, Muli ironworkers and Kumbi potters, the Savara. Savannahs such as the Baudh Plains isolate this state's remaining rainforests, where its Kuttia Khond ethnicity practice slash-and-burn agriculture. Most of this state's industry is supplied by its Talcher coalfields. Power is supplied by its northwestern Hirakud Dam. This state's main coastal areas are bisected into the Chilka and Baleshwar Coastal Plains by the Mahanadi River. One of this state's cities is the only city in its country where all castes may eat together. That site is also famous for its Rathayatra Chariot Festival. Puri and its temple of Jagannatha (ja-ga-NA-tha), famous for its team-pulled wagons, are found in this state. For 10 points, name this Oriya-speaking state of India that contains the northeastern end of the Eastern Ghats whose largest city is Cuttack and whose capital is Bhubaneshwar (boo-ba-NESH-war).
A: Odisha (or Orissa)
Q: A hill formerly known as Craigingalt lies to the west of this complex of buildings. The ruins of a Jesuit University and a chapel of the Order of the Thistle are located in a park containing this building, which contains ponds named for Dunsapie and Duddingston. A murder at what is now its oratory in its northwest tower utilized its spiral stair and took place after the victim was dragged from its turret room. Hills known as the Lion's Haunch and Arthur's Seat are visible to the south of this building. Its first structure was built in deference to a symbol that appeared between the antlers of a stag being pursued by David I and was its abbey. The owners of this palace at Cannongate are present on a namesake week that lasts from June into the first week of July, and spend most of their time in its Morning Drawing Room. For 10 points, name this famous palace in Edinburgh that is the official Scottish residence of the British monarchy.
A: Holyrood House (Palace)
Q: The archaeological Seima-Turbino phenomenon has been traced to cultures originally inhabiting these mountains. Northern and southern branches of this mountain range are separated by a protected "Quiet Zone," the Ukok Plateau. That zone is part of a site known as the "Golden Mountains of" this range, which protects ibex, wisent, and snow leopards. A south-flowing river system rising in this range drains into the basin of Lake Kanas, and has its source in the Nairamdal Peak, while the northern range, known as the Kolyvan or Sailughem range give rise to the Biya and Katun rivers, and contains its highest point, Mount Belukha. For 10 points, what mountain range gives rise to the Ob and Irtysh Rivers, is divided by Mongolia, Russia, China and Kazakhstan, and lends its name to one of Asia's principal language families?
A: Altaic Mountains (anti-prompt on "Sailughem"), accept Northern or Southern Chu Alps or Ek-tagh until "language family" is read
Q: A people in this country use the endonym Atoni and use a tongue referred to as "the language of the dry." Bunak is an allochthonous language spoken in this country's west. This nation administers the former island-of-exile Atauro, which is now a resort center, and a beach called Baucau is popular there despite its population of crocodiles. The aforementioned Baikeno-speakers live in the sandalwood-forested exclave of Oecussi Ambeno (we-KU-si Am-BEE-no) in this nation. Most of its rain falls on the range of Mt. Tatamailau (ta-ta-MAI-lau), its highest point. Inhabitants of this nation's capital speak a creole version of Tetun with many Portuguese borrowings. For 10 points, name this nation on the Arafura Sea with capital Dili.
A: East Timor
Q: A king on this plateau is coronated at a stoning ceremony which takes place at the Achum Shrine in a palace of the Fon of Bafut in the Bamenda Highlands. The Vina is an east-flowing river that has its source on this plateau, and the west flowing Donga and Taraba are part of a basin whose river begins in its Lac de Lagdo. Mt. Ngaoui is the highest point of an eastward extension of these highlands, while a westward one has its summit at Mt. Dimfang in the Gotel Range. Their highest point is Mt. Oko, which is part of an identically named mountain range that towers over the Lac de Bemending to the south and the gas-belching Lake Nyos to the north. A region with capital Ngaoundere (n-GOWN-de-re) stretching to the Central African Republic is named for these highlands which lie south of Mandara and that are the source of the Benue River. Named for an emirate of the Sokoto Caliphate, For 10 points, name this plateau and mountain range on the border of Nigeria and Cameroon.
A: Adamawa Highlands or Plateau or Mountains
Q: One national park in this nation is an oasis called the Ein Gedi, and one of the highest peaks in this country is Mount Meron. An erosion-produced crater in this nation is Makhtesh Ramon, which sits in this country's Negev desert, located north of its resort town of Eilat. The largest city in the north of this country is situated near Mount Carmel and is called Haifa, and this nation's west contains the lowest dry-land point in the world. It lays claim to the Golan Heights and is bounded on the right by the Jordan River. For 10 points, name this nation that boasts the Dead Sea and has its capital at Jerusalem.
A: Israel
Q: This region's main mountain range is a laccolith that is an extension of the Mount Ormonde Seamount whose Seixe (SAY-she) and Odiaxere (o-ja-SHE-re) Gorges have been mostly dessicated by the introduction of eucalyptus. The Via Calcadinia (kal-ka-DEE-nya) is a Roman road that connects this region's two urban centers. The Porta de Loule is an Almedina in a former capital of this region known by its conquerors as Al Shilb. Tavira is the main island off the coast of this region whose highest point is in the Serra de Monchique (mon-CHEE-kay). A major wetland in this region is a series of marshes, lagoons and salt flats known as the Ria Formosa. This region's city of Lagos hosted Europe's first slave market, and its Sagres Fortress is a proposed site of Prince Henry's school of navigation and overlooks Cabo Sao Vicente. Faro is this region's principal city. For 10 points, name this region between the Guadiana (gwa-dee-AH-na) River and the Atlantic Ocean on Portugal's southern coast.
A: the Algarve
Q: The southern reaches of this city approach the Barnova Forest and the Dobrovat Monastery. Repedea Hill is a source of fossils near this city at the junction of the Barlad Plateau and the rolling Jijia (JEE-jya) Plain. This city's intelligentsia meets at its Pogon House. This city's Metropolitan Cathedral is the target of an October pilgrimage connected with its patron saint, Paraschiva (pa-ra-SKEE-va). A poet associated with this city wrote beneath a linden tree behind the Obelisk of Lions in this city's Copou Park. The Holboca Bridge crosses the Bahlui River in this city. The tomb of Demetrius Cantemir is located in a structure in this city where the Proclamation of Ypsilante (eep-si-LAN-tay) began the Greek Revolution, the Church of the Three Hierarchs. This city's Hotel Traian was designed by Gustave Eiffel. This city's largest enterprise hosts a library that contains the Hall of the Lost Footsteps and the Forty Saints Church, its nation's braintrust Alexander Cuza (TSOO-za) university. For 10 points, name this home of Romania's Michael Eminescu, the capital of its Moldavia region.
A: Iasi (Jassy)
Q: Lakes in one region with this name include Darbandikhan (dar-BAN-de-han) and Duhok, and a mountain known as the Black Tent, Cixi (JEE-chee) Dere, is its highest point. That region has its capital at a city its inhabitants call Hewler. In another nation, a corridor between Qamishli (ka-MEESH-lee) and Al Hasakah, extending to Jabal al-Akrad is given this name. A short-lived kingdom with this name had its capital at Sulemani, but was reconquered in favor of split invested governances such as a namesake province with capital Sanandaj; that one is part of a larger region which colloquially includes the saline Lake Urmia. The largest portion of this divided region includes the city of Diyarbakir (dee-YAR-ba-keer) and is centered on Lake Van. For 10 points, give the common name of these provinces and regions, a regional name for the largest ethnicity currently without a home country in the Middle East.
A: Kurdistan (or Qordestan) (prompt on "Northern Iraq" before the end of the second sentence)
Q: An expedition of a Dr. Silvio Zavatti may have involved seals on this landmass, but is more likely a hoax. Another conspiracy theory involving this landmass involves a flash observed by satellite, known as the Vela Incident. Its southwest coast contains the wind-lashed Benn Skerries, which are found beneath Rustad Knoll between it and Lars Island. Its even more rugged southeast coast contains the treacherous Williams Reef. Natural anchorage exists between Cape Valdivia and Cape Circumcision, but its best access point is the Nyrs Scree, whose meteorological observatory keeps getting destroyed by earthquakes. Except for the Svartstranda (svart-STRAN-da) Beach, all other access to this island is blocked by cliffs, or by the Horntvedt (horn-TVAYT) and Christiansen Glaciers which descend from Mt. Olav. A helicopter evacuation of Soviet ornithologists to the icebreaker Ob' is posited to explain an abandoned lifeboat found in a lagoon on this island. For 10 points, name this sub-Antarctic island administered by Norway, the most remote land in the world.
A: Bouvet Island or Bouvetøy
Q: The Avam ethnic group is native to this peninsula, whose native languages include Dolgan and Nganasan (GAN-a-san), whose speakers' genetic pool contains its language family's highest proportion of oriental haplogroups. Yamuneru Bay forms the largest area of wetlands on this peninsula, and makes up the eastern arm of its large namesake lake, which drains through the Byrranga Mountains. Most of its population lives along a river that empties into the Gulf of Khatanga. Nenets reindeer-herds roam this peninsula that includes Cape Chelyuskin (chel-YU-skin), and that along with Severnaya Zemlya (se-ver-NA-ya zem-LYA), separates the Kara and Laptev Seas. For 10 points, name this vast tundra-covered Russian peninsula, the northernmost in Asia.
A: Taymyr Peninsula
Q: The biodiversity of this ecoregion is considered threatened by gold mining in its towns of Rurrenabaque (ru-re-na-BA-kay), Mapiri and Guanay. A western extension of this ecosystem is the Vilcabamba-Amboro (vil-ka-BAM-ba-am-BO-ro) Wildlife Corridor found in its Tambopata (tam-bo-PA-to) Reserve on the upper reaches of the Madre de Dios Valley. The Madidi and Carrasco National Parks protect this home of tapirs, jaguars and pacaruni. The Inambari (ee-nam-BA-ree) River is the boundary between the northern and central portions of this ecosystem. Travel time in this ecosystem is shortened by a series of zip lines which crosses their deepest canyons. A road cut into a cliffside from Oico into this ecosystem's city of Coroico is officially named for the northern reaches of these hanging valleys, whose largest settlement is the health resort town of Chulumani (choo-loo-MA-ni). For 10 points, what are these elevated rainforests that form a transition zone from the lowland Selvas to the highlands of the Andes in Peru and Bolivia?
A: the Yungas
Q: A double example of this type of structure is known as the Krom at Daumantas. One of these structures houses the secret library of Sophia Paleologos. A usurper's wife once is said to have escaped one of these structures by turning into a magpie; that one at Kolona is home to Marina's tower and the Uspensky Convent. The easternmost example contains the bells of Uglich at Tobolsk. The Spaso-Evfiniev (SPA-so ev-FEEN-yev) Monastery Complex is sometimes incorrectly considered to be this type of building. The Qol-Sarif is the only mosque contained within this type of structure and is found in Kazan. The oldest example is referred to as Detinyets (de-tin-YETS) and contains the Palace of the Facets. For 10 points, name this type of fortress located at the center of cities like Rostov, Vladimir and Novgorod whose most famous example is the center of the Russian government in Moscow.
A: Kremlins
Q: The carpet weaving center of Bhadohi (va-DO-hee) is located just to the west of this city, and a weaving industry centered in this city employs mainly its Momin Ansari Muslim sect to produce a namesake Saree silk that is favored for weddings, but is heavily dependent on child labor. This city is the location of the easternmost example of the Jantar Mantar style observatories built by the astronomer king Jai Singh II. A mosque was built over the ruins of a temple known as the "well of wisdom" in this city. A ring road known as Panchakosi (pan-cha-KO-see) encloses most of this city's famous sites. The Durga is venerated at a temple in this city noted for large populations of monkeys, and its Sankatmochana (san-kat-mo-CHA-na) is dedicated to Hanuman. Another religion began with a sermon at Sarnath to the north of this city, that of the Great Wheel of Dharma. Manikarnika (ma-nee-kar-NEE-ka) is a crematorium in this city to which pilgrims migrate to die, and is one of many ghats which descend to the Ganges River. For 10 points, name this city in Uttar Pradesh, home to the Ganga Festival, the most sacred of the seven cities of Hinduism.
A: Varanasi or Benares
Q: This passage was the focus of Operation Praying Mantis, which was planned in revenge for damage to the ship Samuel B. Roberts. An island in this body of water collects water from the Marls of Chahkouh (cha-KOO) Valley and is noted for its Hara forests. Vessels traveling west through this passage first pass the island of Larak, and exit it by passing through the Greater and Lesser Tanb Islands. William Baffin was mortally wounded trying to take a fort on its largest island, which is now administered by a sheikh of the Ma'in Tribe. That island, Qeshm (KESH-um), is separated by the Clarence Strait from the mainland. The Habshan-Fujairah (HAB-shan fu-JAI-ra) Pipeline was built as an alternative to the use of this passage which is defined by the southern city of Kasab and the northern city of Bandar-e-Abbas. For 10 points, name this strategically important water passage that separates the Arabian Sea from the Persian Gulf, which is either named for a type of date palm or a Zoroastrian deity.
A: Strait of Ormuz
Q: This city's Butanta Institute is a world-leading producer of snake antivenin, and it is the capital of a state that administers a forbidden island infested by Golden Lanceheads. Vik Muniz constructed a panorama of this city made of garbage atop its Farol Santander skyscraper. This city hosts a large Japanese population in its Liberdade District, which is west of its largely Italian Bixiga (bi-SHI-ga). Much of its industry is north of its Agua Branca neighborhood. This largest city in the Anhangabau (a-nyan-ga-BAW) Valley contains the museum district of the Parque Ibirapuera (i-bi-ra-PWE-ra) and the Siqueira (si-KAY-ra) Campos, a preserved rain forest. This city's government meets in the Edificio Matarazzo (ma-ta-RA-tso), designed by Mussolini's architect Marcello Piacentini (pya-chen-TEE-nee). The Rua Barao de Itapetininga (Ru-wa ba-RAO de i-ta-pe-ti-NIN-ga) bisects its center, the Triangulo, which includes its stock exchange, the B3, and the winding Edificio Copan of Oscar Niemeyer. This city in the basin of the Tamanduatei (ta-man-DWA-te) and Tiete Rivers is served by the port of Santos 30 miles to its south. For 10 points, name this largest city in Brazil.
A: Sao Paulo
Q: It's not in Pakistan, but this city's western suburbs are home to an ethnic group that use the endonym "Changgar," hail from Laghman, are commonly confused with Roma, and speak the Parya language. A mosque planned to replace its Haji Yakub mosque will be the largest in its geopolitical region. The Kofarnihon (ko-far-NEE-hon) Canyon is north of this city whose electricity comes from an earthen dam that would have been the world's tallest, the Nurek, but was shortened in the 1970's. The primary cultural district of this city which contains the Lahuti Theatre is located on Rudaki Avenue. This city, which was named for its Monday bazaar, is divided into districts named for Avicenna, Firdowsi, Shah Mansur and Ismail Samani. Like its suburb of Ordzhonikidzeabad (or-jo-ni-KID-ze-a-bad), this city stands in the Gissar Valley on the Varzob River. For 10 points, name this planned Soviet city once named Stalinabad, the capital of Tajikistan.
A: Dushanbe
Q: A sculpture in this city is a pyramid of five 83-foot orange rifles which touch at the tip entitled Eternity. The municipality of this city contains the limestone quarries and vineyards of Cricova, and its largest suburb is Durlesti (dur-LESH-tee). Lake Valea Morilor lies just west of the center of this city. A Jewish ghetto between Renasteri (re-na-SHTE-ree) and Fantalului (fan-ta-LUL-wi) Streets in this city was the target of a 1903 pogrom whose victims rest in its Alunelul (a-loo-NE-lool) Park, and its sector of Buiucani (boo-yoo-TSA-ni) has the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe. This city's tallest skyscrapers are lined up along Dacia (DAK-ya) Boulevard in this city's Botanica sector. The Holy Gates are this city's Triumphal Arch near a park surrounding the Cathedral of Christ's Nativity is this city's center named for Stefan cel Mare (ste-FAN chel MA-ray). A legislative body that met in its Sfatul Tarii (SFA-tul TSA-ri) palace proclaimed its nation independent. For 10 points, name this chief city of the Bac River, the capital of Moldova.
A: Chisinau or Kishinev
Q: Much of the main tribe in these highlands has experienced forced relocations to the Kasalong Forest Reserve. The Buddhist Marma and Tenchungya (ten-CHUNG-ya) tribes inhabit this mostly shale bearing upland region whose highest point is Ren Tlang. The aforementioned Chakma people were native to this highland region, but many were displaced by the drowning of the Karnaphuli (kar-na-FOO-lee) Floodplain by the building of a dam at Kaptai. The Kaladan River Valley is on the east side of these hills named for a city whose abandoned ships provide an important source of metal for its nation. The Indian state of Mizoram lies on the east side of, For 10 points, what set of hills paralleling the Bay of Bengal overlooking Cox's Bazaar, the namesake of a city that is the second largest in Bangladesh, and which also forms the eastern border with Myanmar?
A: Chittagong Hills Tracts
Q: This city relied on a terraced irrigation system known as the sukakollo (soo-ka-KO-yo). Its Kantatayita (kan-ta-ta-TEE-ya), still being deciphered, is a heap of carved slabs bearing geometric designs. The gold treasures of its necropolis of Putuni was raided upon excavation by the amateur archaeologist Fritz Buck. The enclosure of Kheri-Kala and a partially submerged semi-subterranean courtyard are also part of this city. The most visible structure at this likely Puquina (poo-KEE-na)-speaking city is its Akapana Pyramid, which was perhaps used for water storage. A ritual platform complex hosting the Ponce monolith called the Kalasasaya (ka-la-sa-SA-ya) is surrounded by priest's quarters at this location on the Chilla (CHEE-ya) River, where several hundred-ton monoliths have been unearthed at its Temple of Puma Punku, which contain several carvings of the Staff God. This site containing two calendars on its Gates of the Sun and Moon was later built over by Late-coming Incas. For 10 points, what is this ruined stone city in Bolivia believed by the Inca to be the origin of man?
A: Tiahuanaco
Q: The Raniban Forest Preserve is located to the northwest of this city. A retired field marshal, using funds acquired in a game of cowrie shells, built this city's Swapna Bagaicha, or Garden of Dreams, whose sections are divided by its nation's six seasons. A six-way junction lies at the center of this city's Asan Tole Market, which is near its central district of Thamel. The child-eating demon Guru Mapa supposedly haunts this city's Itum Courtyard, while an elected goddess representing the female essence of devi dwells at its Kumari Bahal. A temple founded by Raja Lachmina Singh gives this city its name, which means "wood temple." The Hanuman Dhoka is found in this city's Palace Square, which was badly damaged by a 2015 earthquake centered in the Little Himalayas. For 10 points, name this capital of Nepal.
A: Kathmandu
Q: A geomorphological reserve near this city is the Aukstagiris (ok-SHTA-gi-ris), which also names a tribe of its early settlers. The mound village of Kernave lies northwest of this city. The Gate of Dawn is the last remaining portal of this city's medieval wall. A museum called the Green House documents atrocities against this city's Jewish population, who were herded into Greater and Lesser Ghettos, and whose sole surviving temple is the Choral Synagogue. Jascha Heifetz is from that population in this city. This city's artistic center is its Uzhupis District. A cathedral in this city was erected on a hill formerly dedicated to the thunder god Perkunas and contains St. Casimir's Chapel. This city's most famous religious structure is its red brick gothic St. Anne's Church. Gediminias (ge-de-MI-ni-yas) Castle overlooks this city at confluence of rivers first bridged by King Mindaugas. For 10 points, name this city on the Neris River, the capital of Lithuania.
A: Vilnius
Q: The Diosso Gorge is a canyon of eroded red clays in this country. A southern border of this nation crosses the Cataractes Plateau, which is separated from the coast by the valley of the Niani River. The Crystal Mountains cross this country and climax at Mt. Foungouti. Its highest point is a giant iron deposit which also names a cylindrical tower in its capital alternately known as the Elf Tower. Northeast of the Sangha this country's Likouala (li-KWA-la) department is characterized by swampland inhabited by the Mitaba and the Aka-speaking Babenga and its Bateke (BA-te-ke) Plateau is home to the M'Bochi (m-BO-chi). Nouabale-Ndoki (nwa-ba-LAY-n-DO-ki) and Odzala National Park are its primary wildlife reserves protecting its population of forest elephants and lowland gorillas. This country's main harbor is located on the Cote Sauvage (KOT sau-VAZH) in the land of the Vili. Its capital contains the Sacre-Cœur Cathedral, the oldest in Central Africa, as well as the aforementioned Nabemba Tower. For 10 points, name this country whose main port is at Pointe Noire and whose capital is Brazzaville.
A: Republic of the Congo ("Democratic Republic of the Congo" is wrong, do not accept); accept Congo-Brazzaville
Q: This feature marks a boundary between the Silurian High Fall sandstone and the Ordivician (or-do-VISH-an) Martinsburg Shale, and the failed Pahaquarry (pa-ha-KWA-ree) Copper Mine is directly north of it. Worthington State Forest protects the northeast flank of this feature. Before reaching it, the tributaries of Dunnfield and Brodhead Creeks are absorbed, and Pompey and Godfrey Ridges influence much of its hydrology. The anticipated flood zone of the delayed, then cancelled Tock Island Dam north of this feature provided the boundaries of a national recreation area which contains the Raymondskill Falls. This feature's shape is defined by Mt. Minsi and Mt. Tammany. Like similar paintings of Lackawanna Valley (la-ka-WA-na), George Inness painted several views of this feature with trains, and several also feature steamboats. For 10 points, name this gorge separating the Blue and Kittatinny (ki-ta-TI-nee) Mountain Ranges located on a river between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
A: Delaware Water Gap
Q: A people to its northwest refer to this mountain as Mt. Oibor. The Reusch (ROISH) Pit is a crater on this mountain. A dike swarm feeds its subsidiary cones of Kileo, Ol Merouk and Lerongo. The related Pare Mountains are visible to the southeast of this mountain's summit. The Great Barranco is a deep gorge on this mountain whose Rombo and Kilema Zones define its rockfall risk to the south and east. The city of Moshi is the capital of a province with this name. The Engaruka (en-ga-ROO-ka) Plain separates Arusha and Amboseli National Parks to the northwest of this mountain whose Arrow Glacier is the source of the Pangani River. This 50-kilometer massif east of Mt. Meru is composed of its former Mawensi and Shira vents, as well as its central cone of Kibu which contains its highest point, Uhuru. For 10 points, name this subject of a novel by Ernest Hemingway located in northern Tanzania, the snow-capped highest point in Africa.
A: Mt. Kilimanjaro
Q: Port Meadow is a source for much of the Bronze Age material of this city's main museum. This city's St. Frideswide Priory is its nation's smallest cathedral. The initials of Thomas a Kempis are found 84 times on the ceiling of a library in this city. This city's earliest structure is a tower of St. Michael's Church on Cornmarket Street, its Saxon Romanesque. Another tower is that of St. George's Church, which is now part of a prison in this city built by a governor also responsible for its Folly and Hythe bridges. An important literary circle once met at this city's Eagle and Child public house and studied at a library whose collections are divided by Blackwell Hall and Weston and features the Radcliffe Camera, its Bodleian (Bod-LAY-an) Library. For 10 points, name this British university town containing the Ashmolean (ash-MO-le-an) Museum and Exeter, Magdalen, Balliol and Trinity Colleges located at the confluence of the Cherwell and Isis Rivers.
A: Oxford
Q: This body of water was known to the Greeks as Lychnitis (lik-NEE-tis). Vanadium pollution from the Sotk Gold Mine on its southeastern shores has recently affected its Masrik inflow and contributed to the disappearance of its endemic bojak and bakhtakh trout. The orientation of the Areguniats (a-re-GOON-yats) Mountains is responsible for a persistent fog that shrouds its northern shore in the summer. A vision of 12 figures crossing this lake is the story behind the founding of its Astvatsatsin (ast-va-TSA-tsin) Monastery by St. Merob Mashtots. A tunnel to the Arpa River has stabilized the fall in its water levels caused by hydroelectric plants built on the Hrazdan. This central feature of its nation's Gegharkunik (ge-gar-KOO-nik) Province makes up one sixth of that nation's area, and is one of its historic "seas," the only one remaining within its borders. For 10 points, name this lake drained by the Aras River, the largest in the Caucasus Region, located in Armenia.
A: Lake Sevan
Q: A hill southeast of this location known as the Aoinet N'Cher (a-WEE-net n-SHER) has been determined to be an iron laterite rather than the source of a giant mesosideritic (me-so-si-de-RI-tic) meteorite named for it, although the Aouelloul (a-WE-lul) Impact Crater has been located to this city's south. The main route to this place passes through the Amogjar (a-mog-JAR) Pass, which is known for its Neolithic cave landscape paintings. Its nation's most promising oilfield is named for this city which, along with Tichitt (ti-SHEET), Oualata (wa-LA-ta) and Ouadane (wa-DA-nay), houses gazelle skin records in its family-kept Hamotti and Al Manar libraries. The dunes of the Ouarani (wa-RA-nee) have already begun to invade this ksour on the Adrar Plateau which over the centuries accumulated a trove of manuscripts from Sanhaja (san-HA-ja) pilgrims passing to Mecca at its red unmortared Friday Mosque, the symbol of its nation. For 10 points, name this center of Islamic learning and trade in Mauretania.
A: Chinguetti
Q: The highland lagoon El Junco in these islands is a rare source of freshwater, and another of their early communities was supported by a spring at Asilo de la Paz. A penal colony built the Wall of Tears in these islands' Puerto Villamil (vi-YA-mil). A salt mine once existed on its Sugarloaf Volcano, which stands over a black sand beach which is home to a colony of heron-hunting crabs at Puerto Egas. High elevations on these islands are known to sport Scalesia forests, such as those on Crocker Hill. The largest member contains the volcanic landscape of the Serra Negra, and also includes Mt. Azul, the highest point in this chain. Punta Espinoza hosts colonies of penguins and cormorants on its Fernandina member. That member was known as Albemarle (AL-be-marl) to a figure who documented the high variability of its finches, and is now called Isabela. For 10 points, name this archipelago located at the triple point of the Nazca, Cocos and Pacific plates whose endemic species, including its marine iguanas and tortoises, were described by Darwin in 1835.
A: Galapagos Islands
Q: Ages defined by this mountain include the Sacobia, Crow Valley and Buag periods. An earlier incarnation of this mountain remains in plugs at Bituian (bi-TOO-yan) and Tapungho (ta-PUNG-ho), as well as a feature at its center known as Tayawan. A forested dome obscures most of this mountain from the surrounding plains, and Mt. Tapalau, not this mountain, is the highest point of its Cabusilan (ka-BOO-see-lan) Range. Many of its nation's Aeta peoples perished on this mountain, including many in the village of Inarauro (ee-na-RAU-ro). The provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga form a tri-point at this mountain that created a compound disaster with Typhoon Yunya, creating lahars that reached the edge of Clark Air Force Base. For 10 points, name this volcano that erupted in June, 1991, spreading ash across the South China Sea from its position in Luzon in the Philippines.
A: Mt. Pinatubo
Q: An early mention of this ecosystem by Procopius states that a population hid from predators there by using its reeds as snorkels. The Bronna Gora mass extermination site received its victims from cities in this area. The Byaliki Woods are continuous with this region whose lakes include Rogizne and Bilye, and the Kabarishche (ka-ba-REESH-che) and Krolevski Canals provide navigation through it. A national park hosts the Polosye Festival at its gateway town of Lyaskavichy (lyas-ka-VEE-chee). Operation Barbarossa (bar-ba-RO-sa) sent columns north and south of this location, though a later retreat through it involved the building of many log roads to prevent equipment from sinking. This lowland area in Podolia, known as the "lungs of Europe," that stretches from Brest to Mogilev later received a large portion of the environmental poisoning from the Chernobyl disaster. For 10 points, what are these marshes in Southern Belarus that are Europe's largest wetland area?
A: Marshes of Pinsk or Pripet Marshes (prompt on "Podolia" or "Southern Belarus")
Q: The Riverplace Tower in this state's most populous city was once the tallest concrete structure in the world. Biscayne Bay lies off the southeastern corner of this state. Blount Island is located on the longest river in this state, the St. Johns. This state, home to a namesake endangered panther, contains the (*) oldest European settlement in North America. In this state, Kennedy Space Center is located northwest of Cape Canaveral. The largest lake in this state is Lake Okeechobee, which is located near the Everglades. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Miami.
A: Florida
Q: Delaney Park Strip used to serve as this city's airfield before it was replaced by Merrill Field. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail can be found in this city, whose skyline is dominated by buildings named after Robert B. Atwood and Conoco-Phillips. This city's boundaries encompass Fire Island, Elmendorf Air Force Base and much of (*) Chugach State Park. The Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm partially surround this city, whose suburbs include Wasilla. Parts of this city's Northern Lights Boulevard runs north of Far North Bicentennial Park. Located on the end of the Cook Inlet, for 10 points, name this most populous city of Alaska.
A: Municipality of Anchorage
Q: The West Buttress Route is the easiest way to climb this mountain. Chris McCandless starved to death in a park named for this mountain, which also features a pair of interlocking moose antlers. The longest glacier on the slopes of this mountain is the Kahiltna. This mountain's indigenous name means "the tall one" in (*) Athabaskan languages. That name was officially adopted in August 2015 by order of President Obama. For 10 points, name this Alaskan mountain, the tallest peak in North America.
A: Denali [or Mount McKinley]
Q: The first international summit of these people occurred in 2005 in the Corn Islands. The community of Hopkins preserves a number of this peoples' musical creations in the Lebeha Drumming Center. Some of the ancestors of this group had been confined to the Caravalle Peninsula, while others were victims of the Traite des Noirs (trai-TAY de NWOR) of Louis XIII. A largely debunked report by William Young concerning these people indicate that they are survivors of an attempted genocide on Bequia. Some of these people practice the once-banned Spiritual Baptist movement, which is making a comeback in their homeland, though many more practice the syncretic Dugu faith. A number of these people, who know their homeland as Yurumein, were first exiled to Baliceaux (BAH-li-so) and then Roatan following 18th Century rebellions, resulting in their large diaspora present in Honduras and Belize. For 10 points, name this mixed-race people group descending from the Arawaks and formerly enslaved Africans orginating on the island of St. Vincent.
A: Garifuna
Q: This region's early human population took refuge in a system of caves in the Aha hills known for its fossil river, as well as Arnhem Caves, and moisture from the world's largest non-glacial subterranean lake enters it via Dragon's Breath Cave. The Mother, Father and Child Hills are part of the Tsodilo Hills, a collection of pictographs known as the "Louvre of" this region. The Nossob, Auab and Molopo Rivers drain into this region. More than 200 new minerals, including gallium and germanium species, have been discovered in this region's Tsumeb Mines, which are north of its Waterberg Plateau, and the Hoba Meteorite discovered in this region is the world's largest. The Khutse and Tswalu Game Reserves protect populations of gemsbok in this region. The first genocide of the twentieth century occurred when wells were poisoned in the Omaheke extension of this xeric landscape, causing the Herrero to die en masse. For 10 points, name this semi-arid basin of eastern Namibia and western Botswana whose name means "the great thirst."
A: Kalahari Desert or Basin (Accept Omaheke Desert but anti-prompt on "Ngamiland" before the Arnhem Caves clue)
Q: The Otomi name for this place means "place of metals," while another people knew it as Paxtitlan (pax-ti-TLAN), the "place of Spanish moss." The main road through this city, the Balaunzaran (ba-lon-za-RAN), runs for nearly two miles underground, following the course of its namesake river, as this city's layout is mostly too steep for vehicles. Its Tepetapa Cemetery contains the largest collection of mummies in the Americas. A tragic romance taking place in a narrow alleyway in its Cerro del Gallo gave rise to its legend of its Alley of the Kiss. Its Cerro de Cubilete exhibits a statue of Christo Rey that marks its nation's center. This Tarascan city is also known for the San Cayetano (ka-ye-TA-no) and La Valenciana (la va-len-si-AN-a) churches, which also name its wealthiest mines, one of which contains the 2,000-foot-deep Boca del Infierno shaft. This city's Alhondiga de Granaditas (a-lon-DI-ga de gra-na-DI-tas) was the second fortress taken by Miguel Hidalgo following San Miguel de Allende. For 10 points, name this Mexican silver mining town and capital of a namesake state whose Baroque basilica in the Plaza de la Paz contains a namesake jewel-encrusted virgin.
A: Guanajuato
Q: The most populous community of Zoque-speaking peoples was relocated to the eastern banks of this river after their homeland was destroyed by the volcano El Chichon. Part of this river, whose name means "river of the sacred monkey," is proposed as an indigenous reserve for the Lacandon people. It enters the canyon of the Boca del Cerro at Tenosique (te-no-SEE-kay) as it exits is highland region. It forms as the Chixoy and Pasion Rivers join at the Altar of Sacrifice, and later flows past the larger ruins of Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan. The Terminos Lagoon receives an eastern arm of this river, the Palizada, while within the marshes of Centla its San Pedro y San Pablo Branch merges with the Grijalva (gri-HAL-va) below Tres Brazos. Upstream, it forms the eastern borders of the states of Tabasco and Chiapas. For 10 points, name this river that forms the northwestern border of Guatemala with Mexico and is Mexico's third longest river.
A: Usumacinta River
Q: One people group of this province revere the hero Mulume Niama, who was killed by being sealed in a chalk cave with 178 of his followers after assassinating an officer. In addition to the Sanga people, this province is home to a threatened population that works in the Kapulo cassiterite mine on the Kundelungu (kun-de-LUN-gu) Plateau. Those Batembo people are the targets of a genocidal campaign in its Pweto Territory. Another mine in this province near Kambove, the Shinkolobwe (shin-ko-LOB-we) Mine, supplied most of the uranium for the Manhattan Project. Umberto I of Italy drew the southeastern border of this province to allow one power access to the Bangweulu (bang-we-OO-loo) Swamps. This province, the remnant of a larger province which lost its central and western regions to Lomami and Lualaba, makes up most of its country's "pedicle." That larger province attempted to form a breakaway republic under Moise Tshombe (CHOM-bay). For 10 points, name this southeastern upper remnant of a once-massive province with capital Lubumbashi, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A: Haute-Katanga or Upper Katanga
Q: Indigenous inhabitants of the area that would become this park referred to its central feature as Pesamkuk, and its gateway town was first known as Moneskatik (mo-ne-SKA-tik). That gateway to this park exhibits those people, who use the endonym Ckuwaponahkiyik (ku-wa-po-na-KEE-yik), at its Abbe Museum. Its western section contains its only wetland region, Pretty Marsh, as well as Echo Lake, though its eastern section is more famous for ponds like its deepest, Jordan Pond, as well as Eagle Lake. Those lakes are overlooked by the precipice of Norumbega (no-rum-BAY-ga) Mountain, and Bowditch Mountain is the center of its Isle au Haut (i-la-HO) section. Anvil and Frazer Points are located on Schoodic Peninsula, which is visible in a painting of Thomas Cole, which depicts Frenchman's Bay after a squall. Features on that bay include sites like Thunder Hole and Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on its nation's Atlantic Coast. For 10 points, name this national park located mostly on Mount Desert Island on the coast of Maine.
A: Acadia National Park
Q: This city's old town stands on Teerhof Island on a former Obotrite settlement whose castle foundations on the Isthmus of Buku were moved to a Dominican convent following an oath taken at the second battle of Bornhoved. This city's older industrial section is its Kucknitz District. This city is surrounded by the Lauerholz Forest between the lakes of Wagria (VAH-gria) and Lauenberg. A skyscraper in a suburb of this city, its Maritim Tower, is the second tallest lighthouse in the world. This city's salt trade revolves around the Salzspeicher (SALTS-pai-ker) warehouses and its Stecknitz Canal. Dietrich Buxtehude served as organist in a church in this city whose skyline is dominated by the green steeples of its Jakobskirche (YA-kobz-kir-ke) and its Marienkirche (ma-RI-en-kir-ke), which make up part of its "seven towers." For 10 points, name this city whose symbol is the red brick Holstentor, Germany's second Baltic German port and the leading center of the Hanseatic League.
A: Lubeck
Q: Chilgol and Bongsu Churches serve this city's Presbyterian community, which was so numerous in the 19th Century it was labeled its nation's Jerusalem. An important green space in this city is the Moran Park, which overlies a tunnel and bridge system that connects its neighborhoods of Chonu and Munsu. A triumphal arch passes over Sugri Street in this city whose skyline also features a giant bronze winged horse statue, a myth from its Tangun period, when the sage Kija is believed to have founded it in 1122 BC. In addition to the Ch'ollima Monument, a prominent landmark in this city is a three-winged, 105-story, single stepped pyramid topped by a rotating cylinder that rises at a 75-degree angle above its Taebo district. This city's Wonson Harbor saw the massacre of the crew of the USS General Sherman, where the USS Pueblo is at anchor on the Taedong River. For 10 points, name this capital of North Korea.
A: Pyongyang
Q: This river's ethnomusicology includes its namesake chant "Ovasi," though a rhapsody naming this river as its source was actually based on a melody penned by Dobri Hristov. Gorges in this river's middle course include the Taor and the Ciganska (tzi-GAN-ska), where it passes between the Kozuf (ko-ZHUF)and Pajak (pa-YAK) Mountains. As this river exits its spring of Vrutok in the Sar Planina (SHAR pla-NI-na), it flows into the Polog Valley while separating its source nation's dominant Slavic-speaking areas from its chief minority group. In the Tikvesh Valley it absorbs its main tributaries, the Crna (chur-NA) and Bregalnica (bre-gal-NEE-tsa). This river of Gostivar and Veles divides its main urban center into its new and old sections, where it is crossed by the Stone Bridge adjacent to the Stari Carsija (STA-ri char-SHEE-ya) Bazaar. This river also names a wind responsible for the cold climate of Thessaloniki (the-sa-lo-NEE-ki). For 10 points, name this river, known as the Axios in Greece, which flows through Skopje, the chief waterway of North Macedonia.
A: Vardar River (or Axios)
Q: This feature's transverse northern border contains the remains of a volcanic plateau known as Dutton Ridge. Its topography includes Eifuku (ay-FOO-koo), a liquid carbon dioxide spewing volcano known as a Champagne Vent, and the molten sulfur pools of Daikoku, which prior to their discovery only were known from Io. An eponymous microbiota forms the bottom of a food chain which also contains the xenophyophores, many of whom dwell in its Sirena Deep. This home of the class monothalamea (mo-no-tha-la-MAY-a) is continuous with features named Bonin and Izu to its north, and its lowest point was first visited by Jacques Picard and Don Walsh in 1960 using the Bathyscaphe (BA-thi-skayf) Trieste. For 10 points, name this trench east of the Philippine Sea, the home of the Challenger Deep, the deepest portion of the Pacific Ocean.
A: Mariana Trench
Q: Dakaka and Lonwolwol are languages spoken on the western slopes of this mountain. Pumice collected on beaches at Pamal and Ulei in 2018 was associated with the loss of its most photographed feature. Mbuwelesu (m-bu-we-LE-su) Fissure on this mountain is the source of most of its phreatic activity. This mountain regularly rains bombs and lapilli on its eastern settlement of Endu. Mt. Benbow is a secondary vent system on this mountain which erupted with a force of VI6 in 50AD. This mountain's main lava pit in the Crater of Marum lay beneath a 1,000 foot rim, but drained following a recent eruption. This mountain is located directly south of an island known for a land diving tradition to ensure good taro harvests, Pentecost Island. This pyroclastic shield volcano lies on a namesake island in the New Hebrides served by Port Vato. For 10 points, name this volcano in the South Pacific, the most active in Vanuatu.
A: Ambrym Volcano
Q: An exposure of the Escuminac (es-ku-MEE-nak) Formation on the shore of this peninsula's Miguasha (mi-GWA-sha) Point contains the largest source of sarcopterygian (sar-kop-te-RI-jan) fish fossils, the ancestors of land-dwelling tetrapods. Its cod fisheries are noted for the only new world use of the Jersey Norman dialect. Albert Bierstadt traveled to this peninsula to paint its salmon fishermen at work on the Cascapedia (kas-ka-PEE-dee-ya) River. Roche Perce (rosh per-SAY), an offshore arched rock, stands at the tip of this peninsula's Bonaventure (bo-na-VEN-tur) National Park, as does Cap Bon-Ami, part of a park created through extortion of landowners on the Forillon Peninsula which contains its nation's tallest lighthouse. The younger McGerrigle and much older Chic-Choc (SHIK-shok) Mountains, the northeasternmost extension of the Appalachians, is located on this peninsula. For 10 points, what is this peninsula south of the St. Lawrence Seaway upon which Jacques Cartier first landed, the southeasternmost extension of Quebec?
A: Gaspe Peninsula
Q: Yufuin Spring is a notable warm spring on this island, and a city on its northeast coast contains thermal features with names that translate as "Blood Pond," "Demon Mountain" and "Tornado Geyser," which are part of its "Eight Hells" of Beppu. A dialect spoken on this island was used in World War II for coding due to its unintelligibility with its parent language. Its longest river, the Chikugo, provides arable land for rice cultivation on its way to Shimbara Bay. Off its west coast is the almost continually active Unzen volcano, and its largest volcano is Mount Aso. It is separated from its largest neighbors by the Strait of Bungo and the Suo and Iyo Seas. Home to its nation's space program at Tanegashima (ta-ne-ga-SHEE-ma), For 10 points, name this most densely populated Japanese island containing the cities of Miyazaki (mi-ya-ZA-key), Fukuoka (fu-KWO-ka), and Nagasaki (na-ga-SA-ki), located southwest of Honshu.
A: Kyushu
Q: Highgate Cemetery in London contains a notable allochthonous occurrence of this species. An early treatment for leprosy involved the bark of this plant. Longer summer activity of the Cephalcia Tannouriensis (se-FAL-ki-ya ta-noo-ri-YEN-sis) sawfly has devastated groves of this tree. This species' brevifolia variant occurs in the Troodos Massif, though most of its habitat is found in the Taurus Mountains intermixed with Cilician Firs. Remnants of the originally described habitat of this species first protected by Hadrian occur in the Ja (JAJ), Ammouaa (A-moo-wa) and Karm Shbat Reserves in the Akkar District. The El Shouf Nature Reserve is the largest of that district, though the Wadi Kadisha is the site of the most famous groves, which occur on Mt. Makmel near Bsharri, as well as on a namesake mountain that is the highest point in the Levant. For 10 points, name these durable trees depicted on the flag of that nation, Lebanon.
A: Cedars of Mt. Lebanon
Q: The chief features of this site are speculated to be part of a cultural exchange between the North Cachar Hills and the Khorat Plateau. Nearby Keng Mountain is the source for most of the material used in creating the principal features of this site. Madeleine Colani wrote the defining thesis of this area, which is divided into sites A, B or C and located in its country's Phaxay District, which is bisected by the Nam Ngum River. A myth concerning this site involves a battle involving the giant king Khun Cheung and a victory feast involving copious quantities of rice whiskey; that myth also appears in the Thao Heung Epic. The Sa Huynh culture utilized this site located in the center of the Xiongkhoang (hsyong-KWONG) Plateau. The destruction of many of its features produced a market for scrap metal used for decorations in nearby provincial capital of Phonsavong. Heavily cratered during the Secret War, For 10 points, name this iron age site known for large amounts of unexploded US cluster munitions, a UNESCO world heritage site in Laos best known for its enigmatic lidded stone urns.
A: Plain of Jars or Thong Hai Hin
Q: The El Bosque (el-BOS-kay) Batholith is a hardened mass of rock beneath this mountain which is perched on the Palestina Fault. The Nereides Glacier may be found on this peak. It comprises a doubly-eponymous massif with nearby Tolima, which also includes Santa Isabel. It contains the domes of Santano and Cisne as well as the historical cone, La Olleta (la o-YE-ta), which have been responsible for the scouring of the Azufrado (a-su-FRA-do) Valley, and whose most destructive feature is associated with the Guali and Lagunillas (lan-gu-NEE-yas) Rivers. The Arenas Crater is the most active vent of this volcano currently, and is capable of lobbing bombs as far as the Chinchina Valley. The hometown of Omayra Sanchez was destroyed by this mountain. For 10 points, name this deadly volcano also known as La Mesa de Herveo (la ME-sa de her-VE-yo), a producer of lahars that is associated with the 1985 destruction of Armero, Colombia by boiling mud.
A: Nevado del Ruiz
Q: The Nsinga and Dema peoples were displaced during the creation of this body of water, whose name comes from the Nyungwe for "finish the job." This body of water runs through a canyon between the Movuradonha (mo-voo-ra-DON-ya) Mountains and the Montes Couesse (koo-ES-say). The Magoe National Park was established by the Tchuma Tchato (CHOO-ma CHA-to) Wildlife Management Program on the south shore of this lake. This body of water extends from the inflow of the Luangua to just above the Capoche (ca-PO-chay) junction at Songo. Electric lines that pass through Pafuri begin at a dam on this lake that supplies the coal mines at Moatize as well as the downstream community of Tete. This lake's level depends on outflow from the upstream Kariba Dam. For 10 points, name this lake created by a namesake dam on the Zambezi River, the largest lake in Mozambique.
A: Lake Cahora Bassa (or Cabora Bassa)
Q: In April 2015, the Villarica Volcano in this country erupted and the Calbuco Volcano erupted twice. A recently discovered dinosaur in this country is like a vegetarian Tyrannosaurus and was dubbed the "platypus of dinosaurs." In April 2014, this country experienced a magnitude 8.2 earthquake in (*) Iquique, a city on the Nazca plate's eastern edge. The Very Large Telescope was recently built in the Cerro Amanos Region of this country's Atacama Desert. For 10 points, name this South American country whose capital is Santiago.
A: Chile
Q: These objects were formed when the Laurentian ice sheet receded 20,000 years ago. The deadliest storm affecting these bodies killed 250 people in 1913. The Cup and Saucer hiking trail is located within one of these bodies on Manitoulin Island. Thunder Bay and (*) Duluth are important port cities on the largest one of these, while the third largest one of these is the only one located entirely within the United States. The Asian carp could become a major invasive species in these entities. For 10 points, name these five bodies of water, the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth.
A: Great Lakes
Q: The archaeologist Sven Hedin is blamed for a series of discoveries in this region which resulted in the loss of most of its relics. One of those relics include a wooden panel depicting a figure smuggling silkworm eggs in her headdress found at the town of Dandan Oilik. The ruins of the ancient kingdoms of Karaxahr were discovered in this region. A cemetery known as Ordek's Necropolis in this region is the largest source of mummies found to date, many of which are believed to have been Tocharian. A range known by one culture as The Tokhtakaz is becoming buried in the thick sands of this wasteland which includes the arc-like Mazartag Mountains. The Keriyan and Hotan are the only rivers remaining in this desert, whose aquifer drains east into the Lop Nur Basin. A planned railway known as the Golmud-Korla line is scheduled to cross this desert whose key Oasis towns of Yarkand, Miran and Kashgar receive most of their water from the Altun Shan, which bounds it to the south. Home to many Uighurs and occupying the Tarim Basin of southern Xinjiang, For 10 points, name this Western Chinese wasteland with a name meaning "desert of no return."
A: Taklamakan Shamo Desert or Tarim Basin until mentioned (prompt on "Xinjiang")
Q: After a city in this state voted for a 2014 referendum banning fracking within city limits, its legislature passed a law forbidding cities from making such bans. Although T. Boone Pickens' scheme to build the world's largest wind farm in this state failed, as of 2018 it produces the most wind power of any US state. This state's Railroad Commission is unusually powerful because it regulates the energy industry, rather than railroads. The oil-rich Permian Basin is in this state, which is the southern terminus of the Keystone XL pipeline. This state's oil industry is centered in the Midland-Odessa metropolitan area. For 10 points, name this state where many oil companies are headquartered in Houston.
A: Texas
Q: This city's growth in the 20th century included absorption and mergers with its former suburbs Shinoro and Toyohiro (to-ro-HI-ro). A gondola and ropeway ascend the Moiwa-yama, which overlooks this city. Parks in this city include a reclaimed waste processing plant whose Moerinuma greenbelt is home to a sculptural exhibit engineered by Isamu Noguchi, who also designed its Black Slide Mantra sculpture in Odori Park. A Victorian district in this city coexists with thatch-roofed huts, was founded by captains of its herring industry and is known as Kaitaku-mura. A botanical garden at this city's university is home to a collection of herbs used by its indigenous Ainu peoples. For 10 points name this city on the Sea of Japan, the prefectural capital of Hokkaido.
A: Sapporo
Q: Evidence of human habitation of this island is preserved in its Beginner's Luck Cave. A forest reserve on this island containing a row of Manna trees known as the "White Knights of Evercreech" are found along a river which loops around its Legges Tor. Another river meets the Collingwood beneath Frenchman's Cap in its Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The Furneaux Archipelago is the remnant of a land bridge that once connected this island to Wilson's Promontory. This island's Lake St. Clair is the deepest in its nation. The Esk River drains this island's north, while its chief river descends from Mt. Ossa and enters Storm Bay. That river, the Derwent, is crossed to Montague Bay from this island's capital, which houses the Museum of Old and New Art, the largest private collection in the Southern Hemisphere. For 10 points, name this island located south of the Bass Strait, a state of Australia with capital Hobart.
A: Tasmania
Q: This river feeds the marshlands of Kaziranga (ka-zi-RAN-ga) National Park, the home of the last population of one-horned rhinoceros, and one of its tributaries, the Manas is home to a tiger sanctuary. This river's highland course is navigable by hide-and-reed-hulled boats known as Coracles, while its lowland floodplain is characterized by thick reed filled depressions known as jheels (ZHEELS). The Chemayungdung (che-ma-yung-dung) Glacier provides most of this river's meltwater before it is joined by the Gyamda and Nyang Chu at Xigazi. This river forms a hook around Namjagbarwa Feng (nam-jag-bar-wa feng) and enters the Grand Canyon of the Tsangpo, below which it flows through Arunachal Pradesh (a-ru-NA-chal pra-DESH) and the state of Assam. For 10 points, name this river whose Buriganga (bu-ri-GAN-ga) Distributary goes on to join the Ganges, the principal river of Eastern India.
A: Brahmaputra River, or Tsangpo (before mentioned) or Yarlung or Jamuna
Q: This river was known to the Mongols as Gozan, while the Arabs gave it a name reflecting one of the four rivers of Eden, Jayhoun. The saline Chimboy Lake was created by a historic flood on this river. The salt marshes of Shege are found along the lowest course of this river. The Channel, Kaparas and Koshbulak Reservoirs are formed by the splitting of this river by the Tuyamuyun (tu-ya MU-yun) Hydro Project at Gazadzhak (ga-za-JAK). An unintended lake, Sarygamysh (sa-ri-GA-mish), was once fed by its Uzboy distributary, though feeder canals like the Daryalik Collector now drain this river which receives the Qonduz tributary near the Friendship Bridge before flowing past Chardzhou, Urgench and Nukus. For 10 points, name this river known to Alexander the Great as the Oxus, the southernmost river of Uzbekistan which no longer flows into the Aral Sea.
A: Amu Darya River
Q: Fomina Balka and Dofinovka (do-fi-NOV-ka) are limestone quarries in this city where coquina mining has left a network of tunnels that have prevented underground rail development, though this city is known for a steam tramway which started by connecting its neighborhood of Great Fontane with Haji Bey (HA-jee BAY) Liman. This city's secondary port of Ilichevsk (i-li-CHEVSK) has largely replaced a harbor built by Jose de Ribas. This city's ruined Ginestra (ji-NES-tra) Castle was the center of the Genoese colony of Gazaria. Most of this city had to be designed around its first neighborhood of Modavyanka (mo-da-VYAN-ka). This city's governors included the Duc de Richelieu (dook de RI-she-lyu), many of whom ruled from Vorontsev (vo-RON-tsev) Palace, which was designed by Francesco Boffo, who also designed a structure that separates Greek Park and Istanbul Park as it descends from Primorsky Boulevard. For 10 points, name this city on the Black Sea known for its Potemkin Stairs, the largest port city in Ukraine.
A: Odessa
Q: A poem by Wang Zhihuan states that "Spring winds never pass" this location. A beacon known as Majuanwan survives at this site, and a fortress with this name is approached from the east past the Large and Small Frangpan Castles, after which travelers cross the Shule (shu-le) River. This is the west end of a structure that begins at the Wine Spring. A route through Hani to the north eventually supplanted this location, which unlike the much later Jiayu was known for trade rather than exile. The first set of structures given this name were completed northwest of Dunhuang by Emperor Han Wu Di, and were named for the cargo of caravans from Khotan, whose winter and summer routes converged to the east of this location. For 10 points, name this narrow point in the Gansu Corridor, the final gate of the Great Wall of China through which the Silk Road passed to the west.
A: The Jade Gates or Jade Passes or Yumen Guan
Q: The remains of the Po Tower stand over this city, while its main clock tower featured the first known chain drive and utilized an escapement two centuries prior to similar Western designs. Another tower was the Drum Tower associated with its main temple. The oldest Jewish community in China is based in this city. A namesake "scroll" in this city's Qianling (chian-ling) Park shows its heyday, when it was surrounded by three walls. Its chief industry at that time was its iron works, and this city boasts the Iron Pagoda. A cultural exchange site in this city was its Daxiangguo (da-hsiang-guo) Temple. Longting Park contains its Dragon Pavilion, which reached the apex of its power when it ruled over the largest city in the world at the turn of the 12th Century. It was flooded in an attempt to quell the Li Zicheng Rebellion, but was rebuilt by Kangxi, only to have Zhengzhou replace this former seat of Henan Province as capital. For 10 points, name this Song Dynasty capital of China.
A: Kaifeng
Q: A lizard known as this body of water's namesake "dragon" dwells mainly in mud flats associated with its drier reaches. This body of water is administered with an adjacent conservation area, the Elliott Price, and the Anna Creek Ranch, its nation's largest, is located on this body of water. The principal people group living on its shores are the Arabunna. The Oodnadatta Track accesses it at Halligan Bay. The Goyder Channel connects the north and south portions of this saline lake. Belt Bay and Madigan Gulf are the two lowest elevations associated with this body of water that includes Brooks Island. The Macumba River and Diamantina Creek are feeds for this lake, though most water enters via Warburton River. This lake is located 50 feet below sea level, its continent's lowest point. For 10 points, name this largest lake in Australia.
A: Lake Eyre [or Kati Thanda]
Q: As it approaches its namesake "front," this watercourse passes through a strait whose edges are shaped by an island that is the endemic home of the nioiebine (ni-OI-e-been) orchid and an island that was the first known location of bioluminescent "heavenly light" mushrooms. Flagrant spawning of pelagic species such as Skipjack tuna despite a lack of surficial nutrients is known as this watercourse's "paradox." After sustaining the northernmost coral reefs in the world, its course shifts east to the north of an island that hosts the Beru Castle. It begins that section by bursting through the Yonaguni Gap. In the winter it receives the Oya Current, and in summer, it shifts west to become the Tsushima Current as it passes through the Korea Strait. For 10 points, name this thermohaline current which forms the northwestern component of the North Pacific Gyre as it flows from the Northern Philippines along the western side of the Ryuku Islands to its namesake nation.
A: Kuroshio Current or Japan Current or Black Current
Q: A crater on one of this city's hills is known as the Bowl of Mataaho, and is named for a local deity of buried things. This city's Sarandingham district boasts large Indian and Sri Lankan communities. North Head and One Tree Hill support this city's most important fortresses, which are known as pas, and which are located on two of this city's fifty-three dormant volcanos. This city's northeastern shoreline is part of the Hibiscus Coast. Cape Rodney lies to the north of this city, and the temperate rain forests of the Waitakere (wai-ta-KE-re) Ranges approach this city's western highlands. Devonport and North Shore are important suburbs of this city whose twin harbors are the southwest-facing Manukau and the eastern Waitemata (wai-te-MA-ta) and whose skyline is dominated by the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere. For 10 points, name this city on the Gulf of Hauraki, the home of the Sky Tower and the largest city in New Zealand.
A: Auckland or Tamaki Makaurau
Q: A mummy named for this place was found in a stone circle at the base of its El Piramide (el pi-RA-mi-day) satellite peak in 1985. A ridge separating this peak's lower and upper base camps is accessed via the Ameghino Col. Two of those upper camps include The Berlin Refuge and Camp Colera. The canyon of the Vacas is the usual starting point for the ascent of this peak which becomes visible after climbers reach the Relinchos River. The Polish Glacier is found on the northeastern flank of this mountain. The west side of this peak features a 6,000-foot cliff above the Horcones Valley. The Canaleta is a couloir that access the central ridge of the Cresta del Guanaco which connects this peak's twin summits. Ushpallata (oosh-pa-YA-ta) and Mendoza are the largest cities on the east flank of this mountain. From the Quechua for "stone sentinel," For 10 points, name this mountain in Argentina, the highest in both the southern and western hemispheres.
A: Aconcagua
Q: A population in this group of islands speaks a creole based on the Yorkshire dialect that has been traced to the carpenter William Marsters. An ancient fortress in this island group containing an underground keep set into its makatea coral cliffs provided shelter from 'Atiuan war canoes, and is its Te Pare Fortress on Mitiaro. Most of the resources in these islands, including phosphate and manganese, are located near Manihiki. Pukapuka (poo-ka-POO-ka) is an ethnically distinct Samoan exclave in these islands. The wreck of the freighter Alexander is found on Maina Motu, which together with Tapuaeta'i (ta-PU-ae-tai) and Tekopua enclose its popular Aitutaki (ai-tu-TA-ki) Lagoon. Para O Tane Palace hosted a convention of its Ariki leaders leading to an 1887 protectorate now administered by New Zealand from its island of Rarotonga. For 10 points, name this group of 15 Polynesian islands named for a British navigator, with capital Avarua.
A: Cook Islands or Archipelago or Kuki Airani
Q: The Portland, Oregon suburb of Forest Heights was financed through a trust originating from this activity in this nation. Anabar, Ewa and Baiti Districts converge at a secondary source for this commodity. Arenibek (a-RE-ni-bek) is a rare upland community not affected by activities involving this substance. Like the nearby island of Banaba, extraction of this commodity in this nation led to large Chinese migrations, and a labor union strike in 1948 led to a namesake massacre. An Australian detention center now employs most of the former workers from this industry, which left behind mostly unusable dolomite. Coral pillars are all that remain from the mining of, For 10 points, what substance mined from dessicated deposits of bird and bat manure that for years made up most of the economy of a country with capital Yaren?
A: phosphate mining on Nauru (or guano mining on Nauru); also accept phosphorite instead of phosphate
Q: The Kadazan Dusun people once sacrificed a chicken to commemorate a visit to this mountain. Low's Gully is a trench which provides evidence of glacial activity affecting this peak. The Misilau Trail ascends this peak in under a day, though most attempting its summit begin at the gate of Timpohon and spend the first night at Laban Rata. Some fauna thought to be endemic to this mountain have recently been found on neighboring Mt. Tambuyukon (tam-bu-YU-kon), though a giant earthworm and the black shrew are still only found on this mountain. A namesake pitcher plant capable of digesting rodents grows on the lower reaches of this mountain of the Crocker Range also famous for its large patches of mosses, as well as Rafflesia, the enormous but putrid-smelling corpse flower. Located in the western coast of Sabah, this is, For 10 points, what highest mountain on Borneo?
A: Mt. Kinabalu
Q: A newspaper based in this city first published the poem "On Cape LeForce," written by a resident of Prince Albert in anticipation of moving back to it. Beach Grove Forest lies in this city's neighborhood of Lewis Point. This city was founded on the opposite bank of Warren Cove from the native village of Skmaqn. Its Victorian heritage includes its Peake's Wharf Waterfront and the Beaconsfield Mansion. It is surrounded by a green space comprising the experimental Ravenwood Farm and the campus of Dunstan University. The Point Prim Lighthouse guards Hillsborough bay at the entrance to this city's harbor at which the North and Elliott rivers merge. It was founded as Port La-Joie, whose site is now protected by Fort Amherst. A conference held in this city's Province House led to its nation's later acts of confederation. For 10 points, name this city on the Strait of Northumberland, the capital of Prince Edward Island.
A: Charlottetown
Q: This structure was believed to have protected the domain of a priest-king called the Awujale (a-wu-JA-lay). It was first noticed as a shrine in the form of a silk-cotton tree marked with a white cloth, and construction workers later stumbled on a buried section near Ketu. A footpath to Epe is the only route across this structure. Like similar structures at Ife and Ilesa, this structure's builders attempted to reach the water table, and may have attempted to create a moat such as the Iye of Benin. A gravesite at Oke-Eiri is a pilgrimage site belonging to the builder of this structure which was first described by Peter Lloyd and consists of a smooth bank and tunnel which has been largely reclaimed by the rainforest. For 10 points, name this 100-mile-long circular 7th Century wall and ditch fortification lined with idols surrounding the kingdom of Ijebu in Nigeria, Africa's largest earthwork structure, attributed to a Yoruba queen.
A: Sungbo's Eredo
Q: The gypsum Yeso Dunes are located in this region. A xerophytic biological preserve in this region contains the Sierra de la Campana, the Laguna de las Palomas, and the La Soledad Dunes. A former gold mine in this region contains the Roebling Brothers-designed Ojuela (o-WE-la) Bridge. A notable wetland of this home of the Toboso people is the Valley of Cuartro Cienegas in this region. The Los Alamitos Range and the Cerro Centinela divide this region into three valleys. The Nazas and Aguanaval (a-gua-NA-bal) Rivers flow into the Comarca Lagunera, a wetland in this region that grades into the El Salado Plains to the south, and is bordered by the Concho Basin and the Sierra del Carmen to the west and north. For 10 points, name this huge depression, the southernmost extension of the Chihuahuan (chee-WA-wan) Desert centered in western Coahuila, an endorheic basin named for a lead and zinc mining town of northeastern Durango in Mexico.
A: Bolson de Mapimi or Mapimi Basin or "Pocket," etc, accept clear knowledge equivalents; prompt on "Eastern Durango," "Western Coahuila" until mentioned; prompt on "southeastern Chihuahua."
Q: This river is the principal source of the alluvial form of the "Pigeon's Blood" variety of its most lucrative mineral, as its prospecting site lies downstream of a town also known for its violet spinel. A lava bank near Kabwet interrupts an almost straight section of this river, forcing it west into a gorge to the north of Kyaukmyaung, and it enters another of its defiles to the south of the aforementioned ruby mining town of Mogok. The Languela Glacier provides most of the meltwater for this river's parent tributary the Nmai, which joins the Mali River north of its northernmost navigable point at Myitkina. The Sittang River may be an ancient distributary of this river whose delta is defined by the southern foothills of the Pegu and Rakhine Mountains. This river receives its main tributary, the Chindwin, south of the ancient capital of Mandalay. For 10 points, name this principal river of Myanmar.
A: Irrawaddy
Q: Torc Waterfall cascades from the Devil's Punchbowl on the Owengarriff River in this county. One of its pilgrimage sites commands its Smerwick Harbor and was founded by St. Maolcethair, and is its Kilmalkedar (kil-mal-KE-dar) Church dedicated to St. Brendan in Slea Head. The Blaskets are an archipelago off its coast that had to be evacuated in the mid-20th century due to worsening squalls. The landscape of this county ensconces the former monastic center Aghadoe and Gallarus Oratory, in addition to the ruined Ross Castle. The Gap of Dunloe is a passage through its Macgillycuddy's (muh-GIL-a-ku-dee) Reeks, which extends westward onto the Iveragh (I-ve-raw) Peninsula, which contains Carrantuohill (ka-RAN-to-hil), its nation's highest mountain. Most of the speakers of its country's native language are found on its Dingle Peninsula. For 10 points, name this county that borders Limerick and Cork which includes a scroll-scribing monastery on Skellig Michael, which contains Killarney and county town Tralee.
A: Kerry or Ciarrai
Q: Thunderstorms locally called kal boishakhi (kai-boi-SHA-key), or "nor'westers" cool this city in spring. Diamond Harbor is the southernmost outpost of this city's shipping industry. This city is home to its nation's only Chinatown, and its Shyambazar and Bagbazar districts are home to much of its aristocracy. Jadavpur University employed Amartya Sen as its first professor of economics, and the Bose Institute is also found in this city, whose financial district is the Chowringhee (chow-RIN-ghee). The Grand Trunk Road terminates in this city's suburb of Haora. This city contains a large white domed Victoria Memorial in its central Maidan Park, which includes Ft. William, the capture of which by Siraj ad-Dhawla led to confinements in a prison which became known as this city's "black hole." For 10 points, name this capital of West Bengal, the second largest city in India.
A: Calcutta or Kolkata
Q: Viryal and Anatri are the two main dialects of this ethnic group's language. A religion of this people is practiced at village festivals called ialzri and is symbolized by the world tree, or keremet, which appears on their flag. That religion includes its festival of the lamb's leg, or Surhuri, and is the Ugric influenced neo-Tengrist faith Vattisen Yaly. The greater Tsivil River flows through their town of Shumerlya, while a larger river in their homeland, which also names a tribe this ethnicity claims descent from, is the Sura, which supports their town of Alatyr. This people's capital contains a famous Salt House as well as the Vvedensky Cathedral. A state hero of this people names the main plaza of that capital, Chapayev square. This people live south of Mari El and northeast of Mordovia. For 10 points, Cheboksary (che-bok-SA-ree) is the capital of an autonomous republic in Russia established for what ethnicity, the descendants of the Volga Bulgars?
A: Chuvash (prompt on "Cheremisian")
Q: A city on this peninsula ships magnesite from the Yexian (ye-hsian) Mine from a port on Taiping Bay, and its interior also contains the Beipo Gold Fields. Due to the high number of military installations, the Miaodao Archipelago located to the north of this peninsula was closed to westerners until 2008. The eastern tip of this peninsula is the Chengshan Jiao, and is found to the east of its northern port of Weihai. The center of the final kingdom to be conquered by Shi Huang Di, known as Qi, was centered in a region of this name whose southern port was a German sphere of influence on Jiaozhou Bay, and whose transfer to Japan caused its namesake "question." Tsingtao is the principal port city on, For 10 points, what peninsula which defines the southern edge of the Bo Hai Sea and is part of its namesake Chinese province with capital Jinan?
A: Shandong Bandao or Peninsula
Q: During most of the Carboniferous area, this region was the northernmost landmass in the world, and its collision with the Siberian craton marked the final stage of the accretion of Pangaea. The Khingan Mountains in this region's west were formed in that collision. Northward immigration to this region was once controlled by a ditch called the Willow Palisade; later those immigrants, who settled its Sixty-Four Villages, were pawned off to this region's northern neighbor. Most of its population lies east of the Greater Khitan Range. An invading power used a lumber mill in the Pingfang known as Unit 731 to conduct chemical warfare experiments in this region. A Tungusic people known as the Jurchen once occupied this region whose center consists of the provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang. For 10 points, name this region whose native dynasty, the Qing, ruled China until 1924.
A: Manchuria (anti-prompt on constituent provinces "Jilin," "Heilongjiang," "Liaoning," or on "Northeastern Nei Monggol")
Q: Bungkul Park is an important garden in this city in which the House of Sampoerna houses much of its nation's cigarette industry. Pasar Pabean is the main marketplace of this city's Chinatown, which was described by Ma Huan during a voyage of Zheng Ho which also mentioned its port of Gresik. The Qubah in this city contains the grave of Sunan Ampel, who introduced Islam in the 15th Century. The old town of this city contains a blend of Arabian and Dutch architecture and is linked to its modern portion by the Jembatan Merah Bridge, which saw most of the fighting of the first battle of its nation's independence war, and crosses the Kali Mas River. This city's nickname is Kota Pahlawan, or city of heroes, and is home to its nation's navy. A former capital of Majapahit (ma-ja-PA-hit) located on the Gulf of Madura, For 10 points, name this cradle of the Indonesian revolution, the 3rd largest Indonesian city located on the eastern end of the island of Java.
A: Surabaya
Q: A Kupsabiny (koop-sa-BI-nee)-speaking people of the foothills of Mt. Wagagai are a western branch of this people, the Sebei. Another branch of this people practices the traditional educational ways of Kemuratanet (ke-mu-ra-TA-net) and dwell with a people who primarily inhabit the Kerio Valley. This collection of peoples is united by the life-cycle divisions of the ibinwek and is represented by the Myoot Council. The Menengai Crater lies on the traditional lands of this people north of the Mau Range. The Kipharen (kip-HA-ren) River is the approximate northern limit of the namesake language spoken by this people, beyond which these people speak Pokoot, while the Amala River flows from their lands into the country of the Masai. Majimbo (ma-JIM-bo) was a policy of one of its Tugen (TOO-gen) members which favored these people of Nakuru over the Kikuyu. For 10 points, name this southern Nilotic ethnic group of Kenya's Rift Valley, whose members include former president Daniel T. Arap Moi.
A: Kalenjin
Q: The Gawanna and Shanabla peoples are native to this region's Umm Ruwaba district, which is part of the acacia plains of its north. Those plains' principal water sources are at Shikan and Er Rahad, which is home to a water shrine. The petroleum-rich Muglad Basin is located in this region's southwest in its Abyei Condominium. Speakers of this region's namesake Tolodi, Katla and Heiban language groups are native to its southeastern Nuba Mountains, and face reprisal ethnic cleansing due to their alliance with the Dinka tribe. For 10 points, name this region divided into North, South and West wilayats known for its high linguistic diversity, whose largest towns are Kaduqli and El Obeid, and that gives its name to an allochthonous Sudanese language grouping within the Niger-Congo family.
A: Kordofania
Q: The Botassart, or Giant's Tomb is a hill within a meander of a river in this forest. The Caverns of Hotton are located beneath this forest. An unconnected region to the north of this one that also bears this name contains hilltop bluebell woodlands like the Muziekbos and the Brakelbos. This wooded highland once graded into the ancient Silvia Carbonaria across the Fagne-Famenne to the west. Part of one nation in this forest refers to this area as the Eislek, and this upland itself is an extension of the more eastern Eifel region. The Semois River defines this area's drainage, and a local high point, the Botrange, is part of a watershed between the Moselle and Meuse that is this region's "High" portion south of Nemurs and Liege. A World War II massacre occurred at Malmedy in this forest. For 10 points, name this forest located mostly in Belgium that was the setting for Shakespeare's play As You Like It as well as the Battle of the Bulge.
A: Ardennes Forest or Plateau or Highlands
Q: Between its first two dams, this river crosses a low ridge of the Callaqui (ka-YA-key) Volcano before encountering the Huiri-Huiri (WI-ri WI-ri). Lake Icalma is a secondary source of this river which begins at the Galletue (ga-ye-TWE) Lake, the lower ancestral limit of the Pehuenche (pa-WEN-che) People. That people subsist on the nuts of a tree protected by a biosphere reserve centering on its upper reaches along with Conguillio (kon-gwi-YI-o) National Park, the monkey puzzle tree. A stretch of whitewater between its confluence with the Queuco (ke-U-ko) and Puente Quilaco (ki-LA-ko) near Santa Barbara have been flooded by the Huequecura (we-ke-KU-ra) and Aguas Blancas Dams. Erosional silt due to deforestation has choked this river's limit of navigation at Nacimiento, where it receives the Malleco (ma-YE-ko), and it absorbs the Laja (LA-ha) at San Rosendo. This river, which figures prominently in the La Araucana national epic, is crossed by the Juan Pablo II bridge, its nation's longest, as it reaches the Pacific near Concepcion. For 10 points, name this former northern boundary of the Mapuche lands, Chile's second longest river.
A: Bio Bio River
Q: This commodity was known to the Chinese as Ruxiang (ru-hsiang) and a trade route reached its port of Sanfoqi (san-fo-chi) during the Song Dynasty. An escarpment running from Cal Madow to Karkaar bears the name of this substance. A museum in Salalah is devoted to this substance which Pliny stated was traded along a series of eight oases each one day apart. A sea route involving this commodity which began in Wadi Dawkah involved the ports of Khor Rori and Al-Balid, while a land route passed through Wadi Hadramaut, was taxed by Shibam, and ended after passing through cities like Mamshit, Avdat, Haluza and Shivta in the Negev Desert. An inscription on the tomb of Hatshepsut discusses an expedition to Punt to acquire this commodity. For 10 points, name this spiced resin sourced from Boswellia groves in Somalia and Yemen which, along with gold and myrrh, was offered by three magi on a visit to the Christ child.
A: Frankincense or Olibanum
Q: A 1999 flood damaged the Library of Fondo Keti in this city. The Kabari Forest is located south of this city, and its wetlands of Hamadja and Daye are used for cultivation of floating rice. Much of its legacy is protected by the Wangara Project, which is spearheaded by its Ahmed Baba Center. The business district of this city is its Serekeina (se-re-KAY-na) district. This city's Great Market is on the east edge of its Badjinde (ba-JIN-day) District. A port of this city is Kourioume (kur-yo-MAY), the beginning of the Azalai, a biannual trade caravan to Taodenni, the former location of the Taghaza salt mines. This city's university is made up of the Djinguereber (JIN-ge-re-ber), Sidi Yahya and Sankore Mosques. This city was briefly capital of the breakaway Republic of Azawad in 2012. For 10 points, name this former Tuareg city on the edge of the Sahara once visited by the likes of Heinrich Barth and Gordon Laing, the former learning and gold trading center of the empire of Mali.
A: Timbuktu
Q: An abandoned project on Mt. Gaias in this city features elements of its unique culture, including a native gaita which is often played at local ceremonies called romarias. A route that leads to this city features a type of roundhouse with rye stalk slanted conical roofs known as pallozas that were replaced by this city's stone structures. The Monte da Curuxeira (MON-te da ku-ru-SHEY-ra) overlooks this city to the south. This city's main art museum is focused on the surrealist sculptures of Eugene Granell. The Praza de Fonseca is the center of a university founded in this city that is administered via the Paxa de Razoi (PA-sha de ra-ZOY) adjacent to the College of St. Jerome. This city's four central plazas include the Prateria and the Obradoiro (o-bra-DOI-ro) and surround a structure entered via the Portico de la Gloria by travelers bearing the scallop and Jacob's staff. For 10 points, name this target of a pilgrimage bearing the sobriquet "of the field of stars" and containing the tomb of St. James in Galicia, Spain.
A: Santiago de Compostela
Q: Resources on this island are found along Taconite Inlet, and the world's only supracryonic sulfur deposit is found in its Borup Pass. The ruins of a stone longhouse on its Bache Peninsula likely belonged to the Dorset Culture, and the Smith Sound culture was anchored on this island whose highest point is named for a good friend of Franz Boas. A US expedition to this island which founded Fort Conger also discovered a petrified forest in Stenkul Fjord. The British Empire and United States Ranges are found within this island's Quttinirpaaq (ku-ti-nir-PAK) National Park, which also protects Hazen Lake. This island, whose Inuktitut name means "the land of muskoxen," lost much of its Ayles and Markham ice shelves to a warm summer in 2008. Surrounded by Eureka Sound, which separates it from Axel Heiberg Island, and Cardigan Strait, which separates it from Devon Island, it is home to Grise Ford and the military settlement of Alert. For 10 points, name this largest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, the northernmost island in Canada.
A: Ellesmere Island or Umingmak Nuna
Q: The Sturt packhorse bridge passes over the "Little" branch of this river. The highest dam on a river of this name was constructed below Ryder Hill. That river flows through the Fosse Copse and was once followed by the Kingsbridge Rail Line following its exit from Dartmoor National Park. That river is also called the Aune, while its other name simply means "River" in Welsh. A longer example begins in the Vale of Pewsey and absorbs the Bourne and the Wylye, while another rises in the Cotswolds, and its straight gorge is crossed by the Clifton Bridge as it flows from Acton Turville to its namesake Mouth in Bristol. The Swift and Arrow are tributaries of the longest river bearing this name, which flows through Rugby, Evesham and Warwick and is known as the Upper one. For 10 points, give the shared name for these rivers of England, one of which, the longest tributary of the Severn, flows through Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford.
A: Avon Rivers
Q: A long-lasting eruption of a volcano on Perim Island once caused this body of water to evaporate completely. The al-Khaharr Lagoon sees the swiftest currents in this body of water which has the world's only poleward eastern boundary current. Temporal surface winds leave bottom currents as its main mixing agents, though hot brine pools are found in its Chain and Discovery Deeps. Reefs of this body of water include the St. John and Elphinstone reefs, as well as the Carless Barrier, located in its Giftun Islands. Its volcanic archipelagos of El Akhawein (el-AK-a-wain) and Dahlak are noted for their pearl-fisheries. A nation in its south exports coffee through its western port of Mocha. Its north supports the city of Sharm-el-Sheikh, while more southerly and more important ports include Hodeida, Massawa, and Jiddah. Accessed from the south via the Bab el-Mandeb, For 10 points, name this body of water whose extensions are the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez, found between Africa and Arabia.
A: Red Sea or Bahr el-Amar or Yam Suph
Q: Coctaca contains a stone-walled terraced agricultural field associated with this feature. The Ocloya People, a division of the Kolla (KO-ya), founded its village of Iruya. The Laguna de Guayatayoc (gwa-ya-TA-yok) is a watering hole popular with flamingos in this place, and its San Francisco de Paula Church is famous for a mural depicting flamingo-winged angels bearing firearms, the Los Angeles Arquebuceros. The Hoachichocana (wa-chi-cho-KA-na) and Pucara de Tilcara are pre-Colombian ruins associated with this feature. The Serrania de Hornocal (se-RA-ni-ya de OR-no-kal) is a ridge in this landscape which displays a jagged erosion compared to layered teeth, while the Hill of the Seven Colors is a striped badland formation near its village of Purmamarca. This gorge on the east side of the Puna extends to the town of La Quiaca, which is across the border from Villazon (bi-ya-ZON) in Bolivia. For 10 points, name this gorge of the Rio Grande above its confluence with the Leone through which an ancient Incan trade route passes, found to the north of San Salvador de Jujuy (hoo-HUY) in Argentina.
A: Quebrada de Humahuaca or Humahuaca Gorge, or Canyon, etc (prompt on "Altiplano," "Puna," etc)
Q: One of these structures in Yokohama, called Cosmo Clock 21, claims to have the largest clock in the world. Another one of these structures is located on a bridge in central Tianjin, and the world's second tallest one of these structures offers views of Marina Bay; that is the Singapore Flyer. A structure in Chicago renamed itself the "Centennial" one of these in honor of the 100th anniversary of the (*) Navy Pier. One of these structures lies across the Thames from the Houses of Parliament, has 32 passenger capsules, and rotates every 30 minutes. For 10 points, name these structures, such as the London Eye, that can typically be found at amusement parks.
A: ferris wheel [accept observation wheel; prompt on Eye]
Q: This settlement evolved from the pit-community of Shabik'eshchi (sha-bi-KESH-chi) Village, which itself supplanted a culture that left stone chips at its Atlatl Cave. The rudimentary Weritos Dam was intended to catch rainwater for this site, but instead would silt up and flood its Tsin Kletsin dwelling. A spiral petroglyph hidden behind this settlement's Three Panel Site at Fajada (fa-HA-da) Butte tracks an 18.6-year lunar excursion cycle. That Sun Dagger petroglyph, along with its supernova platograph near Penasco Blanco exhibits its system of archaeoastronomy. A transept of a kiva of its Rinconada House is north-south collinear, and the Chetro Ketl great house as well as its D-shaped 650-room Pueblo Bonito are aligned along an equinoctial axis. Much of the economic activity in this settlement revolved around turquoise, some of which has been found as far away as Chichen Itza. For 10 points, name this massive Anasazi trading center located in northwestern New Mexico.
A: Chaco Canyon
Q: The Sigalegale (si-ga-le-GA-le) puppet dance is performed at weddings on this body of water, a ritual of a tribe that tried and executed prisoners at the stone chairs of Ambarita (am-ba-REE-ta). That tribe has a royal cemetery at Tomok on one of its islands. Tuk Tuk is the main settlement of this lake's indigenous Batak ethnicity. An alternative theory to a problem solved by the Out of Africa Founder Effect suggests that this body of water's creation was responsible for the narrowing of human populations to only a few tens of thousands of individuals. Recent activity on this lake has involved the uplift of the Uluan Peninsula and the island at its center, Samosir. Four stratovolcanic cones have emerged above the surface of this lake, and the volcanoes of Pangulubao (pan-gu-LOO-bow) and Sinabung are near this lake's shores. The largest volcanic eruption in the Quaternary period created, For 10 points, what largest crater lake in the world located in northern Sumatra?
A: Donau Toba
Q: The iron vessel El Yavari is at anchor on this body of water. Textiles are woven on its islands of Amantani and Taquile (ta-KEE-lay). The ruins of Cutimbo are found on a river that empties into this body of water. It reaches its greatest depth off the Isla Soto. The church of San Juan de Latran was a Jesuit center in its port of Juli. The Azangaro (a-SAN-ga-ro) River enters this body of water from the northwest, while the tallest mountain on its eastern shore is Ancohumo. Its chief port is defined by the Chucuito (choo-KWEE-to) and Capaschica (ka-pas-CHEE-ka) Peninsulas, which outline a bay occupied by the Uros People, who are known for dwelling on floating islands of tortora reeds. The Strait of Tiquina separates this large lake into sections called Huinaymarca (ween-yay-MAR-ka) and Lake Grande, and Copacabana (ko-pa-ka-BA-na) lies on a peninsula on this lake. For 10 points, name this large highland lake with main ports Puno and Guaqui (gwa-KEY) located on the border of Bolivia and Peru.
A: Lake Titicaca
Q: This city's Robson Heights houses a shrine to Thean Hou, which towers over its Lake Gardens District. That district also contains a museum of Islamic Art which exhibits a characteristic style that contains elements of Mughal and Moorish architecture. The main edifice exhibiting that style is the triple-white-onion-domed Sultan Abdul Samad Mosque found at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers on the edge of this city's Chinatown, which spreads out from Merdeka Square. This center of the former tin-mining region of Selangor is now more famous for a skyscraper known as Exchange 106, which has eclipsed the height of a set of towers connected by a glass bridge by Cesar Pelli that were once the world's tallest building. For 10 points, name this home of the Petronas towers, the capital of Malaysia.
A: Kuala Lumpur
Q: The Fakaseasea (fa-ka-SE-a-SE-a) is a woman's dance performed in this country, which is similar to the men's Fakanau which represents a fisherman's spell, but has been largely suppressed by missionaries. Protected regions in this country are known as kogatapu (ko-ga-TA-poo), and green sea turtles nest on Fualopa Inlet in this nation's only nature reserve. A mass 1863 kidnapping on Nukulaelae (nu-ku-LAE-lae) reduced this nation's population to less than three thousand. Of this nation's eight islands, only Niulakita (new-la-KEY-ta) was populated prior to European contact, though Nui was settled by a separate population from the Phoenix Islands. Nanumanga (na-nu-MAN-ga) and Niutau are this nation's main reef islands. New Zealand and Australia are aiding in a relocation effort for this nation's remaining ten thousand people as its capital district of Fongafale (fon-ga-FA-lay) is submerged. Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, For 10 points, name this little visited nation with capital Funafuti (foo-na-FOO-tee), known for selling internet domains ending in .tv.
A: Tuvalu
Q: This nation's chief site of indigenous significance is a boulder covered by petroglyphs on Mt. Richmond, which is near its Leaper's Hill monument, from which those indigenous peoples flung themselves to escape advancing French forces. The submarine volcano Kick'em-Jenny is found between its main landmasses, one of which contains the crater lakes of Lake Antoine and Grand Etang. Point Salinas is a xeric microclimate in this nation caused by the rain shadow of Mt. St. Catherine. Anse la Roche is a cove surrounded by cliffs on a northern island of this country which is important habitat for sea turtles. Beausejoir (bo-se-JWAR) and Tyndall Bays indent that northern island of Carriacou (KAR-ya-koo), while its main island is indented by Grenville and Grande Anse Bays. A waterfront in this nation is the Carenage, which occupies a harbor in a volcanic crater. Its village of Gouyave processes much of its nutmeg crop, which, along with cloves and cocoa, are its Isle of Spice's main product. For 10 points, name this Caribbean nation with capital St. George's.
A: Grenada or Gwenad
Q: A failed ambush laid on this island involved the wrecked steamer Saida Maru. This island's native name refers to a unique ship channel which accesses its main lagoon, though the first European to sight it named it Matthew Island, while its archipelago was formerly named Kingsmill. The island of Abaiang is located directly north of this island. Teinainano (tay-nai-NA-no) Urban Center administers the most densely populated portion of this island. A ferry to Buota connects its northern and southern ends. One of its nation's main ports is at Bikenibeu (bi-ke-NI-byu) and the main administrative center is at Bairiki. Two cemeteries whose location had been forgotten were rediscovered on his island in 2015. A defender of this island once stated that it would take "one million men one hundred years" to conquer it. A film shot on this island was the first to display deceased American servicemen, which were shown on Red Beaches 1 through 3 on Betio. For 10 points, name this coral atoll, the site of a large World War II American landing in the Gilbert Islands and today the capital of Kiribati (KI-ri-bas).
A: Tarawa
Q: A gateway town for this preserve contains the Santo Torbio Monastery, which houses the Lignum Crucis, the largest piece of the true cross. This preserve's signature animal is the Rebeco, a local variant of the chamois which also names the fourth deepest cave in these mountains. The Torca del Cerro in this preserve is listed as the 8th deepest cave in the world, and its mile-deep Cares Gorge supplies hydroelectric power to Camarmena (ka-mar-MEN-ya). These mountains are divided into the eastern Andara, the western Peaks of Cornion, and its highest section, which is reached via the cable car Fuente De. The first unit of this park centered on Lakes Enol and Ercina, known as the Lakes of Covadonga. These mountains' most prominent peak is the Naranjo de Bulnes (na-RAN-ho de BUL-nes). For 10 points, name this national park surrounding a limestone massif in the Cantabrian Alps that is home to its highest mountain, Torre de Cerredo, Spain's first national park.
A: Peaks of (Picos de) Europa (prompt on "Gran Cantabrica" Preserve)
Q: This city's two districts are connected by Wolfgang Pass. A collection hosted by its Grosses Jaenatsch Haus displays artifacts of a population that buried its dead in Waldfriedhof (VALD-freed-hof) Cemetery in its Heimatsmuseum (HAI-mats-mu-zeum). A structure that connects Schmitten and Filisur up the valley from this location is the curved, 6-arched, 200-foot tall Landwasser (LAND-vas-ser) Viaduct on the Albula Railway. This city, which is divided into its Dorf and Platz districts, shares an event with the nearby town of Klosters. This city's Walser Immigrants have displaced its original Rhaeto-Romantic culture, which was pushed into the adjacent Engadin Valley. Thomas Mann wrote Der Zauberberg while visiting this city which also contains the largest museum devoted to the work of Ernst Kirchner. A declaration signed at a conference in this city resolved the 1987 Aegean Dispute, preventing war between Turkey and Greece. For 10 points, name this ski resort city in Graubunden Canton, Switzerland known for hosting the annual World Economic Forum.
A: Davos or Tavau
Q: The Cooper Bay Dislocation and the early biostratigraphy of the Maurice Ewing Bank provide the keys for the evolution of this body of water. The Pirie Bank separates Dove and Protector Basins beneath this body of water to the west of Discovery Bank and Herdman Bank, which may represent uplift associated with the remains of the previously subducted Phoenix Plate. The Lyell Glacier flows to Harpon Bay on an island at the edge of this sea. The Lemaire Strait begins a reverse crescent feature associated with this sea that begins with Isla de los Estados and includes Beauchaine (bo-SHAYN) Island, both of which are part of the Burdwood Bank. A harrowing crossing of this sea was made in the lifeboat James Caird from Elephant Island to Grytviken (GREET-vee-ken); the captain of that lifeboat names the Shackleton Fracture Zone between this sea and the Drake Passage. For 10 points, name this sea of the Southern Ocean whose namesake ridge contains the South Orkney, South Shetland and South Sandwich Islands, and connects South America to Antarctica.
A: Scotia Sea
Q: The lands of the Krache, Nkonya and Tuwuli were flooded to create a reservoir on this river. One branch of this river is forced west by the highlands of the Gambaga Scarp before being forced south again southwest of Bolgatanga (bol-ga-TAN-ga). A western branch of this river forms the eastern border of the states of Bougouriba (boo-goo-REE-ba) and Poni, before being dammed at the Bui Gorge, while the state of Sissili (si-SI-li) is found between its western and central branches. The Oti and Afram are the chief tributaries of this river which forms a linguistic boundary between the Dangme and Ewe people. The Akesombo (a-ke-SOM-bo) Dam has flooded most of the lower basin of this river which enters the Atlantic near Ada. For 10 points, name this river whose Black, White and Red branches meet at its namesake lake, the largest artificial lake in Africa, the chief river of Ghana whose upper portion was part of the former name of its northern neighbor.
A: Volta River
Q: The only highway on this island overlooks a rookery called the Hardies as it climbs a sea cliff known as the Hillpiece, but dead ends before it reaches Anchorstock Point. Olav Mountain is a satellite peak of this island's highest point, which is described in chapter fifteen of the Mystery of A. Gordon Pym. A plaque at St. Mary's Church on this island commemorates the West Riding Incident, in which all but two of the adult males living on this island disappeared while trying to trade with a passing ship. The only agriculture on this island occurs at a potato garden known as the Patches, and its only industry is a crawfish factory that stands over Calshot Harbor, whose name originated due to a complete evacuation of its population to Hampshire due to the eruption of its Queen Mary volcano in 1961. Grouped along with Nightengale, Stoltenhoff and Inaccessible, this is, For 10 points, what island of the South Atlantic whose city of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the most remote inhabited place on Earth?
A: Tristan da Cunha
Q: This island's oxisol soils contain unusual concentrations of non-fissiogenic protactinium (pro-tak-TIN-ium) and thorium which are associated with upwelling and extreme erosion of its coral headlands. Most of this island's industry is concentrated at Fonuakula. Erosion of a microkarst environment on this island's northwest shore has created its Limu Pools and Talava Arches. This island's canyons include Togo and Vaikona, whose sharp pinnacles have been compared to Madagascar's Tsinghy formations. Halagigie (ha-la-GI-gi) and ToFa Points are peninsulas on this island that is protected by the Beveridge Reef. This island was declared to be the first dark sky nation due to an ISO error including the word "republic" in its official name. For 10 points, name this autonomous island known as the Rock of Polynesia, found northeast of Tonga, whose capital is Alofi and which is administered by New Zealand.
A: Niue
Q: One people group dwelling on this body of water enforce fishing rights by threatening death curses called lutego against trespassers. In addition to the Zinza, the Subi people dwell beneath three-hundred-foot cliffs on this body of water adjacent to Rubondo National Park, which lies on an island at the entrance to its Emji Paska Bay. The Lamadi Water Scheme seeks to alleviate pollution in this body of water's southern shores, whose largest settlement is a cultural center for the Sukuma. Another nation's Kavirondo Gulf supports its port city of Kisumu. The Sese Archipelago, which includes Buggala, is found in its northwest. This lake is known for giant clouds of mayflies which form its "summer smoke." Ukerewe Island defines an extension of this lake which receives the Simiyu and Grumeti Rivers, the Speke Gulf. The Owen Falls Dam at Jinja controls its outlet on its way to Lake Kyoga. For 10 points, name this lake on which Mwanza and Entebbe are found which is shared between Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
A: Lake Victoria (Accept Lake Nyanza, 'Nnanubale or Nam Lolwe or Ukerewe before mentioned)
Q: An exceptionally narrow alleyway in this city is the Pusti Me Pro (push-TI me pro), which means "let me pass." The Karampana (ka-ram-PA-na) Well is a secondary water source for this city. The Vrmac (vur-MATS) Tunnel has replaced switchbacks known as the "ladder of" this place that climb this city's Lovcen (LOV-tsen) Massif as its main land entrance. Another approach is part of the vanished Bokelj River, and is the Verige Strait. The Grgurina (GUR-gu-ree-na) Palace in this city houses its nation's maritime museum. A drawbridge over the Gurdic (GUR-dich) Spring enters this city on the Skurda (SKUR-da) River, whose Sea Gate is marked by a statue of St. Tryphon, who also names this city's main cathedral. This municipality which is centered on Arms Square is entered via Herceg Novi (HER-tseg NO-vi) Bay and Tivat Bay, which contains Sveti Marko Island, and its namesake bay is a ria rather than a fjord that pierces the Dinaric Alps. For 10 points, name this city on an inlet of the Adriatic Sea, a former Venetian colony in Montenegro.
A: Kotor or Cattaro
Q: The Yinshitan Forest is located on a debris flow on this peninsula which was sacred to the Xinle Culture, and is one of its principle green spaces, though it is primarily known for industry such as that of the Huayuankou District, which forms the southeasternmost point of its province's "Five Points, One Line" initiative. The Qian Mountains form the backbone of this peninsula, which is an extension of the Changbai Range, whose city of Wafangdian controls greater than 50% of its nation's diamonds. The Changshan Archipelago is found to its southeast, and the islands of Xhangzhi and Xizhong are found to the north of Jinzhou Bay off its west coast. The battles of Yingkou and Lushun were fought on this subject of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which is named for a river which flows into a namesake gulf to its northwest, and it hosts a city that contains the former Port Arthur. For 10 points, name this peninsula that separates the Bo Hai Sea from the Bay of Korea at the end of which is found the city of Dalian.
A: Liaodong Peninsula
Q: On May 5th, candles are placed in a river of this city to herald the coming of the savior Baba Fingo, part of the Roma festival of Kakava. The ancient ruins of Uskudama are believed to lie beneath its suburb of Karaagac [ka-RA-yaj]. A tower in this city contains the Stone of Respect, a petitionary column, as well as the Stone of Warning, containing the heads of those who angered a ruler who once occupied it. A covered bazaar in this city is covered by two rows of seven domes and is attached to its Eski Cami [eski-CHA-mi] Mosque; more famous are its Mosque of the Serpent, and the Uc Serefeli [ooch she-RE-fe-li] and Selimiye Mosque [se-le-MEE-ya], designed by Sinan. The aforementioned ruler Murad II built the Eski Sarayı, or Old Palace in this city whose Conqueror Bridge spans the Tunca [TOON-cha] River, which meets the Marica to the west of this city. For 10 points, name this city which in antiquity was the site of a battle between the Visigoths and the emperor Valens, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire before it was moved to Istanbul.
A: Edirne or Adrianople
Q: A fumarole field on an island in this archipelago is the main source of the first stoichiometric rhenium bearing mineral, rheniite. An offshore depression associated with these islands is the Shiashkotan Valley. Amost all of the lakes in these islands, including the Ring lake surrounding Tao-Rusyr Volcano, are calderas, and narrows on these islands result from asymmetric eruptions of dormant volcanoes such as Kuntomintar (kun-to-MIN-tar) and Sinarka. Gaps in these islands, which are commonly flooded by dense fogs from a current known as the Parental Tide, include their namesake Thursday strait and the more southerly Bussol strait, and the four southernmost members, including Kunashir and Iturup, are disputed by a nation that lies south of the Nemuro Strait. For 10 points, name this archipelago that is home to most of Russia's active stratovolcanoes, and whose ownership is disputed by Japan.
A: Kuril Islands
Q: It's not in the Andes, but a district in this mountain range known as the Cradle of Gold which has been mined since antiquity will close its last mine in 2023. That mine is located south of its highest point, which is named for the scent of almonds. The "Forty forests" of these mountains lie in a province said to contain "one thousand and one towers" which is also called the "garden of" these mountains; many of those towers in that province in these mountains are found on a road to the marble village of Dhi 'Ayn, which rests in the Bidah Valley. The Uwayrid Lava Fields surround one ridge of these mountains, which dive beneath the sand plain of the Rakbah, while their center rises above the arenitic Hisma Plateau on the west and descends towards the Hufrah Uplands in the east. The aforementioned Al-Bahah province is in the southern Fifa' subrange of these mountains. This mountain range's name means "barrier" or "divider" as it separates the fertile Tihamah Coastal Plain from the inland wastes of the Nejd, and it includes the Jabal al-Nur of Muhammad as well as the Biblical Mt. Horeb. For 10 points, name this mountain range that encircles Medina and along with the Asir Ranges comprises the Sarawat Mountains of western Saudi Arabia.
A: al-Hijaz Mountains (Accept Sarawat before "barrier" is mentioned; anti-prompt on "Fifa'" or "Asir" Ranges, or "Midian")
Q: A legend concerning the origin of this body of water states that a barber who survived a massacre shouted a secret down a well that the king of Ossur possessed donkey ears, causing the well to flood out in revenge. A golden eagle is used to hunt animals during the Salburuun (sal-bu-ROON) Festival which takes place on its shores. The red sandstone of its southern shore contains the Ak-Sai petroglyphs, the Seven Bulls formation and the ventifact-stoked Skazka Gorge, which are part of this lake's Jeti Oguz Valley. A torpedo testing facility exists on its Karabulan (ka-RA-bu-lan) Peninsula. This lake is classified as endorheic, but underground channels drain its depths to the Chu River. This lake, which is fed by the Tyup and Djyrgalan (JUR-ga-lan) Rivers, is near the town of Karakol and is surrounded by the Teskey Alatau and Kungey Alatau Mountains. For 10 points, name this second largest saline lake in the world, a large highland lake in Kyrgyzstan.
A: Lake Issyk-Kul
Q: This body of water was expanded during the Hatepe Eruption and created following the Oruanui (o-RWA-nui) Cataclysm. A community of freshwater sponges feeds on this body of water's Horomatangi (ho-ro-ma-TAN-gi) Vent. The Aratiatia (a-ra-TYA-ta) Rapids end at this body of water, and are a result of a hydroelectric project of Mercury Energy. This lake's extensions include Tapuaeharuru (ta-pwae-ha-RU-ru) Bay and Stump Bay, and a series of rock carvings depicts the navigator Ngatoroirangi (n-ga-tor-oi-RAN-gi) on this lake's Mine Bay. The Wairakei Geothermal Valley lies just upstream from this lake, which receives Huka Falls on the Tongariro (ton-ga-REE-ro) River. That river continues after flowing through Turangi (tu-RAN-gi), after which it is known as the Waikato, its nation's longest river. The town of Tauhara is the largest settlement on this lake. For 10 points, name this crater lake, the largest lake in the South Pacific, which is located on the north island of New Zealand.
A: Lake Taupomoana
Q: This island's most famous reef break has a name meaning "to sever the head," Teahupo'o (te-a-hu-PO-o), and is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. This island's nobility is the ari'i class, and its most powerful clan is the Teva tribe. Charles Green built an observatory at Point Venus on this island. Contact with Europeans first occurred in this island's Matavai Bay. This island was named King George Island by Samuel Wallis, then Nouvelle Cythere by Louis-Antoine de Bougainville. This island's longest river is the Papenoo Stream, which descends from the highlands around its highest point, Orohena. The Isthmus of Taravao connects its Nui and Iti cones on its Big and Little islands. A painting called Where do we come from? What are We? Where are we going? depicts residents of this island. For 10 points, name this island, the largest of the Windward Society Islands, whose largest city is Papeete.
A: Tahiti
Q: An earthquake on the Motagua-Polochic (mo-TA-gwa-po-LO-chik) Fault nearly leveled this city's outlying villages of San Juan Sacatepequez (san WAN sa-ka-te-PE-kez) and San Pedro. Many of this city's slums stand on the steep edges of the Valle de Ermita (VA-ye de er-MI-ta) and frequently wash away in torrential rains. The Santa Catalina Arch passes over its Avenida Cinco Norte, while the steel skeleton of the Tower of the Reformer passes over its Avenida Siete A in Zona Nueve, which also contains the coral pink gothic Yurrita Church. This city's Miraflores Archaeology Museum was built over the ruins of Kaminaljuyu (ka-mi-nal-hu-YU). This city receives its water by aqueduct from Lago Atitlan, which lies south of Villa Nueva (VI-ya NWE-va), which is periodically evacuated due to eruptions of the volcano Pacaya. For 10 points, name this largest city in Central America containing the Miguel Asturias theatre that became the capital of its nation upon the destruction of Quetzaltenango (ket-zal-te-NAN-go).
A: Guatemala City or Ciudad de Guatemala
Q: A family of giant beavers that terrorized this body of water was slain by the hero Atachuukai (a-ta-CHOO-kai) according to the Gwi'chin people and by Yamozha according to the Tli'cho. Its nation's largest national historic site, which centers on the Scented Grass Hills on its southwest edge, protects the heroic legends of its Ehdacho (e-DA-cho) and Sahoue (sa-WAY) Peninsulas. A prophet who predicted the discovery of diamonds to its east, Ayah, lived to see the development at Gras Lake of the Diavik Mine. That eastern shore, at which the Camsell River enters Conjuror Bay at its McTavish Arm, also includes the former pitchblende mines of Port Radium. The Johnny Hoe River empties into its McVicar Arm, while the Keith Arm hosts its main settlement of Deline, also known as Fort Franklin, at which an outlet of this lake passes on to the McKenzie. For 10 points, name this largest lake completely within Canada, located in the Northwest Territories.
A: Great Bear Lake
Q: Omagua and Cocama-Cocamilla (ko-KA-ma-ko-ka-MI-ya) are languages spoken on the middle course of this river. In the land of the Ticunha (ti-KUN-ya) on this river, the Amacayacu (a-ma-ka-YA-ku) National Park protects the world's smallest primate, the lion marmoset, and the giant Victoria Regia lotus. The largest reservoir in its basin is the Represa da Balbina, which is connected to it via the Uatuma (wa-TOO-ma). Carrahusanta (ka-rau-SAN-ta) and Apacheta Creeks join to form this river's first headstream, the Lloqueta (yo-KE-ta). This river experiences the tidal bore pororoca (po-ro-RO-ka) which is felt inland as far as Obidos. The longest island on this river is the Tupinambarana (tu-pi-nam-ba-RA-na), which is built by sediments from the Madeira. Near its mouth it passes the port of Macapa on the banks of the state of Amapa. This river's tributaries include the Tapajos (ta-PA-jos), which joins it at Santarem, and it is known as the Solimoes (so-LEE-moes) until the Rio Negro flows into it near Manaus. For 10 points, name this chief river of Brazil, the most voluminous in the world.
A: Amazon River or Solimoes early
Q: A south route to this place begins in Leiter Valley and avoids crevasses, but must deal with the treacherous Pforscharte (FOR-shart). That route is also used by those attempting the Stuedlgrat (STOO-del-grat), this mountain's southwest ridge. This mountain forms part of a ridge that separates the watersheds of the Kals and the Moll. A crown of peaks that is this mountain's namesake "wand" contains the Gerinturm and the Hofmannspitze (HOF-man-shpi-tze), and its northwest ridge is the Teufelshorn (TOI-fels-horn). The main route to this peak begins at the Lucknershaus and passes over the Kodnitzkees (kod-NITZ-keys) Glacier, and most ascents also include the Adlersruhe (AD-lers-ru-a) near its summit. This mountain's Pasterze Glacier is rapidly retreating. A highway connecting Holfach and Heiligenblut (hai-LEEG-en-bloot) contains two tunnels which pass beneath this mountain on the border of Tyrol and Carinthia. For 10 points, name this highest mountain east of Brenner Pass in the Alps, the highest point in Austria.
A: The Grossglockner
Q: The westernmost addition to this reserve is indented by the Barranca La Presa, which is dangerous due to its populations of feral dogs. The Carcamo de Dolores terminates in this location. This non-Winter Palace location also boasts a famous Malachite Room and contains a clock tower known as the Tall Knight. A spiral-shaped history museum here is known as El Caracol, or the Snail. An emperor who once took up residence here constructed the Empress's Way leading to it; that street was later named Paseo de la Reforma. Another figure associated with it built the Tlaxpana Aqueduct to water a garden noted for its ahuehuete trees, one of which is 700 years old. This forest, whose name means "grasshopper hill," lies between the neighborhoods of Tacubaya (ta-ku-BA-ya) and Polanco in the borough of Miguel Hidalgo. For 10 points, name this second largest urban green space in Latin America containing the Baths of Netzahualcoyotl (net-za-wal-ko-YO-tl), the Xochipilli (so-chi-PI-yi) Fountain, as well as a namesake palace that was home to Mexico's presidents until 1939.
A: Bosque de Chapultepec or Forest of Chapultepec
Q: Ancient names given to this river include the Sarayu and the Tarius. Two friendship dams serving four nations, one of which is alternately known as the Salma Dam, are found along this river. Above Chaghcharan (CHAG-cha-ran) its rapids freeze, forming an ice road into theKuhi-ye Baba Range, while downstream it absorbs a tributary whose floods severely damaged the second tallest freestanding minaret in the world, the Minaret of Jam. Its central course irrigates its main nation's breadbasket region, which surrounds a city once known as the "pearl of Khorasan" and former Timurid capital, but this river turns north, forms parts of two international borders, then disappears after watering the Oasis of Tejand and crossing into Turkmenistan. For 10 points, name this river of northwestern Afghanistan that shares its name with Afghanistan's third largest city.
A: the Rudkaneh-ye Hari Rud or Herat River (accept Tejand before it is mentioned)
Q: An extreme northeast extension of this administrative district is taken up by the Parc-St Roman tower, whose parking lot is actually located in the nation to its east. A new neighborhood called Le Portier is designed off what is now this district's east coast. Its Avenue d'Annunciade (a-ve-NU da-NUN-si-yad) features its Alexandre Giraldi-designed Odeon Tower, its nation's tallest, in its Larousse division, while its Japanese Gardens and Neptune Beach, as well as the performing arts museum, the Villa Sauber, are found in its Lorvotto District. The first performance of Saint-Saens' opera Helene was at this division's Salle Garnier Opera House. Its namesake district includes L'Hermitage (ler-mi-TAZH) and overlooks the Port of Hercules from the north. The wealthiest of its country's four quartiers, For 10 points, name this district that gives its name to a type of chaos modeling algorithm using random numbers, known for housing a massive casino in Monaco.
A: Monte Carlo (accept Larousse before "Le Portier"); prompt on "Monaco"
Q: This city's St. Philip and All Saints Church was its nation's first consecrated barn church. This is the second of two places that T.S. Eliot substituted for the town of Maremma in an allusion to Pia from Dante's Purgatorio from The Waste Land's "The Fire Sermon." Grove Park is located across a namesake bridge that leads to this place that absorbed the nearby neighborhood of North Sheen. Syon Park House and Queen Charlotte's Cottage are found in a preserve in this city. George III purchased a palace in this city as an annex for his White House residence. The Domesday Book is at rest in the National Archives in this city. The largest wild seed bank in the world is located at a former estate of Prince Frederick Louis in this place which publishes an index of the higher plant species described by Linnaeus. For 10 points, name this suburb of London in Richmond upon Thames that is home to its Royal Botanic Gardens.
A: Kew
Q: Trails beginning in this city's Skunk Canyon Park lead to Kohler Mesa, and its best known park is a trailhead for the Royal Arch. The Valmont Reservoir lies east of this city, and another reservoir lies at the end of the Baseline Creek, which marks the 40th Parallel. Chautauqua Park and Eldorado Canyon are located to the west of this city whose backdrop is a tilted portion of the Fountain Formation known as the Flatirons. The Space Science Institute, the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics and the National Solar Observatory are part of a university based in this city which also runs the Fisk Planetarium, and an office of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in this city was designed by I.M. Pei. The Indian Peaks Wilderness lies to the west of this city's Flagstaff Mountain and hosts its main water source, the Arapahoe Glacier. For 10 points, name this city on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the home of the University of Colorado.
A: Boulder, Colorado
Q: This province's town of Landana is a source of fossilized turtles that bear its name. The Bakamas do Tchizo (ba-KA-mas do CHEE-zo) is a ritual performed in this province intended to connect its gods with the living and the dead. The largest lake in this province is Lake Chissambo, which is found on the Lubinda River. The Chiloanga (chil-WAN-ga) River bisects this province. Two separatist groups, one representing the Mayombe minority, and the other identifying with common ethnicities in the province of Bengo are active in this province that was created by the Treaty of Simulambuco (si-mu-lam-BU-ko). A namesake port on the Bele River with the alternate name of Tchiowa is the chief city of this province that was formed from the merger of the N'goyo, Loango and Kakongo Kingdoms. For 10 points, name this northern exclave formerly known as the Portuguese Congo, a province of Angola containing 90% of its oil wealth.
A: Cabinda
Q: The only inland colony of snow petrels and skuas reside on Svarthameren (svart-HA-me-ren) Mountain in this region. A series of freestanding nunataks in this region is the Jaw of Fenris, and the vertical Rakekniven (RA-kek-nee-ven) Cliff is a popular climbing spot. This region's highest point is the Jokulkyrkja (YO-kul-kirk-ya) in its Muhlig-Hofmann Mountains. Zapadnoye (za-pad-NO-ye) Lake is to the west of this region's Schirmacher Hills, which were mapped out by an entity that used a southern cross on a red background in the upper left of a swastika-bearing flag that established a claim at New Swabia in this region. Troll Airfield provides the only air access to this region which includes the Princess Ragnhild, Princess Martha, Princess Astrid and Prince Olav Coasts. For 10 points, name this region located between Wilkes Land and Enderby Land, an Atlantic-facing slice of Antarctica which is claimed by Norway and named for a spouse of Haakon VII.
A: Queen Maud Land
Q: This river's upper valley includes an important Ordovician Lagerstatten (LA-ger-sta-ten) deposit, the Fezouata (fez-WA-ta) Formation, which is frequently compared to the Burgess Shale for its soft-bodied preservation. In its earliest description this river may be identified with the Lixos. The Tizgui Waterfall is visible in a side canyon of this river above Zagora. Its middle course flows through the necropolis of Foum Larjam. As its upper course flows beneath the Jebel Kissane this river nourishes the fortified town of Tamnougalt. This river forms from the confluence of the Imini and Dades and drops swiftly to the Tinfou Dunes and the town of M'Hamid following its exit from the Barrage El Mansour Eddahbi, where its waters nourish the city of Ouarzazate (war-za-ZA-te). From Tagounite (ta-gu-NEET) to the Hisni this river parallels the border with Algeria after which it turns west and reaches the Atlantic north of El Ouatia (El wa-TEE-ya). For 10 points, name this longest river in Morocco.
A: Draa River
Q: One of the ethnic groups in this state practices the customary marriage of the nokrom, which involves the youngest son-in-law assuming the nuptial duties of his father-in-law at the time of his death. Another ethnic group in this state speaks its nation's only Mon-Khmer (KMAI) language, and another practiced human sacrifice as late as the 20th Century. Those ethnic groups name the primary topographic features in this state, as the western Garo and central Khasi and Jaintia Hills merge to create its defining tableland, which interacts with north-flowing monsoon moisture to give its root-bridge building village of Cherrapunji (che-ra-PUN-jee) the title for the highest recorded rainfall in a single year. That record rainfall feeds the Nohkalikai (no-KA-li-kai) Falls, its nation's tallest, and the Seven Sisters waterfall, which also names a group of states of which this state is a part. With a name meaning "abode of the clouds," For 10 points, name this Indian State located between Assam and Bangladesh, whose capital is the hill-tract city of Shillong.
A: Meghalaya
Q: A rare form of mesothelioma caused by the mineral erionite exists in this region's cities of Serihidir (se-RI-hi-dir) and Tuzkoy. The town of Kanesh supplies the oldest inscriptions in this region, which are in the Luwian script; a more recent dialect is called Karamanlica (ka-ra-MAN-li-ka). This region contains the pink-tinged ignimbrites of the Rose Valley. The present city of Kultepe was built on the ruins of this region's oldest civilization. Mt. Erciyes is an extinct volcano and this region's highest mountain. Locations such as Meryemana, El Nazar and St. Barbara Kilise are found within its Goreme National Park, which is known for erosional features called fairy chimneys. Iconoclasts and Seljuk invasions swelled its settlements of Derinkuyu (de-rin-KU-yu) and Kaymakli. Located between the Taurus Mountains and Pontus, For 10 points, name this region of Anatolia centered around Kayseri whose badlands hold cave churches, monasteries and underground cities.
A: Cappadocia or Gamirk (anti-prompt on "Nevsehir" if given during the reading of the first sentence)
Q: This city's Jolfa district is home to a cathedral containing the grave of Sir George Malcolm which combines a semi-octagonal apse and raised chancel with the domed pendentive style of its host nation. That Vank Cathedral anchors its Armenian population, while this city's Jewish quarter was founded on the site of the earlier town of Gadai and dates from the reign of Queen Shushandukht. The Avenue of the Four Gardens passes over the Allahverdi Khan Bridge on this city's south approaches. The Garden of the 40 Columns is visible through the Ali Qapu Arch in this city, across from which the lazulite dome of the Sheikh Loftolleh Mosque appears. The focal point of this city is the long courtyard of the Nagsh-e Jahan (NAKSH-e ja-HAN) Square, which was built by a king whose name once graced the Imam Mosque as the Abbasi Mosque. West of this city the Zayandeh River passes through a canyon into the Zagros Mountains. For 10 points, name this hometown of Omar Khayyam, a former Safavid Persian capital city in central Iran and Iran's third largest city.
A: Isfahan
Q: Many of this city's underprivileged have been lifted from poverty by its native Grameen Bank, which pioneered microfinance without collateral. Many of its poor work in tanneries based in its industrial suburb of Hazaribagh (ha-ZAR-i-bag). The leader of a trading power active in this city built its Ruplal Mansion and settled its market district of Forashganj (for-ash-GANJ), and a later zamindar built the pink palace, the Ahsan Manzil, in this city. Much of the trade in this city once buzzed around its Bara Katra caravanserai, which along with the Star Mosque and the Lal Bagh fort typify this city's Muslim period, during which it was known as Jahangirabad (ja-han-GIR-a-bad). A revolution in this city began at a Maidan in its Armenian quarter following its formation at its Rose Garden Palace. This city's resulting National Assembly Building was designed by Louis I. Kahn and is located near the Zia Uddyan, a mausoleum for Mujibur Rahman. For 10 points, name this sprawling, thickly populated city served by the port of Narayanganj (na-RA-yan-ganj), the capital of Bangladesh.
A: Dhaka
Q: A family of amphipod crustaceans, the Crymostigidae (kri-mo-STI-gi-day), is endemic to this valley. A tradition in visiting this valley is to cast coins into its Peningagja (pe-nin-ga-GYA) fissure from its Frederick VIII Bridge. This valley contains several rock formations and other natural features used in grisly punishments, such as a freezing pool used for drowning adulteresses named Drekkingarhylur (DREK-ing-ar-hy-lur). Silfra is one of its submerged canyons, the largest of which is the Almannagja (al-ma-na-GYA). Chiefs called godi took no more than 17 days to travel when summoned to this valley. A site in this valley, which is centered on the Logberg Rock, was seized from the owner of the estate Blaskogar on the Oxara River and contains a population of Arctic char protected at its principal lake, Thingvalavatn (thing-val-a-VA-tin). For 10 points, name this rift valley where the Gragas Laws were codified that was once home to the world's oldest parliament, the Icelandic Althing.
A: Thingvellir
Q: A peninsula entering this body of water is the mythical home of the Ouzel of Gilgwri (GIL-goo-ri), an ancient blackbird whose interrogation by the Interpreter of Languages reveals the history of the boar Twrch Trwyth (toork truith). In addition to the Wirral, Castle Park guards the head of one of its bays between two peninsulas known as The Rhinns and the Machars, and it receives the Wyre from a flat plain on a peninsula known as the Fylde, which is found to the south of Morecambe Bay. Beaumaris Castle overlooks Conwy Bay on this body of water to the south. An island at the center of this body of water hosts the world's oldest continuously functioning parliament, the Tynwald. To the north of the Fane, the Mountains of Mourne overlook this body of water near the Bay of Dundalk. The Cunard Building stands over the Albert Docks in a large city on this sea at the mouth of the Mersey. Mannanan Mac Lir is a deity of this sea. For 10 points, name this sea that contains the Isle of Man, on which the ports of Liverpool and Dublin may be found.
A: Irish Sea or Muir Eireann or Y Keayn Yernagh or Mor Iwerddon
Q: A national park in the south of this province protects its highest point, a horst that was mistaken for an esker, Soderasen (SO-der-ah-sen). An artist in this province created the breakaway Royal Republic of Ladonia to protect sculptures named Arx and Nimis on its Kulla Peninsula. Another peninsula in this province contains the hall Thingholl in the living reserve of Foteviken (FO-te-vee-ken) on Falsterbo. The Linderodsasen (lin-der-od-SAH-sen) Ridge and Kavlinge (kav-LIN-gay) River divide this province into the forested low valleys of the Goinge (GOIN-gay) and its flat southern headlands, one of which host its Ales Stenar, its nation's largest stone ship burial site. This province's capital contains its nation's tallest skyscraper, the Santiago Calatrava designed Turning Torso. For 10 points, name this province located on the Kattegat Sound containing the cities of Landskrona and Trelleborg, whose capital is Malmo and which is connected by the Øresund Bridge to Copenhagen.
A: Skane or Scania
Q: The Cape Egersheld Lighthouse serves this city, and the first maps showing a dwelling at its foundation gave it a name meaning "city of eternal light." Refrigerator Hill is the highest point in this city, and a its slopes are featured on a banner containing a blue St. Andrew's cross on a red background covered by a shield displaying an Ussuri tiger. A Somerset Maugham novel sees the American businessman Harrington meet Ashenden before boarding a train in this city. A triumphal arch stands in Admiral Skver Park in this city which also has a series of gates dedicated to St. Nicholas the Miracle-worker. It's not in Turkey, but the southern reaches of this city face a strait named for the Bosporus, and its harbor is located on the Bay of the Golden Horn. This city occupies a peninsula between two inlets of the Gulf of Peter the Great, one of which is the Bay of Amur. For 10 points, name this Russian port city with a name meaning "lord of the east."
A: Vladivostok
Q: This nation's carbonatite bearing Semail Ophiolite Complex is a potential rare earth deposit. Much of this country's agriculture still depends on subterranean canals known as Falaj. An oryx sanctuary graces the central coast of this country, which is known for its thick fogs, and a cheetah once endemic to this country went extinct in its Dhofar Mountains in 1977. The Banu Nebhan tribe constructed the mud brick fortified oasis of Bahla in this country. It's not Libya, but a ruined fort known as the Pool of the Plantains guards an entrance to the terraced orchards of the Jebel Akhdar in this country's Al Hajar Range. This nation's capital contains the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Harbor, which is guarded by a former Portuguese fort. The exclaves of Madha and Musandam are cut off from this nation by the United Arab Emirates. For 10 points, name this former empire based in the Arabian Peninsula with capital Musqat.
A: Sultanate of Oman or Soltanat Uman
Q: A castle in this county is home to its country's last descendents of its native Auroch population, the Chillingham Wild Cattle. That castle lies in a national park which is accessed through its gateway town of Haltwhistle. The Kielder Forest in this county is home to its principal observatory. Its Allendale mining district once produced most of its nation's lead and silver, but the last of this region's coal mines closed in 2005 at Ellington. Wark and Redesdale Forests are this county's main wooded regions. Its east is defined by the rugged Whin Sill, whose lavas form the base of Bamburgh Castle and the holy island of Lindisfarne. Its northern Cheviot Hills are a source of trade uncertainty in this county due to a secession movement which is popular in Roxburgh and Dumfriesshire. Warkworth Castle was once home to this county's Percy dynasty. For 10 points, name this English county located east of Cumbria containing Newcastle with its current town Alnwick and seat at Morpeth, located north of the Humber.
A: Northumberland
Q: The closest settlement to this feature is also noted for the Omar Ibn Khatab Mosque, it's continent's largest. The Monday River to the west of this location encounters identical geological features to those at this site, namely a three-stage basaltic outcropping. That river is found to the west of Presidente Franco, which lies opposite this feature. The upstream Jose Richa and Salta Caxias (SAL-ta-KA-shas) dams control the water levels at this location said to have been created to punish the eloping lovers Naipi and Taroba. The nearest settlement above this feature is Puerto Yacuy. Parts of this feature called San Martin, Penoni, Bergano and Adam and Eva flow into the canyon of the Garganta del Diablo at this location. Eleanor Roosevelt remarked "Poor Niagara" when seeing, For 10 points, what massive collection of falls on a tributary of the Parana River on the border of Argentina and Brazil?
A: Iguacu Falls
Q: A group of 18th Century sailors marooned on this body of water's Edge Island survived for six years by collecting nails from driftwood and building bowstrings from bear tendons. Champ Island in this sea is known for giant rounded concretions that are known as its "cannonballs." An alternate name for its southeastern portion, which extends to Vaigach Island, is derived from a river that begins in the Komi Autonomous Republic. An eastern entrance to this sea lies adjacent to Lazarev Mountain, through which underground atomic test tunnels release radionuclides via Matochkin Strait. A port on this sea was once the capital of the Pomor trading empire and is accessed by the only tunnel beneath it from the Varanger Peninsula, Vardø. Another is the home of Savior on the Waters Cathedral, and hosts a sea route to Churchill called the "Arctic Bridge." Containing the Sea of Pechora, For 10 points, name this sea of the Arctic Ocean bounded by Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya whose port of Murmansk is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle.
A: Barents Sea
Q: Mendebar Market in this city is noted for its sale of nearly exclusively recycled metalwork and is found near its Khulafa al-Rashidun Mosque. Its autocephalous cathedral contains protruding beams known as its "monkey heads." The first modernist city to be listed by UNESCO, this city contains the the Casa del Formaggio (ka-sa del for-MA-jo) and the Villa Roma ambassador's residence, as well as the futurist airplane-shaped Fiat Tagliero (fi-YAT ta-LYE-ro) Building. This city's main gathering space is a square in front of its Ende Mariam Cathedral, built to emulate the tukul style of its country's southern neighbor. This city at the top of the Pendice Orientale (pen-DI-chay o-rien-TA-lay) was founded by a merger of the Shelele, Sherenser and Gurtom tribes, which took a name meaning "the four women made them unite" in Tigrinya. A tank graveyard in this city's Den Den Camp testifies to its role in a long civil war. For 10 points, name this Mussolini-designed war-torn capital of Eritrea.
A: (Arbate)-Asmara
Q: Rare examples of an architectural style named for these structures include the Walter Douglas House in Bisbee, Arizona, and the Library of the University of Texas at El Paso. One of these buildings was built on the Crag of Hungrel, houses the Kungarwa Shrine, belongs to the Kagyu School, and is named Rinpung. Another overlooks the confluence of the Sankosh and Tang rivers. The largest of them was built on a spur overlooking the Mangde Chu Valley in the Black Mountains, and serves as the winter quarters of the Kurje Monastery. This type of building shares its name with the 71 counties of an autonomous region to the north of their native nation, which, like rooms in these structures, were designed to be ruled half by a penlop and half by a lama. The Wangchuk dynasty ruled from one of these structures named Trongsa. For 10 points, name these fortified monasteries common to their host nation, Bhutan.
A: Dzongkhas or Dzongs
Q: St. Cuthberga began the Christianization of lands in what is now this county by founding a monastery known for its chained library at Wimborne. Highcliff Castle is located in an eastern spur of this county, while Corfe Castle was a former home of a family which later took over administration of the Badbury Rings iron age fortress from Kingston Lacy. The Frome and Piddle Rivers of this county feed its largest natural harbor. Lulworth Cove contains the Durdle Door, a limestone arch on this county's Jurassic Coast which also contains the ichthyosaur quarry of Lyme Regis. John Constable painted many scenes on this county's Stour River, and this county's seat is the home of Max Gate, where its designer wrote The Mayor of Casterbridge. For 10 points, name this county, the home of Thomas Hardy located on the English Channel, containing Wemouth and Bournemouth, and whose seat is found at Dorchester.
A: Dorset
Q: The Wodny Muz (VOD-nee MOOZH) or redcap is a mischievous sprite on this river that is blamed for drownings and the price of grain. Some of the worst floods on this river were caused by flooded lignite mines such as the artificial lake Berzdorf. The Bogatynia (bo-ga-TEEN-ya) mine is an active lignite mine on this river. Its city of Hirschfelde contains examples of a type of its local architecture, the Umgebindehauser (OOM-ge-bin-de-hau-zer). This river flows through a park containing Petzold's Aboretum and the English Bridge whose landscaping influenced the planning of parks in Boston. This river meets the Lubsza (LOOB-sha) below Gubin and reaches an international tri-point near the city of Zittau, where it absorbs the Mandava. The largest settlement directly on this river is the city of Gorlitz, and it joins another river at Ratzdorf. For 10 points, name this river of Lusatia that forms the southern half of the border of Germany and Poland and that is connected by a canal to the Oder.
A: Neisse River
Q: A colony on this mountain was established by German draft-dodger Johann Handl, who briefly mined pumice, but his only contribution to it was the introduction of the Black Rat. One chronicle of this mountain noted confusion over the source of pumice collected from the sea it its vicinity with that of an earlier event at Keeling Atoll. The lighthouse of Anjer was destroyed by that event on this mountain. The Pustaka Raja refers to a mountain called Kapi that stood at approximately the location of this mountain whose destruction caused a tsunami which swept from Batuwara to Rajabasa. Islands named Polish Hat, Lang, Sertung and Rakata are all that remain visible of this mountain's original mass, though a small island called Anak, or "child of" [this mountain] consists of four merged cones. This mountain once featured on the 100-rupiah banknote. For 10 points, what is this caldera in the Sunda Strait whose eruption was audible as far as Australia and caused the 1884 "Year without a Summer?"
A: Gunung Krakatoa or Krakatau
Q: A castle on this river contains an oubliette called the Starving Tower and the red-looped Queen's residence Barbara's Palace. Another was the home of the servant flayer Miklos Draskovics (MEE-klos DRASK-o-vich) and was filmed as the castle from Nosferatu. This river flows through the Vel'ka Fatra National Park, which contains the preserved log town of Vlkolinec (vul-ko-li-NETS), after passing through the Tiesnavi (tyesh-NA-vi) Gorge into the Vratna Valley, where it absorbs the Turiec (toor-YETS). "Around Strecno (STRECH-no)" and "From Liptov to Orava" are two movements of a five-part tone poem focusing on this river by Alexander Moyzes which was based on Ma Vlast. This river enters the Ilava Basin north of the Strazov (stra-ZHOV) Mountains, flows through Trencin (TREN-tsin), and meets the Nitra at Hlohovec (hlo-ho-VETS). This river defines the east side of Great Rye Island, part of its nation's breadbasket, north of Komarno. Its source is the confluence of its Black and White forks in the Tatra Mountains, and it flows southwest into the Danube. For 10 points, name this major river of Slovakia.
A: Vah River
Q: This non-South American city's Hephzhi (HEF-ji) Bar House is one of the few remaining examples of its Brazilian creole architecture, which may be also be seen in its Water House as well as its Shitta Bey Mosque, and some of this city's wealthier class still dwell in three-story stucco mansions known as sobrados. The western border of this city is at Badagry Creek on which Appa Quay forms the large part of this city's harbor along with Tin Can Island. The Carter Bridge connects this city's central district, which contains the Balogun and Jankara (jan-KA-ra) Markets, to its mainland Yaba district which contains its university. Five-Cowrie Creek separates its district of Ikoyi from its financial district on Victoria Island, which is actually the west end of its Lekki Peninsula.This city is served by a lighthouse near the entrance to Tarkwa Bay, and its skyline features the Black Pearl and Champagne Pearl Towers. A ceremonial king in this city dwells in its Oba's Palace, and a national museum in this city is on Tafawa Balewa Square. For 10 points, name this port city on the Bight of Benin in Nigeria, the most populous city in Africa.
A: Lagos or Ilu Eko
Q: An explorer of this body of water named an island within it "the Four Pillars," a reference to a type of cryogeologic formation believed by its native inhabitants to be the remains of the first people, the Kigilyakhs [ki-gil-YAKS]. Another island, which is named for that explorer, meets this body of water at Blossom Point. A river entering this body of water is sourced in an impact crater lake that is oddly glacier-free, Lake Elgygytgyn [el-gee-GEET-gin], and enters a gulf of it that also receives the Paryavaam and hosts its nation's northernmost seaport, which is home to a notable floating nuclear power plant. Though most of its shallow depth consists of riverine bays such as that aforementioned Gulf of Chaun, deep trenches exist in this body of water between the Kolyma and Indigirka Rivers. The De Long Islands are the northern boundary of this shallow body of water which grades into the Chukchi Sea past Cape Billings and Wrangel Island. Pevek is the largest port on, For 10 points, what sea of the Artic Ocean whose western boundary is the Laptev Sea?
A: East Siberian Sea or Vostochnoye Sibirskoye Morye
Q: The Mungi Stream, which arises at Olmoti, flows into this host of the Makat Salt Lake. The Lori Forest is found on the south side of this location whose fresh water sources include the Oljoro Nyuki River and the Goringop Swamp, which is fed by the hot spring Ngoitokitok (n-goi-to-KI-tok). Like the similar and nearby Olmoti and Empakaai landforms, its creation involved basaltic trachyandesite (tra-key-AN-de-sait) lavas. A namesake conservation area that contains this feature also protects the world's only carbonatite volcano, Oldoinyo Lengai (ol-DOIN-yo LEN-gai), as well as the oldest homo habilis fossil source, Olduvai Gorge. That name was inspired by the sound of the cowbells of its Masai herdsmen, who have been banned from this area as well as from Serengeti National Park. For 10 points, name this depression, the largest intact, unfilled caldera in the world, the target of a migration of Tanzania's big five game animals.
A: Ngorongoro Crater
Q: Inhabitants of the city containing this building complex were summoned to its location using copper pipes known as jarchis. A painting by Vasily Vereshchagin (ve-resh-CHEI-gan) called Triumph depicts its easternmost edifice. The prayer hall of its northernmost building uses the gold-leaf tapered kyndal design which mimics a dome; that building replaced the Mirzo Caravansarai. The Chorsu Dome is a fourth building in this complex. An iwan of one of its pishtaqs depicts lions in opposition to sharia, a nod to its city's Zoroastrian past. That building, the Madrassah of Sher Dor, stands opposite a structure whose glazed mosaic surface depicts the night sky and is named for an astronomer king who built an observatory in its city's Afrasiyab District, the Madrassah of Ulugh Bek. For 10 points, name this plaza decked out in blue and gold, the center of the Timurid Renaissance and the heart of the historic district of Samarkand.
A: Registan Square
Q: The Dornburg is a ringed hill-fort in this state belonging to the Celtic La Tene Culture, which was eventually displaced by the Chatti people. Before that, Eocene limnic eruptions in this state created the Messel Pit, a bioherm which was saved from becoming a landfill. The largest continuous mass of basalt in continental Europe makes up its extensively wooded Vogels Mountains, which is drained by the Rhon, and the Fulda and Werra [VE-ra] rivers meet to form the Weser [VE-ser] in its northern reaches. The plain of the Ried separates the Westerwald [VES-ter-vald] and Spessart Forests which lie on its main highland. The Carolingian Abbey at Lorsch, known for its Torhall, supposedly lies atop the barrow of Siegfried. A large industrial city in its southwest contains its nation's major stock market and now contains the Central Bank of the European Union. For 10 points, name this state with capital Wiesbaden [VEES-ba-den] and home to Germany's first freely elected parliament in its largest city, Frankfurt am Main, known for exporting fierce mercenaries.
A: Hessen
Q: A lingua franca spoken in this city is called Sepedi by its speakers, and is one of the fastest changing creoles in the world. This city's Indian residents were evicted from Marabastad (ma-RA-ba-stad) to Laudium in 1958. Cannons on the Klapperkop Hill defend this city. This city's green spaces include its sunken gardens of Venning Park and it also contains the terraces of the twin-towered Union Building, many of which are decorated by jacarandas (ja-ka-RAN-das). Events at Melrose House ended a civil war in this city, and its Ou Raadsaal Building once hosted a parliament that met in this city's Church Square. This home of the Poyntons Building lies on the plain of the Apies, extends to the foothills of the Magaliesburg (ma-GA-lees-burg) and is the center of a conurbation that includes Soshanguve and Centurion called Tshwane. The Piet Retief is a sculpture on this city's Voortrekker Monument, whose architect also designed its Mahlamba Ndlopu (ma-LAM-ba n-DLO-poo) presidential mansion. For 10 points, name this city in Gauteng Province, the executive capital of South Africa.
A: Pretoria or ePitoli
Q: The north part of this park contains the global stratotype section of Green Point, which represents the boundary of the Cambrian and Ordovician (or-do-VI-shan) terranes, whose tilted limestone and shale form avalanche deposits at Cow Head Point. South of St. Paul's Inlet, it preserves an overthrust associated with the Humber Miogeocline. Mount Saint Gregory and Beverly Head separate this park from the Bay of Islands to the south, and are part of a peridotite desert whose presence is due to an exposed ophiolite, an obducted piece of mantle. Its center is comprised of the Big Level Plateau, whose Pissing Mare Falls is the highest in Eastern North America. Its Tableland portion is incised by fjords like Trout River and Western Brook Ponds. Bonne Bay is the main coastal feature of this park whose namesake mountain is the second highest in its province behind Mt. Caubwick and means "the great somber." For 10 points, name this island-based national park located in the Long Range Mountains of western Newfoundland.
A: Gros Morne National Park
Q: Buildings associated with this city's Amauta class are indicated by red walls, and its Nusta's (NYU-stas) Quarters are trapezoidal in shape. Its lesser classes included waitstaff called yana and temporary laborers called mayoc. One of its buildings contains a window named for the constellation Qullca (KUIY-ka), while the mountain Putukusi (poo-too-KOO-see) is its main northern point of reference. The martial entrance to this city utilized the constriction of the Pongo de Mainique (PON-go de mai-NEE-kay). A lesser-used access point for this city is from the spring settlement of Huinay Huayna (WEEN-yay WAY) from the Intipunku (in-ti-PUN-ku), though most enter from the port of Aguas Calientes. An arrow-shaped stone on a mountain above this place points to Apu Salcantay through the sacred stone of Intihuatana (in-ti-wa-TA-na), and it contains the Room of the Three Windows, which looks out over its terraced agriculture. For 10 points, name this abandoned city perched above the Urubamba River which was re-introduced to archaeology in 1911 by Hiram Bingham.
A: Machu Picchu
Q: One of these landforms contains the Sima de la Lluvia (SI-ma de la YU-vi-ya) and the Sima Martel sinkholes, and was named for the sound of the devouring of human flesh by a creature of Ye'kuana mythology. The Arapan ravine passes between two of these landforms. An example called Autana contains a cave passing from one end to the other, and the Charles Brewer and Guy Collet Abismos are large quartzite caves found beneath them. Kukenan is known as the place of the dead to a people who believe Mawani spirits dwell on them. The drosera and heliamphora (he-li-am-FO-ra) carnivorous plants are examples of the hyper-endemism that occurs on these landforms. Chimanta is a fragmented example, and Ilu-Tramen is a twinned example in the Serra Pacaraima (SE-ra pa-ka-RAI-ma). Roraima is the largest example which occurs at an international tri-point. For 10 points, name these wet sandstone mesas surrounded by the Gran Sabana region, many of which are found within Canaima National Park, an example of which is the source of Angel Falls in Venezuela.
A: Tepuis
Q: Mobayi Mbongo is a mostly defunct hydroelectric project on this river which powered two palaces at Kawele, one of which consists of pagoda towers. This river passes its continent's largest nuclear bunker at a town which is connected to its port of N'dangi via secret tunnel. A people group giving their name to this river dwell mainly west of Mossaka. This river forms near Yakoma as the Uele and Boma rivers merge, following which it is joined by the Kotto. A river flowing into this one passes over the Chutes de Boali. That river, the Mpoko, meets it at a city whose primary languages include Banda-Banda; the largest city on its south banks is Gbadolite (gba-do-LEET). The Transaqua Scheme proposes to divert this river into the Chari (SHA-ree), with which this river defines a basin which once shared its name with a country on its north bank. For 10 points, name this river, the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo which drains most of the Central African Republic.
A: Ubangi River
Q: The main concert hall on this island was built on top of a cemetery destroyed in protest of the British invasion of the Suez. An album named for this place subtitled "Through the Strings of Time" was compiled by a violist from this settlement, which also saw the birth of the composer of the Legend of the Red Lantern. Its Bright Moon Garden and its highest point, Sunlight Rock host statues of a pirate's son whose battles are common subjects of bunraku dramas, and who had his headquarters on this island's Dragon Head Hill. This island contains a notable Organ Museum within its Eight Diagrams Mansion, and has its nation's highest per capita piano ownership. This former stronghold of Koxinga was opened to foreigners following the Opium Wars and is known for its Amoy Deco architecture. For 10 points, name this island port in the Lujiang River, an early international community off the coast of Xiamen [hsia-men] in Fujian Province.
A: Gulangyu or Kulangsu or Amoy before mentioned (Prompt on "Xiamen")
Q: Much of the conservational research performed on this island has occured on its Harberton Ranch, while its main cultural museum is housed in a former Croatian immigrant's home, the Casa Beben Antigua. The Les Eclaireurs (le-se-KLA-rurs) Lighthouse serves a body of water to the south of this island. Lago Fagnano is the eastern end of a valley that splits this island and that is flooded in the west by Almarantazgo (al-ma-ra-TAZ-go) Bay. Its west coast is covered by the Karukinka Reserve and the tangled fjordlands of Alberto de Agostini National Park, but were once inhabited by the Chonkoyuka (chon-ko-YU-ka) People who were based at Useless Bay until their removal to Dawson Island off its northern coast sparked the Selk'nam Genocide. The Martial Glacier hangs above the main settlement on this island whose highest point is Cornu Peak. The Isla Martillo (mar-TEE-yo) penguin colony is located off the coast of this island whose lenga-bedecked namesake national park is served by the Train at the End of the World and lies on the Beagle Channel. For 10 points, identify this island named for the bonfires of the Tehuelche (te-WEL-che) people which is split between Chile and Argentina, containing the notable southern urbanity of Ushuaia.
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: The seasonal precipitation of this region's western portion gives rise to dunes like the Medanos de los Naranjos (me-DA-nos de los na-RAN-hos). The Arroyo Vallimarica (a-RO-ya va-yi-ma-RI-ka) is a canal that waters its southern portion. In its northeast it combines with rolling hills to produce the coxilhas (ko-SHEEL-yas) landform, while the Ventana Hills are found in its southeast. This landform grades into the Anatuya (a-nya-TU-ya) Marshes in its north. In another country, a museum devoted to the culture of this region is found at Tacuarembo (ta-kwa-rem-BO). A state with capital Santa Rosa is named for this region. Alfalfa and wheat farms characterize its west, or Dry region between Bahia Blanca and Santa Fe, while its eastern portion extends roughly between Tandil and Mar del Plata and is devoted to cattle and sheep, which are raised on estancias. For 10 points, name these plains between the Rio Colorado and the Salado Norte whose large fauna was mainly rounded up and corralled by gauchos, the central plains of Argentina.
A: the Pampas
Q: One of these areas is located at the foot of the Morro Dois Irmaos, overlooks the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and is called Vidigal. The industrial development of the Meyer district created one called Jacarezinho (ja-ka-rei-ZEEN-yo). A funicular railway once served the example of Dona Marta, which is located on the edge of the Botafogo and Laranjeiras (la-ran-JEI-ras) districts, while a group of them, the Complexo do Alemao (kom-PLE-sho do a-le-MAO) is now served by a cable car. The first of them was named for a hill in Canudos populated by a certain species of spurge tree, and is now the neighborhood of Providencia. Phillip Glass composed a theme and variations based on Ravel's Bolero but utilizing the rhythms of the Samba named after the largest of these places, which surrounds the steep slopes of the Pedra da Gavea in Sao Conrado and is in imminent danger of landslide, the neighborhood of Rocinha (ro-SEEN-ya). For 10 points, name these slums found on the hillsides above Ipanema and Copacabana, the home of many of Rio de Janeiro's working poor.
A: favelas
Q: These mountains' Grutas del Brinco and the Cerro de Santa Marta are two of the more remote petroglyph areas associated with the now-extinct Cochimi People, though their Trinity Canyon is the more accessible of their Great Murals. Laguna Hanson is a seasonal lake in these mountain's Constitucion de Mil Ochocientos Cincuenta y Siete (mil O-cho-sien-tos sin-KWEN-ta i SYE-te) National Park that provides one of its only water sources for migratory birds. The El Vizcaino Desert interrupts these mountains between the Sierra de San Borja and the Tres Virgenes Massif, south of which is found the Sierra de la Giganta. The Sierra de San Pedro Martir, which also contains its nation's National Astronomical Observatory, also contains its highest point, the Picacho del Diablo, to the north of which is found the Juarez Range. The Puente Hills are the northern tip of the American portion of this range, which includes the Santa Anas, and another observatory is found in the Palomar Range. For 10 points, name these mountains that extend from Cabo San Lucas to the San Gabriel Valley that make up most of the topography of Baja California.
A: Peninsular Ranges (anti-prompt on any of the subranges mentioned; accept Sierra de San Francisco if given before the end of the first sentence
Q: The first mention of this city is from the Begur Vira Gallu Inscription, which is found in the Nageshwara (na-gesh-WA-ra) Temple in its northern Nandi Hills. The Chamaraja (cha-ma-RA-ja) Reservoir is part of an initiative in this city to replace a water source in the western Nilgiri Hills, whose sewage-bearing Kanva and Arkavati Rivers feed that source, the Kaveri River. This city's namesake palace contains several paintings of Venkatapa (ven-ka-TA-pa), a student of a nephew of Rabindranath Tagore (ra-bin-DRA-nath ta-GOR). This city's judicial system is housed in the bright red neoclassical Attara Chateri (a-TA-ra cha-TE-ri) in Cubbon Park, and its legislature meets in the Vidhana Soudha, which replaced a fort used by Tippu Sultan. The Bagmane Tech Park houses much of this city's commerce, and its district of Whitefield is known as India's Silicon Valley. For 10 points, name this Kannada-speaking city on a high ridge of the Karnataka (kar-na-TA-ka) Plateau, the former capital of Mysore, known today as India's information technology center.
A: Bangalore or Bengaluru
Q: The Amolar Ridge separates the two principal basins involved in this region. To its northwest are the dry forests of the Chiquitano (chi-ki-TA-no), and the savannahs of the Cerrado slope into it from the northeast. The apple snail is a keystone species in the anoxic waters of this region. The Acurizal (a-ku-RI-sal) Ranch and Doroche (do-RO-chay) Reserves areas form a cordon around its eastern nation's main national parks, while a nation to its west runs its Otuquis National Park. This region is used as grazing land in the dry season, when it becomes grassland, though its cattle are prey to its more than ten thousand caimans, the world's largest concentration of corocodilians. Porto Esperanca (es-pe-RAN-sa) and Corumba are the largest settlements in this region created from the overflow of the San Rafael and Taquari Novo Rivers. This home of fish like the pacu and piraputango (pi-ra-pu-TAN-go) is divided into the Sao Lourenco (SAO lu-REN-so) and Rio Negro drainages. Home to hyacinth macaws and yellow anacondas, For 10 points, name this lowland region of Brazil and Bolivia, the largest wetland area in the world.
A: the Pantanal
Q: An endemic member of the silversword alliance on this mountain of genus Dubautia is a critically imperiled resident of its Alaka'i Wilderness. A downstream feature of this mountain has overlooks whose names mean "hidden hill" and "colorful hill." The base of this mountain is known as the Blue Hole, and forms the headwaters of a river from its "wall of tears." A west-flowing stream which begins on this mountain has carved out part of the Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. A competitor for a record held by this mountain is split between Hana Forest Reserve and Haleakala National Park, and is known as Big Bog. That record is produced by its position just below the trade wind inversion layer combined with orographic lift channeled by the Olokele and Wainiha Valleys. There is disagreement over whether this mountain's pinnacle of Kawaikini (ka-wai-KEE-ni) is a separate peak, meaning it may neither be the highest point on its island nor the wettest spot in the United States. For 10 points, name this extremely rainy mountain on the island of Kauai.
A: Mt. Wai'aleale
Q: A namesake fault is responsible for the width of this location's Vocha Plain. Its largest lake is the Vouliagmenis (voo-lyag-MEN-is), a lagoon in Perachora (pe-ra-KO-ra). A mountain range running from Solomos to Xylokeriza (zai-lo-ke-RIZ-a), Mt. Oneion (o-NAI-on), enters this location from the south. The ports of Psatha and Loutraki are found on its western coast, while its east is dominated by the valley of the Kineta. A wolfpack introduced to the forests of its Geraneia Mountains is the southernmost pack in Europe. A fight over this location was arbitrated by Briareus, who awarded Helios its most strategic hill, but gave the lion's share to Poseidon. The Patera Range is the northern limit of this location across which a conquering empire built the Hexamilian (hex-a-MIL-ian) Wall. Two submersible bridges are now found on a canal that replaced the Diolkos, which was started by Nero on this strip of land west of Eleusa. For 10 points, name this land bridge connecting Ionia to the Peloponnesian (pe-lo-po-NE-zhan) Peninsula, home to a city that was the recipient of the second and third of the Pauline epistles.
A: Isthmus of Corinth
Q: One people who dwelled on this peninsula attribute its high linguistic diversity to a foolish deity named Kutga, who left a son and a daughter for each of its rivers, and attributed its seismicity to mountain spirits known as gamuli. The largest salmon run in the world occurs on one of those rivers in a biosphere reserve in the south of this peninsula, while the phreatic lake Dalny is found within its huge Uzon Crater. Alutor and the aforementioned Itelmen are native languages spoken on isolated western bays of this peninsula, while its extreme north is home to the Koryak people. Its only road begins just northwest of Lopatka Point, and connects Bolseretsk (bol-se-RETSK) to Ust, which is also bears this peninsula's name. No roads reach its most populated settlement of Petropavlovsk (pe-tro-pav-LOVSK). The Karaginskiy (ka-ra-GIN-ski) and Shelikhova (she-li-KO-va) Gulfs are adjacent to this peninsula, which contains the Valley of the Geysirs and the largest land-based volcano in the northern hemisphere, the Klyuchevskaya (klyu-CHEV-ska-ya). For 10 points, name this far eastern Russian peninsula that separates the Bering Sea from the Sea of Okhotsk.
A: Kamchatka Peninsula
Q: This desert's bizarre ventifacts are concentrated at its Dessilak (de-si-LAK) Cliff and include the stone pillars of Orida. The oasis of Seguidine (se-gui-DEEN) lies at the northern tip of this desert's Kaouar (ka-WAR) Escarpment. The forbidden center of this desert is an addax reserve which protects a rare type of antelope. Outcroppings of the Elrhaz Formation at a place whose name means "where camels fear to go" is the source for most of this region's fossils, including the Sarchosuchus Imperator (sar-ko-SU-kus im-PE-ra-tor), a massive crocodilian found at a quarry at Gadoufaoua (ga-dou-FOU-wa). Djaba (JA-ba) is an abandoned city in this desert, and its Bous region is an artifact trove for its ancient Kiffian culture, whose remains are found at a mass grave near Gobero. This desert extends north to the Djado (JA-do) Plateau, and it reaches the Ahaggar Mountains to the northwest. The sands of this desert are reclaiming a black rock memorial to a flight that was bombed for its nation's support of Hissene Habre. For 10 points, name this desert located east of the Air (a-YIR) Massif and accessed from Agadez, the largest geographic feature of Niger.
A: Tenere Desert
Q: El Carambolo (el-ka-RAM-bo-lo) and Asta Regia in this river's valley are the remains of a civilization based around a lake referred to as the Lacus Ligustinus (LA-kus li-gu-STEEN-us). The failure of a dam at the Los Frailes Mine in 1998 severely polluted two tributaries of this river. This river's source is located only 20 miles from its chief tributary in the Cazorla Mountains. It receives that tributary, the Genil, at Palma del Rio. This river is first dammed at the Tranco de Beas; in its lower course this river feeds the swamps of Las Marismas before reaching its mouth at Sanlucar de Barrameda. The Molino de Albulafia (al-bu-LA-fia) is a Roman waterwheel in the uppermost of the two main cities through which it flows, and The Torre del Oro overlooks this river in the lower one. The largest city on this river contains a famous Roman bridge, and the Romans called this river the Baetis. For 10 points, name this river that empties into the Gulf of Cadiz after flowing through the cities of Cordoba and Seville, the chief river of Andalusia.
A: Guadalquivir River
Q: Bodies of water within this lake include the comically named Monkey Bay and Cape Maclear. Lake Malobe is adjacent to it, and it is bounded by the Kirk Range along with the Viphya Mountians to the north. The largest islands in this body are Likoma and Chizmulu. Its primary inflow is the Ruhuhu River, and its major outflow is the Shire River, which flows into the Zambezi. Ecologically, this lake is home to the largest number of unique species of fish in the world. South of Lake Tanganyika. For 10 points, name this Great Rift Valley lake whose namesake country has its capital at Lilongwe.
A: Lake Malawi
Q: One ancient name for this river is the Buranuna. The Albu Gharz Salt Flat is all that remains of a lake that once fed this river on one border it crosses. The Hawran is the longest seasonal stream that reaches this river. This river starts by making a 270-degree loop around Elazig after its east and west forks combine at the Keban Buraji Reservoir. One nation receives most of its power from its Taqba Dam. The Bahr al-Milh empties its contents into this river whose only significant tributary on its middle course is the al-Kaburh. Due to a dam that has created Lake Qadisiyah (ka-di-SEE-ya), this river's lowest course has reached record lows, and according to Muhammad, 99 out of 100 soldiers will die for a mountain of gold revealed by this river's dessication. This river's lower course flows through Ramadi, An-Nasiriyah (an-na-si-REE-ya) and Fallujah. For 10 points, name this river of Mesopotamia that forms the Shatt al-Arab after merging with the Tigris.
A: Euphrates River or Nahr al-Furat
Q: The Issledovatel' (is-le-do-VA-tel) Plateau rises to the west of this feature, and is itself an extension of the Osborn Plateau, its principle western prominence. West of its southern portion it runs parallel to the Indra Fault. The geochemistry of the Rajmahal Traps is very similar to that of this feature's tholeiite basalts. This feature, along with a southeastern extension called the Broken Plateau was formed by hotspot volcanism now underlying the Kerguelen Archipelago. This topographical feature defines the southwestern edge of the Wharton Basin along with the Diamantina Fracture Zone. It is youngest in the south, but 80 million years old beneath the Bay of Bengal in the north. Earthquakes beneath this feature may indicate a broad transition zone or a boundary of the theorized Australian plate. For 10 points, name this large un-naturally straight feature of the Indian Ocean, an aseismic ridge named for a line of longitude.
A: Ninety-East Ridge
Q: A geological formation named after this feature contains the Pipe Sandstone. The Matetsi game trail is a migration point located north of this feature. This feature is located on the lands of the Lozi peoples at an exit of the Batoka Plateau. The Maramba River enters a channel above this location just above Princess Marie and Prince Christian Islands which is found immediately north of features called the Boiling Pot and the Big Eddy, which are rafting docks at this location above the Devil's Toilet Bowl and Morning Glory Rapids. Just below this location, a river enters its wild and narrow second and third gorges, part of its Livingstone Island, which contains Danger Point and Cataract View. This chief attraction of Mosi-oa-Tunya national park, whose name means "smoke that thunders" is divided into the Devil's Cataract, Rainbow Falls, the Main Falls and East Falls. For 10 points, name this massive waterfall on the Zambezi River.
A: Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya before mentioned, or Shungu Namutitimba or Shongwe
Q: WARNING, two answers required.Equilibrium between these two peoples was maintained by a princely class known as the ganwa.Cattle songs called ibicuba (i-bi-KU-ba) are common among both peoples, though stories of the greedy Sebgugugu (seb-gu-GU-gu) dominate among one people, while much of the folklore of the other revolves around the trickster Samadari (sa-ma-DA-ri). Contracts called ubuhake and uburetwa established the land-for-cattle relationship between these two people groups. One of these groups follows clan chieftains known as bahinza, while the other follows the feudal relationship dictated by a mwami. The least populous of these two groups have a traditional kingdom centered at Nyanza. Village level councils called gahaca are involved in prosecution of the most recent violence involving these two peoples, which was perpetrated by militias known as Interahamwe (in-te-ra-HAM-we). Tensions between these groups led to massacres following the death of Matara III and again following the death of Juvenal Habyirimana (ju-ve-NAL ha-byi-ri-MA-na). For 10 points, name these two people groups which make up most of the population of Rwanda.
A: Hutu and Tutsi
Q: This country's South Thilafushi (thee-la-FOO-shi) is a refuse dump for its industrial and touristic sector. The Eedhigali Kilhi (ee-thee-GA-li KEEL-hi) is this country's largest lake and an avian migration target. Archaelogists like HCP Bell argued with Thor Heyerdahl about whether this country's hawitta mounds found at Kondey and Idhsoo are Buddhist stupas or Redin burial mounds. This country's Medhu Ziyaraath (ME-thu zi-ya-RATH) is a shrine to a Somalian who converted its population to Islam. The island of Hulhule and the neighborhood of Maafanu are home to this nation's indigenous Giraavaru (gi-RA-va-roo) people. This nation's second largest settlement of Addu City was once capital of the short-lived Suvadive Republic. This nation's capital contains a mosque built out of chiseled coral and the Mouleeage (MOO-lee-ah-gay), a government center in its former Sultan's palace. For 10 points, name this Divehi-speaking country made up of about 1,200 coral atolls with capital Male.
A: Republic of the Maldives or Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa
Q: The Barmah Forest reserve is nourished by this river's interaction with the Cadell Fault, which also created its abandoned channel, the Green Gully. The Hindmarsh is an important wetland on the lower course of this river, which in its final course receives drainage from a lagoon called the Coorong. Its highest reservoir is created following its confluence with the Mitta Mitta, after which it is restricted by Hume Dam. This river's source is a snow-clad knob known as The Pilot. It receives the Loddon at Swan Hill and the Campaspe at Echuca. An irrigation works built at Mildura ended its navigational role for its country. This river's salinity fluctuates dramatically below Alexandrina Lake. This river empties into Encounter Bay on the Southern Ocean after providing water to the city of Adelaide. For 10 points, name this river that forms the border of Victoria and New South Wales, and that, with the Darling, forms Australia's longest river system.
A: Murray River
Q: During the Civil War, this city was defended by Fort St. Philip and controversially occupied by Union general Benjamin Butler. The Sieur de Bienville led a group of French settlers here in 1718. This city's suburb of Metairie contains the southern end of the Lake (*) Pontchartrain Causeway. Its Lower Ninth Ward was damaged when levees were weakened by a 2005 storm. For 10 points, what Louisiana city was devastated by Hurricane Katrina?
A: New Orleans, Louisiana
Q: This city is found in the southern reaches of the Iullemmeden (yu-le-ME-den) Basin and the northern reaches of the East Ridge of Man in an intermediate zone called the Liptako. The Cathedral de Maorey is the meeting point for this city's minority Christian population. A museum in this city houses a monument to the last tree destroyed in its nation's main desert. This city occasionally sees violent suppression of protests centering on the Kennedy and Friendship Bridges which originate at its Abdou Moumoui University, located in its west bank Fifth Commune. This Zarma and Fulfulde speaking city grew with the merger of Gaweye, Zongo and Koira, and its fastest growth occurred during the operation of a uranium mine at Arlit despite a drought that swelled the population of a refugee camp in its suburb of Lazaret. Much of the commerce in this city accompanies the Lutte Traditionnelle, a wrestling contest which celebrates its harvest festival. A federal district enclosing this city is entirely surrounded by the region of Tillaberi (ti-la-BE-ri). For 10 points, name this successor of Zinder as capital of Niger.
A: Niamey
Q: The triple-arched Gongchen Bridge crosses this waterway at its southern end. Shallow rivers from the Mt. Tai Massif once supplied flow that enabled it to cross its highest point at Nanwang Lake, which could once be reached through the Guang and Wen locks and dams, though it is currently navigable only to Jining, below which it falls to Xuzhou. Its widest point occurs as it enters Tai Hu Lake north of its intersection with the Qiantang. Its oldest section is found south of Huaiyin, and the silting of the Daqing Delta gave rise to its first stage, which was known as the Huitong. That stage was necessitated by a course shift in the Huang He during the Yuan Dynasty, when this waterway was greatly enlarged. For 10 points, name this watercourse that connects Hangzhou to Beijing, the longest canal in the world.
A: Grand Canal or Da Yunhe
Q: A pool known as the Monastic Pond is all that remains of a moat around this structure that was once accessed via the tower Jomfrutarnet (YOM-fru-tar-net) A battle over this complex of buildings is central to the novel In the Wilderness. A highway that is partly named Frognerstranda (FROG-ner-stran-da) passes beneath this structure, which contains a dungeon called "The Slavery." Accessed over a drawbridge from the southern end of Kirkegata (KIR-ke-ga-ta), the Fridjof (FREED-yof) Nansen Plaza in Radhuset is immediately north of this complex. Its Slott was built to replace Tonsberg during a rebellion of the Earl of Sarpsborg, and also saw the executions of Siegfried Fehmer and Vidkun Quisling. For 10 points, name this royal castle built by Haakon V that guards the east side of the harbor of Oslo.
A: Akershus Festning
Q: This modern city lies east of the Arabuko-Sokoke (a-ra-BU-ko so-KO-kay) Forest, the edge of a settlement containing the House of the Iron Lamp and the House of the Venetian Bead. This city's House of the Columns exemplifies its Coastal style. The Mijikenda (mi-ji-KEN-da) tribes inhabit this Giryama and Orma-speaking city, and once occupied the ruined city of Gedi to its southwest. To its northwest is the sandstone Marafa Gorge. The former Santa Rita oil platform off the coast of this city now serves as the Broglio Space Center, and the Uhuru X-ray satellite was launched from this city's San Marco Equatorial Range. A giraffe was loaded onto the Treasure Fleet of Zheng Ho to China in this city. St. Francis Xavier visited this city's Portugese church on the way to India, and it also contains a coral column topped by a Lisbon cross erected by Vasco da Gama. For 10 points, name this port city which was eclipsed by its rival of Mombasa as Kenya's main port in the 20th Century.
A: Malindi
Q: One population in this region, which includes the Ayt Oryaghel (AIT or-ya-GHEL) tribe, has founded a nationalist movement based on the hogra, or humiliation, and speaks the Tarafit language, while the Ghomara is a dying language spoken in this region's west. This region contains its continent's third deepest cave, Kef Toghobeit (kef TO-go-beit). Much deforestation has taken place in this region in order to cultivate a type of cannabis called Kief. This region that stretches south to the Ouergha River contains the Caves of Hercules beneath Cape Spartel, this region's northernmost peninsula. This region's namesake range climaxes in Al Hoceima Province at Jebel Tidirhine (je-BEL TI-di-rheen). This region contains the blue medina of Chefchouan (SHEF-shoo-an), and its coastal cities include Tetouan and Tangiers. For 10 points, name this region whose name identifies a short-lived Berber republic with capital Ajdir and a war involving Abd el-Krim, the northernmost region of Morocco.
A: the Rif
Q: One of the cultures living on this river's banks compares it to the Rubicon due to a fateful decision made on its Wihwa Island in 1392. Similarities in fish have led to speculation that two of this river's tributaries were once connected to the Sungari River by an eruption at its source, a crater lake in a stratovolcano that also gives rise to the Tumen. This river winds south until it reaches Hyesan, then sweeps into the gorge of the Unbong. It receives its northern tributary, the Hun, after its widest point, at which it is dammed at Supung Lake. The Herchun and Changjin flow into this river from the south following its birth on Mt. Paektu, and this river empties into the Yellow Sea just west of Donggang. For 10 points, name this river that forms the border between China and North Korea.
A: Yalu River or Amnok River
Q: This feature's Mt. Ptolemy contains a formation called the Hub, about which Windy Valley, the Neny Fjord, and the Cole, Mercator, and Weyerhaeuser Glaciers radiate in a formation called the Traffic Circle. Prime Head is the northernmost point on this peninsula whose highest point is Mt. Jackson on its Black Coast. Joinville Island is an offshore extension of mountains that occupy the Trinity Peninsula, which extends from Cape Longing to Cape Kater on this landmass whose west coast is indented by Marguerite Bay. The oft-photographed Lemaire Channel separates this peninsula from Booth Island. This peninsula's native pearlwort and hair grass are its only two flowering plants. The Wilkins and Larsen Ice Shelves are anchored to this peninsula. For 10 points, name this long peninsula consisting of Graham Land and Palmer Land found south of Drake Passage, the northernmost extent of its namesake continent.
A: Antarctic Peninsula
Q: This city appears to have had a suburb named Rastrojon (ras-tro-HON) at one point. Many of the monuments associated with its hegemony are found at the nearby site of Santa Rita. Another satellite of this city contains the House of the Bakabs, and is the Sepulturas (sep-ul-TUR-as). The Esmeralda Temple lies atop the Chorcha Pyramid in this city. Its Rosalia Temple is the most advanced reconstruction of a religious site associated with this place. The Xukpi (SHOOK-pi) and Motmot stones, as well as its Altar Q describes the elevation of a figure known as the "Lord of the West" who was buried beneath its Hunal Temple, and whose son built its scarlet macaw-decorated ballcourt. That figure from Tikal led a re-founding of this city whose Eastern Plaza contains obsidian-inlaid jaguar sculptures, and the longest archaeological cut in the world transects its Acropolis. For 10 points, name this Mayan ruin discovered by Diego Garcia de Palacio known for its hieroglyphic staircase and located in Honduras.
A: Copan
Q: This country's DISIP security agency houses political prisoners in a converted modernist shopping mall called the Helix. The majority of the world's Pemon language speakers live in this country's Canaima National Park, which is the site of many sandstone mesas known as tepuis. One of this country's landmarks is named after the American aviator who crash-landed on it in 1937. Much of this country's crude oil deposits are located in a 5,100 square mile tidal bay that has a notable duckweed infestation. Angel Falls is in this country, and its central llanos region is irrigated by the Orinoco River. Lake Maracaibo is located in, for 10 points, what country whose capital is Caracas?
A: Venezuela
Q: The Dzerzhinsky (jer-ZHIN-sky) Rayon is the industrial northern portion of this city. Much destitution is found in the izbas of this city's Perekop District, which is home to its mafia. A leather store in this city saw the founding of its nation's first professional theatre troupe, which is adjacent to the Vlasyevskaya (vlas-yev-SKA-ya) Watchtower and the Church of the Sign in its Volkova Square. The remains of this city's kremlin are known as its "wooden town." Two of this city's churches, the Lady of Kazan Chapel and the 15-domed John the Baptist Church at Tolchkovo (tolch-KO-vo) are featured on the 1000-ruble banknote, and the green-domed Church of Elijah the Prophet marks this city's center. The oldest text of the Song of Igor's Campaign was found in this city's Spassky Monastery. For 10 points, name this city, the largest and oldest on Russia's Golden Ring founded at the conjunction of the Kotorosl (ko-to-RO-sl) and Volga Rivers and named for a 11th Century prince.
A: Yaroslavl'
Q: This country contains many large basalt fields around Harrat Kishb and a cryptovolcanic remnant at Wahbah Crater. The Tuwaig escarpment is a major water source in this country's central Nejd Plateau. This nation's western border is sometimes referred to as "Winston's Hiccup," and the Asir Mountains in this nation contain its highest point of Jebel Sawdah. This nation's city of Dharan is located near the largest oil field in the world, the Ghawar field, and its city of Jiddah is home to its King Abdullah University. For 10 points, identify this nation with borders on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, which is home to the cities of Medina, Mecca, and Riyadh.
A: Saudi Arabia
Q: The domes El Solo and El Fraile are found on this peak. The Barranca Blanca is a canyon on its northwest slope. Portuzuelo Negro (por-tu-SWAY-lo NE-gro) is a source of desperately needed water during the ascent of this peak. A modified vehicle race to the top of this peak uses the highest four-wheel drive road in the world and was nearly completed in 2007. That road ends at Refugio Tejos (re-FOO-hi-yo TE-hos), although most climbers stop at the canyon of the Cazadero de Quemadito (ca-sa-DE-ro de ke-ma-DEE-to), following which its first field of penitentes is encountered at Agua de las Vicunas. Volcan El Muerto is a side vent of this peak. A dispute considering the height of nearby Monte Pissis involves a local record held by this mountain, and a better-known record, in the absence of fumarolic activity, would be held by Llullaillaco (yu-ya-YA-ko). For 10 points, name this tallest active volcano in the world, the highest point in Chile, named for an anthropomorphic feature that forms at the intersection of its glacial lakes and its halite deposits.
A: Ojos del Salado
Q: This city lies at the center of a geothermal field which includes the Keyraki and Lokbatan mud volcanos. The competing gilavar (GI-la-yar) and khazri winds dominate this city's climate. This city's native Tat population has been gradually replaced with its dominant ethnicity since the 19th Century. A prehistoric observatory was discovered at Umid Gaya in this city's suburb of Nardaran. The saline Lake Boyukshor (bo-YUK-shor) lies northeast of this city. The Kyz-Kalasi, or maiden's tower, as well as the historic minarets of Dzhuma-Mechet (JU-ma ME-chet) and Synyk-Kala are to be found in this city's old town, the Icheri Shekher (I-che-ri SHE-her). Its industrial zone of Black Town was established in 1882, and a pipeline beginning in this city shunts petroleum to Batumi. This lowest national capital in the world is located on the south side of the Abseron (AB-she-ron) Peninsula. For 10 points, name this largest metropolis on the Caspian Sea, the capital of Azerbaijan.
A: Baku
Q: Picasso's Woman with Folded Hands was inspired by masks of an ethnic group of this present-day region. The Tanga and Ngumbi peoples are found in its coastal region. A mountain range whose eastern end is at Mikomeseng (mi-ko-ME-sang) separates the Campo watershed, whose namesake forms its northern border, with its principal river, and the Central Range, which contains Monte Alen National Park, divides the northern basin of this region from the basin of the Utamboni (u-tam-BO-ni). The Abia River joins the Uoro (of this region) to form the Benito in the territory of the Fang. Its chief city is the port of Bata, although a city formerly named Oyala, now the capital of its brand new Djibloho (ji-BLO-ho) Province served by Mengomeyen's (men-go-MA-yens) new Obiang International Airport, is primed to replace Malabo. For 10 points, name this region named for an estuary on its southwestern border, the home of the city of La Paz, the future capital of Equatorial Guinea located in its continental territory.
A: Rio Muni or Mbini (accept Fang if given before "region" is read and prompt on "Spanish Guinea" before "present day").
Q: The Etshas are a series of 13 makeshift villages on the western edge of this region set up by the Mbukushu (m-bu-KOO-shoo) People. The Selena Spillway connects this region to the Magwegqana (mag-way-K//A-na) River. The Xakanaxa Lediba (sha-ka-NA-sha le-DEE-ba) is a thin strip of land between a marsh and a lagoon that is this region's principal heronry. Shallow draft ebony log canoes known as makoro are the primary means of transportation in this region whose central and eastern portions are covered by the Moremi Reserve. The Sandveldt Tongue is an extension of this region into dunefields. This region's largest expanse of arable land is found on Chiefs Island, one of its many palm islands. This region is created when its namesake splits into the Thaoge (THOW-gay), Xudum (SHOO-doom) and Thamakalane (tha-ma-la-KA-nay) distributaries, which then disappear into the sands of the Nxaragha (n-sha-RA-ga) Valley northwest of the Makgadikgadi (ma-ka-di-KA-di) Salt Pans. For 10 points, name this large wetland area in northern Botswana.
A: Okavango Delta (prompt on "Chobe" or "Northwest District")
Q: The butte of Likhoefaneng (li-kwa-FA-neng) is found south of a trailhead leading to this mountain. Bird's Nest Cave is a waypoint on its Mkomazi (m-ko-MA-zi) Pass route, which ends on a promontory of the Mohlesi Ridge. That route crosses the Manhong and Sehonghong (se-HONG-hong) Rivers. Its nation's national flower, the spiral aloe, may be found growing on its middle western slopes, which are accessed from the village of Mokhotlong (mo-KOT-long). Vergelegen (ver-ge-LE-gen) Nature Reserve is a common starting point for attempts on this peak, though a road to the international border crossing at Sani Pass on its south slope which begins at Underberg and ascends a cliff known as Moshoeshoe's (mo-SHWA-shwa's) Finger eliminates half of the climb. The Maluti Mountains collide with a mountain range whose name means "a battlement of spears," or Kwathlamba, at this mountain. For 10 points, name this highest mountain in the Drakensberg Mountains, the highest point in Lesotho.
A: Thabana Ntlenyana or Thadentsonyane or Thabantshonyana
Q: The direct western ascent of this peak is known as the Ruta Loma Fina, while the northeastern Spanish route ascends from Col Chopicalqui (kol cho-pi-CAL-key) and crosses the Matara Glacier. An ecosystem on this mountain is threatened by overgrazing in its Callejon de Huaylas Valley. Spectacled bears and a 50-foot flower called Puya de Raymondi are part of that ecosystem which extends to the low meadows of Cebollapampa (se-bo-ya-PAM-pa) near and the eastern lake Llanganuco (yan-ga-NOO-ko). A saddle called "Garganta" lies between this peak's north and south summits. The Santa, Pativilca and Maranon rivers receive a combined forty-one tributaries from this mountain. An ice wall called El Escudo, or the Shield on the south side of this mountain is fracturing, and an1970 avalanche caused by the Ancash earthquake buried most of the towns of Ranrahica (ran-rai-ka) and Yungay. For 10 points, name this mountain in the Cordillera Blanca, the twin-peaked highest mountain in Peru.
A: Nevado Huascaran or Mataraju
Q: A cleft on this feature's southwest corner contains a stairwell dedicated to Cacus. Immediately to its west, the Crosier Generalate meets in the Basilica of St. George in Velabro. This site on the Via San Gregorio contains the frescoed ruins of the Aula Isiaca (AU-la i-SYA-ka) as well as the Loggia Mattei. The architect Rabirius dramatically altered the topography of this feature on which the Orti Farnesiani (OR-ti far-ne-si-AN-i) were later planted. The Vigna Barberini (VEEN-ya bar-be-REE-ni) is an artificial terrace attached to this location that contains the ruins of the Temple of Elagabalus (e-la-ga-BA-lus). Secondary summits of this feature which overlooks the Arch of Constantine include the Germalus, and it is connected by the ridge of the Velia to the adjacent Esquiline (ES-kwi-leen) Hill. The long-lost cave of Lupercal was identified on this hill in 2007. For 10 points, name this Italian hill which contains the Domus Flavia and the Augustine Palace overlooking the ruins of the Forum upon which Rome was founded.
A: Palatine Hill
Q: The gilded Dagmar Cross was found in a tomb on this landmass. Its northwesternmost forest is its Troldeskoven, or witches' wood, known for its twisted pines. A geologic age named for this place is the central stage of the Paleogene epoch whose limestone is exposed at its Stevns Klimt. A Gerre of Schonberg recounts a legend of this island involving a boar-hunting king that was cursed to endure a skeletal ride; that legend also appears in a certain First Symphony subtitled "On [this place's] Fair Plain." This island is indented in the south by Bøgestrøm (BO-ge-strom) and in the north by Isefjord. The Faro Bridge connect this island to is southern neighbor of Falstrøm, while the Great Belt Fixed Link connects this island to its western neighbor of Fyn. The ghosts of King Valdemar and his riders haunt, For 10 points, what island, the home of Roskilde and Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, the most populous island in Denmark upon which Copenhagen may be found?
A: Sjælland [or Zealand]
Q: The second ruler of a predecessor of this present-day country is buried in a tomb that faces Niushou Mountain and is one of only two foreign monarchs interred in China. The Labu Forest Reserve protects lowland forests of its Temburong Strip, which contains its highest point, Pagon Peak. A district of this nation's capital consists mainly of stilt houses occupying mangrove swamps, Kampong Ayer, which contrast with the opulence of its 29-gold-domed mosque, the Omar Ali Saifuddien (sai-fu-DEN). Most of the wealth of this country originates in the Seria district in its southwest, which hosts an oil refinery, and it exports its petroleum products via a port on the Muara River. This country also hosts the secretariat of the business council of the ASEAN group of nations. For 10 points, name this "abode of peace" home to the world's most wealthy sultanate whose capital is Bandar Seri Bagawan.
A: Brunei-Darussalam
Q: Nearly four fifths of this city dwells in shantytowns called kombonis, which include the Chainama Hills settlement and Misisi (mi-SI-si), which is nearly completely cut off from the rest of it by a ring of refuse. This city grew up around an ancient burial mound known as Manda Hill. Its northern suburbs are predominantly Lenje-speaking, while Tonga predominates in its southern suburbs. Most of its residents adopt a lingua franca known as Town Nyanja. A freedom trail based in this city exhibits the offices of Edward Nkoloso (n-ko-LO-so), who attempted to establish a space program in this city when the African Liberation Center was based here. Herbert Chitepo was assassinated at its Mulungushi (moo-loon-GOO-shi) Conference Center, which saw the election of Nelson Mandela as deputy ANC president and the signing of accords which led to withdrawal of South Africa from the Angolan Civil War. The Great North Road and Great East Road meet in this city, which replaced Livingston as a colonial administration center. For 10 points, name this capital of Zambia.
A: Lusaka
Q: A folk song of an ethnic group of this river's basin refers to it as the Ingulukudela (in-gu-lu-ku-DE-la) and describes looking for work in mines along it. Rapids at Malala, Moluque (mo-LOO-kay) and Quiquique (kee-KEE-kay) may have inspired this river's name, which either means "river of the waterfall," or it is named for a Tsongo leader. First dammed at the mouth of the Hartbeesport Gap, upstream of the Marico it is referred to as the Krokodil. This river's large concentration of hippopotamus is mostly found between the Mokolo and Mogalakwena (mo-ga-la-KWE-na). Its rapids occur in its final section after it absorbs the Shashi on its left, and its navigability begins with its confluence with the Olifants. Its silt led an author to refer to this river, once called the Espiritu Santu, as "great, grey-green and greasy." For 10 points, name this river that forms the border between Botswana and South Africa and Zimbabwe and South Africa before entering the Indian Ocean through Mozambique.
A: Limpopo River
Q: Womboko and Mokpwe are the dominant languages spoken around this mountain. The Bomboko Forest Reserve is found on the northeast side of this mountain. Two endemic balsam species, impatiens grandisepala (im-PA-tiens gran- di-SE-pa-la), as well as one named for its satellite peak, Mt. Etinde only grow on this peak. A translation for a native name for this peak, Monga-ma-Loba, is a near match to a peak once described as "...a flame taller than the other flames and rising to the stars" which was called "Chariot of the Gods" in ancient times, though Mt. Kakulima (ka-ku-LI-ma) is an alternative to that theory, which implies that Hanno the Navigator saw this mountain just before encountering a race he named "Gorillae." The Meyer and Waldau craters are vents on this peak, the chief of which is its most active Fako crater. The town of Buea is the largest community on the slopes of this mountain, though the town of Debundscha (de-BUND-sha) at its western foot is famous for being the 5th wettest community on Earth. For 10 points, name this tallest peak on the west coast of Africa, an active volcano on a namesake "line" which is named for a country.
A: Mt. Cameroon (the descriptions are from the Periplus of Hanno in Carthage)
Q: Mukeke is a fish delicacy sold in this city's central market. The Muha and Ntatangwa (n-ta-TANG-wa) Rivers pass through this city. A man-eating crocodile named Gustave preyed on residents of this city in the Imbo Valley from his home in Rusizi River National Park, which is adjacent to Saga Beach near this city. A false claim based on a visit to the village of Mukanda claims this city's nearby site of Mugere (mu-GE-re) as the location of a meeting which actually occurred at Ujiji in 1871; this city contains a monument to that false claim that doctors Stanley and Livingstone first met just south of this city. This city also controversially claims a spring on Mt. Kikizi to its southeast as the southernmost source of the Nile. Most of the political functions of this city are in the process of transferring to Gitega (gi-TE-ga), and are expected to be complete by late 2021. For 10 points, name this city on Lake Tanganyika (tan-gan-YEE-ka), the largest city of Burundi.
A: Bujumbura
Q: Most of the architects in these islands belong to its the guild Tufuga fau fale, which maintains its tradition of fale tele, or round house building. The still submerged Vailulu'u (vai-lu-LOO-oo) Seamount will be this island group's youngest member. The Liu Bench is an unstable escarpment on Ta'u island in this group that is a major tsunami threat to a neighboring nation. Mt. Matavanu (ma-ta-VA-noo) is a volcano in these islands that erupted in 1915. This island chain, once known as the Navigator Islands, contains a division that has its nation's highest rate of military enlistment, protects that nation's flying fox population in its southernmost national park, and contains its southernmost point, Rose Atoll. That division lies east of the International Date Line on Tutuila, while a nation with this name lies on Sava'i and Upolu. For 10 points, name these islands administered by the United States from Pago Pago and a country with capital Apia.
A: Samoan Islands
Q: A ridge connecting this peak's three summits is characterized by a forest of cryoventifacts (kra-yo-VEN-ti-facts) known as its "ice mushrooms." This mountain's eruptive history consists of two sets of commingling magmas beginning with phonolite and trachyte, then progressing to mugearite and benmoreite. Feyerharm Knoll is a secondary vent that represents this mountain's latest basanite eruptive phase. Mt. Hartigan is directly north of this mountain, while its companion peak is located across Bennett Saddle from Doumani Peak on its western slopes. This mountain's south-facing horseshoe-shaped caldera is drained by the Parks Glacier and is known as Weiss Amphitheatre. Mt Waesche is a companion peak of this extremely remote mountain whose next eruption may pose dire consequences for the nearby McIyeal Ice Stream. For 10 points, name this mountain in the Executive Committee Range of Marie Byrd Land, the highest dormant volcano in Antarctica.
A: Mt. Sidley
Q: It's not located in a capital city, but the eastern portion of this neighborhood surrounding its St. Cecelia's Church celebrates an annual festival in honor of Santiago de Loiza. A musical center in this neighborhood is located on the first floor of Cecil's Hotel which was famous for turning away performers unable to play standards in unusual keys. The Macomb Dam Bridge enters this neighborhood from Jerome Avenue, and the diagonal of St. Nicholas Avenue crosses the grid of this district past Striver's Row to its northern neighborhood of Sugar Hill. The Gatehouse Theatre operates in a former Croton Aqueduct building in this district, and a famous production of Macbeth that omits the witch Hecate took place on 7th Avenue and 132nd Street. A movement in this district cultivated in the Dunbar Apartments followed a cultural shift that affected Mt. Morris centered on Lenox Avenue and 125th Street, which is known as the "Main Stem." For 10 points, name this neighborhood noted for a namesake Renaissance under the pens of Alain Locke and Countee Cullen, a historically African-American district located north of Central Park in Manhattan.
A: Harlem
Q: The Tiruray people of this island follow a belief system merging this island's two dominant religions. This island's first known people were a part of its Subanon Culture. The Magahat and Bagobo peoples dwell on its main river, whose source is at a lake where the 72,000-line Darangen Epic is recited at weddings. That river is the Agusan, and that source is at this island's Lake Lanao. Another lake, Lake Sebu, is home to a tribe that supposedly had no word for war, and live on its Cotabato Peninsula. The northern Surigao and western Zamboanga (zam-BWAN-ga) Peninsulas define this island's odd shape. An autonomous area in this island's southwest is home to the aforementioned Tasaday tribe as well as many of its nation's Moro peoples. Much of the northern population of this island lives at Cagayan de Oro, whereas the current president of its country hails from its southern city of Davao. For 10 points, name this southernmost Philippine Island.
A: Mindanao
Q: The Karpfenwinkel (KAR-fen-win-kel) is this body of water's chief wetland area. Aga Khan IV and Daniel Barenboim were recipients of a religious tolerance prize given at a Protestant Academy on this body of water in a city once referred to as Dornier. The Steinbach River flows into this body of water which contains Rose Island from a chain of lakes known as the Ostersee. Its former prison camp of Feldafing was turned into a displaced persons camp after World War II. One of its region's zungenbeckens (ZUN-gen-be-kens) like Lakes Ammer and Wesslinger (VES-lin-ger), this lake is drained by the Wurm (VURM) River at a city often designated its nation's wealthiest, though this lake is named for a railway station, not that city. This favorite retreat of Empress Elisabeth of Austria contains the Votivkapelle (VO-tiv-ka-pel), dedicated to the memory of another monarch who stayed in its Berg Castle while under house arrest for embezzling funds for his castle Neuschwanstein. For 10 points, name this lake in Bavaria, the largest in its Five Lakes region where Ludwig II drowned.
A: Lake Starnberg or Starnbergersee
Q: This administrative division governs the Al Zorah Nature Reserve, one of its nation's few remaining mangrove forests. One of its exclaves contains the Al Mareer Fort and is home to the Na'im tribe which was involved in the Buraimi Dispute with Hatta; another is home to the Sharqiyin (shar-ke-YIN) Tribe, is known as its nation's breadbasket, and once issued stamps created by Finbar Kinney. The Al Murabaa Watchtower and a gravel and plaster tri-tower known as the Red Fort are in the main body of this polity. This polity, which uses a solid red flag as its standard, administers its namesake Free Zone, its nation's largest artificial harbor. With the exception of the Masfout and Manama exclaves, its main body is surrounded by Sharjah, and like Sharjah its urban development is continuous with the city of Dubai. For 10 points, name this smallest but fourth most populous of the seven emirates that make up the UAE.
A: Ajman
Q: This people practice a form of patrilineal law known as Umunna and the economic system of savings and loans Isusu. This people use a secret script called the Nsibidi, and their language is standardized to the Owerri and Umuahia dialects. Their traditional land is associated with the Omambala (o-mam-BA-la) Valley, and is today located southeast of the Edo and Idoma peoples. The Okigwe, Orlu and Awda are the main groups found in their heartland, which contains their historic centers Onitsha, Agbor and Arochukwu (a-ro-CHUK-woo). The Ibani division of this people fought a civil war from opposing capitals of Opobo and Bonny Town, while Afikpo South is the country of the Edda subgroup. A European-based form of home rule for these people, referred to by Chinua Achebe as "between a tribe and a nation," was based on kings called Eze. For 10 points, name this ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria that led the breakaway state of Biafra.
A: Igbo
Q: Konkoita and Tamaran Camps are two historic locations which were flooded by the building of a dam on one branch of this river. Near its souce it is crossed by the Songkurai Bridge before entering Khao Lem Lake. The Srinagarind (sri-na-GA-rind) Dam blocks a southern branch of this river which is also called the Si Sawat, though its main branch rises near Three Pagodas Pass and flows through its most important settlement of Kanchanaburi, which hosts a cemetery containing those who died in an effort which actually focused on the Mae Klong, which receives both branches of this river. For 10 points, give the common name for these rivers of Thailand associated with the World War II era Death Road to Burma, the subject of a horrendously inaccurate film by David Lean.
A: Khwae Noi (or Khwae Yai) River
Q: The northern Dhareeba region of these mountains contains the Al Radom National Park and centers on the Jebel Gurgei. This range is the southernmost vent system of a volcanic trend which also includes the Meidob Hills and the Kutum Volcanic Field, and climaxes at saltwater "female" and freshwater "male" crater lakes which are separated by the cone of the Idwa. The southwest flowing Bahr Salamat originates in these mountains on the border of Tawilla and Nertiti, and its southern drainage eventually reaches the Bahr al-Arab. The rim of the Deriba Crater is the highest point in this range, the stronghold of the Justice and Equality Movement, who are fighting the Janjaweed (JAN-ja-weed). For 10 points, name this mountain range located between Nyala and Abeche that forms the divide between the Lake Chad and Nile watersheds, located on the border of North and South Darfur, the highest point in the Sudan.
A: Jabal Marrah
Q: Where this river intersects the kimberlites of the Inkisi Group it is a source of alluvial diamonds, mainly near Dando. The Church of Nossa Senhora da Victoria (NO-sa sen-YO-ra da vik-TO-ria) stands on this river's banks in Masanganu (ma-san-GA-nu), a base of exploration and slave trading near the mouth of a navigable right tributary that contains the Kalandula (ka-lan-DU-la) Falls. That river, the Lucala, has carved a long valley as it drains the Malanje Highlands. In its northern lowlands this river skirts the northern edge of Quicama (ki-SA-ma) National Park and flows over Cambambe Falls as it separates the lands of the Bolo and Sama from its country's dominant ethnicity, reaching the sea just south of the Ponta das Palmeirinhas (PON-ta das pal-may-REEN-yas). Rising in the lands of the Mbwela southeast of Chibembo, this river receives the Cutato as it exits the Bie Plateau. The Mbundu people dwell on this river's northern banks. For 10 points, name this river which shares its name with a unit of currency in its home of country, the longest river in Angola.
A: Kwanza River
Q: A northern dialect of this people known as Ariseachi (a-ree-sa-YA-chee) is on the border of extinction; their other languages include Tubare and Chinatu. These people who practice the crop sharing Korima custom are found in villages like San Ignacio de Arareka and Guarachochi (gwa-ra-CHO-chee). A type of syncretic Catholicism practiced by these people is centered on Iyeruame (i-YE-ru-wa-me) and Onoruame (o-NU-ru-wa-me). The modern Baja (BA-ha) and the more cave-centered Parral cultures are unique to this people who practice the rarajipari (ra-ra-hi-PA-ri) games, which occasionally range over 40 miles. The Piedra Volada and Basaseachic (ba-sa-SAY-a-chik) Waterfalls are located in a mountain range that is named for these people. The Sinforosa, Batopilas and Urique (u-REE-kay) Canyons meet in the lands of these people to form the Rio Fuerte, which is followed by a train which crosses the Continental Divide at Divisadero and accesses the settlement of Creel. For 10 points, name this Uto-Aztecan people whose homeland is centered in the Barranca del Cobre of western Chihuahua (chee-WA-wa), and whose endonym means "fleet-footed."
A: Tarahumara People, or Raramuri
Q: The city of Zahedan in this country is a common destination for refugees, making it one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The imprisonment for religious reasons of two women in this country's second most populous city, Mashhad, sparked international outrage in October 2010. Its city of Qom is particularly known for its conservatism. A recent electoral controversy centered on this country's city of Tabriz, where the incumbent won a majority of the votes despite that city's Azeri majority. Large cities in the central part of this country include Shiraz and Esfahan. For 10 points, identify this largest predominantly Shi'a country in the world, with capital Tehran.
A: Iran
Q: This place may be entered via the Palace of Ojubo and contains the primordial market of Oja-Ohuntoto (O-ja-o-hun-TO-to) and the second palace of Iledi. A pilgrimage from Gbaemu takes place during a festival beginning with the Iwopwo ceremony at this location, and involves the lighting of the sixteen-point lamp Ina Olojumerindinlogun (E-na o-lo-ju-me-rin-din-LO-gun). The Iborinde (i-bo-rin-de) is a ceremonial laying of crowns of the kings of the city where this site discovered by the elephant hunter Olutimehin (o-lu-ti-ME-hin) is located. Statues of Iya Mapa and Oya were among those restored by an artist known as Aduni Olosa, who saved this location of the Ogboni Shrine from poachers. Laro Ataoja received a fertility agent at this site from a deity who survived a fight with a wife of Sango, turned herself into a river, and founded its namesake town around it. For 10 points, name this Yoruba holy site dedicated to the orissa of fertility located outside the capital of Nigeria's Osun state.
A: Osun-Oshogbo Sacred Forest (accept clear knowledge equivalents like "Grove," etc)
Q: The oldest evidence of the orogenesis of this mountain is found in its east and is the Kollukollu (ko-yu-KO-yu) Formation. The ruins of Socoroma and the terraced canyon of Copaquilla (ko-pa-KEY-a) lie to the west of this large mountain. Springs at the base of this mountain form the Rio Benedicto Morales, which drains into the Lagunas Cotacotani (ko-ta-ko-TA-nee). A type of moss called Llareta (ya-RE-ta) covers lava flows from this peak. This peak, which forms a regional lineament with Condoriri (kon-do-RI-ri), is shifting to the south as evidenced by its more recent Ajata (a-HA-ta) lava flows. A sector collapse and avalanche on this mountain formed the Lago de Chungara. A city sharing the name of this mountain is home to a blue-domed whitewashed church whose Stations of the Cross murals portray Jesus Christ as an Aymara, and his tormentors as conquistadors, and this mountain's name is Aymara for "flamingo lake." For 10 points, name this youngest of the Nevados de Payachata (ne-VA-dos de pa-ya-CHA-ta) Range, which it comprises with nearby Pomerape (po-me-RA-pe), the central feature of Lauca National Park, and the northernmost stratovolcano in Chile.
A: Parinacota
Q: An archbishop's palace in this city contains the Lienzo Petreo Wall, part of the Hatunrumiyoc (ha-tun-roo-MEE-yok) Alleyway, and its stonework, which includes the Stone of the Twelve Angles, is also visible in its alley of Loreto. The hillside district of San Blas is a colony of modern artists in this city. Its marketplace is entered by the Santa Clara Arch. The Chunchullmayo (chun-chuy-MA-yo) and Huancaro (wan-KA-ro) Rivers water this city before joining the Vilcanota (bil-ka-NO-ta). The home of Garcilaso de la Vega (gar-si-LA-so de la VAY-ga) stands opposite this city's Plaza Regocijo (PLA-sa re-ko-SEE-ho). This city's Santa Catalina convent was built on the foundations of the Acllahuasi (ak-ya-WA-see), which housed the Virgins of the Sun, and its church of Santo Domingo was built atop the former maize garden of Koricancha (ko-ri-KAN-cha). This city in the Huatanay (wa-TA-nay) Valley is guarded by the fortress of Sacsahuaman (sak-sa-wa-MAN) which represents the head of a puma, and this city features the oldest Plaza de Armas in the Americas. For 10 points, name this city, called the "navel of Tawantinsuyu (ta-wan-tin-SOO-yu)" the former capital of the Incan Empire.
A: Cuzco
Q: Near a city formerly named Dryssa, this river passes a row of prayer stones known as the Boris Stones. This river feeds its nation's largest moss marsh, the Teice (TAY-tse), near Atasiene (a-ta-SYE-ne). An island in this river hosts a memorial to that nation, the Garden of Destiny. Kokenhausen Castle still guards its confluence with the Perse, and Tornakalns Fortress guards the entrance to its nation's main trade route near this river's mouth. Like the Volga, this river rises in the Valdai Hills, and on its upper course, the Kirov Bridge passes over it in view of the golden dome of the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Holy Spirit Monastery. A section of this river between Jekabpils and Krustpils once comprised the anti-Semitic boundary of the Pale as it passed through Vitebsk and Polotsk and it eventually flows by the House of the Black Heads before reaching its mouth. For 10 points, name this river which flows through Russia, Belarus and Latvia and empties into the Gulf of Riga.
A: Daugava River or Western Dvin River
Q: A vessel at dock in this city is the Af Al Pi Chen, upon which many of this country's illegal immigrants arrived, and the Atlit Ma'apilim (at-LEET ma-a-pi-LEEM) Museum, which celebrates illegal immigration, is just south of this city. Formerly known as Porphyreon (por-FEER-e-on), this city stands on the site of the Tekhelet dye pits of Shikhmona (shik-MO-na), used to design the attire of its society's high priests. A promontory on this city's highest point is named for King Louis IX, who built fortifications around this city, and the Stella Maris Monastery stands on that point over a cave dedicated to Elijah. This city contains its nation's only subway, which is named for that mountain. This city's Persian Gardens, along with the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, achieved UNESCO recognition in 2008. Built on the northern slopes of Mt. Carmel, For 10 points, name this resting place of Abd al-Baha, the shrine of the Bab, the headquarters of the Baha'i Faith and Israel's principal port city.
A: Haifa
Q: The Soper River forms part of a park corridor linking this body of water to Kimmirut Harbor, and includes eleven sod-houses which stand over a whale midden site on Peterhead Inlet. In a city on this body of water, Joamie Hill overlooks its Koojeesee Inlet, which was named for a guide in the employ of an explorer who used the mouth of the Sylvia Grinnell River as a base camp. The first Anglican New World Communion was celebrated on the shores of this body of water by the minister Robert Wolfall; and the date of that communion was September 3, 1578, which is especially revered by worshippers who use an igloo-shaped church that oversees the largest Anglican diocese in the world. The Everett Mountains form the eastern edge of this bay, which is twice as high as the western edge, in part due to uneven tilting following the melting of the Foxe Glacier. Wayne Bay and Ward Inlet are found north of Augustus and Bruce Islands in this bay, which is located between the Meta Incognita Peninsula and the Hall Peninsula. For 10 points, what is this inlet of the Davis Strait on which the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit, may be found?
A: Frobisher Bay
Q: In its upper course this river flows through the lands of the Ndasa and Tchitchege (chi-CHE-ge), and it ends in the lands of the Myene-speaking Pangwe. A logging road that parallels this river passes through its dreaded Foret des Abeilles (fo-RAY de-sa-BAYS), a bee-infested wilderness referred to as the Cursed Forest. A department named for this river contains the only site technetium has been naturally produced on Earth, the Oklo Mine of Mounana, a former natural nuclear reactor. Most of this river's tributaries, including the Leyou, Ofoue and Ougoulou rise on the watershed of the Chaillu Massif, though its longest tributary is the northern Ivindo. Franceville is the chief city of its upper basin. Up to a fifth of this river's water ends up in the Nkomi Lagoon, the southern portion of its delta near Port-Gentil. A canal connects Lake Onangue to this river near Lambarene (lam-BA-re-ne), where it flows past a former leper colony established by Albert Schweitzer. For 10 points, name this chief river of Gabon.
A: Ogooue River
Q: In his poem the Widsið, Deor boasts that he sought Wulfhere and Wyrmhere in the woods of this river. Bonfires are lit on this river's banks at Nowa Huta to honor a princess who jumped into it to avoid marrying Rudigern. This river absorbs the Brennica (bre-NEE-tsa) and Skawa (SKA-va) before entering the Tyniec (TEE-nyets) Gorge beneath a Benedectine Abbey, then flows northeast until entering the Sandomierz (SAN-do-myej) Basin. This river's delta is in the treeless Zulawy Plain (zhu-WA-vee). It begins as its Black and White branches merge at Mt. Barania. The Modlin Fortress guards its confluence with the Narew. After passing Torun, a canal involving the Brda, Notec (NO-tets) and Warta (VAR-ta) Rivers, the Bydgoszcz (bid-GOSHCH), connects this river to the Oder before it cuts through the Pomeranian Highlands. This river received the ashes of murdered Jews at Auschwitz. For 10 points, name this river that flows past Wawel (VA-vel) Castle in Krakow and through Warsaw, the chief river of Poland.
A: Vistula River
Q: This city's Hamad Street passes beneath Sword Arch. This city's suburb of Al-Rayyan contains its Mathaf Art Museum, which was designed by Jean-Francois Bodin. This city's old quarter is known as Al-Bida, and was first settled by the Sudan peoples. Its densely populated Najada neighborhood is one of the few older districts remaining. The Souq Waqif is one of this city's older markets, and is adjacent to its falcon market. This city's Gold, Red, Green and Blue metro lines meet at its Msheireb Station. An Islamic cultural center in this city contains a concentric spiral tower and is known as the Finar, while a museum of Islamic art was designed on an offshore island by I.M. Pei. Clock Tower Square is one of this city's civic centers, and its Parliament, the Diwan, was built on re-claimed land, like its famed Corniche waterfront district. Al Jazeera is headquartered in this city. For 10 points, name this capital of Qatar.
A: Doha or Ad-Dawhah
Q: This landmass's main west coast glacier was named for the main officer of the Gauss Expedition who was later captain of the ill-fated Deutschland. That Vahsel Glacier terminates at the Pageos Moraine at Erratic Point past Cape Gazert. This landmass's intricate northwest coast, which includes Mt. Drygalski, also includes Schmidt and Baudissin Glaciers, which reach Corinthian Bay just east of the Azorella Peninsula. This landmass was the subject of experiments which successfully sent low frequency signals from the vessels Cory Chouest and Amy Choest through the ocean to the North American coasts. The only evidence of pre 20th Century human habitation comes from a series of vile-smelling shacks at Oil Barrel Point, and a building set up by a captain of the Oriental who sighted Cape Arcona and left a headquarters at Atlas Cove. For 10 points, name this island of the Southern Indian Ocean whose Big Ben is Australia's only active volcano, a peak of which is Mt. Mawson, the highest in Australian territory.
A: Heard Island
Q: The novel Crossbones concerns the return of this city's diaspora. Much of this city's early wealth arose from a type of silk known as toob, which was traded to Damascus and Cairo. This city contains the white marble Saudi Mosque of Islamic Solidarity, and its Mosque of the Four Pillars was built in its 15th Century zenith. The Habr Gedir, Murosade and Abgaal Clans dominate this city which is also populated by a mixed Bantu-Arab population known as the Cadcad. A ruined cathedral in this city was constructed based on the Cefalu Cathedral in Sicily. The Almnara Tower is a medieval lighthouse built for its defense, though the symbol of this city is found southwest of its Liido Beach and is its Italian lighthouse. The center of its nation's Benadir Region, For 10 points, name this city whose Baraka Market contains the wreckage of two Black Hawk helicopters that were shot down in 1993, the capital of Somalia.
A: Mogadishu or Xamaal or Muqdisho
Q: This region's Vyskov (VISH-kov) Gates were once the highest part of the western branch of the Amber Road. The Becva (bech-VA) River drains the eastern portion of this region toward its center, which contains the Svratka Valley. The landscaped gardens of the Lednice (led-NEE-tse) and Valtice (val-TEE-tse) palaces are in this region's southern Sklepa Valley above its largest lake, Nove Mlyny. This region's highland regions include the eastern Chribi (SHEE-bee) Mountains in its region of Zlin and the northern Hruby Jesenik (hru-BEE ye-SE-nik) which climaxes at Praded (prad-YED). This region's capital contains the Mies van der Rohe designed Tungendhat (TOON-gen-that) Villa and is built around its Cabbage Market. A northern city in this region contains the largest baroque column in Europe, the Holy Trinity Column, at Horni Namesti (or-NI na-MYESH-ti) in Olomouc. The Abbey of St. Thomas in this region saw the pea plant experiments of Gregor Mendel. For 10 points, name this easternmost region of the Czech Republic whose capital is Brno.
A: Moravia
Q: In addition to its most famous site, these mountains contain the Cave of the Yellow Dragon. That more famous site is accessed via the Zhishi Xuanye (ji-shi hsuan-ye) Arch. The Duyang Cliff, home to a palace containing the Two Bearings and Eight Diagrams Pavilion, is found in these mountains in which is found the remnants of a temple that was destroyed by fire in 2003, the Yuzhengong. Dragon and Tiger Hall is located in its Palace of the Purple Cloud on Zhanqi (zhan-chi) Peak. Overlooking the Han River to the north, this part of the Daba Range was decorated by a usurping general of the Ming dynasty who built the Golden Hall on Tianzhu Peak. For 10 points, name this mountain range that, along with Qingcheng, Qiyun and Longshu is one of the four sacred peaks of Taoism.
A: Wudang Shan or Taihe Shan
Q: A predecessor to this city was discovered when the Valli di Comacchio marshes to its east were drained. This city's Jewish ghetto was defined by the Vias Vignatagliata (vi-nya-ta-li-YA-ta), Sabioni and Gattamarcia (ga-ta-MAR-cha), and a museum of Judaism in this city contains the Garden of Questions. This city's industrial zone has linked it with the town of Pontelagoscura (pon-te-la-go-SKU-ra). The churches of Certosa and Santa Maria in Vado are found in this city where artifacts of Spina are in the museum of Ludovico il Moro, and the Palazzo Diamante is this city's main art museum. A university in this city contains the original text of Orlando Furioso. An unfinished bell tower in this city is built of alternating pink and white bands of marble designed by Leon Battista Alberti, who was part of a namesake school of art led by Andrea Mantegna and funded by a ruling family that included Niccolo, Alfonso and Ercole. For 10 points, name this city of the Po di Volano river in Emilio Romagna northeast of Bologna that contains the San Giorgio Cathedral and the Este Castle.
A: Ferrara
Q: This city's neighborhood of Jatagan Mala (YA-ta-gan MA-la) was a former home of its Roma population, which was mostly evicted from its "New" city in 2009. A suburb of this city contains Gardos (GAR-dosh) Hill, home to the Millenium Tower. The remains of the Celtic town of Taurunum lie beneath that suburb, Zemun. Tasmajdan (TASH-may-dan) Park in this city is home to its Zasto (ZASH-to) Monument for a radio tower whose employees were sequestered despite an imminent bombing raid. This city's first green space lies in its Valley of the Cannons, a former Turkish foundry, at Topcider (top-JI-der) Park. Skadarlija (ska-dar-LEE-ya) is an artistic enclave in this city whose center is marked by the Kneza Mihaila, whose ends are at its Hotel Moscow and the neo-Byzantine St. Sava Cathedral. The white court of Beli Dvor is this city's most famous former presidential mansion. For 10 points, name this city on the Danube River where that mansion was the seat of Josip Broz Tito's government, the capital of Serbia.
A: Belgrade or Beograd
Q: Ulu Telom is the largest but least densely populated of the divisions that make up these highlands. The Bertam Valley contains Abu Bakar Lake in the southwest of these uplands, which connects through the mukim of Ringlet, while another road to this region passes through Kampung Rajah en-route to its center, which is known as Tanah Rata. Cloud forests enshroud peaks such as Irau and Batu Brinchang on this plateau, which are part of the larger Banjung Titiwangsa (BAN-jung ti-ti-WANG-sa) Range. Interfluves of that range between this region's spiral shaped hills feed its main drainages, the Pahang and Perak Rivers. This district's main commodity is worked by its population of Orang Asli peoples at plantations such as Sungei Palas Boh. For 10 points, name this large tea growing highland region of western Malaysia named for a British geologist.
A: Cameron Plateau or Highlands or just the Camerons
Q: A sanctuary called the Witches' Stone is this country's most recent archaeological site. Many shepherds in this country still use an ancient communal land system utilizing vaulted stone huts called bornes and orris for food storage in its Madriu and Perafita-Claror Valleys. Rivers flowing through those valleys later merge to form the Valira. A treaty signed on the Bridge of Escalls ended a one-day revolution in this country. A former parliament building in this country housed a safe known as the Armory of the Seven Keys which could only be opened if its seven parishes were in attendance. That building, the Casa de la Vall, still functions as its nation's high court. Two of the larger of those parishes are St. Julia de Loria and Ordino. The Placa del Poble functions as its capital's main square, the highest in Europe. For 10 points, name this nation whose rulers are the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France, located in the Pyrenees.
A: Andorra
Q: The Southern portion of this mountain range includes the Retezat subrange, which contains many glacial lakes, such as Bucura Lake. This mountain range's highest peak is located in the High Tatras range and is called Gerlach Peak in English. Meeting the Alps only near Bratislava, this mountain range contains the Iron Gate on the Danube. This range forms the historical barrier between Transylvania and the rest of what is now Romania. For 10 points, name this group of mountain chains of Central Europe which stretches in an arc from Poland and Slovakia down into Romania and Serbia.
A: Carpathian Mountains [or the Carpathians]
Q: This island's city of Cheticamp is known for its mid-Lenten Mi-Careme festival. A Portuguese fishing colony founded by Joao Alvarez Fagundes once existed near its modern-day port of Ingonish, while Beddeck is noted for the Hall of the Clans, which celebrates the origin of its roughly 40 remaining speakers of Gaelic, the only Celtic-speaking settlement in North America. A highland region of this island contains White Hill and supports a hydroelectric plant at Wreck Cove. The Margaree River flows into its largest freshwater lake, Lake Ainslie. This island's counties of Victoria, Richmond and Inverness meet at the center of its saltwater Bras d'Or Lake. The Strait of Canso separates its city of Port Hawkesbury from the mainland town of Mulgrave. Basque settlers were the second most populous ethnic group to staff its coastal fortress of Louisbourg, and this island was almost certainly named by Basque fishermen after a town in Aquitaine well before John Cabot's first landing. For 10 points, what is this island of eastern Nova Scotia containing the cities of Glace Bay, New Waterford and Sydney?
A: Cape Breton Island or Unamaki
Q: This region's wealth in gold is exemplified by the etymology of the most common silver-gold telluride mineral, and is also the type locality for another gold mineral from the Nagyag Mine in its district of Sacaramb (sa-ka-RIM). This region's Tarnave Plateau is noted for its fortified churches of Viscri and Biertan, which were built by a minority which refers to this region as "Seven Castles." One of those castles was the Teutonic Rasnov (RASH-nov) Fortress near a city known for its Black Church. The Bucegi (BOO-tsezh) Plateau and the Fagaras (fa-GA-ras) Mountains are on this region's southern border. A former capital located in this place, Alba Iulia, was built from bricks from the ruined site of Sarmizegetusa (sar-mi-zay-ge-TOO-za). This region's industry is concentrated in its largest city, Cluj-Napoca (KLUJ na-PO-ka). For 10 points, name this land between the Apuseni and Carpathian Mountains containing the cities of Sibiu, Brasov (BRASH-ov) as well as Sighisoara (si-ghi-SHWA-ra), the birthplace of Vlad Tepes, the region of Romania found northwest of Wallachia.
A: Transylvania or Ardeal or Siebenburgen before "Seven Castles"
Q: Sculptures found in this city include one of a five-armed man raising a broken pillar and one of a housekeeper dousing forty of his master's companions with boiling oil. Bridges in this city include the Bab Al Moatham, Ahrar, and July 14th Bridges. This city's university is located on the Al-Jadriyyah (al-ja-DREE-ya) Peninsula. The only remnant of this city's medieval wall is its Wastani Gate. A later architectural period also saw construction of the Sahrawardi (sa-ra-WAR-di) Mosque and the Mustansiriyya (mu-stan-si-REE-ya) Madrassa, which was this city's important law college. Rashid street is the heart of this city's financial district, which is located between Al Mu'azzam Square and Tahrir Square. This city's center is its Al-Khark District, which contains the al-Quds gate and the Assassins' Gate, as well as a series of victory arches composed of two 150-foot crossed swords said to be crafted from seized Iranian arms, now located within its "Green Zone." For 10 points, name this capital of Iraq.
A: Baghdad
Q: Systems of interconnected dolines form this region's Queen of Spain's Valley and the Vale of Clarendon. Individual examples of its namesake landforms include the Great Windsor and the Marta Tick. The Black Billed Amazon is mostly found in this region, its nation's largest remaining rain forest. The Don Figuerero Range strikes south from this region, and it merges into the Dry Harbor Mountains northwest of Mt. Denham. The Barbecue Bottom Road is the only route across this landscape centered in Trelawney Parish, which is drained by the Great, Black, and Martha Brae Rivers. The southwestern portion of this region, now known as Aberdeen, is called by its inhabitants "The land of look-behind," and contains settlements like Cudjoe's Town and Accompong (a-kom-PONG), which are populated by descendants of its island's Maroon and Arawak populations. For 10 points, name this limestone plateau known for its many sinkholes located southeast of Montego Bay in western Jamaica.
A: Cockpit Country
Q: This river flows past its nation's oldest Cistercian monastery, known as Our Lady of the Wheel. The El Fangar Bay was formed from the advance of this river's delta, which cut the Ampostan Harbor off from the sea. Most of this river's hydroelectric projects are based on the La Noguera Valley, above which are found the rapids of the Conchas de Haro [KON-chas de A-ro] on its upper canyons. In its middle reaches this river narrows as it passes through the stunted juniper of the Calanda Desert. Coastal mountains like the Serra de Cardo restrict navigability on its Terragonian [te-ra-GO-ni-an] Delta to only 15 miles to the city of Tortosa. This river, which supports the wine-distributing center of Logrono after rising in the Cantabrian [kan-TA-bri-an] Mountains, once formed the boundary between the Carthaginian and Roman empires and today forms the boundary between La Rioja [la ri-O-ha] and Aragon. For 10 points, name this second longest river of Spain which lends its name to the peninsula it is on.
A: Ebro or Iberus
Q: One of the northern limits of this region is the Huincul (WEEN-kul) Fault. A national park in this region is accessed through the Quitruihue (kee-trui-WAY) Peninsula, which lies near a lake district that contains a grove of redwoods transplanted from California on Victoria Island. In addition to Los Arrayanes, a national park in its Futaleufu (fu-te-leu-FOO) Basin protects the only subequatorial species of redwood, the Alerce (a-LER-say). This region's Grand Central Plateau contains a notable petrified forest. The Meseta de Montemayor and the Valdes Peninsula are coastal features of this scrubland drained by the Coig, Chico and Deseado Rivers. The Adelaide Archipelago and Wellington Island are found off the west coast of this region whose east includes the provinces of Santa Cruz, Rio Negro and Chubut. Rio Gallegos (ga-YE-gos) and Commodore Rivadavia are ports serving, For 10 points, what vast, windy region of southern Chile and Argentina?
A: Patagonia (prompt on "Southern Cone" or equivalent vagueness)
Q: This city contains a number of structures dedicated to the production of obsidian from the mines of Pachuca. It is surrounded by raised reed beds called chinampas. A sinkhole beneath this location leads to a cavern whose pyrite crystals and pools of mercury lakes depict the underworld. Xala (HA-la) is a structure to its east containing notable murals, while Zacuala and Yayahuala (ya-ya-WA-la) are rudimentary apartment complexes in its west. A figure sporting a fanged nosepiece and a shield of spider webs is found on its Tepantitla (te-pan-TEET-la) Palace. Its Palace of the Quetzal Butterfly was likely a priest's quarters. This city's Teopancazco (tyo-pan-KAZ-ko) section contained a Oaxacan (wa-HA- kan) ghetto. It was organized along the Calzada de los Muertos, and includes the Palace of the Jaguars and the Temple of the Plumed Conch Shells, which lie opposite of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (ket-zal-KWA-tl). For 10 points, name this ruin northeast of Mexico City known for its Pyramids of the Sun and Moon.
A: Teotihuacan
Q: An exonym for these mountains popularized by a former curate of St. John's Cathedral in Reading graces a park on Mt. Ena that opens their climbing season. That missionary, Walter Weston, referred to a name William Gowland had used, who is now known as the "father of" these mountains. The highest point in the central range covered by that name is split into eastern and western peaks by the Ina Valley. The southernmost of this group of ranges is the source of the Oi River and is named for its red stones, while the main ridge of the northernmost range rises gradually from its western highland region, but drops steeply into the suture zone of the Fossa Magna to the east. A bronze Buddha statue was hauled through these ranges in the 6th Century, and is housed in the Zenko Temple in their most populous city. A more important temple is located in the Kiso Range on Mt Ontake, which erupted in 2014. Mount Hotaka in the Hida Range is the highest point of, For 10 points, what group of mountains that is home to Nagano and that traverses most of the central part of Honshu in its namesake nation?
A: Japanese Alps or Nihon Arupusu (accept Kiso Range before the Ina Valley clue, or Hida Range if given in the first two sentences)
Q: An island cape at the southern edge of this body of water known as the Panagia of the Currents claimed the ship Heraklion in 1966 with egregious loss of life. Another island in this body of water celebrates the Armata Festival commemorating a battle won by a ship built by a female admiral whose middle name is Albanian for "thunder," Laskarina Pinotsi. In addition to Falkonera and Spetses, it contains the site of the world's oldest shipwreck on Dokos and the wind farms of the large but uninhabited Agios Georgios. The churches of Myrtidiotissa (mir-ti-dio-TI-sa) and Panagia Chrysafitissa (pa-NA-gia kri-sa-fi-TI-sa) overlook this body of water at the rock of Monemvasia (mo-nem-va-SI-a). The Palamidi Fortress protects one arm of this sea which according to Strabo terminated at the Sunium Promontory in the north. That arm is the aforementioned Argolic Gulf, which is found south of the Saronic Islands. For 10 points, name this southwestern extension of the Aegean Sea named for a son of Hermes who was thrown into it by Pelops, which separates the Cyclades from the Peloponnese.
A: Myrtoan Sea (prompt on "Aegean" until mentioned)
Q: These people claim descent from the Three Matriarchs Sguulu Jaad (SKU-lu jad), Giila Kuns (GEE-na kuns) and Kalga Jaad, (KAL-ga-jad) or Foam, River and Ice, and were present on their homeland as its first lodgepole pine took root. Two of their villages, including the oil processing Dji-gua and a fishing village associated with Tanu lie on Cumshewa Head, while another settlement is found at the entrance of Massett Inlet. A village facing Kunghit Island known by the maritime name of Ninstints is their southernmost settlement, which is also protected by a national park established by the South Moresby Agreement. A cultural center of this copper-working people is found at Kay Llnagay, near their main town of Skidegate. A northern population of these people known as the Kaigani are traditional adversaries of the Tongass, who refer to them as the "far out to sea people." For 10 points, name this Athabascan people of southern Prince of Wales Island as well as a namesake island formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Archipelago, known for their tall totems.
A: Haida
Q: The northern range of this people includes the rain forests of the Nande Ru Marangatu (NYAN-day roo ma-ran-GA-too). Their western range includes the valleys of the Guapay and Parapeti, where a university run by them is located at Kuruyuki. Tobatines (to-ba-TEE-nes) and Chiriguani (chi-ree-GWA-nee) are important western divisions of these people, which include the Ava. Another division of this people undertook a famous migration in search of the "land without evil," the Apapocuva (a-pa-po-KU-va). A northern remnant of that division, the Panambi'y (pa-nam-BEE) is centered in the department of Amambay. In its first use, the name for these people was contrasted with the term Cayua, and indicated a recent convert to Christianity; that contrasting term reflected continuing faith in their god Namandu (nya-MAN-du). Their language, also called Nandevi (nyan-DE-vi), makes up a prominent family along with the Tupi. For 10 points, name these people exemplified by their hero Sepe Tiaraju (se-PE tya-RA-ju) whose lands lay west of the Uruguay River whose language, now a national language, also identifies the currency of their native Paraguay.
A: Guarani
Q: The ruins of Raqqada, which contains this city's treasured Blue Koran, are located to its southwest, and it itself was founded on the Byzantine ruins of Kamounia (ka-moo-NEE-ya). The Zaouia (wa-WI-ya) of Sidi Abid el-Gharani contains the remains of Abu Djama, a companion of Muhammad, whose three beard hairs are preserved in its Mosque of the Barber. The Bab ech Chouhade (bab ech SHOO-had) accesses this city's medina, which contains the sculpted facade of the Mosque of the Three Doors, and a structure to which seven pilgrimages are said to be equivalent to a Hajj. That mosque, the Grand Mosquee of Sidi Oqbah contains the oldest minaret in the world. Armies that conquered Sicily in the 9th Century were directed from this city, a former learning center of the Aghlabites (a-GLAB-ites). For 10 points, name this fifth holiest site in Islam that climaxed as a Zirid capital of the Maghreb, whose waters are said to be connected to Mecca, located between Sfax and Tunis.
A: Kairouan (a note on Islamic rankings: this question takes both Sunni and Shia holy sites into account)
Q: A leader in this city directly controls the nearby Burabay Forest, a rare interruption in its dominant landscape. That forest lies within a district surrounding, but not including, this city, which contains a large German population instrumental to 20th Century agricultural reforms, but which agitated for an autonomous district at Ereymentau [e-re-MEN-tau]. A National University for the Arts in this city occupies a bowl inside a giant blue diagonally truncated cone known as the Shabyt. This home of the Shining World Sphere and the Baiterek Tower also contains a Sir Norman Foster-designed pyramid that houses its Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, as well as the largest tent in the world, the Khan Shatyr. In Soviet times this city on the Ishim River was the poster child for the Virgin Lands campaign, and was named Tselinograd, but is now named after a former occupant of its Ak Orda Presidential Palace. For 10 points, what is this capital city formerly named Aqmola and Astana but renamed for the first president of its nation, Kazakhstan?
A: Nur-Sultan
Q: This city's suburb of Petare (pe-TA-ray) is considered the second largest slum on its continent. This city's water supplies include the Camatagua (ka-ma-TA-gwa) and La Mariposa reservoirs. El Hatillo (el a-TI-yo) preserves much of the colonial architecture of this city. An author who satirized this city's high society in the novel Iphigenia is honored by a statue at the entrance to its Parque Los Caobos; that author is Theresa de la Parra. This city's Parque del Este, located on a former coffee plantation, contains a replica of the ship Leander. This city's Altamira Square is a common center of oppositional protests. A mausoleum in this city known as 4F is in the Cuartel de la Montana. The state of Miranda surrounds a federal district around this city, which circumscribes its neighborhoods of Las Mercedes and Chacao, while the northern state of Vargas contains its port of Maiquetia (mai-ke-TI-ya). For 10 points, name this city on the Guaire River containing a federal capitol noted for its Salon Eliptico, the capital of Venezuela.
A: Santiago de Leon de Caracas
Q: This region's Waw Namus, or Mosquito Crater, is an isolated crater that hosts a chain of lakes. The Hun Graben is the source of this region's seismicity, and place names such as Garet Kibrit, or sulfur mountain, suggest that its Haruj Mountains are active volcanos. A series of rock arches found in this region's southwestern Afzejare (af-ze-JA-re) and Tin Klega are part of its pictograph-decorated Tadrart Acacus range. The seasonal Wadi ash-Shati provides most of the northern part of this region's water. The Dawada people recover brine shrimp at this region's Gabraoun Oasis. The ruined city of Germa is located in this region which once conducted devastating raids on Leptis Magna. Some of its Berber residents have turned to migrant smuggling in absence of revenue from its oilfields of Marzuq and mines in its largest town, Sebha. For 10 points, name this desolate part of the Sahara, the southernmost of Libya's three regions.
A: the Fezzan (accept Phazania; anti-prompt on "Murzuq" before the mention of the Hun Graben; prompt on "Sahara," "Southwest Libya" etc)
Q: This peninsula's submarine Ciolo (CHO-lo) Caves are actually vruljas (VROOL-yas) connected to the sea, and St. Andrew's Tower is a limestone arch off its marina of Melendugno (me-len-DUN-yo). A large cave chamber named after the Duomo is found in its Zinzalusa (zin-za-LOO-sa) Grotto. A city at the north end of this peninsula is built on a harbor formed by the Cheradi (ke-RA-di) Islands and the Mar Grande and surrounds the Mar Piccolo, while its southern extremity is the Cape of St. Maria de Leuca. A cathedral in its easternmost town contains the Chapel of the Dead, a series of seven glass columns of skulls of citizens beheaded by invading Turks. That city is also famous for its Aragonese castle which inspired the first Gothic novel. The Appian Way terminates at a city at the base of this peninsula. For 10 points, name this southeasternmost peninsula in Puglia in Italy on which Brindisi, Otranto and Taranto may be found.
A: Salentine Peninsula
Q: This volcano's eruptions are tied to a curse concerning a lost ring of Solomon. The Diboini Plateau on this mountain's northwestern flank saw the first historical center of activity on this mountain. Its medium elevation slopes are home to a namesake forest reserve which protects its namesake scops owl as well as Humblots Flycatcher and a species of giant heather. Djougoudja Dsaha (ju-GU-ja TSA-ha), Citerne, Hantsongoma (han-tson-GO-ma), and Choungou-Chimadji (CHUN-gu chi-MA-ji) are the four nested calderas present at the crest of this mountain that also contains the lava pits of the Chiminee Sud (shi-mi-NAY sud) and the Chiminee Nord (shi-mi-NAY nord). The Chahale (cha-ha-LAY) crater contains alternating lava and crater lakes during its active and inactive phases. The Massif du Badjini is an extension of a rift zone on this mountain that forms its island's southernmost peninsula. Along with the lesser vent of La Grille, this volcano makes up the bulk of that island, which is alternately known as Ngazidja (n-ga-ZI-ja). For 10 points, name this active shield volcano on Grand Comore Island that threatens Moroni, the highest point in the Comoros.
A: Mt. Karthala or Al-Qirtalah
Q: This body of water traditionally marks the southern boundary of the Palouse region, and the end of this river's course includes Lake Wallula, created by the McNary Dam in Umatilla County. After flowing southwest of Rexburgh, this river is fed by the Henrys Fork River, and eventually runs through the ski town of Jackson Hole. This river receives the Salmon River and flows over both Shoshone Falls and Twin Falls. This river creates the deep gorge called Hell's Canyon and forms part of the Idaho-Oregon border. For 10 points, name this river of the Northwestern United States with a serpentine name.
A: Snake River
Q: Ricardo Brugada is a notorious slum in this city that is known culturally as La Chacarita (la cha-ka-RI-ta) and rests on the southern end of its namesake bay. The infamously overcrowded Tacumbu prison is located below a hill in this city, while another hill is famous for its springtime lapacho blooms, Cerro Lambare. This city's suburb of Villa Elisa was its nation's only Swedish colony and a secondary location of its nation's Lake Ypacarai (i-pa-ka-RAI) Festival. This city lies across the river from a region named for Rutherford B. Hayes, who awarded most of its country's western land. An early 1990s era restoration of this city focused on its Manzana de la Rivera, which is now its cultural center. This city's Casa de Independencia saw the first South American declaration of independence by a government that now meets in its Palacio de Lopez. For 10 points, name this capital of Paraguay.
A: Asuncion
Q: A march from Jebel el-Dakrour to this location is performed on the fourth day of its Siyaha Festival. Bir wahed is this settlement's main source of fresh water. A mosque in this location is the world's oldest religious kershef edifice, and is part of a salt and mud-brick fortress called the Shali Ghadi at this location. The necropolis of Jebel al-Mawta contains the Crocodile Tomb at this location. A puppet government of fascist Italy once had its capitol at this location's Lake Aftnas. Fatnas and Abu Shuruf are two of the largest of its no fewer than 200 springs. This location between Jaghbub and Zeitun is mainly known for its date palms and olive groves. The ruined Um Ebeida Temple is found in this place, and its ruined city of Aghurmi is associated with a former seat of Zeus. For 10 points, name this oasis west of the Al Qattara Depression which was home to an Egyptian oracle that proclaimed Alexander the Great to be divine.
A: Siwa Oasis
Q: An island in this body of water contains the Khuzhir Museum, which hosts an annual international convention of shamanism, while other cultural events on its shores include an oriental marketplace occupying the Kyngyra Valley to its southwest. A regional wind called the Sarma influences ice road access to its largest island, Orkhon, and its promontories include the Holy Nose Peninsula. Part of a rift zone also cleaving the northeasterly Stanovoy Mountains, it receives the Selenga River which flows north through the Autonomous Republic of Buryatia. The Angara River drains this lake, and provides highly pure water to nearby Irkutsk. For 10 points, name this central Siberian lake, the deepest on Earth.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: A tomb located within this structure belongs to a lieutenant governor who died in a cholera epidemic while sheltering from a rebellion, and is often criticized for its poor choice of location. A predecessor of that man, John Colvin, lied about a gate that he brought to this location from Ghazni, claiming it was the one carried off by Mahmud from Somnath. The Machi Bhavan was a treasury of gems at this location that may have been connected to a Golden Chain of Justice. This structure also contains an octagonal tower called the Musaman Burj, and the gleaming white marble Moti Masjid, or Pearl Mosque. The Diwan-i-Khas, one of the principal audience halls in this edifice, once contained the Peacock Throne, before it was taken to a similarly named structure in Delhi. For 10 points, name this sandstone structure that encloses the imperial city of the Mughal emperors, located in a city that also contains the Taj Mahal.
A: Red Fort of Agra or Lal Qila of Agra (but Agra must be mentioned to distinguish from the Red Fort in Delhi).
Q: One feature located on this river contains a naturally formed swimming area called "the devil's pool," and this river is home to Chavuma Falls and is on the Barotse Plain. Lake Cahora Bassa was created by a dam on this river, which receives the Kafue River and the Shire River before emptying into the ocean. This river forms a border in the Caprivi Strip before being flowing through the Kariba Dam, which provides a large amount of hydroelectric power. It empties into the ocean at Mozambique. For 10 points, identify this river which flows over Victoria Falls, the chief river of Southern Africa which forms part of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
A: Zambezi River
Q: The forearm of a statue of Orlando designed by Bonino of Milan gives the 51.2 centimeter version of this city's "ell" of measurement. The peninsulas Babin Kuk and Lapad and the Elafiti Archipelago are west of this city. A Franciscan monastery in this city houses the oldest pharmacy in Europe, and it also contains Europe's second oldest Sephardic synagogue. This city's baroque St. Blasius Church was designed by Marino Gropelli on the site of a cathedral destroyed in a 1667 earthquake that also damaged a cathedral funded by Richard the Lionheart, who was shipwrecked on Lokrum Island. The Ploce Gate enters this city at a Dominican Monastery from the east, while its main gate is the Pile Gate. Srd Hill overlooks this former free city, which was governed from its Sponza Palace, which under the name of Ragusa staged a successful rebellion against Venice. For 10 points, name this city best known for its walled and fortified Stari Grad district rising from the Adriatic on the Dalmatian Coast.
A: Dubrovnik
Q: A ridge between this river's watershed and that of the Plata includes the Pico de Pireneus. The Sao Domingos Karst in this river's basin is home to the only cave adapted species of knifefish. This river rises in the Serra Dourado. Near Minacu (mi-NA-su) this river encounters the embankment dam of the Serra da Mesa, and a project to bypass locks on this river's Tucurui Dam is underway to improve its navigability. This river arcs westward after receiving the Manuel Alves Grande River at Carolina and receives the Guama in its final miles. Above its junction with the Araguaia (a-ra-GWA-ya) it forms the western border of Maranhao (ma-ra-NYOW). A state carved out from Goias in 1988 was named for this river. For 10 points, name this river that enters the Para River on the southeast of the Isla da Maraho, with a name meaning "beak of the toucan."
A: Tocantins River
Q: An old name for these mountains comes from a folk etymology of the blood of Typhon which once rained down on them. Its continent's largest gallery of post-Paleolithic cave art is found in the Magura Cave in these mountains. Cape Emine is the easternmost extension of this range. This mountain's highest peak also contains its nation's highest waterfall, the Raysko Praskalo (RAY-sko pra-SKA-lo). The forests of the Sredna Gora cover the southern foothills of this range. Arabakonak (a-ra-ba-KO-nak) and Vratnik Passes divide this range into thirds, and Shipka Pass is an opening through this range connecting Gabrovo and Kazanluk. The Yantra Gorge is occupied by the medieval capital of Veliko Tarnovo in its northern foothills. For 10 points, name this mountain range through which passes the Iskar River that climaxes at Mt. Botev as it crosses northern Bulgaria, and that shares its name with a large peninsula in Southeastern Europe.
A: Balkan Mountains or Stara Planina until "large peninsula"
Q: The extinct Arin and dying Yugh and Ket tongues spoken in this river's upper valley define a namesake language family determined to be related to the Na Dene (na-de-NAY) family of North America by Edward Vajda (VAY-da). One source of this river is derived from a high basin known as the Darhadin Bowl, while the other rises in the Sayan Range. Nickel and palladium are shipped from the rail terminal of Dudinka on this river. This river supports the Tuvan capital city of Kyzyl as well as Abakan, the seat of the Khakass Autonomous Republic, and the most important economic center on it is Krasnoyarsk, which lies upstream of its confluence with the Angara. For 10 points, name this river which drains the Central Siberian Plateau and absorbs the two branches of the Tunguska on its way to the Kara Sea, the sixth longest river in the world.
A: Yenisey River (or Khem River, if given before "namesake")
Q: A sacred mountain to the north of this city has a name that translates to "hands held together in prayer." Upstream of this city lies the Yangbajain Geothermal Field, which may be a source of pollution for the Duilong River which flows into this city's main waterway. A thousand-armed statue, the Chenresig, is the centerpiece of the Sere Monastery in this city, and its Barkor District is the center of a pilgrimage ending at Jokhang Temple. The steep escarpment of the Nyainqen Tanglha Mountains rises over this city. This city assumed its hegemony when a royal residence was built on Marpo Ri by Songtsen Gampo, an eminence it lost when Zhou En-lai sent troops to protect that residence, Potala Palace, from the Red Guard. For 10 points, name this former residence of the Dalai Lama and capital of Tibet.
A: Lhasa
Q: The southeastern shores of this body of water feature clifftop burial cairns like the Kirkonlaatia (kir-kon-LA-tya), or "church floor" and the Long Ruin of Huilu. The northernmost port on this body of water speaks the Kalix Dialect of its mother tongue alongside the Meankieli (me-an-KYE-li) language, a divergent dialect of its nation's Kivalo Region. This body of water is the northernmost of the successors of Lake Ancylus (an-ki-lus). The enormous number of rivers that enter this body of water, which include the Ume and Kemi, depress its salinity enough to support pike, and serve mainly as logging channels. An iron-pellet exporting town on this body of water is known for the church-village of Gammelstad, Lulea. The Skule (SKOO-lay) Forest reaches this body of water on its High Coast, where isostatic rebound may result in a land bridge forming across the Norra Kvarken. It is already nearly bridged in the south by the Aland (AH-land) Islands. For 10 points, name this northernmost arm of the Baltic Sea located between Finland and Sweden.
A: Gulf of Bothnia or Pohjanlahti or Botniske Viken
Q: A marina in this village faces the islands of Marieskaret (ma-REES-ka-ret) and Tallholmen (TAL-hol-men). An overrepresentation of multiple sclerosis has been discovered in a population dwelling near a former economic engine outside this village. A quay for loading petroleum was built at this place's namesake "strand," as its main structure was drained and pumped full of jet fuel in the late 20th Century, though its feldspar first supplied a porcelain factory at Gustavsberg. A pegmatite intrudes a greenstone outcrop at this location. This settlement on Resaro Island has a name meaning "outer village," and indirectly gives its name to a type of atomic clock that is more accurate than the cesium clock. This village is the type locality for the mineral Gadolinite (ga-DO-lin-ite), which was first described by Karl Arrhenius. For 10 points, name this village in Vaxholm, Sweden that was the site of the world's first Rare Earth mine and gives its name to elements with atomic numbers 39, 65, 68, and 70.
A: Ytterby
Q: The Paraqra (pa-RA-kra) Mummy is a skeleton whose remains are visible within this feature. Project Majes (MA-hes) involves the building of a canal beginning in this feature. Its lower portion is accessed from Cabanaconde (ka-ba-na-KON-day). The Fure waterfall is located on this feature's namesake river. The oasis of San Galle (san GA-ye) is located within this feature whose cave of Mollepunku (mo-ye-PUN-ku) includes important paintings representing the domestication of the Alpaca. Callalle (ka-YA-ye) and Achoma are settlements within this feature populated by the kiwicha and quinoa-growing Collaguas (ko-YA-gwas) and Cabanas people, who still use agricultural terraces built by their Huari (WA-ri) ancestors. Cruz del Condor Overlook is a viewpoint over this feature which reaches its deepest point near Huambo (WAM-bo), a depth that is subject to a disputed record involving nearby Cotahuasi (ko-ta-WA-see). For 10 points, name this gorge, either the first or second deepest in South America, named for the main river of Arequipa (a-re-KEE-pa) Region in Peru.
A: Colca Canyon
Q: The Chergach strewn field is a source of meteorites in one example of this feature, which is separated by the El Eglab Massif into its Iguidi and Chech portions. A town near one of these features contains the spring La Source at Beni Abbes, and another is known for sweet springs that supplies much of its nation's bottled water, El-Golea. Between the Fadnoun and Tinrhert Plateaus, Neolithic artifacts have been uncovered by shifts in the Issaouane example of this feature, which also contains petroleum reserves. Cities surrounding the Great Eastern example of this feature are characterized by their domed architecture, such as those at Timimoun and El-Oued, which provide a vacuum-based cooling effect based on orographic wind patterns that have deposited much of the particles for these features at the edges of the Tademait Plateau. Star dunes and barchan dunes associated with these features indicate a shift in wind direction over time. For 10 points, name these vast sand seas located in the Sahara, especially in Algeria.
A: Ergs (prompt on "Dunes")
Q: A steel and glass tree sculpture of Arata Isozaki on this hill stands in front of its Casaramona (ka-sa-ra-MO-na) Factory, a former police station that now houses is main modern art museum La Caixa (la-KAI-sha), while its Laribal Gardens were inspired by the terraces of the Alhambra. This park marks the southern end of the longitude chosen to calculate the prototype meter. A cemetery on this hill contains a mass grave including anarchists accused of bombing its city's Corpus Cristi procession, the Fossar de Pedrera. An Ethnographic Museum in this place contains papier-mache gegants used in its city's correfocs festivals. Another art museum in this location contains frescoes from Santa Maria and San Climent de Taull as well as Salvador Dali's Portrait of my Father. The grave of Joan Miro is on this hillside that overlooks the Port-Vell from the west. For 10 points, name this large park also containing the 1992 Olympic Stadium on a hillside in Barcelona.
A: Montjuic
Q: The Riafa Hills are the northern escarpment of this city, and their heights include the Jebel Tghat and the Jebel Zalagh. The Sidi Brahim and Doukarrat are this city's industrial quarters. A berry known as the kızılcık is native to the hills around this city, which is used in enterprises run at Ain Azliten and Sidi Moussa, which also produce this city's Adarga shields. The Agdal is the center of this city's New district. This city's Ben Danan Synagogue serves its community of Megorashim (me-go-ra-SHEEM), who dwell in its mellah district. The tombs of the Borj Nord provide a view over the eastern half of this city, which may be entered via its Blue Gate. This city's Kairaouine (kai-ru-WI-nay) Mosque is the world's oldest university and is found in its El Bali district. Its Dar El-Makhzen Palace, which was built by the Merenid Dynasty is found in its El Jdid section. For 10 points, name this double walled former capital of Morocco famous for its truncated conical headgear.
A: Fez
Q: A five-month gold rush centering on this mountain focused on its Kiandra Diggings. Sawpit Creek is a wetland area nourished by snowmelt originating on this mountain. A national park which contains this mountain also contains Dead Horse Gap and Mt. Stilwell, and the Perisher Valley is located to the northeast of this peak. A scenic path to this peak involves Charlotte Pass and Hedley Tarn, though the fastest route up this mountain passes Lake Cootapatamba (ku-ta-pa-TAM-ba) and begins at Thredbo. This mountain, also known as Kunama Numadgi (ku-NA-ma nu-MA-ji), whose base is at Lake Jindabyne, is second in height to Mt. Mawson politically, and is last on a list of peaks compiled by Richard Bass, but was famously not listed at all by Reinhold Messner for tectonic reasons. The source of the Snowy River, For 10 points, name this mountain in the Great Dividing Range of New South Wales, the tallest in continental Australia, named for a Polish patriot.
A: Mt. Kosciuszko (accept Kunama Numagdi before mentioned)
Q: Of the diverse population of this range, Hamtai and Koiali are spoken over the widest area. The Kumusi River divides this range's main plateau regions into the Ajura Kijala (a-JU-ra ki-JA-la) and the Hydrographer's Range. The Louisiade Archipelago is an offshore extension of these mountains whose only road begins at Wau and is known as the Bulldog Track. The Kemp Welch and Mambare Rivers originate in these mountains. A trail to Jaure known as the Kapa Kapa trail was blazed through these mountains by a dysentery ravaged military unit called the Ghost Batallion. The Wharton Range is the traditional western limit of this range, though Mt. Albert Edward is sometimes grouped within it. Japanese troops were defeated on the Kokoda Trail in these mountains, saving the city of Port Moresby. For 10 points, name this range on the Papuan Peninsula that includes Mt. Victoria and forms the backbone of the nation of Papua New Guinea.
A: Owen Stanley Range
Q: The Shrines of Abirim, Bodwease (bod-we-AS-e) and Adarko Jachie (a-DAR-ko JA-chee) are located northeast of this city, while the Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary is located to its northwest. The first evidence of habitation of this city comes via the crater lake of Bosumtwe (bo-SUM-twe) to its southeast. This city comprises half of its nation's timber industry, and was named for a royal tree, having first been called Kwaaman. A railroad from Sekondi and the introduction of cacao plantations underpinned a second incarnation of this city. A native industry based in this city relies on the cloth printing village of Ntonso and the Bonwire village, a Kente weaving center, whose product is sold at its massive Kejetia (ke-JET-ia) Market. A ceremonial king of this city dwells at its Manhyia (man-HYI-a) Palace, a replacement of a structure burned in the War of the Golden Stool. For 10 points, name this city of the Akan people founded by Osei Tutu, the cultural capital of the Ashanti located in Ghana.
A: Kumasi
Q: This country's capital contains a tower used to peer into its kitchens called the Kiek-in-de-Kock. Ahi Lake is a sacred lake in this country's Karula National Park. A people living northeast of this country may have connected the origin of fire to another lake in a relatively recent meteorite crater named Kaali, which is located on an island in this country. That island also features the Tagamoisu (ta-ga-MOI-su) Peninsula. The Pandivere (pan-di-VE-ray) and Otepaa are uplands in this country's east-central region, and its highest point, in the Haanja Upland, is Great Egg Hill, which a certain giant from this country once used as a pillow; that giant was later killed by his own sword while wading in the Kaapa River. Lake Vorts is the largest lake completely within this country whose eastern border features a larger lake fed by the Ema and Vohandu Rivers, which is drained by the Narva River. For 10 points, name this country located to the west of Lake Peipus on the Gulf of Finland with capital Tallinn.
A: Estonia or Eesti Vabariik
Q: The inhabitants of what would become this country were little known until the arrival of the whaling ship Awashonks. This nation's clan structure is supported by farm and construction workers called Rijerbal, who are supervised by the Alap as detailed by its capital's Alele Museum, which explains its guiding philosophy of manit. Some of this country's minor islands are Namorik, Ailuk and Wotho, found between its southern and northern limits of Ebon and Taeongi. This nation's Laura Beach has become grossly polluted, though the nearby Eneko Island is clean enough to support a population of shelled mollusks. The Council of Iroji advises this nation's unicameral Nitijela, found in a capital that was built by landfill to join its islands of Djarrit (JA-rit), Uliga and Delap. Archipelagos named "Sunset" and "Sunrise," or Ralik and Ratik, compose this nation where the Ebeye coral reef protects the strategic island of Kwajalein (KWA-ja-layn). The Runit Dome was constructed in this nation, a legacy begun when a device called "Mike" left its northern atoll of Enewak uninhabitable. For 10 points, name this Pacific Island nation, home to Bikini Atoll, with capital Majuro (ma-JU-ro).
A: Republic of the Marshall Islands or Majol
Q: This mountain is most crowded on "moon days" known as Poyo. The Maskeliya (mas-ke-LEE-ya) Reservoir lies to the east of this peak. A peace pagoda designed by Nipponzan Miyohoji (ni-PON-zan mi-yo-HO-ji) can be found on one route that ascends this peak. The poorly developed route from Erathna takes longest to access this location, while a route which begins from Gangalathenna (gan-ga-la-THE-na) is steepest, and the trailhead at Heramitipana (he-ra-mi-ta-PA-na) near Ratnapura (rat-na-PU-ra) is most popular. The indigenous Vedda people venerated this peak as Samanala Kanda (sa-ma-NA-la KAN-da), while it is known as Shiva Padam to the Tamils. A name Ibn Battuta gave to this peak was applied to an island kingdom, Serendib, and a feature at its summit is paired with a land bridge that once crossed the Palk Strait. For 10 points, name this mountain whose object of pilgrimage is a jewel-studded cleft in the shape of a foot believed to belong to either Shiva, the Buddha, or the namesake progenitor of humanity, located in Sri Lanka.
A: Adam's Peak or Sri Pada (accept: Serendib or Samanalakanda before stated, Mt. Rohana, or Sivanolipathamalai or Ratnagiri or just about anything else, since this mountain is holy in 6 religions.
Q: The Hinder and Vorder Prufatscheng (PRU-fa-cheng) form the backdrop landscape of this city looking east. A modern art museum in this capital is a black concrete and basalt cube in its pedestrian Stadtle District; the other side of that district includes its St. Florin Cathedral. Mitteldorf is this city's old town and home to the Rote Haus. The larger town of Schaan lies north of this city. Peter Kaiser Platz is the home of a wooden triangular prism made up of the Long House, the High House and the Joining House at the center of this city which now serves as its nation's parliament. A castle that overlooks this city was constructed by the Werdenburg-Sargens (VER-den-burg-SAR-gens) family and owned by a prince which also administers the lordship of Schellenberg. The internet has greatly decreased demand for a key export of this city that is the centerpiece of its Postmuseum. For 10 points, name this stamp producing capital of Liechtenstein.
A: Vaduz
Q: This region's climate is characterized by the Jemial (HE-mi-al), a dry season that separates its Jayapu (ha-YA-poo) and Iwa rainy seasons. Those seasons were named by its indigenous Wayuu people. The Cerro Palouo and Cerro Jibome make up the cloud forest of the Serrania de Macuira (se-ra-NI-ya de ma-KWI-ra), which sits at its center. A fossilized snake which was larger than the Gigantophis (gi-gan-TO-fis) has been recovered from the Cerrejon (se-re-HON) Coal Mine in this region. Bisected by the Rancheria River, this salt-mining region east of Manaure Bay extends to the Calabozo Ensenada. This region contains the Cape of Sails, and its northernmost point is Punta Gallinas (PUN-ta ga-YIN-as), a continental extreme. Resulting from the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, For 10 points, name this xeric landscape, a microclimatic desert located in the northwest of the state of Zulia as well as in the namesake department of Colombia on its northernmost peninsula.
A: La Guajira Desert (or Woumainkat Wajiira)
Q: This mountain's orogenesis began in the Codola Event. A type of wine known as the Lagrima Christi originates on this mountain. A north route to its summit begins at the Casamale (ka-sa-MA-lay) district on its north side. The Lattari Mountains once stopped the progress of a mass wasting event originating on this mountain. This mountain is tectonically related to Epomeo on Ischia and the caldera of the Solfatara (sol-FA-ta-ra) to its northwest. The Mercato Event was this mountain's most severe eruption. The upper topography of this mountain is defined by the satellite Monte Somma, whose southern saddle is the Valley of the Giant, though a painting in the House of the Centenary shows only one peak. Oplontis and Stabiae were severely damaged by an eruption of this mountain associated with the fires of the Phlegraean (fle-GRAE-an) Plain. For 10 points, name this famous volcano on the Plain of Campania over the Bay of Naples which buried Herculaneum (her-ku-LAE-ni-um) and Pompeii.
A: Mount Vesuvius
Q: The sea-turtle habitat of Isla Canas is connected by a sandbar to this peninsula. The first evidence of maize cultivation in its nation are found at its Monagrillo (mo-na-GREE-yo) Ruins. The Carato Parakeet is endemic to its Cerro Hoya National Park. The Albina is a dry forest surrounded by mangrove swamps on this peninsula where deforestation and overgrazing has created the artificial "desert" of the Sarigua. The valleys of Tonosi are part of its rugged southern coast, which rises to Mt. Canajagua (ka-na-HA-gwa), the "roof of" this peninsula which makes up the center of the Arco Seco climatic zone. The Santa Maria and Parita Rivers are the northern limit of this peninsula. The province of Veragua extends into it from the north, while the remainder of its territory is comprised of Los Santos and Herrera, whose main settlements are Las Tablas and Chitre. For 10 points, name this peninsula that separates the Gulf of Montijo (mon-TEE-ho) from the Gulf of Panama, whose Punta Mariato is the southernmost land in North America.
A: Azuero Peninsula
Q: This body of water lies in a basin which extends from Prydz Bay to the Gamburtsev Range. Date ranges from monazite and zircon grains indicate that uplands associated with this feature may be a suture zone between the Ruker and Mawson Cratons that was recently reactivated. Discovery of similar bodies known as Ninety East and Sovetskaya have let to proposals that such bodies are related and connected. This body of water is separated into shallow and deep portions by Ridge B, which may be a geothermal rift zone, and its Dome C likely represents an island. An attempt to reach this location was abandoned due to fears of kerosene contamination, but a later attempt using silicone was successful. Over 3,300 unique gene sequences have been catalogued from this location detected by laser altimetry beneath the southern Pole of Cold. For 10 points, name this large subglacial lake beneath a Russian station in Antarctica.
A: Lake Vostok
Q: A western example of these places in this country contains the Tarcoles River Crocodile Bridge. The most concentrated region of these places is found in this country's northwest, which contain the marshes of Tempisque (tem-PEES-kay) and a pilgrimage site centering on a ghost-healer who was flung into a lava pit. Another of these entities in this country's region of Guanacaste contains the La Casona Battlefield north of the Gulf of Papagayo (pa-pa-GA-yo). The southern half of the Osa Peninsula, along with the Piedras Blancas example, contains an important jaguar migration corridor centered in Corcovado, which is known for its Jurassic rain forests. The falls of the Rio Celeste are located in one named for Tenorio, and mountains called Arenal and Irazu are the centers of volcanic ones. Tortuguero is a Caribbean example which appropriately shelters sea turtles. For 10 points, name these protected areas of this country, the largest of which, La Amistad, protects the Sierra de Talamanca, and is shared with neighboring Panama.
A: National Parks of Costa Rica
Q: As the entity that created this feature narrows with decreasing height, it absorbs the tongues of the Akullinnguaq (a-kull-in-GWAK) and Nunatarsuaq (nu-na-tar-SWAK), and in winter it blocks the bays Tasiusaq (ta-syu-SAK) and Sukuiuitsoq (su-ku-yit-SOK) which extends to its south and north. The highlands Iviangernarsuit (i-vyan-ger-nar-SWEET) and Paakitsup Nunaa (pa-kit-SUP nu-NA) define this feature. A reserve protecting this passage also contains the archaeological Sermermiut (ser-mer-MYOOT) site, which had been home to a split off of the Chukotko-Kamchatkan (choo-KOT-ko-kam-CHAT-kan) peoples, the Saqqaq (sa-KAK) culture, as well as its nation's Dorset and Thule Cultures. The town of Ilimanaq (i-li-ma-NAK) lies at the southwestern entrance to this passage, and competes with the capital of Avannaata (a-va-NA-ta) municipality as the "gateway" to this passage. The Sermeq Kujelleq (ser-MEK ku-je-LEK), one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, passes through this opening, the most productive in the northern hemisphere, to Disko Bay. For 10 points, name this critical fjord through which the Greenland Ice Cap reaches Baffin Bay, noted for calving a tenth of the icebergs found in the arctic cryosphere.
A: Ilulissat Icefjord or Jakobshavn Icefjord
Q: A snake found among twelve kneeling stone figures beneath the western suburbs of this modern city likely indicates a temple for human sacrifice connected to the Mei Yuan division of its lost city of Jinsha, which contains relics from the Shu kingdom, including a smiling gold mask and the symbol of a nine-headed phoenix said to represent the Classic of Mountains and Seas. The plain of this city was the first center of cultivation of tobacco in the orient, and is known as the Plain of Abundance. The Caotang, or Hall of Grass in this city honors an 8th century man of letters who lived in this city. Its skyline is defined by its Jinjiang district, which is encircled by four ring roads. Tea houses abound in this city, as it was the first city to register trading in tea. The Giant Buddha of Leshan is situated at the confluence of the Min and Dadu Rivers located south of this city, and this city hosts the New Century Global Center, currently the largest building by volume in the world. The homes of Li Po and Tu Fu may be found in, For 10 points, what giant panda breeding capital of Sichuan Province?
A: Chengdu
Q: This country's Chubut province is home to the largest Welsh community outside of the British Isles. To this day, it disputes the Falklands, a group of islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean, with the United Kingdom. The Rio de la Plata separates this country from Uruguay, and it controls the eastern half of Tierra del Fuego. For 10 points, name this South American country whose capital is Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina
Q: This country's Chumbivilcas region celebrates a holiday that takes place on December 25th and is called Takanakuy. The message "Time for change! The future is renewable" was controversially displayed on a national monument in this country. A lake on this country's eastern border is home to the Uru people, who live on artificial islands made of reeds. Lake Titicaca lies on this country's border with Bolivia. Greenpeace activists left footprints in the ground and damaged this country's Nazca Lines. For 10 points, name this South American country whose capital is Lima.
A: Peru
Q: This country's Virunga National Park borders the Rwenzori Mountains and Lake Edward. This country's Salonga National Park is home to the Iyaelima people, who are part of the Mongo group. The province of Katanga is a mining center in this country, which has the highest number of Lingala speakers and is home to bonobos. This is the geographically largest country to border Lake Tanganyika. The capital of this country is located on the western bank of a river across from Brazzaville. For 10 points, name this African Francophone country formerly known as Zaire, whose capital is Kinshasa.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [or DRC; or Congo-Kinshasa; prompt on "Congo"; do NOT accept "Republic of Congo"]
Q: In March 2019, this politician claimed "you don't run for second place," squashing rumors of a VP run with Joe Biden. This politician, who was criticized for financing her firm NOW Account with government contracts, delivered the 2019 Democratic Response to the State of the Union. This politician filed a 2018 lawsuit claiming that Brian Kemp committed voter fraud for not resigning as chief elections officer in 2018. This politician was the first African American Georgia House Minority Leader. For 10 points, name this politician who founded the voter advocacy group Fair Fight Georgia after losing the controversial 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.
A: Stacey Abrams
Q: A cult dedicated to John Frum on the island of Tanna worshipped a straw replica of one of these objects. Eric Bevington photographed one of these objects in a coral reef on Nikumaroro, which was rediscovered by Robert Ballard in 2019. Larry Vance argued that Zaharie Ahmad Shah's suicide caused one of these objects to disappear. A series of disasters in Malaysia and Ethiopia involved the anti-stalling system of the Dreamliner model of these objects. For 10 points, a lost Lockheed Model 10-E Electra is an example of what class of vehicles, a missing example of which was flown by Amelia Earhart?
A: airplanes [or aeroplanes; accept synonyms such as jets, aircraft, or airliners; accept specific models of planes such as passenger planes, clippers, or a seaplane]
Q: This city's native Buscajas [bus-KA-has] people destroyed its earliest incarnation, which was founded on the orders of Pascual Andragoya [an-dra-GO-ya]. Abandoned rail lines in this city are plied by rigged bench platforms driven by the rear wheel of a motorcycle known as Brujitas [bru-HEE-tas], which provide the only access to its inland San Cipriano wetlands. This city is a cultural center of its nation's peoples of African ancestry, many of whom live in Bazan, which includes the ecological reserve of Pianguita [pian-goo-EE-ta]. Most of this city's densest development occurs on Cascajal [KAS-ka-hal] Island, which is located between the southern San Antonio and northern Gamboa estuaries. This city is accessed by the Via al Mar highway, which passes through Loboguerrero [lo-bo-ge-RE-ro] across the Cordillera Occidental [kor-di-YE-ra ok-si-den-TAL]. Much of the violence in this city is due to the activities of the Combas brothers. For 10 points, name this city, Colombia's most populous Pacific port, located 50 miles northwest of Cali.
A: Buenaventura
Q: Replicas of this place, the largest and most ornate of the complexes depicted on maps known as "Pats," exist at Mehrauli and at Siddhachalam [si-DA-cha-lam], New Jersey. A hunting festival of the Santhal people takes place on this peak which is celebrated on the first full moon of Vaisakh. The Chapada Kund is a sacred pond on this mountain on which is found the stream Sheetal, and much of the reverence for this peak is reserved for the portion beyond the Gondharva Nala. Monuments found on this mountain include the Aranatha [a-ra-NA-tha] and the Adinath as well as the Chandra Prabhu, and the largest of its temples is the Jal Mandir, those temples being referred to as tonks. Its name means "place of concentration," as 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras [tir-THAN-ka-ras] attained Moksha while meditating on this mountain. Located on the Chota Nagpur Plateau, For 10 points, name this holiest mountain in Jainism, whose host range is named for the 23rd Tirthankara, and which is also the highest point in India's Jharkhand State.
A: Shri Samad Shikharji or Parasnath Hill or Marang Buru
Q: To the north of this large city, the Eardley Escarpment is associated with an active fault, and its otherwise flat topography includes the system of gneiss barrens and marshes called the Carp Hills. Its landscapes are found in an art museum that hosts Gainsborough's Ignatius Sancho, as well as Artist and Shaman Between Two Worlds, a painting of Anishinaabe (a-ni-shi-NA-be) artist Norval Morrisseau, known as the "Picasso of the North." A waterway in this city begins at the Martello Towers, while a series of locks enables ships to bypass the Cataraqui River. Universities in this city lie in Dow's Lake and Sandy Hill, and its main employer is centered in Tunney's Pasture. This city taps Chaudiere (show-DYER) Falls as a source of hydroelectricity, and its neighborhoods of Glebe and ByWard Market are separated by the Rideau Canal from its upper town, which contains the green roofed Chateau Laurier (sha-TO LAU-ri-yay) Hotel. For 10 points, name this city whose government meets in the Center Block beneath the Peace Tower, found on Parliament Hill, the capital of Canada.
A: Ottawa (accept Gatineau if given in first sentence)
Q: This geographical feature has its lowest point at Bentley Trench. A lake here lies under Vostok Station. Mt. Erebus is found on Ross Island off itscoast, between Marie Byrd and Victoria lands. The Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains contains its highest peak, Vinson Massif, located on the Ronne (*) Ice Shelf. Getting only 5-10 inches of precipitation a year, it is considered a desert. For 10 points, identify this southernmost continent that contains the icy South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: A hill in this city is the home of the bird Te Keo, which mourned the fate of a figure who perished in the shallows of a lake when Ngake barreled through its southern bluffs to create its harbor. Later, a mythic explorer was castrated by a reef in that harbor, creating a rock known as Kupe's Front. The highest portion of this city is known as Khandallah Park, which lies on Kaukau Hill, which owes its elevation to a fault running through Long Gully that also created its industrial district of Hutt Valley. The Kapiti Coast is the western terminus of this city's suburban sprawl, which includes Vogeltown, while its easternmost point rests on the Miramar Peninsula, which is found at the end of the isthmus of Rongotai. Its central district rests a peninsula known as the Head of the Fish of Maui, and its first cottage, known as the Old Shebang, was constructed on Cuba Street. The Beehive is the executive wing of a parliament in this city. For 10 points, name this city on the Cook Strait, the home of the Thorndon residence and capital of New Zealand.
A: Wellington or Te Whanganui a Tara
Q: Nationalists in this country believe in a conspiracy that numbers representing the Basmala were code for a Muslim coup. Alleged members of Ata Ullah's "Faith Movement" in this country were targeted during the Inn Din massacre. This country replaced citizenship for Arakanese people with a National Verification Card. Ashin Wirathu ("WEE-rah-thoo") and other Buddhist monks in the 969 ("nine-six-nine") Movement attempted to classify a minority in this country as Bengali as justification for a mass exodus from its Rakhine ("ruh-KYNE") State to Bangladesh. For 10 points, name this country where the National League of Democracy under Aung San Suu Kyi ("owng SAN soo CHEE") opposes the forced migration of the Rohingya ("ro-HIN-jah") people.
A: Myanmar [or Burma; or Republic of the Union of Myanmar]
Q: In 2009, this place was explored by amateur search-and-rescue enthusiast Tom Mahood, who discovered the remains of some German tourists that had gotten lost and died here. The federally recognized Timbisha Shoshone tribe claims this place as their home. During the Wisconsin glaciation, this place was the location of Lake (*) Manly. Visitors to this location often stay at the historic living area of Stovepipe Wells and might visit the visitor center at this location's Furnace Creek. Twenty-mule teams were used to haul borax out of this place before it was designated as a National Park. For 10 points, name this extremely arid California location that is the hottest and lowest place in the Continental United States.
A: Death Valley [or Death Valley National Park]
Q: Landmarks on this island include the El Yunque ("YOON-kay") rainforest and Fort San Felipe del Moro. Humacao ("HOO-muh-COW"), Caguas ("CAW-gwahs"), Bayamon ("BYE-uh-moan"), and Ponce ("PAWN-say") are some of its municipalities. The largest municipality shares the name given to the island by Columbus, San Juan. For 10 points, identify this island, a United States commonwealth in the Caribbean.
A: Puerto Rico
Q: The northern part of this park contains the Hetch Hetchy Valley, which was controversially dammed against the advice of John Muir. Ansel Adams took black-and-white photographs of this park, including one of the moon over the granite formation called Half Dome. A waterfall that feeds the Merced River shares its name with, for 10 points, what national park in the Sierra Nevada of California?
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: One notable volcano located on this continent is Mount Erebus. Vinson Massif is the highest mountain on this continent. Argentina claims part of this continent as part of its Tierra del Fuego Province; however, an international treaty suspends all claims to parts of this continent in order to advance scientific activity such as studying emperor penguins and ice cores. For 10 points name this icy continent, the location of the South Pole.
A: Antarctica ----
Q: This peak's Russian Head Glacier released a deadly water burst in 1892 that killed 175 people. The crevasses of its treacherous Bossons Glacier are notable for ensconcing objects like a box of gems from a crashed Air India flight and three bodies from an expedition of Joseph Hamel. A neutrino-measuring experiment focused on a tunnel beneath this mountain's secondary summit, the Midi Needle. The valleys of the Arve and the Ferret bound this mountain to the west and east. Its Dolent summit marks an international tri-point, one of whose borders proceeds along the ridge of the Grande Jorasses [grand jo-RAS] and the Rochefort [ROSH-fort]. The Mer de Glace is the largest of the glaciers on this peak, two of which carved the Courmayeur and Chamonix [sha-mo-NIX] Valleys, which separate the Savoy and Pennine portions of its parent range. For 10 points, name this highest peak in the Alps named for its shining white icecap.
A: Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco
Q: An early people inhabiting the upper reaches of this river use three names for it, which include River of the Traversing Lake, the Red Cedar, and a name that means "miserable, wretched dirty water river" between Cass Lake and Leach Lake. Downstream, this river formed the cultural livelihood of peoples like the Koroa and Taensa. An adaptation of the Cupid and Psyche myth featuring Clement Musgrove takes place in its fictional town of Rodney's Landing. In another novel, the vessel Boreas wins a race with the Amaranth on this river when the latter's boilers explode. Historic floods on this river have also involved events on upstream lakes like the Pepin and lower ones like the Beulah; that lower basin flood contributed to deplorable working conditions along the Greenville Levee which swelled the already-in-progress Great Migration. This river's deepest point occurs shortly before English Turn, as silt near its tributary town of Buras deposits due to its tidal bore, which has shaped its birdfoot delta. For 10 points, name this river whose source was discovered by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft at Lake Itasca that flows into the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana.
A: Mississippi River (the novels are The Robber Bridegroom and The Gilded Age)
Q: This state is home to a Robert Smithson-designed earthwork sculpture titled Spiral Jetty. Sandstone landforms such as the Fiery Furnace and the Organ can be found in this state's Arches National Park. The (*) transcontinental railroad was officially completed in Promontory Summit in this state. Its capital hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. For 10 points, name this Western state that contains the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: In this state's capital, the Lane Avenue Bridge crosses the Olentangy River. Another of its cities contains historic Italian architecture in its Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, while another city, at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, contains Case Western Reserve University. Much of its northern border is at Lake (*) Erie, and it is separated from Kentucky by its namesake river. For 10 points, name this state containing Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus.
A: Ohio
Q: An original monument to the five dominant families of this city, including the Shqair and Jerias, includes five lions, but was ordered dismantled by Moshe Biton. Those families descend from the Haddadeen, who were most likely Ghassanid Christians from Al Kerak. Descendants of those Christians in this city now pass from church to church a torch from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on its Saturday of Light Festival. The majority religious community in this city worships at the Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque. The Dunia Trade Center was constructed in this city's upscale neighborhood of Al-Masyoun, but its growth is currently restricted by the settlements of Psagot and Beit El. The south road to this city begins at the Qalandiya Refugee Camp and ends at Al Manara Square, the epicenter of the Intifadas. For 10 points, name this home of the Mukataa Fortress and the Arafat Mausoleum and administrative capital of Palestine.
A: Ramallah
Q: In addition to its Polish blood, the city of Swindon hosts the largest community of natives of this island. An inverted crescent shaped range which stretches from the Long Range Peninsula to a talus slope known as the Gates of Chaos wraps around its southern harbor of Sandy Bay and contains its highest point, Diana's Peak, which hosts its endemic cabbage trees. A decommissioned funicular now known as Jacob's Ladder accesses this island's main fortress in Half Tree Hollow, which was mainly used for executions. Another fortress now gives its only landlocked district of Alarm Forest its name, and notably guarded a figure who was later buried in Sane Valley. A concentration camp set up on this island, whose victims now lie beneath its St. Paul's Cathedral, interned two children of king Dinizulu during the Boer Wars. Another of this island's royal residents dwelled at Longwood House. For 10 points, name this island best known for that resident, a former emperor, who was confined there after losing the Battle of Waterloo.
A: St. Helena
Q: The Sahel is the southern border of this region. Large areas of sand dunes called ergs make up part of this region. The Nile River Valley is one of the only places plants can grow in this region. For 10 points, name this African region, the largest hot desert on Earth.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: The Falasha ascribe this river as the boundary between lands of Japheth and Shem as noted in the Book of Division. This river's northern channel is defined by high bluffs near Dankov and Lebedyan. The ponded lowlands of the Oka are characteristic of its southern course. It absorbs the Manych above its most populated settlement, after which it enters the Maeotian Marshes, which according to Plutarch, who knew this river as the Tanais, was the home of the Amazons. This river's central wide eastern arc begins after its confluence with the Chornaya Kalitva and is dominated by the 190-mile long Tsimlyansk Reservoir. The lignite mining city of Novomoskovsk (no-vo-mos-KOVSK) is found on its banks near its source at the Shat Reservoir, after which it flows through Voronezh (vo-RON-yezh). For 10 points, name this river that empties into the Sea of Azov after flowing through Rostov, made famous by Mikhail Sholokhov and his novels about its Cossacks.
A: Don River
Q: A street in this city that divided its poor and rich sections was nicknamed "the Slot." Amadeo Giannini's Bank of Italy, which grew into the Bank of America, was founded in this city. Mayor Eugene Schmitz, the puppet of Union Labor Party boss Abe Ruef, created the Committee of Fifty to respond to a disaster in this city. This city exhibited its recovery from that disaster by hosting the extravagant 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. A fire in this city destroyed many opulent Nob Hill mansions. Around 80% of this city was destroyed in a fire that started after its 1906 earthquake. For 10 points, name this city that is the southern terminus of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco, California
Q: This mountain range includes the Vilcabamba ("VEEL-cuh-BOM-buh") sub-range and contains a plateau called the altiplano ("ALL-tee-PLAN-oh"). It is home to the tallest volcano on Earth, Ojos ("OH-hoess") del Salado, and the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, Aconcagua ("AH-con-CAH-gwa"). Llamas were domesticated in, for 10 points, what longest mountain range on Earth, located in western South America?
A: Andes Mountains
Q: A building sold by Michael III and previously controlled by this structure later housed such documents as the Karaite Correspondence of Ascalon. Stylistic elements of earlier versions of this building were copied by the White and Red Monasteries as well as the Church the Virgin of Relief, including the khurus. A notable prayer recited at this church dates from St. Peter, Last of Martyrs, who led it until his beheading at the behest of Diocletian, and a festival centering on its founder's severed head takes place annually on the 30th of Paope. Notable rebuildings and relocations of this church were preceded over by John III and Demetrius II, and it is currently found at the center of a triangle defined by the Saad Zaghloul, Al Aqbat and El Naby Daniel Streets. It was founded by a saint who was arrested and dragged through the streets during the Festival of Serapis. Shenouda II was the last leader of this church to complete his primacy there, though Tawadros II still bears a title referring to this church, though now dwelling in Cairo. For 10 points, name this first seat of the Pope of Alexandria, the historical seat of the Coptic faith.
A: St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral of Alexandria or Morkosia (do not accept "St. Mark's of Cairo")
Q: During the colonial period, this country was known as the territory of the Afars and Issas. Units of the French Foreign Legion were once based in this country, which is adjacent to the Bab el Mandeb, a strait that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. (*) Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia border, for 10 points, what small nation on the Horn of Africa?
A: Republic of Djibouti [or Republique de Djibouti or Jumhuriyat Jibuti]
Q: The Fiale (fya-LAY) Caldera above this body of water hosts a developing geothermal plant, and planned wind farms for its basaltic highlands will take advantage of its northwest Khamsin and southwest Sabo winds. Like Lake Abe a source of sodium bromide, the Oued Kalou (wed ka-LOU) and Oued Doubie (wed du-BYE) are this body of water's freshwater feeds, and it experiences the spring and summer subterranean inflow of the Ghoubet el Karab. Volcanic eruptions from the Ardoukoba (ar-du-KOU-BA) Rift at Kadda Soma have severed this body of water's connection to the Gulf of Tadjoura (ta-JU-ra), and the resultant commodity of its high evaporation rate comprises the principal product traded by the Afar people, namely halite. For 10 points, name this highly saline lake located in the eastern Danakil Depression, at 585 feet below sea level the lowest point in Africa, the largest completely within Djibouti and the third lowest lake in the world.
A: Lake Assal
Q: A prehistoric site in this river's watershed is the Marmes Rockshelter. The Celilo Canal and the city of Kettle Falls were built along it. This river's hydroelectric power is monitored by the Bonneville Power Administration. This river joins the Snake and Yakima at the Tri-Cities area. The Grand Coulee Dam lies on, (*) for 10 points, what river famous for its salmon runs that comprises part of the Oregon-Washington border?
A: Columbia River
Q: In this province, lava beds from Tseax Cone are featured in a provincial park jointly run by the Nisga'a Nation. The Haida people on Haida Gwaii off the coast of this province probably originated the practice of carving totem poles. Kicking Horse River runs through Yoho National Park in this province. The largest ski resort in North America is situated on Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains in this province and was the site of some events of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Its capital is at the southern end of an island named for its largest city, bordering the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For 10 points, name this western Canadian province whose capital is Victoria and largest city is Vancouver.
A: British Columbia [or BC]
Q: This mountain's highest peak, Mytikas, was known as Pantheon in ancient times. One myth says that this mountain formed after the gods defeated the Titans. Some gods who lived here include Poseidon and Zeus. For 10 points, name this mountain, the home of the gods in Greek mythology.
A: Mount Olympus
Q: This river is the location of the reservoir Lake Nasser, formed by the Aswan High Dam being built on this river. This river has two major tributaries that are named the "Blue" and "White". Those rivers converge at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, and the "White" begins at Lake Victoria in Uganda. For 10 points, name this African river which often flooded to bring nutrients to the farms of ancient Egypt, the longest river in the world.
A: the Nile River
Q: The island of Bornholm is in this body of water, which is connected by the Kiel ("KEEL") Canal to the North Sea. One arm of this sea is the Gulf of Bothnia, and the large island of Saaremaa ("SAH-reh-MAH") guards its Gulf of Riga ("REE-guh"). Five national capitals lie on this body of water, including Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and Stockholm. For 10 points, name this sea south of Scandinavia.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: A demon known as Locyta who is said to inhabit a town in this province was once implicated in the inability of several persons to confess to night flights to the island of Blockula according to children whose accusations may have influenced the Salem Witch Trials. That town lies on the edge of its continent's largest impact crater, which is implicated in the Late Frasnian extinction event. Its nation's first mint was located at its town of Sater which utilized metals from mines whose workers swelled the ranks of the Engelbrekt Rebellion. Those mines include the Store Kopparberg, which was served by a blast furnace at Avesta, and the aforementioned witch-trying city of Mora was the nucleus of another miners' revolt which eventually toppled Christian II. This province's fiercely independent culture gives rise to a unique musicology that inspired a namesake rhapsody by Hugo Alfven, his third. For 10 points, name this province containing the Ring of Siljan and the lake of Runn as well as the city of Falun, known for a namesake dialect of Swedish which was the last to make use of the runic script.
A: Dalecarlia or Dalarna
Q: In 1887, engineers reversed the flow of this city's namesake river. This city's South Side includes the neighborhood of Englewood, infamous for high crime rates. Along Michigan Avenue in this city, one can find Millennium Park and its shiny sculpture known as "the Bean." The "L" trains in this city run to its two major airports, O'Hare and Midway. For 10 points, name this Midwestern city on the shores of Lake Michigan.
A: Chicago, Illinois
Q: The Shah Deniz natural gas field is located underneath the southwestern portion of this body of water, and a proposed gas pipeline will run underneath this body of water to a city named after Saparmurat Niyazov. The proposed Trans-Adriatic pipeline will connect this body of water to southern Europe. Though not the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya River once flowed into this body of water. Oil extracted from beneath this body of water often travels by pipeline to Ceyhan and Tbilisi from the city of Baku, which is located on this body of water. For 10 points, name this large inland sea, which is fed by the Volga River and borders such countries as Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran.
A: Caspian Sea
Q: This state's Mermentau River flows between Calcasieu (KAL-ka-shew) River and Vermilion Bay, and the Amite River flows into Lake Maurepas, which lies next to the second-largest inland body of saltwater in the US. The Pearl River lies on part of this state's eastern boundary, while the (*) Sabine River lies on its western boundary, and its highest point, Driskill Mountain, lies in the north. After flowing past Shreveport, the Red River flows into the Atchafalaya River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Lake Pontchartrain lies in, for 10 points, what state with capital at Baton Rouge?
A: Louisiana
Q: A national park within this body of water is centered on Rubondo Island. Two train ferries on this body of water named Kaawa and Kabalega collided and sank in 2005. The documentary Darwin's Nightmare discusses invasive fish species in this lake, which is also affected by the spread of the water hyacinth. A hydroelectric power plant constructed at this lake's outflow completely submerged (*) Ripon Falls. The first European to view this body of water was John Hanning Speke, whose claims regarding this lake were heavily disputed by Richard Francis Burton. This lake is the primary source of the White Nile and is shared between the countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. For 10 points, name this largest lake in Africa which was named after a British queen.
A: Lake Victoria [or Victoria Nyanza]
Q: Flooding which destroyed this city's Soto neighborhood and caused landslides around El Barrinche Hill caused damage that still persists due to the lack of a recovery plan which never materialized due to the death of mayor Cesar Castellanos [ka-ste-YA-nos], whose helicopter crashed in its wake. Cloud forests that border the parrot sanctuary of La Tigra National Park are found northeast of this city. The district of La Leona overlooks its central district, which includes is baroque Basilica of Suyapa and St. Michael's Cathedral. This city is one of the few world capitals lacking railroads, which is bizarre considering its origin as a gold and silver mining camp of the Lenca and Tolupan people on Mount Picacho. Supplies must be trucked in from Puerto Cortes, its international airport at Toncontin having too stunted a runway due to surrounding mountains. This metropolis formed after being merged with a city across the Choluteca River which was named for its nation's first capital, Comayagua [ko-ma-YA-gwa]. For 10 points, name this capital of Honduras.
A: Tegucigalpa
Q: This river is crossed by the Otowi Suspension Bridge, which is made entirely of wood. A major tributary of this river is restricted in its flow by Red Bluffs Dam. This river is the primary habitat of hybognathus amarus, or this river's silvery minnow. A territorial dispute arose when this river changed its course and created the Ojinaga Cut. A curve in this river is the source for the name of Big (*) Bend National Park. The banks of this river are the location of a proposed walking trail which would likely incorporate the nearby Paseo del Bosque Trail. An international crossing of this river is made by the Bridge of the Americas, which runs from El Paso to Ciudad Juarez. For 10 points, name this river which forms much of the border between Texas and Mexico.
A: Rio Grande [or Rio Bravo del Norte]
Q: In this state, preserved remains of woolly mammoths are found in the La Brea Tar Pits. This state is home to General Sherman, the largest tree in the world and one of many redwoods located in Sequoia National Park. Its Sierra Nevada mountain range runs through Yosemite National Park. For 10 points, name this state located directly south of Oregon which contains the Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay.
A: California
Q: In this city, Wissahickon Creek goes through Fairmount Park. This city can be entered by crossing the Delaware River on the Betsy Ross Bridge. One of its buildings, where the Second Continental Congress adopted the (*) Declaration of Independence, is Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell is found in, for 10 points, what city in Pennsylvania?
A: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Q: This nation owns most of the Sunda Islands, and is the site of the Lake Toba. Its more well-known islands include the site of the volcano Tambora, and it controls Sulawesi. This nation shares (*) Kalimantan with Brunei and Malaysia, an island which is also known as Borneo, and this site of Krakatoa is also the owner of the most populous island on the planet. Sumatra and Java are located in, for 10 points, which large Southeast Asian country with capital at Jakarta?
A: Indonesia
Q: The Garigal (GARE-ih-gall) and Lane Cove national parks are in this city, whose center is known as the Circular Quay. It is located on the south shore of Port Jackson, which is spanned by a namesake Harbour Bridge. Jorn Utzon (YORN OOT-sun) designed the white shells of this city's opera house. Suburbs of this city can be found on the coast of Botany Bay. For 10 points, name this city on the coast of New South Wales, the largest in Australia.
A: Sydney
Q: This state is home to the most symmetric mountain on Earth, Mount Shishaldin, which is located on Unimak Island. A planned bridge from Gravina Island to Ketchikan was never built, and islands off the coast of this state include (*) Attu, Nunivak, and the second largest island in the United States, Kodiak. Cities such as Wasilla and Fairbanks can be found in, for 10 points, what non-contiguous U.S. state containing Anchorage and Juneau?
A: Alaska
Q: It's not Michigan, but after Henry Ford tried to monopolize nitrate fields in this state, citizens of Muscle Shoals renamed its streets for Detroit landmarks. The former home of the U.S. military's rocket program is located in this state's Redstone Arsenal. Bill Elliott set a now unbeatable lap speed record at this state's Talladega Raceway. The Chargers play out of the Von Braun Center, which is located near the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in this state's city of Huntsville. The only known meteorite to have hit a human rests in this state's flagstone university at Tuscaloosa. For 10 points, name this Southern state whose city of Mobile rests on the Gulf of Mexico, and has a capital at Montgomery.
A: Alabama
Q: Gatun Lake was constructed while building this project, which the French attempted after a successful similar project in Africa. The U.S. acquired the rights to move forward with it, and after successful eradication of the mosquito-borne illnesses common in its climate, it was completed in 1914. For 10 points, name this geographic feature in which locks and dams provide safe passage between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
A: The Panama Canal
Q: It's not China, but this country's Good Luck Cave contains the largest underground chamber by area in the world. This country's Bayan Lepas ("BA-yahn luh-POSS") Free Industrial Zone has been nicknamed the "Silicon Valley of the East" and lies in the colonial city of George Town. This is the larger of two countries separated by the Straits of Johor. Cesar Pelli designed a pair of connected structures in this country's capital that remain the tallest twin towers in the world. This country's state of Sarawak lies on the island of Borneo. The Malacca Strait separates Indonesia from, for 10 points, what Southeast Asian country that contains the Petronas Towers in its capital of Kuala Lumpur?
A: Malaysia
Q: In 2014, a group of researchers claimed the source of this river was the Mantaro River and not the Apurimac. In what is known as the "Meeting of Waters," this river flows into Manaus and joins the Rio Negro. It has the largest drainage basin in the world, and its native wildlife includes piranhas and anacondas. For 10 points, name this river which flows through a namesake rainforest in Brazil.
A: Amazon River
Q: This country is currently fighting for control of the Essequibo region with its neighbor Guyana. This country's largest lake is Lake Maracaibo, which is connected to the Caribbean Sea by low-lying sandbars. It contains some of the largest oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere. This country is home to the highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls. For 10 points, name this South American country with capital at Caracas.
A: Venezuela
Q: Mountain ranges found within this desert include the Ahaggar Mountains, the Air Mountains, and the Atlas Mountains. Most of its land is sandless plateaus called "hamada," but large sand dunes called "ergs" are also commonly traversed by nomads in this desert. A region known as the Sahel is a transition zone between this desert and the savannah to the south. For 10 points, identify this desert on the northern half of the African continent.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: This country's city of Helwan was created as an industrial center. This country's Qattara Depression contains the lowest point in Africa. A holiday on April 25th marks the return of a landmass to this country, whose highest point is Mount Catherine. Its capital contains the Khan el-Khalili market, and this country's local name for itself is Misr. In 1956, this country removed a statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps in its city of Port Said ["poor sa-eed"], which is situated on the Mediterranean Sea. Israel forms the eastern border of its Sinai Peninsula. This country is home to the northern parts of Lake Nasser. For 10 points, name this country that contains the Nile delta and whose capital is Cairo.
A: Arab Republic of Egypt
Q: The Atbarah ("ott-BAR-uh") is an arm of this river that starts at Lake Tana ("TAWN-uh"). The Aswan ("AHS-wahn") High Dam, an attempt to control this river's flow, resulted in the creation of Lake Nasser, a massive reservoir shared by two nations. This river splits into two different sections near Khartoum ("CAR-toom"), the Blue and the White. For 10 points, identify this river considered the lifeblood of civilizations in Sudan and Egypt, the longest river in the world.
A: Nile River
Q: The olinguito was discovered by a scientist associated with this institution, and the "Q?rius" ("curious") complex in this institution is housed in a building that is notably open 364 days of the year. A building that is part of this institution was designed as an inverted step pyramid lined with a bronze scrim. The administration of this institution is housed in a building dubbed "The Castle," which is located across from a museum whose rotunda houses an iconic elephant statue. An institute for African American History and Culture recently opened as part of this institution. For 10 points, name this institution that runs a Natural History Museum and the National Zoo in Washington, DC.
A: Smithsonian Institution
Q: This mountain range is home to an extinct volcano which is hilariously named "Mount Pissis." Subranges of this mountain range are reunited in the Pasto Knot. The world's highest statue of Christ the Redeemer was built in this mountain range to commemorate the successful resolution of a border dispute. The Gate of the Sun is located at the (*) Tiwanaku archaeological site, which is located in the foothills of this mountain range. This mountain range was created by the eastern movement of the Nazca Plate. Most speakers of the Quechua language live near this mountain range, where Lake Titicaca and the silver mines of Potosi are located. For 10 points, name this mountain range which stretches across the western edge of South America.
A: Andes [or Andean Mountains; or Cordillera de los Andes]
Q: Salvador was the capital of this country until it was replaced by an Oscar Niemeyer ("NEE-meyer") planned city in 1956. Tourist sites in this country include Ipanema Beach, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the statue of Christ the Redeemer, and its ecotourist destination city Manaus is located in the world's largest rainforest. For 10 points, Porto Alegre ("PORT-oh uh-LAY-gray"), Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro are located in what largest country in South America?
A: Brazil
Q: The island of Marajo (mah-RAH-hoh) is located at the mouth of this river which was named by Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana (day OH-ray-YAH-nah) for the warrior women of Greek mythology. This river's source lies in the Andes of Peru, but it flows more than 4,000 miles east where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Electric eels, anacondas, and piranhas are among the wildlife found in, for 10 points, what river that drains the rainforests of Brazil?
A: Amazon River [accept Rio Amazonas]
Q: This city is served by a light rail system called Luas ("LOO-us"), which means "speed" in its indigenous language. This city is home to Croke Park Stadium, where, in 1920, fans were massacred by occupying soldiers. In 1882 two British officials were stabbed to death while riding through this city's sprawling Phoenix Park. The "Long Room" of this city's Trinity College is home to an ornate illuminated manuscript called the Book of Kells. The River Liffey flows through this city and is crossed by the Samuel Beckett Bridge and by this city's main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street. The Guinness Brewery is headquartered in this city. For 10 points, name this capital of Ireland.
A: Dublin [or Baile Atha Cliath]
Q: The flora of this region includes melons like the tsamma , the kiwano , and the Gemsbok cucumber. This region lies in the rain shadow of the Great Escarpment, and is along the southern Horse Latitudes. This region is home to enormous salt pans that were once Lake Makgadikgadi ("mahk-ah-deek-AH-dee"). It is the setting of The Gods Must be Crazy . This region covers most of what was once (*) Bechuanaland. The Okavango river forms a lush inland delta in this desert. Like the Namib Desert, it is home to meerkats, the Khoikhoi, and the San bushmen of Botswana. For 10 points, name this large desert in southern Africa.
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: The highest point in this national park is Telescope Peak. This park was once home to Glacial Lake Manly, and a current feature is a dry lakebed known as Badwater Basin. Racetrack Playa in this park is home to the famous sailing stones. This park in the Mojave Desert is known for having the highest ever recorded temperature in North America. For 10 points, name this California national park home to the point with the lowest elevation in North America.
A: Death Valley National Park
Q: The Mercato and Avellino eruptions occurred here, and this volcano's most recent eruption damaged about 80 American aircraft in World War II, making it the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted in the last century. Its most famous eruption was written about by a man whose uncle died as a result, (*) Pliny the Younger, and it destroyed the city of Herculaneum, alongside a city whose well-preserved remains were recently discovered. For 10 points, give the name of this Italian volcano, whose eruption in 79 AD devastated the city of Pompeii.
A: Mount Vesuvius
Q: This country's city of Manaus is located at the confluence of the Solimoes [sue-lee-moish] and Negro [nay-grow] rivers. Its capital city was designed by Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer. One city in this nation is home to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. This largest (*) Portuguese-speaking country is home to the mouth of the world's second longest river. For 10 points, name this largest country in South America that is home to Rio de Janeiro.
A: Federative Republic of Brazil
Q: The deepest point in this body of water is known as Calypso Deep. Biomes around it include the garrigue ("garr-REEG") and the maquis ("mah-KEE"). Major cities on this sea include Ajaccio ("eye-YAWX-ee-oh"), Palermo, and Beirut, while its largest islands include Cyprus, Crete, Sardinia, and Sicily. The Strait of Gibraltar is the western boundary of, for 10 points, what sea between Europe and Africa?
A: Mediterranean Sea
Q: One theory states that this district was named from a kind of cart used to transport wares by the Tatars. A statue of Turandot graces the frontage of this neighborhood's Vakhtangov Theatre, named for an Ossetian-born actor who performed there. The character Sasha Pankratov was exiled from this neighborhood in a novel by a likewise-exiled author entitled Children of [this place] following a period of wealthy emigration away from it to the mansions of Tverskaya. The Church of Salvation on the Sand and the Chapel of Boris and Gleb are two of its chief religious buildings. A battle fought in this strategic neighborhood saw Joachim Murat use it to access its city's center, but found it deserted. This former headquarters of the Oprichnina surrounds a passage which begins at the intersection of Vozdvizhenka [voz-dvi-ZHEN-ka] and the Boulevard Ring and it passes southwest to the Garden Ring. Formerly known as Ulitsa Smolenskaya [smo-len-SKA-ya], For 10 points, name this artistic district of Moscow named for its 15th Century thoroughfare.
A: The Arbatskaya
Q: This island is separated by a very narrow strait from the much smaller Yos Sudarso Island. This island is the only place where all three species of cassowary are found in the wild. The upland regions of this island are the native habitat of Doria's tree-kangaroo. This island's Owen Stanley Range was crossed by the Bulldog Track, whose construction dates to World (*) War II. After the Amazon rainforest, this island is home to the estimated highest number of uncontacted tribes, and this is the most linguistically diverse place in the world. Part of this island was once referred to as Irian Jaya, and it is separated from a southern neighbor by the Torres Strait. For 10 points, name this island which is shared between Indonesia and the country called Papua [this name].
A: New Guinea
Q: The Lape and Ora Rivers in this island's isolated interior separate its Merei and Moroua peoples, who practice agroforestry, while its Serkar clan maintains its Loru forest preserve, which hosts its endemic Megapode and Mountain Starling. A cult based on this island reveres a figure whose death coincided with "the shining," which occurred over this island's highest point, Mt. Tabwemasana [tab-we-ma-SA-na]. It's not in the Solomon Islands, but the confluence of the Sarakata River and the Bay of Velit on this island featured an early base of JFK's PT-109 operations. A breakaway state centered on this island was based at Farafo and was nominally run by this island's Nagriamel Movement, and was the Republic of Vemerana, though was controlled by arms dealer Jimmy Stevens and the Phoenix Foundation. This island once featured a British-French condominium administered from Hog Harbor, but is now administered from Luganville. For 10 points, name this island formerly called Marina, the westernmost and largest island of Vanuatu.
A: Espirito Santo
Q: In some years, this river may flow entirely into a namesake sinkhole in the White Jurassic limestone formation. This river forms the western border of the historical territory of Dobruja, where many ethnic Turks fled to after the flooding of this river's island of Ada Kaleh. The confluence of this river with the Drava is preserved by a nature park where tourists can ride a bike trail called the (*) Pannonian Peace Route. Two large hydroelectric dams were built in the late twentieth century within this river's Iron Gates. Until they were united, this river divided the neighboring cities of Buda and Pest. For 10 points, name this second-longest European river that passes through Bratislava, Belgrade, and Vienna on its way to the Black Sea.
A: Danube
Q: One river with this name originates in China and flows into the Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam. A sea with this name can be accessed by traveling between Djibouti and Yemen. The border between Texas and Oklahoma is largely formed by another river with this name, as is the border between Minnesota and North Dakota. If translated into English, the capital of Louisiana is named for a stick of this color. For 10 points, name this color of the sea parted by Moses.
A: Red [accept Red River or Red Sea; accept Baton Rouge or Red Stick]
Q: The Bukit Timah ("boo-KIT tee-MAH") Nature Reserve is the largest area of rainforest left in this city. The five star Raffles Hotel is named after the city's founder, while the island of Sentosa is home to a new Universal Studios Theme Park. Its Changi ("CHANG-eye") airport is a regional hub, and the city is connected by bridge to Johor ("JO-hor"), in Malaysia. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian city-state, the most densely populated country in Asia.
A: Republic of Singapore
Q: The southeasternmost band of the Tukudeka [too-koo-DE-ka] people dwelled in these mountains, where they quarried their unique steatite cauldrons and invented a spiral timber trap for corralling the prey that gave them their Anglophone name. Its east end hosts the sinks and springs of the Popo Agie [po-PO-zhe] River. A polity extending into the north portion of this range administers a hundred-mile long roadless area within it which includes the Titcomb Basin; that polity groups two adversarial peoples, who had been historically led by chiefs Black Coal and Crooked Leg. Its nation's oldest form of transhumance ends near this range's Union Pass, near its northwestern junction with the Gros Ventre Range, having started in Pinedale. Containing the Cirque of the Towers, the source of the Green River, and the largest glacier in the Rockies, For 10 points, name these remote mountains, the traditional boundary of the Arapaho [a-RA-pa-ho] and Shoshone peoples, which hosts Gannett Peak, whose southeast end is located at the Oregon Trail's South Pass over the Continental Divide, named for a waterway which later joins the Yellowstone under the name Big Horn.
A: Wind River Range (prompt on "Rocky Mountains")
Q: One tributary of this river rises in the Adamawa Plateau and flows through Lagdo Reservoir before joining this river at Lokoja. A tributary of this river flows by the city of Segou, which served as the capital of the 18th century Bambara Empire. That tributary is the Benue. The exploitation of oil reserves on this river has caused the rise of militant groups such as MEND. The first Westerner to reach the central section of this river was the Scottish explorer Mungo Park. This river empties into the Gulf of Guinea after flowing through Bamako, Timbuktu, and Niamey. For 10 points, name this longest river of West Africa, the namesake of two countries in the region.
A: Niger River [or fleuve Niger; or Joliba; or Isa Ber; or Oya; or Kwara]
Q: Made up of what is left over of Lake Bonneville, the lake is now fed by the Weber River, the Bear River, and the Jordan River. This lake has both brine shrimp and brine flies, but does not have any fish species living in it. The winter winds blowing over this lake create significant snowfall to its east, including in a capital named for this lake. For 10 points, name this landmark lake found near the capital of the state of Utah.
A: Great Salt Lake [prompt on Salt Lake]
Q: It's not in Arizona, but this national park has its own "Grand Canyon" on a river with namesake waterfalls. Megafauna such as bison and elk can be found in this park that is three times larger than the state of Rhode Island. This park lies in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and is noted for its geothermal features and the super volcano reportedly that lies underneath it. For 10 points, name this National Park, founded in 1872, that contains "Old Faithful."
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: The largest city in this state is the official home of the world's largest Beatles festival, Abbey Road on the River. This state divides its cities into "first-class" and "home rule" classifications. Many valleys in the eastern part of this state are now home to "holler fills" due to a controversial mining procedure. Mountaintop removal is often used to access coal seams in this state, which also contains the longest cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave. The Wilderness Road took travelers through the Cumberland Gap from Virginia into this state. For 10 points, name this state which contains the cities of Lexington and Louisville.
A: Kentucky
Q: It's not a mountain range, but one of these geographic features runs from Montana to New Mexico, leading water to flow to the Pacific Ocean or to the Gulf of Mexico. Another of these features follows the Appalachians, separating the flow of water between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. For 10 points, name these imaginary lines, often aligned with major mountain ranges, which separate the watersheds of major bodies of water.
A: continental divides
Q: In January 2019, Chris Christie told Congress to "get the hell out" of this practice in response to a bill that proposed a "clearinghouse" between firms in this practice. That legislation was Orrin Hatch's last major bill and would have targeted this practice by amending the Federal Wire Act. Integrity fees are a controversial 1% tax on singular actions of this practice. In 2018, the Supreme Court overruled PAPSA in Murphy v. NCAA, stating that prohibitions on this practice violated the 10th Amendment. For 10 points, casinos provide what sort of recently legalized practice, in which money is wagered on activities such as football and baseball?
A: sports betting [accept gambling in place of "betting"; prompt on betting by asking "betting on what activity?"; accept specific answers such as "betting on football" so long as they indicate both betting and a sport]
Q: Lake Botos is a crater lake in this country's Poas Volcano. This country's cloud forest at Monteverde was home to one of the last populations of the Golden Toad. The city of Liberia is the capital of one of this country's seven provinces, and this non-Brazil country's Osa Peninsula is the site of Corcovado National Park. Provinces in this country include Alajuela, Guanacaste, and Heredia. This country's residents are called "ticos" and often use the slang phrase "Pura Vida." This Central American country is regularly listed as one of the happiest in the world. For 10 points, name this country sandwiched between Nicaragua and Panama, with capital at San Jose.
A: Costa Rica
Q: This city is home to a pair of steep concrete slides in its Noe ("noh-ee") Valley district. In this city's Richmond District, Cliff House overlooks the ruins of the Sutro Baths. This city held a World's Fair on its artificial "Treasure Island." It was served by the transit hub of Sausalito in (*) Marin County. It's not Rome, but this city's original "Seven Hills" include Twin Peaks, Telegraph Hill, and Nob Hill. This city is home to Pier 39 in its Fisherman's Wharf district. Many Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. via this city's Angel Island. For 10 points, name this city in Northern California, home of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco [or SF]
Q: Mud from this river is used to make massive pottery in Kyaukmyaung, a city along this river. A controversial dam under construction at the source of this river would most likely export most of its power to its country's northern neighbor and is called the Myitsone Dam. The entire Pali Canon is inscribed on 729 stone tablets at the Kuthodaw Pagoda in a city along this river. Teak wood is shipped along this river's largest tributary, the Chindwin River. This river's delta was the hardest hit region during Cyclone Nargis in 2008. The Yangon River flows into this river, which flows past Mandalay. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian river that flows through Myanmar.
A: Irrawaddy River [or Ayeyarwady River]
Q: This state contains a life-size concrete replica of Stonehenge in its town of Maryhill. One of the only temperate rain forests in the United States, the Hoh Rainforest, is located in this state. Lake Roosevelt was created by the construction of a dam to stem the Columbia River in this state; that dam is the Grand Coulee Dam. This state is home to the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous US, Mount Rainier, and this state was the site of a large volcanic eruption in 1980 on Mount St. Helens. For 10 points, name this Pacific Northwest state that contains the Space Needle in Seattle.
A: Washington
Q: This city, home to the War Memorial Opera House, has such suburbs as Daly City. In it can be found Russian Hill and Lake Merced as well as Nob Hill. This city's district of Haight-Ashbury was a center of hippie culture. Its namesake body of water contains Treasure Island and Angel Island; across that bay lies Oakland. For 10 points, name this city at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco, California
Q: This state contains the Tongass National Forest and the "Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes." The Alexander Archipelago is on one side of its "Inside Passage;" on the other side is this state's panhandle. The Brooks Range is an extension of the Rocky Mountains into this state. This state's city of Wasilla (wuh-SILL-uh) is a suburb of its largest city, Anchorage. For 10 points, name this largest and northernmost U.S. state.
A: Alaska
Q: The Garavek Theater in this city promulgates its mythic history, which includes the story of Pu Nyoe and Ya Nyoe, who are crushed to death by a giant vine while saving the world. That tale, the Nithan Khun Lo, features the namesake legendary founder of this city. Each morning in this city, the penitent line its main street for the Tak Bat ceremony, or alms giving, to monks of this city. Most of the peninsula this city is located on is visible from Vat Chom Si, which crowns the summit of Mt. Phou Si. A thong idol in this city believed to have been cast in Ceylon is taken from the grounds of Haw Pha Ban to Vat Mai during the procession of Pimai; that idol, which confers ruling legitimacy, gives the second part of this city's name, the first simply meaning "royal." For 10 points, name this city at the confluence of the Nam Khan and the Mekong which lost most of its function to Vientiane following the revolution of the Pathet Lao.
A: Luang Prabang
Q: A national park in this region contains Yolyn Am, which features semi-permanent ice fields. Located near the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains in this region is Khongoryn Els, a region of sand dunes also called the Singing Sands. This region's Nemegt Basin was where the first recognized dinosaur eggs were discovered. This region is the eastern extent of the current range of the wild Bactrian camel. The Altai Mountains and Taklamakan Desert are to the north and west of this desert, respectively. This desert was formed because its rainfall was blocked by the Himalayas. For 10 points, name this Asian desert that covers northern China and southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: Varzea forests are flooded by this river's whitewaters. Indigenous peoples in this river's basin used charcoal to create highly nutrient-rich terra preta, or "black earth." In 2016, a large reef system was discovered at the mouth of this river. This river is home to a namesake pink dolphin and the parasitic candiru. It is locally known as the Solimoes before it is joined by the Rio Negro at the Meeting of Waters. A rubber boom along this river prompted the development of several cities along this river, including the "Paris of the West" known for its opera house, Manaus. For 10 points, name this longest river in South America, which passes through a large rainforest of the same name.
A: Amazon River [or Rio Amazonas]
Q: The official source of this river is a glacier on Geladandong Mountain in the Dangla Mountain Range. Yichang City's Gezhouba Dam lies on this river in Hubei Province, while this river's third dam, the Xiluodu Dam, is under construction. This river turns 180 degrees at Shigu in Yunnan Province, and joins with the Jialing and Han Rivers. This very (*) polluted river flooded several times in the early 20th century, each resulting in over 100,000 deaths. The Three Gorges Dam is built on, for 10 points, what longest Chinese river, which lies south of the Yellow River?
A: Yangtze River (also accept Chang Jiang)
Q: Most of this city's public transportation is centered on Britomart Transport Centre on the main waterfront. In this city, an obelisk stands at the top of One Tree Hill in Cornwall Park to honor its country's indigenous peoples. A large park called this city's Domain contains its War Memorial Museum and is situated near the crater of Pukekawa. This city is located on a dormant volcanic field, whose largest and most recently active volcano was Rangitoto. Its Sky Tower is the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere. This city borders Manukau Harbor, which opens into the Tasman Sea. For 10 points, name this city on the North Island, the largest city in New Zealand.
A: Auckland [or Akarana; or Tamaki Makaurau]
Q: This country's mining town of Ouro Preto was founded during a 17th century gold rush, while a later rubber boom caused the growth of Belem and Manaus. The Pantanal wetlands lie mainly in this country and are home to a large population of capybaras. 16 curved columns hold up a hyperboloid cathedral in this country's capital, which was designed in 1956 by (*) Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer. This country shares Iguazu Falls with its southwestern neighbor. It contains the largest city in the southern hemisphere, while its second largest is home to a statue of Christ the Redeemer and the annual Carnival. For 10 points, identify this country home to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
A: Federative Republic of Brazil [accept Republica Federativa do Brasil]
Q: In this body of water are the Emperor Seamounts and the Chinook Trough. The Ryukyu Trench lies in it, and its islands include Pitcairn Island and Wake Island. Its deepest point is Challenger Deep, which is in the Marianas Trench. Melanesia and Micronesia are island groups in, for 10 points, what ocean that contains Tonga, Fiji, and Guam?
A: Pacific Ocean [do not accept or prompt on more specific answers]
Q: This body of water contains the Ottawa Islands, part of the territory of Nunavut. The only active port on this body of water is Churchill, located in the province of Manitoba. For 10 points, name this very large Canadian bay which was named for an explorer who was marooned in this bay.
A: Hudson Bay
Q: This continent was first discovered by the Russian ship Vostok, which is also the name of this continent's largest lake. The Amundsen Sea on the western part of this continent is usually frozen over. For 10 points, name this continent that contains the Ross Ice Shelf and is located at the South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: This state is divided into boroughs instead of counties, with an Unorganized Borough making up about half of the state. This state's Kenai peninsula is home to both glaciers and fossil fuel deposits. This state is home to an island chain that is in the northern Ring of Fire, the Aleutian Islands, which border Russian territory. For 10 points, name this state that is home to Denali, the highest peak in the United States, which is the largest state by area.
A: Alaska
Q: Though this city is one of the most expensive in the world, nearly seventy percent of its population dwells in shantytowns known as musseques, from which its Catholic diocese oversees resettlements such as a notable mass eviction from its neighborhood of Maiombe in 2005. This city's double-domed Nossa Senhora dos Remedios [NO-sa sen-YO-ra dos re-ME-di-os] may be found on the western edge of its central Mutamba district. Much of the nightlife in this city is found on its Ilha do Cabo Peninsula, though its modern promenade is anchored by the bayfront Marginal District, which includes a pink-painted bank designed by Vasco Regaleira. The star-shaped Fortaleza do Sao Miguel, which houses an Armed Forces Museum that exhibits the arms of the Mbundu people, also exhibits weapons used in its nation's long civil war. For 10 points, name this largest Lusophone city outside Brazil, home of Agostino Neto University, the capital of Angola.
A: Luanda
Q: This country's state of Mato Grosso contains the headwaters of the Paraguay River. Pico da Neblina is the highest mountain in this country and is located near the Equator. The martial art of capoeira originated here, as did the celebration of Carnaval in this country's city of Rio de Janeiro. This country contains most of the rainforest surrounding the Amazon River. For 10 points, name this large South American country where Portuguese is spoken.
A: Brazil
Q: The east route ascending this peak features the Giant's Billiard Table and the Ithambu Plateau, while challenging landscapes on it include the Vertical Bog and several miles of solifluction-induced patterned mounds located near Mugi Hill. Two endonyms for this mountain refer to dark brown patches which alternate with its glaciers, and translate to "owner of ostriches." In addition to those Embu and Meru endonyms, this peak is the mythic origin of a people who refer to it as Ol Doinyo Keri, or the Mountain of Stripes, one of which is the Lewis Glacier. The Gate of the Mists cleaves its central plug, which rises to its peaks of Batian and Nelion, whose glaciers supply the Ewaso Ng'iro and Tana rivers. For 10 points, name this three-summitted mountain, the center of a geopolitical autobiography by its nation's first president whose title refers to the tendency of Kikuyu people to build doorways opening onto its vista, the second highest mountain in Africa.
A: Mt. Kenya or Kirimaga or Kirinyaga or Kerenyaa
Q: This island was home to the settlement of Brattahlid beginning in the 10th century. In 2005, an island now called "Warming Island" was found off the coast of this island. Off the west coast of this island are Davis Strait and Baffin Bay. Its largest cities are Sisimiut and Nuuk, and it is an autonomous country within (*) Denmark. For 10 points, name this huge island that lies between Iceland and Canada.
A: Greenland [or Kalaallit Nunaat]
Q: The last known communication from this person was with the ship Itasca. She traveled on her most famous journey with Fred Noonan in the Electra, a craft built by Lockheed. Years earlier than this journey, she was the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean as a pilot in an airplane. For 10 points, name this famous American pilot who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to fly around the world in 1937.
A: Amelia Earhart
Q: At 1,407 feet below sea level, this body of water contains the lowest non-ocean point on Earth. The Jordan River is the main tributary of this deepest salt lake in the world. A hill mostly made of salt near this lake is called Mount Sodom. It is bordered by Israel and Jordan, and is sometimes known as "The Sea of Lot." For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern body of water where microorganisms cannot survive due to its salinity.
A: The Dead Sea
Q: In May 2015, this city changed its traffic signals to include LGBT couples on signs. This city's Spanish Riding School is famed for training Lipizzaner horses. A cathedral with a multi-colored tiled roof in this city was the location of Antonio Vivaldi's funeral. The Belvedere museum in this city is located in a palace originally built for Eugene of Savoy and houses works by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. The First District of this city is surrounded by a circular road called the Ringstrasse. This city's cuisine includes a namesake breaded veal cutlet, or schnitzel. For 10 points, name this city, the capital of Austria.
A: Vienna [or Wien]
Q: The community of Rankin Inlet in this territory lost a plebiscite to be the capital when this territory was first established. In July 2015, this territory's community of Repulse Bay changed its name to Naujaat. This territory's highest point is Barbeau Peak, located in the British Empire Range on this territory's Ellesmere Island. This territory is home to the military base CFB Alert, which is the northernmost permanently inhabited settlement in the world. This territory split from the Northwest Territories in 1999. For 10 points, name this Canadian arctic territory whose capital is Iqaluit, populated mostly by Inuit.
A: Nunavut
Q: The Three Rondavels are a formation in this country's Blyde River Canyon. Visitors to this country can walk along the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and take cable cars to the flat-topped Table Mountain. The Sotho people are native to this country, whose province of Gauteng is located in the (*) Highveld. This country's Cape Agulhas is the continent's southernmost point, a distinction often misattributed to the more famous Cape of Good Hope. This country shares the Drakensberg Mountains with a country it encloses. The Orange River rises out of that country, Lesotho. For 10 points, identify this country with three capitals, one of which is Cape Town.
A: Republic of South Africa
Q: Dunn's River Falls is a popular tourist attraction in this country's town of Ocho Rios. This country is divided into the three counties of Cornwall, Middlesex, and Surrey. A sand bar known as Palisadoes protects this country's major harbor. This country's (*) Montego Bay is home to many tourist resorts, and jerk spice is often added to its cuisine. Christopher Columbus is believed to have landed at its Discovery Bay. After a 1692 earthquake destroyed its city of Port Royal, a new capital was established at Kingston. For 10 points, identify this Caribbean island country, the birthplace of reggae.
A: Jamaica
Q: Former councilwoman and head of Success Academy Charter Schools, Eva Moskowitz, intends to run for mayor of this city. An undercover detective was arrested in this city in connection with an attack on an SUV driver by a motorcycle gang. A mayoral candidate in this city who allegedly flipped off a reporter following a primary election marred by a (*) sexting scandal was Anthony Weiner. In March 2013, Justice Milton Tingling invalidated an anti-obesity measure in this city that banned the sale of large containers of soft drinks. For 10 points, name this city whose mayor was Michael Bloomberg.
A: New York City [or NYC]
Q: This country includes the largest city north of the Arctic Circle, Murmansk. The Kamchatka peninsula is a volcanically active area on the eastern shores of this country. The Volga River flows through this country. The Ural Mountains in this country are a rough dividing line between Europe and Asia. A major port in this country is St. Petersburg. For 10 points, name this country, the largest in the world, with capital at Moscow.
A: Russia
Q: During a military expedition in this geographical region, British soldiers wielding Maxim guns massacred locals at the Battle of Chumik Shenko. This region was explored by Francis Younghusband's expedition. Pilots who flew over this mountain range during World War II nicknamed it "the Hump." The boundary between two countries was established through this mountain range in 1914 with the McMahon Line. The kukri knife was popularized by a group of mercenaries enlisted from this region, the Gurkhas. This region is home to the Sherpa ethnic group. For 10 points, name this mountain range where Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest.
A: the Himalayas [or Himalayan mountains; accept Tibet until "mountain"]
Q: In this city, the ruling monarch of its country lives in the Royal Palace of Laeken. Miniature models of many attractions around Europe are located near a steel building in this city that is a huge cube meant to depict a unit cell of an iron crystal and was built for the 1958 World's Fair. Guildhalls surround this city's main square, the Grand Place, near a small sculpture of a boy peeing into a fountain. The Council of the EU, the European Commission and the headquarters of NATO are all located in this city, which is located in a primarily French-speaking enclave in Flanders. For 10 points, name this de facto capital of the European Union, the capital of Belgium.
A: Brussels [or City of Brussels; or Ville de Bruxelles; or Stad Brussel; or Brussels-Capital Region; or Region de Bruxelles-Capitale; or Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest]
Q: This state suffered the Good Friday Earthquake, and it is the only state divided into boroughs rather than counties. Islands located here include Kodiak and Amaknak ("uh-MACK-nack"), the most populous of the Aleutians ("uh-LOO-shins"). Its largest city lies on the Cook Inlet, and its city of Nome lies on the Bering Sea. For 10 points, name this state, whose cities include Fairbanks and Anchorage, and which is the northernmost state in the United States.
A: Alaska
Q: Alaska is home to the largest concentration of this bird in the United States, and a 1940 law protected both it and its golden counterpart. This animal captivated public attention after Rachel Carson pointed out its DDT related plight in Silent Spring, which landed it on the endangered list until (*) 1995. Seen on our national seal holding a thirteen-leaf olive branch is, for 10 points, what animal, the adjective in whose name means white, not hairless, the national bird and symbol of the United States?
A: Bald Eagle (also accept Haliaeetus leucocephalus, prompt on just eagle)
Q: A series of man-made and natural lakes connected by rivers run down the east coast of this country and is called the Canal des Pangalanes, and this country's Tsaratana Massif in the north is home to its highest peak, Maromokotro. This country is home to the Mananjary and (*) Bemarivo Rivers, and erosion of the central highlands of this country led to its nickname, "The Red Island". Antananarivo is the capital of, for 10 points , what island nation located off the southeastern coast of Africa, which is not actually home to the dancing lemurs?
A: Madagascar
Q: This country is the origin of a type of belt or sash made of silk woven with gold wire, originating in the city of Slutsk. The west of this country contains Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park, shared with its western neighbor and home to a large population of bison. A large war memorial complex in this country is located at the designated Hero Fortress in Brest. Most of the fallout from the Chernobyl disaster in its southern neighbor affected the south of this country, near its border with Ukraine. This country is sometimes called Europe's last dictatorship under the rule of Alexander Lukashenko. For 10 points, name this Eastern European country with capital at Minsk.
A: Republic of Belarus [or Respublika Byelarus']
Q: This country is home to the world's largest piece of limestone. Most of its freshwater is provided by the Great Artesian Basin. Kata Tjuta rises several thousand feet over the plains just west of a more famous sandstone rock formation in this country. The Royal Flying Doctors, which provides medical services to the central regions of this country, operate out of bases in (*) Port Augusta and Alice Springs. One island in this country used to be called Van Diemen's Land, is home to a namesake devil, and lies across the Bass Strait from its state of Victoria. For 10 points, identify this country home to the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Sydney Opera House.
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: Within this body of water, ritual sacrifices were performed in the meteor crater Lake Kaali on Saaremaa Island. This body of water's island of Oland ("ER-land") contains the Stora Alvaret, a large limestone terrace near the town of Alby. Continuing post-glacial rebound in this body of water may push the Kvarken Archipelago and the High Coast region to seal off the Gulf of Bothnia from the rest of this body of water. The city of Visby can be found in Gotland, the largest island in this sea. The Kiel ("keel") canal is a direct route to this sea, bypassing Copenhagen and Malmo. The Aland ("OH-land") Archipelago separates Sweden from Finland in, for 10 points, what Northern European sea?
A: Baltic Sea [prompt on anything mentioning Bothnia until "Kaali" is read]
Q: An endorheic basin covers about a sixth of this country's land, centered on the usually-dry Lake Eyre. In this country, the Anangu people live near a group of domed rock formations called Kata Tjuta. The Ranger Uranium Mine is located in the Alligator Rivers region in the north of this country, surrounded by Kakadu National Park. Because it is located on a relatively fast-moving tectonic plate, the coordinates in this country must be recalibrated relatively often. Bass Strait separates this country's largest island, Tasmania, from the mainland. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Canberra, whose largest cities are Melbourne and Sydney.
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: This nation owns the islands of Ushant and Corsica. Ethnic minorities in it include speakers of Alemannic (ah-leh-MAN-ic) German in Alsace, the Celtic-speaking (KELL-tick) Bretons, and, in the northern Pyrenees (PEER-eh-nees), the Basques (BASKS). It was divided into departments named after rivers including the Rhone, the Loire, and the Seine. For 10 points, what European nation has its capital at Paris?
A: France [or French Republic; or Republique Francaise]
Q: The proposed Jonglei Canal would divert this river from its present course through the Sudd swamplands, which are inhabited by the Dinka and Nuer peoples. The furthest source of this river is either the Ruvyironza or the Nyabarongo River, both of which flow into the Kagera River. Jinja and (*) Juba lie on this river, whose longer branch flows through Lakes Kyoga and Albert, and whose shorter branch has its source in Lake Tana. The six cataracts of this river lie upstream from the Aswan High Dam, which creates Lake Nasser. Its White and Blue tributaries meet at Khartoum before flowing through Cairo. For 10 points, identify this longest river in the world.
A: the Nile
Q: The highest mountain in this range is Mount Mitchell. The Adirondacks of New York are unusually not part of this range. The trail named for this range runs near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina. For 10 points, name this mountain range in the eastern United States.
A: Appalachian Mountains [accept Appalachians]
Q: The geographical feature from which this city derives its name has a 103-foot LED cross on its top. In this city, Moshe Safdie built a distinctly blocky, modular concrete housing complex known as Habitat 67 for the 1967 World's Fair. This city is home to the tallest inclined tower in the world, which extends at a 45 degree angle over a stadium built for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Street directions in this city are skewed because they are given in reference to the Saint Lawrence River, which, along with the Ottawa River, borders an island named for this city. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Quebec.
A: Montreal [prompt on Mount Royal]
Q: One skyscraper in this city nicknamed the "Walkie-Talkie" drew criticism when sunlight that reflected off of it damaged nearby cars. An aircraft warning light sits atop a pyramid pinnacle on this city's One Canada Square, which was recently surpassed by the Renzo Piano-designed (*) Shard as its country's tallest building. Older structures in this city include a banqueting house at the Palace of Whitehall and the Christopher Wren-designed St. Paul's Cathedral. In 2012, its Tower Bridge was decorated with a set of Olympic rings. For 10 points, identify this city where Buckingham Palace and Big Ben lie along the River Thames.
A: London
Q: This state's Lake Tear of the Clouds lies on the southern side of Mount Marcy, while Utica lies in the Mohawk Valley. The Morris Canal connects the Delaware River to this state's longest river, which flows past cities like Beacon, Yonkers, and Troy. This state contains Lake Ostego, the source of the (*) Susquehanna River, and Ithaca lies at the tip of Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. This is the only state to border both a Great Lake and the Atlantic Ocean, and contains the northern tip of the Allegheny Plateau, as well as the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains. For 10 points, name this northeastern state that contains the Hudson River and has capital at Albany.
A: New York
Q: This country controls the exclave of Llivia, and the highest point on the mainland of this country is Mulhacen, part of the Cordillera Penibetica. This country controls Formentera, Ibiza, Menorca, and Mallorca, which make up the (*) Balearic Islands, and this country proposed a connection to Morocco via an underwater tunnel below the Strait of Gibraltar. Bordered on the northeast by Andorra and France, and on the west by Portugal, for 10 points, what is this country on the Iberian Peninsula with capital at Madrid?
A: Kingdom of Spain
Q: In this state, a 1959 earthquake created the six-mile-long Quake Lake inside its Gallatin National Forest. In this state, Going-to-the-Sun Road is used to access a national park in which Lake McDonald and St. Mary Lake lie on opposite sides of the Continental Divide. Different parts of this state drain into the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay. This state's city of Three Forks lies near the headwater of the Missouri River, whose "Great Falls" name the third most populous city in this state. Glacier National Park is in this western state, which also includes towns like Billings and Butte. For 10 points, name this Big Sky state whose capital is Helena.
A: Montana
Q: A rill is a shallow channel created by water during this process. Terracing can slow down this process on a hillside, while removing trees can speed up this process, as the roots can no longer hold onto the soil. For 10 points, name this process of transporting material by wind or water.
A: erosion
Q: This country's neighbor pledged to join the Proliferation Security Initiative in 2009, leading to this country's declaration that the their namesake Armistice of 1953 was invalid. That year also saw two U.S. journalists sentenced by this country for entering illegally, leading to a visit by former president (*) Bill Clinton, and the March 2010 sinking of the warship Cheonan was allegedly caused by a torpedo from this country. November 2010 saw the bombing of Yeonpyeong Island by, for 10 points, what East Asian country with capital Pyongyang, bordered by China and South Korea?
A: North Korea or Democratic People's Republic of Korea (prompt on Korea)
Q: An island in this body of water contains Dracaena cinnabari, or dragon blood tree, along with a namesake sunbird; that island is located north of the British naval base on Diego Garcia. One theoretical bottleneck in human evolution was caused by the Toba super eruption, which occurred on an island in this body of water notably home to endemic tiger and rhino species. Cowry shells are traded on this body of water due to their abundance. Lemurs are only found on a particularly large island on this body of water. For 10 points, what is this third-largest ocean in the world, containing the island of Madagascar and bordering its namesake subcontinent?
A: Indian Ocean
Q: This country sits on the eastern side of the Terai grasslands. Rivers in this country include the Kamala River, the river of seven tributaries, the Koshi, and the Karnali, the longest in this country. The capital of this country forms a tri-cities region with Lalitpur and Bhaktapur in its namesake valley. The Siliguri Corridor separates this country's southeast corner from Bangladesh, and this country is bordered on three sides by India. Its northern border with China sits along the Himalayas. For 10 points, name this southeast Asian nation with capital at Kathmandu and home to Sagarmatha, or Mount Everest.
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal [or Sanghiya Loktantrik Ganatantra Nepal]
Q: One ethnic group of this nation has a name that translates to "those who do not cut their hair" and are the Tsimihety people. The highest annual soil losses in the world occur in this country due to the Betsiboka River. Its highest point is Maromokotro. Its capital city contains a palace complex known as the Rova that includes the Queen's Palace. Its largest seaport is Toamasina, and the largest ethnic subgroup here is the Merina. Its national language is Malagasy. This country borders the Mozambique Channel and its capital is Antananarivo. For 10 points, name this large island nation off the coast of southeast Africa that is home to lemurs.
A: Republic of Madagascar [or Repoblikan'i Madagasikara; or Republique de Madagascar]
Q: The world's oldest known chestnut tree grows in this island's town of Naro. The Hyblaean Mountains are in this island's south, and the Madonie Mountains are in its north. On this island, the Salso River flows through the province of Enna. Catania is on its coast, as is Marsala, while the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea lie just off of this island. A proposal to connect this island to the mainland of the country it belongs to would bridge the Strait of Messina. Syracuse and the volcano Mount Etna lie on this island, whose capital is Palermo. For 10 points, name this largest island in the Mediterranean, located off the toe of Italy.
A: Sicily [or Sicilia]
Q: This state's highest peak is located within the St. Francois Mountains, which is bordered by the Mississippi Alluvial Plains to the south. This state's Marvel Cave contains the one of the largest entrance rooms in North America and eventually became the basis of the Silver Dollar City theme park. A massive 1812 earthquake originated in this state's New Madrid Seismic Zone, and this state experienced a dioxin contamination in the 1970s at Times Beach. The Pony Express and Oregon Trail began in this state, and the Mississippi River and its namesake river converge at St. Louis. For 10 points, name this Midwestern state with capital at Jefferson City.
A: Missouri
Q: The central plateau of this country is bordered by the Jura Mountains to the north. Lake Maggiore is the lowest point in this country, only a short distance from the highest peak, Monte Rosa, located in the city of Valais in this country. Some regions of this country, such as Graubunden, are notable for speaking Romansh. Near Schaffhausen in this country, the Rhine River passes through the Rhine Falls, Europe's largest waterfall. For 10 points, name this country whose other geographical features include Lake Geneva and the Matterhorn, with its capital at Bern.
A: Switzerland [or Swiss Confederation; or Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft; or Confederation Suisse; or Confederazione Svizzera; or Confederazuin Svizra]
Q: Many folktales of these people have them tricking the wizard Stallo, who can change the appearance of the landscape to get people lost. Men of this culture sometimes wear the jester-like Four Winds hat, and both sexes wear a traditional costume called a "gakti" or a "kofte." Traditional dishes of these people include a meat stew called "renkok" and jam made from cloudberries. Kildin, Skolt, and Inari are three mutually unintelligible dialects of their namesake language, although the largest by far is the Northern dialect. They sing traditional folk songs called "joik" or "yoik." Every year, they have festivals in cities like Rovaniemi and Karasjok at which they eat salmon and race reindeer. For 10 points, name this long-persecuted indigenous people of northern Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
A: Sami people [or Lapps, or Lapplanders ]
Q: This ingredient is slathered with a mayonnaise-like tuna sauce in a Piedmontese antipasto that is eaten at Christmas in Argentina. Variations in its production can lead it to be classified as "bob" or "rose." This food is thinly sliced and coated with Mornay sauce in a dish named for Prince Orloff. It is fried and wrapped in prosciutto and sage in the Roman specialty saltimbocca. Gremolata is the traditional condiment to a Milanese dish centered around this ingredient. The centerpiece of blanquette, it is breaded and fried to produce cotoletta, which is often made from its "milk-fed" variety. Escalopes and wiener schnitzel are classically made from this meat, whose shanks are the centerpiece of ossobucco. For 10 points, name this tender meat made from young cattle.
A: veal [prompt on cow meat, prompt on calf meat]
Q: An annual beauty contest in this country features seven contestants who each represent one of a set of mythical princesses who kept the severed head of their father in a jar. That contest occurs during the New Year festival known as Songkran or Pii Mai. In this country, many of the mountainous Soung people were converted to Christianity through missionary efforts, while the valley-dwelling Loum often remained Buddhists. Unexploded bombs in this country can be a hazard for tourist visits to its Xiangkhong Plateau, home to many mysterious stone jars. The Annamite Mountains form most of this country's border with its eastern neighbor, Vietnam, while its border with Thailand is mainly demarcated by the Mekong River. For 10 points, name this nation whose capital is Vientiane.
A: Laos
Q: This city is the center of the Klang Valley, and it contains the Bukit Nanas rain forest. This city was the site of the 13 May incident, a riot between its two major ethnicities. Arthur Benison Hubback designed several landmark buildings in this city, including the Jamek Mosque. Menara Telekom and Dayabumi are two (*) skyscrapers located in this city, whose International Airport is located in the Sepang District. A Cesar Pelli-designed complex in this city features the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world. For 10 points, name this Asian city that is home to the Petronas Towers in Malaysia.
A: Kuala Lumpur
Q: This country reformed its census in 2010 after accusations of massive undercounting of the Montubio ethnicity. In 2011, Chevron was ordered to pay nine billion dollars in compensation for pollution near this country's Lago Agrio oil field. This country's Sangay National Park is home to the Tunguraha volcano, which erupted in February 2014. The Avenue of the Volcanoes is located south of its capital city. "Hieleros" mine ice from a mountain in this country that is the (*) farthest surface point from the center of the Earth, Mount Chimborazo. An archipelago here contains the islands of Baltra, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal. For 10 points, name this South American country which controls the Galapagos Islands and whose largest city is Guyaquil (gwai-ah-KEEL).
A: Republic of Ecuador [or Republica del Ecuador]
Q: This state's namesake outback contains lakes formed from the streams of the Great Basin, such as the Warner Lakes. Its largest city has an extinct cinder cone volcano named Mount Tabor. A national park in this state has the "Old Man of the Lake," a tree stump bobbing upright. That lake in this state formed from the collapse of Mount Mazama. In this state, the Deschutes River joins a river at The Dalles. Another tributary of that river forms a basin that contains most of this state's population. Those rivers in this state are the Willamette and Columbia. The tallest peak in this state is Mount Hood, and it is home to Crater Lake. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Salem.
A: Oregon
Q: This is the central of the "Three Parallel Rivers" that name a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Pak Mun dam is located at the confluence of this river and its tributary, the Mun River. A "Friendship Bridge" spanning this river forces users to change over driving side when going from Savannakhet Province to Mukdahan Province. Pyotr Kozlov discovered that this river's source is the Lasagongma Spring on Mount Guozongmucha. Runoff from the Tonle Sap reservoir enters this river when the Tonle Sap River is formed. This river flows through Yunnan Province from its origin on the Tibetan Plateau, and it flows through Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia before emptying at its namesake delta in Vietnam. For 10 points, name this principle river of Southeast Asia.
A: the Mekong River
Q: Ek Luum and Chac Balam are ruins on this landmass, whose populations cut a channel through an eastern formation guarding it containing features called La Esmeralda, Tackle Box Canyon and Tres Cocos. Burning Water Lagoon and Punta Limon are located on the west side of this landmass. Survivors of the so-called Caste War populated its main settlement, which was supplemented by settlers from nearby Bacalar. The Hol Chan Cut is a gap in a formation off its southeast that provides access to the sea. This ring of white sand beaches surrounding a mangrove swamp is found south of the Xcalak (SHKA-lak) Peninsula and north of Caulker Island. A secret beach in this location is noted for its sinkholes and caves, and the Great Blue Hole is found on a reef off this island, the largest coral reef in the Northern Hemisphere. For 10 points, name this island east of Corozal Bay whose largest settlement is San Pedro, the largest island of Belize.
A: Ambergris Cay
Q: A newspaper based in this state won a Pulitzer Prize for its "Seven Days of Heroin" project. Macedonian immigrants to this state developed a type of chili that is poured over spaghetti noodles and garnished with oyster crackers. In 2011, 56 exotic animals escaped from a private zoo in this state's town of Zanesville. Goodyear Tires is based in this state in a city that is nicknamed the "Rubber Capital of the World." The Cuyahoga River flows through this state, where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located on the shores of Lake Erie. For 10 points, name this US state, home to cities like Akron, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
A: Ohio
Q: A city in this country lies in the shadow of Mount Entoto and is home to Meskel Square. The extremely hot and volcano-laden Danakil Depression is in this country. A staple food of this country is injera flatbread, and a province in this country is home to most of the Afar people. (*) Coffee originated in this country. Lake Tana, the source of the Nile, is located in this nation. This most populous landlocked country in the world is bordered to the east by Somalia. For 10 points, name this country located on the Horn of Africa, a neighbor of Djibouti with its capital at Addis Ababa.
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia [or Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik]
Q: One group of people living on this waterway claim descent from the Lhan and Mante, legendary members of the Three Hundred Peoples whose true descendants are believed to be hiding in the forests above it. The Loncong are the largest of a group of peoples first described by Wang Dayuan as patrollers of this waterway. Those peoples were key to piracy control in this passage, a kingmaker for a certain Iskandar Shah, who founded a capital at the mouth of the Bertam River, and those pirates were based at islands like Rupat and Bengkalis. This passage is slowly filling with silt from the Kampar, Siag and Rokog Rivers. The western island of We and the eastern Riau Islands sit at the entrances of this funnel shaped passage which was named for a rubber-shipping port containing a large Baba Chinese population. The Acehnese people were the first converts to Islam on this strait through which Islam spread to Java and the Philippines via trade. For 10 points, what is this passage between the island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula?
A: Strait of Malacca
Q: In the north of this state lie the Baraga Forest and the Porcupine Mountains. Though Marshall did not become the capital of this state, a "governor's mansion" was built there. The suburb of Eastpointe in this state changed its name from one associated with a nearby city. Bad Axe lies over sixty miles north of the St. Clair and Huron Rivers in this state, which contains Muskegon, Traverse City, and Saginaw Bay. The Straits of Mackinac divide this state, in which Kalamazoo and Flint are found. This state, which borders four Great Lakes, has an Upper Peninsula. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Detroit.
A: Michigan
Q: This island is the center of production for the myzithra and graviera varieties of cheese. Culture on this island also involves the "mandinades" and "sitiakos" song and dance forms. German general Heinrich Kreipe was kidnapped during World War II near this island's town of Archanes. Since the 1970s, this island's rural areas have depopulated into cities such as Khania and Rethimnon. This island's capital, then called (*) Candia, was taken by the Ottomans from Venice in 1669 after a lengthy siege. Near this island's city of Iraklion, Arthur Evans excavated the Palace of Minos in the Knossos archaeological site. For 10 points, name this large island, often thought to be the oldest outpost of Greek civilization.
A: Crete [or Kriti]
Q: The only oil field in production in this country is near the town of Spanish Lookout, one of its Mennonite communities. It has major population centers at Dangriga and Orange Walk Town. A multi-week holiday season in this country centered on its independence day includes reenactments of the Battle of St George's Caye and is known as the September Celebration. A gigantic sinkhole called the Great Blue Hole and the island of Ambergris Caye can be found in its namesake barrier reef, the second longest in the world. In 1965, this country's then-capital was flattened by Hurricane Hattie, prompting a move inland, closer to its borders with Mexico and Guatemala. For 10 points, name this only Central American country without a border on the Pacific Ocean which has its capital at Belmopan.
A: Belize
Q: This city contains the Mexican neighborhood of Olvera Street. Three inclined hovertrains in this city's Brentwood neighborhood can be used to access its Getty Center. Panoramic views from this city can be seen from Griffith Observatory and along Mulholland Drive. Prehistoric animals trapped the (*) La Brea Tar Pits can be found in this city, which is home to a building constructed of twisted metal sheets designed by Frank Gehry. In addition to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, this city contains Grauman's Chinese Theater in its most famous neighborhood. For 10 points, identify this California city home to Hollywood.
A: Los Angeles
Q: The Grand Ditch diverts water from the headwaters of this river in the Never Summer Mountains to the Front Range Urban Corridor. The All-American Canal, which replaced the original Alamo Canal, provides irrigated water from this river to the Imperial Valley. The Salton Sea was originally created by floodwaters from this river. (*) John Wesley Powell explored this river's most visited feature. This river flows through Lake Mead, which is created by an arch-gravity dam constructed during the Great Depression. For 10 points, identify this river which flows through Hoover Dam after cutting through the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: One of this city's most famous attractions features Tritons leading hippocampi and the shell chariot of the central figure, Oceanus. Ostia was the ancient port of this city, which was built in part on the Palatine and Quirinal Hills. Attractions in this city include the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the Colosseum. For 10 points, name this city on the Tiber, the capital of Italy.
A: Rome, Italy [or Roma, Italia]
Q: The highest point in this nation is Jebel Toubkal, and foreign enclaves surrounded by this nation include Melilla (meh-LEE-yah) and Ceuta (say-OO-tah). Its cities include Safi and Marrakech, and this country is home to the western terminus of the Atlas Mountains. It is north of the disputed Western Sahara and south of the Strait of Gibraltar. For 10 points, name this country that includes the cities of Casablanca and Rabat.
A: Kingdom of Morocco [or Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah]
Q: The Murano Glass Museum is located in this city, which is served by buses called vaporettos. One structure in this city was so named because it provided criminals their last sight of the city before their death, while another structure consists of two inclined ramps leading to a portico. This city home to the Bridge of Sighs and the (*) Rialto has a primary traffic throughway with a reverse S-shape. Its most famous public square actually has the shape of a trapezoid. That square connects St. Mark's Basilica to the Doge's Palace. It is located on a lagoon where the Po River empties into the Adriatic. For 10 points, identify this Italian city famous for its gondolas and canals.
A: Venice [or Venezia]
Q: One city in this state contains the Batman building, named due to its resemblance to Batman's mask, as well as a replica of the Parthenon. A river named after this state is formed from the confluence of the French Broad and Holston Rivers. That river, along with the (*) Cumberland River, forms the boundaries of the Land Between the Lakes, which this state shares with its northern neighbor. Gatlinburg and Clingmans Dome lie in the Great Smoky Mountains of this state which is home to Civil War battlegrounds at Murfreesboro and Shiloh, and whose other attractions include the Grand Ole Opry and Graceland. For 10 points, identify this state with cities like Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Memphis.
A: Tennessee
Q: A "ghost city" on the banks of this river features a "Bridge of Helplessness" that features actors dressed up in traditional costumes as the Ghost King and his officials. Continued gold prospecting on a section of this river has led to that section being called the "Gold Dust River." Oddly-shaped, perforated "scholar's rocks" are collected from Lake (*) Tai in this river's delta. This river was once home to a vibrant population of baiji ("bye-jee") river dolphins, which are now believed to be functionally extinct. A dam built on this river led to a slight slowdown of the Earth's rotation and the displacement of over 1.3 million people living along this river; that dam is the Three Gorges Dam. For 10 points, the Grand Canal links the Yellow River to what other Chinese river?
A: Yangtze River [or Yangzi Jiang or Chang Jiang]
Q: The Papa Vaka petroglyphs on this landmass exemplify the wildlife surrounding it, and the cave Ana Kai Tangata is noted for symbols of a society that targets the eggs of a creature found on the Kaokao (KOW-kow) seastacks and dwell in the dangerously steep village of Orongo. Much related to that cult is found at an anthropological museum on this landmass named for Sebastian Englert. The only river on this landmass flows from a bog crater on Mt. Aroi, but sinks into the porous rock flanking Maunu Terevaka (MAW-nu te-re-VA-ka) before reaching the sea. The half-mile wide Rano Kau provides the only potable water on this island. This island's endemic toromiro (to-ro-MEE-ro) tree was nearly wiped out to create carvings which include its rongorongo tablets. The volcano Rano Raraku was a quarry for other carvings found on this island, many of which rest on platforms called ahu and may depict seafaring ancestors. For 10 points, name this Pacific island administered from Hanga Roa and owned by Chile known for its large Moai heads.
A: Easter Island or Isla de Pascua or Rapa Nui or Paaseiland
Q: Though largely converted to Christianity by John Richardson, the principal ethnic group occupying these islands keep straw figures known as kareus, which are intended to ward off the influence of ancestral ghosts called huihe. The native Shompen People dwell in isolated rain forests surrounding Mt. Thullier on the southernmost member of these islands, where the Galathea River reaches the sea at a promontory once called Pygmalion Point. An important pilgrimage in these islands targets Novara Bay in Tillanchong. An Austrian attempt to colonize these islands left nothing but the name of Theresa Island, while malaria outbreaks on Komorta and Nancowry, prevented settlement by Danish missionaries, who referred to these islands as Frederiksøerne (FRE-driks-ur-na). Chollan settlers of these islands referred to them as the "Land of the Naked." Continuous with the Banyak and Metawai Archipelagos to the south, For 10 points, name this archipelago administered along with their northern neighbors the Andaman Islands by India.
A: Nicobar Islands
Q: This city' neighborhood of Stolipinovo (sto-li-PI-no-vo) contains its continent's largest Roma community, though most of that population identifies with the Xoraxane (sho-ra-SHA-nee) subdivision rather than the nationally dominant Dassikane (da-si-KA-nee). This city's artisan district is centered on Strumna Alley. This city's National Revival architecture is perhaps best displayed by its Balabanov (ba-la-BA-nov) Mansion. The Chirpan Heights rise to this city's east, and a hill called Nebet Tepe contains the ruins of Eumolpias in this city that destroyed Markovo Hill, one of its seven, for paving. Zahari Zograf painted the murals for this city's Church of St. Constantine and Elena, which lies only a few blocks from its Dhumaya Mosque. A roman amphitheater stands on the Trimondium of this city, which is undercut by a tunnel of Boris III Obedinitel (o-be-di-NEE-tel) Boulevard. This city's archaeological museum displays a hoard of local Thracian gold. For 10 points, name this city whose old town, once called Philippopolis, lies on the Marica River, the second largest city in Bulgaria.
A: Plovdiv
Q: The Mehedenti (me-he-DEN-tsi) Mountains terminate at the north end of this feature. The fortresses of Drobeta and Golubac (go-loo-BATS) guard its west entrance, after which travelers reach the Ljupovska (lyoo-POV-ska) Valley, followed by the Gospodjin (go-SPO-jin). This feature passes the oldest European planned settlement, Lepenski Vir. The former island of Ada Kaleh was found within this location. A rock called the Greben is the chief hazard of its Great Kazan, the narrowest and deepest portion of this feature which was crossed by a road of Apollodorus and commemorated by the Tabula Traiana opposite a carving of the chief Decebalus. The Prigrada was a series of treacherous rocks along this route which is now covered by a lake which overlies the flooded Orsova Gorge at Gura Vaii, after which its river enters the Wallachian Plain through the gorge of the Sip. For 10 points, name this gorge of the Danube, home to a dam on the border of Serbia and Romania.
A: Ðerdap Gorge or the Iron Gates or the Portile de Fier
Q: One river in these mountains begins at the Eye of the Chestnut Horse and flows through the Vermosh Gorge of Kalmendi. Two national epics, the Highland Lute and the Kreshnik Epos take place in these mountains. The Syri i Kalter (SEE-ri eh KAL-tar) is a blue spring in their Thethi National Park which is encountered en-route to Valbone (val-BO-na). Another route across this range begins in Gusinje (goo-SIN-ye), passes Lake Plav and ends in Rugova Gorge. Villages of the Shala and Shoshi tribes contain lock-in towers known as kullas in these mountains, the only safe haven from the gjakmarrja (hak-MAR-ya) feuds governed by the Canon of Lek Dukagjin (doo-ka-GYIN). The Vau i Dejes (vow-ee-DAY-as) Dam holds back the waters of Lake Fierza in these mountains drained by the Ibar and Moraca (mo-RA-tsa) that contain the peaks of the Ðeravica (je-ra-VI-tsa) and Zla Kolata, and climax at Maja Jezerce (MA-ya ye-ZER-tsa). For 10 points, name these rugged mountains north of the Drin River that straddle the border between Albania and Montenegro.
A: the Accursed Mountains or Prokletije or Bjeshket e Nemuna or the Albanian Alps (prompt on "Dinaric Alps" or "Northern Albanian Mountains" before "Gusinje" is read)
Q: The frog Allobates Chalcopis (a-lo-BA-tes chal-KO-pis) is endemic to this mountain, and is the only frog of its family endemic to an ocean island. Morne Calebasse (kal-BAS) and Grand Be are satellite peaks of this mountain which also contains the plug Piton Marcel, the highest secondary feature associated with this mountain. Pre-historic stages of its orogenesis include the buildup and collapse of its Morne Macouba dome, and the formation of its current crater, the Etang Sec. The geologic classification "nuee ardente" (nu-WE ar-DONT) was coined in reference to this volcano. A famous eruption of this volcano was preceded by an invasion of centipedes and pit vipers, followed by the explosion of Soufriere. A tragic failure to evacuate preceded a lahar which inundated the Blanche River Valley. Ludger Sylbaris was arrested for assault and thus survived the eruption of, For 10 points, what stratovolcano located 15 miles northwest of Fort-de-France, whose 1902 eruption destroyed St. Pierre on Martinique, whose name denotes a characteristic violent gas and pyroclastic eruption?
A: Mt. Pelee
Q: Part of this feature is found on the traditional boundary of the lands of the Kele and the Komo. The first signal of this feature's approach appears around a group of islands near Amakibubu (a-ma-ki-BOO-boo) and is known as the Chutes de Tchungu.(SHOOTS de CHUN-gu) After entering a calm stretch from Igwandei to Tshikabanga (chi-ka-BAN-ga), this feature enters its longest section near Nzenze. The Maiko River enters this feature at Waine-Rukula (WAI-nay-roo-KOO-la), and it ends below Ile Maele after which its river receives the Tchopo (CHO-po). A device consisting of a wooden tripod connected by rattan cane cable to a basket may be seen in abundance at this site belonging to the Wagenya People, who name the seventh and final cataract on the Lualaba River below Ubundu. For 10 points, name this limit of navigability of the Congo River, a series of seven rapids above Kisangani (kis-san-GA-nee) formerly known as Stanley Falls.
A: Boyoma Falls (accept Stanley Falls with gentle education until it is mentioned).
Q: The Amparihy (am-pa-REE-hee) Lake was this site's main source of water. The eastern portion of this site preserves medicinal trees called zahana, which along with its ficus and dracaena were spared the deforestation of its surrounding countryside and were royal symbols. It contained a zebu pit for ritual sacrifices. Trenches called hadivory (ha-dee-VO-ree) and gates like Andakana (an-da-KA-na) and Miandravahiny (myan-dra-va-HEE-nee), which were sealed by stone disks, were part of its fortifications. It acquired a name meaning "home of the guinea birds" from its first occupant, who governed the state of Avaradramo (a-va-ra-DRA-mo). This site, which contains several Vazimba tombs, is split into three palaces, and preserves the royal tombs of Mahandrihono (ma-han-dri-HO-no), the house of Andrianampoinimerina (an-dri-a-nam-poi-nee-ma-REE-na) and the palace of Ranavalona (ra-na-va-LO-na) II. For 10 points, name this sacred hill and palace complex, an example of its nation's Rova architecture, located northeast of Antananarivo (an-ta-na-na-REE-vo), the spiritual center of Madagascar.
A: Ambohimanga
Q: A major economic blow to this city's Manshiyat Naser (man-shi-YAT na-SER) ward occurred with the slaughter of its swine population in 2009, which supported a population of poor Christians, the Zabbaleen, who process much of this city's refuse. Up to one million residents of this city dwell beneath the Muqattam Hills in the cemeteries of its al-Qarafa district. This city's northwestern Bulaq district is its industrial zone, and its largest district is extended by Al-Jamaliyyah (al- ja-ma-LEE-ya) and the Shariah Gate. Its central walled city's Khan al-Kalili bazaar is found near its al-Azhar Mosque. The island of Jazira is found in its urbanized core, which also includes its Garden City, which is centered on Tahrir Square. In 2030, an unnamed new city will replace this city as its nation's capital. For 10 points, name this city containing the ruins of Heliopolis (hee-lee-AH-po-lis) lying northeast of the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the successor city to Memphis and current capital of Egypt.
A: Cairo or al-Mansuriyyah
Q: This city was constructed at the site of the Roman trading post of Poduca, and its name means "new village" in the local tongue. A monument dedicated to a prostitute who burned down her home to make way for this city's water tank is the Aayi Mandapam Arch. An experimental city called Auroville is built around an ashram to the north of this city. The territory that includes this city, which includes the commune of Keraikal, contains the Villianur Temple, which dates to the times of the Cholla Empire. This city's main library is known as the Romain Rolland Library. This city was a bastion of royalism under its governor Venant of Durfort, who was buried in its Notre Dame des Angels (NO-tre DAM de ONJ) cathedral. For 10 points, name this city on the Bay of Bengal, a union territory surrounded by Tamil Nadu which was the center of French colonialism in India.
A: Pondicherry or Puducheri
Q: As this city grew, it relocated the native village of Dugbeo to a place known as the forest of fruit bats, which is now its middle-class neighborhood of Commikro. This city's French minority is found in its suburbs of Cocody and Riviera. Banco National Park protects a rainforest in this city's Attecoube (AH-te-koob) Commune. Adjame (ah-ja-MEH) is a slum in the north part of this city, but also its main transportation hub. Rinaldo Olivieri designed a balcony-terraced concrete pyramid in this city, and Aldo Spiritom designed the curved prism of its Cathedrale St. Paul. The Vridi Canal breaches a sandbar separating this city from the sea, granting access to its Port Bovet. A colonial capital of its nation was this city's suburb of Grand Bassam, and this former Tchaman fishing village became its nation's third capital after it was moved from Bingerville. This city's central business district of Le Plateau is connected to Treichville by the Houphoet-Boigny (hoo-foo-WAY boi-NYEE) Bridge, which spans the Ebrie Lagoon. For 10 points, name this largest city in Cote d'Ivoire.
A: Abidjan
Q: Significant cave art exists in this region's Sangkulirang-Mangkalihat (sang-KOO-li-rang-mang-KA-lee-hot) Karst district, northwest of which the Kayan River flows past the coal-bearing northern cliffs of Kong Kemul. This region's main mountain range divides into two limbs in its west, between which is found its highest peak, Bukit Raya. A site called Mandor in this region contains mass graves from a World War II genocide that went unrecognized until 1971. The multiethnic interior population of this region principally lives in Rumah Betang, wooden longhouses along rivers, and are collectively referred to as Dayak. Its rivers include the south-flowing Mendawai and the west flowing Kapuas. This region's chief national park is Tanjung Putting, which protects cloud leopards and orangutans. The regencies of Penajam North Paser and Kutai Kartanegara (koo-TAY kar-ta-NE-ga-ra) will donate land for a new national capital in this region to be completed in 2024. For 10 points, name this region comprising the Indonesian areas of Borneo.
A: Kalimantan
Q: A national park to the southwest of this city contains the underground rivers of the Matacanes and the Chipinque (chi-PIN-kay) Reserve, which surrounds the Copete de Aguilas. Its urban core is disrupted by the Cerro Topo and Topo Chico hills, which separate it from its suburb ofEscobedo. The skeletons of this city's steel industry are found in its Parque Fundidora. The Paseo Santa Lucia, the Plaza Zaragosa and the Barrio Antigua make up the center of this city on the Santa Catarina River which contains the Lighthouse of Commerce, the tallest structure of its Macroplaza. The Zetas once set fire to a casino in this city, and still control its neighborhood of Colonia Independencia. A battle fought in this city centered on the storming of the Cerro Obispado and its Bishop's Palace. For 10 points, name this city at the foot of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the capital of Nuevo Leon and Mexico's third largest city.
A: Monterrey
Q: A valley northeast of the Asagiri (a-sa-GI-ri) Plateau hosts this location, which is accessed through Tenjin-Toge Pass along a ridge which separates it from Lake Motosu. The Musaka Range bounds this lowland region to the north. Mosses cover lava tubes in this location such as Lake Sai bat cave, which like the nearby Fugaku Wind Cave and Narusawa (na-ru-SA-wa) Ice Cave are frozen most of the year. An ancient tradition known as ubasute (oo-ba-SOO-tay) was practiced well before the lost decade and the publication of a tragic novel by Seicho Matsumoto (ma-tsu-MO-to), both of which popularized activities at this location alternately known as Jukai, or the "sea of trees." For 10 points, what is this large forest beneath Mt. Fuji known for being a popular place to commit suicide?
A: Aokigahara (ubasate refers to the abandonment of the elderly) prompt on "forest of suicides"
Q: This mountain range's southern terminus is intruded by the Skaergaard layered magma chamber, whose formation was central to initial theories of fractional crystallization, and hosts platinum-palladium deposits. Alfred de Quervain discovered the Schweitzerland (SHVAI-tser-land) Range, a southern extension of these mountains at Mt. Forel on his way to Sermilik Fjord (FYORD), though this mountain range, which includes the remote Deception Dome and Lille Snjefeld (LI-le SNYAY-feld) was only discovered from the air in 1930. The Kangerlussuaq (kan-ger-lu-SWAK) Glacier is the southern boundary of this range, while the Gronau Nunataks are found at its northern tip, which features a subrange sometimes known as the Rasmussen Range, and it also includes the Ejnar Mikkelson and Borgtinderne (BORG-tin-der-ne) subranges. The southward bend of the Christian IV Glacier is associated with these mountains. For 10 points, name this East Greenland mountain range home to the highest mountain north of the Arctic Circle, Gunnbjørn Fjeld (GUN-byorn field).
A: Watkins Range
Q: This route was controlled for most of its history by the Afridi People. The Shinwari Tribe occupies the highest point on this route on which Buddhist pilgrims left stupas at Shopla and a fortress called Kaffir Kot. Wadi Khel is an agricultural settlement on this route. The Landi Khana is a secondary gorge along this pathway which reaches its narrowest point west of Ali Masjid, after which travelers reach its highest elevation at Landi Kotal. The Lowyah Dakkah Plain narrows to this gap past the fort of Haft Chah before reaching the opening of Shadi Bagiar (SHA-di ba-GYAR) and the town of Jamrud. This defile is traversed today by the Torkham Highway. Called by Rudyard Kipling a "sword cut" through the Spin Gar mountains, For 10 points, name this mountain pass that connects Peshawar with Jalalabad on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan that was used by the likes of Shah Durrani, Babar and Alexander the Great to invade India.
A: Khyber Pass
Q: Ambruster Rocks are a giant cliff that forms a coastal break in this entity. One of its important anchors is the Patriot Hills. Hercules Dome is an autographic maximum in this entity which is located between the Thiel and Horlick Mountains. Operation Highjump was a naval project dedicated to the exploration of an area covered by this entity. The serrated Denfield and Swanson Mountains emerge at Mt. Fulton from this entity whose Arthur and Crevasse Valley Glaciers flow into its Selzberger subunit, which released over 100 square kilometers of ice following the Tohoku Tsunami in 2011. The Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers are the most active portions of this entity that last collapsed during the Reiss-Wurm Interglacial Period. At the Walgreen Coast, this ice sheet calves its load into Amundsen Bay. For 10 points, name this massive ice shelf covering Marie Byrd Land, the largest in Antarctica, that may be in initial stages of collapse.
A: West Antarctic Ice Sheet
Q: Taylor's Mistake is a bay to the east of this city named for a vessel that ran aground near Godley Head. This city's Riccarton Estate protects an important floodplain forest area in this city whose main zoo is the Orana Wildlife Park. Cavendish Bluff overlooks Governor's Bay and the Banks Peninsula to the south of this city. This city's historic Isaac Theatre Royal re-opened in 2014. New Regent Street is an important market district in this city, though many of this city's businesses have recently relocated to its suburb of Sumner. Hagley Park is located on the Avon River in this city whose harbor is the city of Lyttleton. This city, which sits on Canterbury Plain, was intended as a model Anglican settlement and was named for a college of the University of Oxford. For 10 points, name this city devastated by an earthquake in 2010 and a mosque shooting in 2018, the largest city on the South Island of New Zealand.
A: Christchurch
Q: The cane warbler and the Roso lark are endemic to this country. The ethnomusicology of this nation includes a type of bowed chordophone known as the cimbo (sim-BO), the uptempo funana style as the polyrhythmic batuke. Its easternmost point is marked by the lighthouse of Morro Negro, and the Curral Velho is a ghost town near that point on Boa Vista. The overlapping ridges of the Serra da Malagueta (ma-la-GWE-ta) tower over its main settlement, while the peak of Tope de Caroa is the highest point of its northern archipelago. Its capital contains the Sucupira Market in its Plato district and the Fortaleza of Sao Felipe in its Cidade Velha. Santa Luzia is the only uninhabited island of its Barlavento (bar-la-VEN-to) group, and its Sotavento (so-ta-VEN-to) group includes the volcanic, coffee-growing Fogo. This nation's chief port is Mindelo on Sao Vicente. For 10 points, name this country whose capital lies on Santiago Island and is the city of Praia.
A: Republic of Cape Verde or Republica de Cabo Verde or Kabu Verdi
Q: A fault system with the same name as this waterway reversed its slip direction in the Miocene epoch, and with the Saigang Fault is responsible for the right rotation of lands to its south. The Dai people on this river's upper course sprinkle this river's waters on statues of the Buddha and then themselves for their celebration of their new year in June. Upstream tin mines on this river pack ore into its port of Manhao, though steamers only travel as far as Yen Bai in its dry season. It receives its two tributaries, the Lo and the Black, at almost the same point, after which begins its delta region, which includes Hai Phong Harbor. For 10 points, name this river that empties into Tonkin Gulf after flowing through Hanoi in Vietnam.
A: Red River or Song Hong River or Song Cai
Q: Brandwag (BRAND-vag) is a sandstone cliff in this province's only national park. A cave church in this province's St. Augustine Priory rests under a boulder in Modderpoort. The St. Helena, Beatrix and Oryx gold mines may be found in this province. Much of its coal is transformed into oil by a plant at Sasolberg, and ethanol is produced by this site's Mielielander (me-LEE-lan-der) cornfields, its nation's breadbasket. The world's largest meteorite impact site is this province's Vredefort Dome. Bethulie, Kronstaad and Winburg were among the world's first concentration camps set up in this province, and a statue of a horseman bidding farewell to a mother and child is its Vroesmonument (VREES-mo-nu-ment) which commemorates their women's high loss of life. Its mining city of Welkom (VEL-kom) was its nation's first planned community. For 10 points, name this province of the Highveld between the Vaal and the Orange River, home to South Africa's judicial capital, Bloemfontein.
A: (Orange) Free State or Vrystaadt or Freistata (note, "Orange" is no longer part of its official name)
Q: The "Y" fumarole on this peak is the type locality of the extremely rare exhalative minerals ziesite and blossite, which are water-soluble copper-vanadium minerals. Cerro Chino rises to the east of this mountain, and the San Marcelano (san mar-se-LA-no) vents lie to its northeast. The southeastern and southwestern extensions of Cerro Verde National Park surround this mountain which inspired the triangular shape of its nation's coat of arms. A novel of Claribel Alegria is titled for the "Ashes of" this mountain which anchors a description of that country's Pipil genocide. Lake Coatepeque (kwa-te-PE-ke) lies northeast of this peak, and the ruins of the buried village of Matazano (ma-ta-SA-no) lie to its south. This member of the Cordillera de Apaneca (kor-di-YE-ra de a-pa-NE-ka), which featured on the now defunct 10-colon banknote, is located just inside the border of the Sonsonate (son-so-NA-te) Department. For 10 points, name this Salvadoran volcano, part of the Santa Ana Complex, known as the "lighthouse of the Pacific," the most active in Central America.
A: Izalco
Q: A form of sign language developed by a man named Kagobai was adopted by this island's hearing population, but is now nearly extinct. The cultures on this island, which is surrounded by 250-foot cliffs, practice a form of resource sharing known as wantok, though the Baimango and Ngatonga peoples frequently war over land that was used for this island's airport. Crocker's sea krait and the laticauda colubrina, the only two freshwater seas snakes in the world, are endemic to a lake on this island. This island is indented at its center by the almost perfect semicircle of Kangava Bay. A UNESCO world heritage site centers on Lake Tegano in the east of this island, the largest lake on an island in the Pacific. This island makes up its nation's southernmost province with nearby Bellona Island. For 10 points, name this second largest raised coral island in the world, the southernmost of the Solomon Islands, whose provincial capital is Tigoa, noted for hosting its nation's main Polynesian population.
A: Rennell Island or Mu Nggava
Q: Popa Falls is found on a river passing through this territory in the western unit of its Bwabwata (bwa-BWA-ta) National Park. Hukwe and Yeyi are languages spoken in this territory. The Mahango Game Reserve is found near its town of Divundu. This area's large elephant populations are protected by Nkasa Rupara and Mudumu National Parks. The Chobe River defines the southern edge of this territory's eastern limit, which consists of Mpalila Island. The Marshes of Linyanti are home to the rare sassaby antelope in this region's widest area, the Mababe Depression. The Golden Highway traverses this territory which was the base of a coup attempt which was blamed on UNITA rebels. The port of Katima Mulilo on this territory's northernmost river is known for producing wooden bowls and traditional weapons. For 10 points, name this extension of land which provides Namibia access to the Zambezi River.
A: Caprivi Strip
Q: An 1837 massacre in these islands of speakers of its Sapuahfik (sa-PWAH-feek) dialect resulted in the evolution of the Ngatik Creole, which is only spoken by men. Kosrae is the most linguistically unified of these islands, while another language family's extreme western examples are represented by Nukoro and Kapingamarangi (ka-pin-ga-ma-RAN-ghee). Many of the cultures in these islands revere the creator spirit Yalafar and shun an evil being known as Can. The Weriyeng (WE-ri-ying) school of navigation originated with these island's Satawal culture which is noted for its hand-hewn outrigger canoes. Harbors exist in this chain's Dekehtik (de-KEH-tik) Island as well as at the city of Colonia. A trade network sometimes known as the Yap empire emerged in this island group, part of which was based upon large stone rings. For 10 points, name this island chain located mostly within the republic of Micronesia which includes Pohnpei and was named for Spain's Charles II.
A: Caroline Islands (prompt on Micronesia)
Q: The chief religious edifice in the north of this country was built by convicted adulterers known as Lupe, or Doves, and is its St. Joseph's Cathedral on Neiafu (ne-YA-foo). A collapsed sea cave on its main island is a natural bridge known as the Hufangalupe (hoo-fan-ga-LOO-pay) Arch, known as the "Pigeon's Doorway." Other caves in this country include a non-Mexican sea cave known as the Cave of Swallows, a cleft in its northern Vava'u Island. Toi and Tavahi trees make up most of the forest cover on its island of 'Eua, which is home to birds like the blue-crowned lory. Fonuafo'ou (fo-nwa-FO-oo) Island in this country has a recent history of rising and sinking cycles due to explosive volcanism and rapid erosion. The principal marketplace in this country's capital is its Talamahu Market. That capital contains a trilithic gate known as Maui's Burden, as well as several Langi, or tombs for its kings, the Tu'i. For 10 points, name this South Pacific kingdom with capital Nuku'alofa (nu-ku-a-LO-fa).
A: Kingdom of Tonga or Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga
Q: Great War Island lies in this river as it flows through a national capital, upstream of its intersection with the Jiu River. After draining the Pannonian Basin, it travels through a gorge called the Iron Gates, while near its beginning, Ulm lies on its banks. Downstream of this river's source in the Black Forest, a canal heads northward from it, effectively creating a transcontinental waterway from the (*) Rhine's watershed through cities like Bratislava. This river divides the former cities of Buda and Pest, now united as Hungary's capital, and also bisects Belgrade. For 10 points, name this long European River which passes through Vienna on its way to the Black Sea.
A: Danube River [or Fluss Donau; or Rieka Dunaj; or Duna Folyo; or Rijeka ("REE-yay-kah") Dunav; or Ryeka Dunav; or Rau ("roo") Dunarea; or Ruchky Dunai]
Q: Strabo first described a marsh in this physiographic region called Lugeon, whose disappearance was later explained by Johann Weckhart von Valvasor. The Turn Hill is surrounded by the village of Stanjel (SHTAN-yel) overlooking the Vipava Valley in this region. An extension of this region is the Rosandra Valley, whose deep gorge is characteristic of its nation's Dolina District. The western edge of this area is a continuation of the Ucka (ooch-KA), and is known as its rim. The Reca (RE-tsa) River has carved an underground canyon that runs through this region's Skocjan (shkots-YAN) Cave; more famous is Predjama Castle (pred-YA-ma), which is carved into the side of a cave inside a cliff. This plateau's southern edge is in northern Istria, and it terminates at the Cliffs of Duino, which stand over the Gulf of Sistiana northeast of Trieste. For 10 points, name this Slovenian plateau that gives its name to a type of dissolution topography characterized by caves and towers associated with limestone.
A: The Karst Plateau or Kras (prompt on "Western Slovenia" before Rosandra Valley is mentioned; prompt on "Goriska")
Q: One people group living in this area is noted for albinos called the Sipu, who are responsible for battling an eclipse inducing dragon. In addition to the Kuna, a people governed from a village on the Tuira River inhabit this area, the watershed of the Chucunaque (chu-ku-NA-kay) River. That people, the Embera-Waunana hold sacred lands in a national park that protects, among other animals, the Harpy Eagle, and is adjacent to Los Katios, which protects the wetlands of the Atrato River Delta. The Serrania de Baudo and the Sierra del Sapo meet in this area in a range which peaks at Cerro Tacarcuna (ta-kar-KU-na). Its west coast stretches from Humboldt Bay to the Gulf of San Miguel, while Yaviza and Turbo are the endpoints of this impenetrable rain forest once plied by FARC rebels and outlaws. For 10 points, name this region characterized by a missing 54-mile stretch of Pan-American highway between Colombia and Panama.
A: Darien Gap
Q: The Pothohar Plateau and Kangra Valley bound this international region to the north. The Margalla Hills in the western portion of this region contain the modernist Faisal Masjid Mosque. This region's main language has Malwi and Majhi dialects and is written in both the Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi scripts. A religion that began in this region reveres holy ponds known as sarovars, has holy cities at Tarn Taran and Anandpur, and worships in shrines that include Kartarpur and Sultanpur Lodhi, as well as several other gurdwaras like the Harimandir (ha-ri-MAN-dir). Meaning "five waters," For 10 points, name this region drained by the Beas, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej Rivers containing Sikh and Islamic adherents which names a Pakistani province with capital Lahore and a state with capital at Chandigarh in northwestern India.
A: Punjab
Q: A series of gas explosions beneath this city destroyed its neighborhood of Analco. Settlements called Nochixtlan (no-cheex-LAN) and Tlacotan (tlah-ko-TAN) were two failed attempts to establish what would become this city on the land of the Wixarika (wee-sha-REE-ka) people. This city's Colomos Forest once supplied most of its water, and rivers flow through Colimilla (ko-lee-MEE-ya) and Huentitan (wen-ti-TAN) Gorges to the east and north of this city. Tlaquepaque is an upscale suburb of this city, while a basilica in Zapopan is a pilgrimage site connected with a Marian statue. The shrinking Lake Chapala is southeast of this city in the Valley of Atemajac (ah-te-MA-hak) which stands on San Juan de Dios Creek. A former orphanage in this city contains 340 murals of Jose Orozco, its Cabanas Hospice, which stands on the opposite end of Tapatia Plaza from the Degollado (de-go-YA-do) Theatre. Another square in this city saw the birthplace of the Mariachi movement. For 10 points, name this capital of Jalisco state and Mexico's second largest city.
A: Guadalajara
Q: The Canal du Laussat separates this city's Chinatown, also known as Chicago, from its center. A festival in this city ends with the burial of a character named Vaval by black and white demons. The ruins of Fort Ceperou (se-pe-ROO) lie to the west of this city founded on the land of the Galibi people. This city's main market is at the Place de la Coq, and the Merlet (mer-LAY) Fountain stands in the Place des Palmistes (PLAHS de-pal-MEEST) in this city. This city's main ports include the old port of Larivot (la-ree-VO) and the Degrad de Cannes on the Mahury River, which replaced a dock on the Iles de Salut (eels de sa-LUT), one of which once served the only functioning guillotine in the western hemisphere. That island must now be evacuated each time rockets launch from Kourou. For 10 points, name this Creole city, once home to the penal colony of Devil's Island, located east of the primary Space Center of the European Union, and the capital of French Guiana.
A: Cayenne
Q: The Cerrito del Callo (se-RI-to del KA-yo) Cone and the Morucu Dome lie on this mountain. A mass wasting event that buried the Chillos (CHEE-yos) Valley began on this peak and was its nation's worst. The name of this mountain refers to a crescent lake found near its crater, and means "moon neck." Climbers begin ascending this peak at the Jose Ribas Refuge, after which they ascend Heartbreak Ramp to Ariste Yanasacha (a-RI-ste ya-na-SA-cha). A layer of ash beneath the lakes of Las Cajas National Park marks the first historical eruption of this peak. The summits of Illizina (i-yi-ZI-na) and Antesana (an-te-SA-na) are visible to its west and north. The city of Latacunga (la-ta-CUN-ga) keeps getting wiped out by lahars originating on this peak, which are especially dangerous if they reach the Guayllabamba (gwa-ya-BAM-ba) River. Frank Church portrayed this mountain above a lake displaying a cross formed by the setting sun. For 10 points, name this second tallest Ecuadorian volcano which is still active, unlike Chimborazo (chim-bo-RA-zo).
A: Cotopaxi
Q: This formation's Ikari Cave is marked by a feature known as Kalaya's Thighbone, which is interpreted as the remains of a meal eaten by the lizard-being Lungkata. A tribe called the Mala, which predated its current indigenous people, used this location's Nyiinkaku (nyin-KA-ku) Cave as an educational site. A series of rounded pits present on this formation are explained as the result of a spear battle between two other beings named Kuniya and Liru, who represent two types of snake found at its Mutitjulu (moo-ti-CHOO-loo) watering hole. The current tribe, the Ananga people, are protected by the Katiti Petermann Indigenous Protected Area, which surrounds a park that hosts this formation. Like the adjacent Kata Tjuta, this Bornhardt formation is made out of arkose and is located southwest of the McDonnell Range. For 10 points, name this ancient fan formation, a giant arrowhead shaped red rock in Australia's Northern Territory.
A: Uluru (accept Ayer's Rock)
Q: Carnival celebrations in this city exhibit its Parata sword dance and singing contests known as għana. This city experiences the northwestern majjistral and the northeastern grigal winds. A series of tunnels beneath this city's Barakka Gardens housed a military command center known as its Lascaris War Rooms. This city's remaining Muslim population worships at the Al Fateh mosque in adjacent Floriana. This city's main religious structure is a co-cathedral whose equal is St. Paul's Church in Mdina. The In Guardia military pageant is celebrated in this city's Fort St. Elmo, which lies at the intersection of its Grand and Maramxett (ma-ram-JET) Harbors. This city on the Sciberras Peninsula's ambassadors are still received at its Red State Room in its Grand Masters' Palace, whose first namesake was the leader of the Knights of St. John that founded this city. For 10 points, name this largest city on the island of Gozo and capital of Malta.
A: Valletta
Q: A tradition of dissolving the arsenic ore realgar in wine originated in this province to honor a poet who committed suicide in its Miluo River. The Luoxiao (luo-hsiao) Mountains encapsulate that river in this province's northeast, while more than 3,000 sandstone spires rise above the Wulingyuan, which are protected by Zhangjiajie National Park in its northwest. The aforementioned Dragon Boat Festival was first celebrated in this province whose capital's T'ang dynasty pottery was famously found in a capsized dhow off the Indonesian coast. The village of Shaoshan contains the birthplace of Mao Tse Tung in this province. China's largest lake, the Dongting is the largest feature of this province whose name means "South of the Lake." For 10 points, name this Chinese province with capital Changsha.
A: Hunan Province
Q: The northern edge of this neighborhood houses the notorious prison, the Barberousse (bar-ber-OOS), which was a center of deprivation in its nation's independence war. Over three hundred of the historic structures that make up this neighborhood have collapsed, and nearly half of those remaining are at risk or severely dilapidated. Its Dar Khedaoudj el-Amia (he-DAWJ el-a-MEE-ya) houses its nation's Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions, and its ornate palace Dar Hassan Pacha is adjacent to a former church, the Djemaa Ketchoua. (je-MA ke-CHOO-wa) Its Dar Aziza Palace houses its nation's archaeological agency. This densely populated quarter whose center is the Djemaa Lihoud (je-MA li-HOOD) Market has a name that originally indicated the highest point of a medina, but this current area occupies a steep slope between the old port of Icosium and the palace of the Dey, and is named for its citadel. For 10 points, name this Ottoman-era hillside district known for its extremely narrow, mazelike alleyways which overlooks the marketplace of Algiers.
A: the Kasbah of Algiers
Q: Cahills Crossing was an early ford established in what would become this location. The Ranger Uranium mine is controversially located at the center of this place. Yilikadjarr (yi-li-ka-JAR) is a wetland at this location that is home to its apex predator, and its Mamukala (ma-mu-KA-la) wetlands are home to one third of its nation's bird species. Maguk Falls cascades into Barramundi Gorge in this location. The native Mungguy People have closed access to its Gunlom Falls, and its Jim Jim Gorge is subject to flash floods so severe it is only accessible by air during the rainy season. A panel known as Anbangbang in this park is a collection of pictographs which includes its iconic "lightning man," Namarrkon, and is displayed on its Nourlangie (noor-LAN-ghee) Rock. This park's Mangarre Rain Forest follows the South Alligator River in Arnhem Land. For 10 points, name this national park located in Australia's Northern Territory known for its crocodiles, red rocks, waterfalls and Aboriginal art.
A: Kakadu National Park
Q: This city's slums of Naqqasha (na-KA-sha) and Kudai are home to its large Burmese community. Two springs, the Al-Azizziyah (al-a-zi-ZEE-yah) and the Zubaydah (zoo-BAY-dah) are the source of this city's water. An ancient cemetery, the Jannat al-Mualla (ja-NAT al-MWA-la) was recently razed in this city. This city has greatly expanded through four gaps in its surrounding mountains, which include Jabal Qu'ayq'an (ja-BAL ku-AYK-an) and Mt Abu Qubays (a-BOO koo-BAYS) on its western approaches. The hills of Marwa and Safa are found at the center of this city that is overlooked from the south by the cavernous Mt. Thawr. The 'umra is a pilgrimage to this city that has installed a seasonal mass transport system to Mt. Arafat and Mina. A giant clock tower, the tallest in the world, part of the Abraj al-Bayt stands over a structure which contains the well of Zamzam and a meteorite held together by a gold band in this city's Haram Mosque. For 10 points, name this target city of the Hajj containing the Kaaba, the holiest city in Islam.
A: Mecca
Q: A route to a pilgrimage site in this region is lined with linden trees decorated with carved figurines of Mary and focuses on a coral pink basilica with a movable pipe organ. This district is home a rotary bridge in Gizycko (ghi-ZHITS-ko). A route through this region is the Ruciane-Nida (roo-TSYA-nay nee-DA) trail, and a canal within it passes from Wegorzewo (vem-go-ZHE-vo) to Pisz (PISH). This district's Łuknajno (wuk-NAY-no) Reserve protects Europe's largest summer population of wild swans. Gim and Leleskie (le-LES-kye) are two of the east-west features with which this district is associated; the remainder, including Maroz (ma-ROZH) and Dluzek (DWU-zhek) trend north-south and are dammed by terminal moraines like the Dalewska (da-LEV-ska) Hill. An abandoned bunker complex in this region's city of Ketrzyn (kent-ZHEEN) is known as the Wolf's Lair. This region also saw two battles, including one between Generals Rennenkampf and Hindenberg in World War I. For 10 points, name this region containing the cities of Elk (EWK), Olsztyn (OL-shten) and Elbag that forms a voivodeship (voi-VOD-ship) with Warmia (var-MEE-ya) that contains Lake Sniardwy (SNYAR-dvee), Poland's largest lake.
A: Mazurian Lakes (prompt on "Mazurian-Warmiam" Voivodeship)
Q: The Kindia Mine is a former Soviet bauxite operation in these highlands. The northern abutment of this area is the Massif de Tamgue, (ma-SEEF de tam-GAY) and that portion of this region saw the creation of the Nko script, which is now used to write its Eastern Maninkakan (ma-nin-KA-kan) language, an alternate to its more widely spoken Pular and Kakabe tongues. The Pic de Tibe is a high point in its southern section, which contains the iron-rich Simandou range, but also a large refugee camp at Nzerekore (NZE-re-kor). Falls such as the Voile de la Mariee (VWA de la ma-REE) and the Chutes de Kinkon (shoots de kin-KON) attest to its watershed status, and rivers such as the Kogon, Bafing and Sassandra begin in canyons in these highlands whose largest river begins in the country of the Kissi near its town of Forokonia (fo-ro-KO-ni-ya). This plateau contains the peak Bintimani as well as the international tri-point of Mt. Nimba, which is shared by its nation as well as Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia. For 10 points, name this plateau of eastern Guinea which provided much of the gold wealth of the Empire of Mali.
A: Fouta Djalon Plateau
Q: This landform's largest lake is Chao Lan Lake, located in Kao Sok National Park. Tungka Bay and the Pakchan Estuary define the midpoint of this landform, north of which the Tenesserim Hills rise into the Bilauktaung Mountains. Kadan, Lanbi and Madan off the west of this landmass comprise the Mergui Archipelago, while its southern coastal islands include the Karst harbors of the Ko Phi Phi Archipelago. Several canals are proposed across this landmass, including one beginning at Bandon Bay and one connecting the cities of Ranong and Chumphon. The largest city serving this strip of land on the island of Phuket. For 10 points, name this isthmus that separates the Andaman Sea from the Gulf of Thailand and connects Asia to the Malay Peninsula.
A: Isthmus of Kra or Khokkok Kra
Q: A festival focusing on the songs of these people is the Ijahis Idja (i-YA-his id-YA) located at Inari, while another nation celebrates their music festival Riddu Riddu. A flag representing this people group was inspired by an oral myth or joik (YOIK) scribed by Anders Fjellner (FYEL-ner). In one nation, these people were forcibly resettled at a collective town they refer to as Lujavri (loo-YA-vree). The mining of the Kallak iron deposit was protested by members of this people group which lost the so called "Tax Mountain Case." The town of Karasjok (ka-RAS-yok) is one of the major centers for this people group which litigated the Alta-Kautokeino (AL-ta kau-to-KAI-no) Hydroelectric Project. Some of these people follow the evangelical Laestadian (le-STAD-ian) tradition, though their Skolt subgroup is predominantly Orthodox. The 1996 Finnmark Act granted this people group their own parliament. For 10 points, name this northern Scandinavian people group.
A: Saami
Q: A pilgrim seeking the source of this river was once blocked by Altair on his way to Virgo, and it is the longer of the two rivers imbibed by a giant who desiccated while chasing the sun. This river crosses the peat bog of the Zoige wetlands in its upper reaches, where it is known as the River of the Peacock, but its drop steepens as it winds southeast, then northwest through its gorge through the A'nyemaqen (ah-nyeh-mah-chen) Mountains and flows east between the Xiqing (hsi-cheng) and Laji Ranges. A cable car crosses this river on its way from the Temple of the White Cloud to the Temple of the White Pagoda. As it exits the high plateau it is forced north by the Quwu (chu-wu) Mountains, then east by the Yin Mountains before turning south in an arc around the Ordos Desert, and it encounters its sharpest bend as it absorbs the Wei below Hua Mountain after flowing over Hukou Falls. After losing most of its sedimentary load in the Sanmen Gorge, this river splits into the Majia and Xiaoqing (hsiow-ching) distributaries before entering the Bo Hai Sea just east of Dongling. For 10 points, name this river known for its large load of loess whose floods are referred to as "China's Sorrow."
A: Yellow River or Huang He
Q: Two of this city's earlier dwellings have names translating to Bird's House and Sunrise Palace, while the first was known as Chayhuac (CHAY-wak). Outlying temples related to this site include the Huaca Esmeralda (WA-ka es-me-RAL-da) and the Huaca del Dragon (WA-ka del DRA-gon). Adobe friezes at this location depict sea otters, waves of fish and pelicans. A large pool called the Gran Hachaque (gran a-CHA-kay) Ceremonial was involved in sea-worship at this site that drew its water from a canal from the Chicama River. This center of a Yunca speaking empire that stretched from Piura (PYU-ra) to Paramonga (pa-ra-MON-ga) covered sacrificial victims with pyramids near each of its royal mausoleums. Pedro Pizarro found a door at this location that was covered in silver. The Nik An Palace Complex is the center of this city in the Moche Valley which is now being covered by a giant roof. El Nino rains are washing away, For 10 points, what abandoned adobe city, the capital of the pre-Incan Chimu Empire, located outside Trujillo (troo-HEE-yo), Peru?
A: Chan Chan
Q: This city's Jewish population was uprooted five times from various neighborhoods including the Falayhi Quarter and the al-Qasr, which lay atop the ruins of its Ghamdan Palace, the oldest known castle in the world. The last Jewish enclave departed its Qa al-Ulufi district in 1949, devastating its crafting industry and ending its 25-century presence. An 11th Century queen in this city became the only female ruler to have the khutba proclaimed in her name, Asma. The oldest known copy of the Quran was found at a mosque in this city. An Imam's palace on the Wadi Dharr stands to the north of this city. The Bab al-Fardah and South Gate access the old portion of this city, which contains 6,500 multi-storied rammed-earth and white gypsum buildings, which are among the most endangered structures in the world due to bombing raids. This city was in the past supplanted as capital by Ta'izz, and more recently, as it was occupied by the Houthi Movement, Aden. For 10 points, name this constitutional capital of Yemen.
A: Sana'a
Q: The Oecobius (o-KO-bee-us) disc-web spider and the cerastes sand viper are endemic to this nation. Bubiyan and Al-Warbah are large but unpopulated islands off the coast of this country. The Al Rawdatayn well provides rare fresh water to this country, and its Al-Jahra Oasis provides its only permanent natural source of water. Another product is distributed by gravity aided by its Zawr Escarpment. This country deported 90% of its Palestinian population in the 1990s; the remainder of its foreigners live mostly in its capital's suburbs of Hawalli and Al-Shalimiyya (al-sha-li-MEE-ya). This nation's merchant class is the Banu Utub, whose chief member rules from Seif Palace. Water is distributed by a monument in which two obelisks pierce three blue tanks in the shape of spheres in this country's capital. An invasion of this country was halted at Khafji. For 10 points, name this nation on the Persian Gulf whose oilfields were set afire during an invasion by its northern neighbor, Iraq.
A: Kuwait
Q: A type of tektite named for this river and associated with the Nordlinger-Reiss Crater was first found in its village of Tyn. The Berounka joins this river above a racetrack at Lahovice (la-ho-VEE-tse), and the Kremzsky Potok (SHEMJ-ski po-TOK) encircles a ruined castle called the Maiden's Stone with this river at Planinka. An opera by Josef Rozkosny (rozh-KOS-nee) concerns this river's St. John Rapids, which have since been flooded by the Stechovice (SHTYE-ko-vee-tse) Reservoir, and the Lipno and Orlik Dams create its largest and most voluminous reservoirs. Castle Zvikov marks this river's confluence with its largest tributary, the Otava. The Italian folk melody La Mantovana (la man-to-VA-na) represents this river following the junction of its Warm and Cold branches at Crna Hora (chur-NA HO-ra) as it flows north to meet the Elbe at Melnik (MYEL-nik) in a famous tone poem. For 10 points, name this river that is bridged by the Karlovy Most as it flows beneath Vysehrad (VI-she-hrad) Castle in Prague, the centerpiece of Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast.
A: Vltava River [or Moldau] (if anyone cares, Moldavites are called Vltavites in the Czech Republic)
Q: Artesian springs between this valley's villages of Tegerman and Uzumchilik (oo-zoom-CHEE-lik) produce a vast region of quicksand at its center which is tapped for agriculture. This valley is narrowest in its Spitamen District, which contains a series of barren hills called adyr. The Yodgorlik Factory in this valley produces fabrics known as khanatlas (ha-NAT-las), which are made from a mixture involving cotton called adras. A type of "blood-sweating" animal purchased from this valley's Dayuan people by the Han Dynasty were actually raised on the Mirzachul (MEER-za-chool) Steppe to its west, and were its famous "Heavenly Horses." The Chatkal and Kurama Ranges bound this valley on the north, while the Zeravshan Mountains were nicknamed "the gold strewer" due to placer deposits in this valley in which forms the Syr Darya River. For 10 points, name this silk producing valley containing the second largest Kyrgyz city of Osh, the Tajik city of Khujand and the city of Kokand in Uzbekistan.
A: Ferghana Valley
Q: Kallawaya (ka-ya-WA-ya) is the descendant of an isolate language spoken in this physiographic region. The Wankarani (wan-ka-RA-nee) Culture was centered around one of the lakes in this region, which are all remnants of Lake Tauca. A people whose ancestors carved out the Sejama (se-HA-ma) Lines built tombs called chullpas (CHUY-pas) on this landscape. The peaks of Illampu (i-YAM-poo) and Ilimani define the eastern limit of this region that stretches west to a line between the volcanoes of Ampato and Licancabur (li-KAN-ca-bur). A southern portion of this region has the geomorphological designation Grossfalt, and is also known as the Puna, and extends into a region formerly known as the Litoral. The Desaguadero (des-a-gwa-DE-ro) River connects this region's largest lake to Lake Poopo (po-PO), which has recently become as dry as its Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni salt flats. For 10 points, name this high plateau located between the Cordillera Oriental and Occidental of the Andes, which is mainly located in Bolivia.
A: The Altiplano (anti-prompt on "Puna" or "Grossfelt")
Q: A mythic creature found in this body of water was canonized as St. Muirgen (MIR-ken) and is the mermaid Liban, who was created as a result of springs that formed it. Tardree Forest is found on the shores of this body of water. Norman Round Tower is a covered tomb found on an island in this body of water which also contains Croaghan (KRO-wan) Island. Oxford Island, actually a peninsula, hosts a wildlife refuge on this lake which protects native birds and its endemic dollaghan trout. Traag Peninsula is located on the northwest of this lake, whose largest promontory is Gartree Point. Archaeological sites in this lake include Toome Bay and Coney Island, from which a submerged ridge known as St. Patrick's Road passes south to Armagh (ar-MA). For 10 points, name this lake fed by the Blackwater, the Bann and the Main rivers, the largest in the British Isles, from which radiate 5 of the 6 counties of Northern Ireland.
A: Lough Neaghach
Q: A historian dwelling on this landmass currently resides at its Dolphin House. Round Rock is found in Nixon's Harbor to its south. The Healing Hole is a tidally drained mineral rich pool at the end of a maze of channels on its eastern coast. The wreck of the Sapona is located off this island's southern unit, which contains its settlement of Port Royal. Ernest Hemingway wrote To Have and Have Not while staying at this island's Compleat Angler Hotel, and it forms the first act of the novel Islands in the Stream. This place, whose name means "twin island" in Lucayan, is administered with Cal Say Bank from its largest settlement of Alice Town. Another of its features has been controversially attributed to Zheng Ho, or to much earlier inhabitants. For 10 points, name this westernmost island of the Bahamas located 50 miles east of Miami, known for a submerged collection of natural beachrock blocks known as its namesake "road."
A: Bimini
Q: A September, 1991 landslide decreased this peak's height by 30 feet. Copeland Pass is an east-west route that crosses a flank of this mountain. Mt. Dixon is a secondary summit of this mountain which contains a series of lakes called the Sealy Tarns and a series of spires called the Minarets. The standard route up this mountain begins at Linda Glacier and ascends to Plateau Hut via Haast Ridge, although summitting this mountain is considered an insult to its native population due to its guardian mountain spirits which are known as atua. The Hooker Glacier descends the west slope of this peak, while its east side is dominated by the Tasman Glacier. This mountain is commonly photographed from Kea Point, which is located in a national park whose native name means "cloud-piercer," Aoraki. For 10 points, name this peak in the Southern Alps, the highest mountain in New Zealand.
A: Mt. Cook (or Aoraki until mentioned)
Q: This body of water can be accessed through the city of Ulan-Ude, and the Barguzin Mountains and the Primorskiy Mountains surround this body of water. This body of water is home to many Buryat tribes, and its largest island is Olkhan. The Turka, Sarma, and Selenga Rivers drain into this body of water, and it is located in the Yenisei River basin via its outflow in the Angara River. Holding one fifth of the world's fresh water, it is the world's second most voluminous lake to the Caspian Sea. For the 10 points, the city of Irkutsk lies near what Russian lake, the oldest and deepest in the world?
A: Lake Baikal [accept Ozero Baykal]
Q: A former multicultural area in this entity was its silver mine at Gjyteli (gyi-TE-li), of which only the stone towers of Novo Brdo remain. A former capital of this place is home to the Torbeshi and Gorani people, was founded as Theranda, and contains the Kaljaja (kal-YA-ya) Castle. That former capital in this entity is located at the confluence of the Lumbardhi (loom-BAR-thee) and Bystrica (bee-STREE-tsa) Rivers, contains its founder's Church of Our Lady Falling Asleep, and is the seat of its main ethnicity's renaissance, the Rilindja (ri-LIND-ya). Its monastery at Gracanica (gra-cha-NEE-tsa) is the main example of one of its religions' Central School of Architecture, a more famous example of which is its Decanski (de-CHAN-ski) Monastery, which was built near a seat of an autocephalous church near Pec (PETS). The lands of that church give the second part of the provincial name of this entity. A large plain near its capital is known as the Field of Blackbirds. For 10 points, name this breakaway republic including the aforementioned cultural center of Prizren with capital Pristina (pri-SHTEE-na).
A: Kosovo-(Metohije)
Q: The Kenilworth Tower is a notable skyscraper in this city whose suburbs include Phelandaba (fe-lan-DA-ba) and Makokoba (ma-ko-KO-ba). Nesbitt Castle is a neo-gothic mansion in this city that was once invaded and burned down by a Satanist cult. Kontuthu Ziyathunqa (kon-TU-thu zee-ya-THOON-ka) is an alternate name of this city which refers to the smoke rising from its coal plant. This city's chief ethnic group was divided into three clans on its Nketa Hill, and may have received its name from the Thabas Indunas of Mzilikazi (m-zi-li-KA-zi), a place of executions. This city's main archaeological site is its Hillside Dams area, and it lies east of the stone city of Khami. This city on the Matsheumlope (ma-chum-LO-pe) river is just north of Matobo National Park, where lies the tomb of Cecil Rhodes. For 10 points, name this capital of Matabeleland (ma-ta-BE-le-land) and the principal city of the northern Ndebele people, Zimbabwe's second largest city.
A: Bulawayo
Q: A presidential palace on this island contains gargoyles depicting its architects and was intended for Sri Lanka, but was instead diverted at Port Said during transport and erected on Snake Hill. Among the seasonal streams on this island, the Kouris is the only one providing enough water for a reservoir; that river reaches the sea adjacent to Cape Gata at the ruins of Curium. Pamboulos (pam-BOO-los) is the highest point on one of its peninsulas, which is defined by the Karpas Mountains and stretches from Cape Plakoti to Cape Andreas. The western extension of that mountain range is the Pentadaktylos (pen-ta-dak-TEE-los). This island's Mesaoria Plain stretches from Morphou Bay to Famagusta (fa-ma-GUS-ta) Bay in its northeast. A king of this island was slain by Ares for challenging Apollo to a singing contest and gives his name to its city of Cinyreia (ki-ni-RA-ya); that king was a consort of a deity born off this island's city of Paphos. For 10 points, name this birthplace of Aphrodite (a-fro-DAI-te), a divided island whose namesake nation has capital at Nicosia.
A: Cyprus or Kibria or Kibris
Q: Though it's not South Africa, one proposed name for this locale was Azania, and it contains the Sudd, one of the largest swamps in the world. This region was almost named Juwama, which is a combination of the names of the three cities Wau, Malakal, and its capital Juba, and its (*) independence was partially brought about by the genocidal actions of the janjaweed. The Darfur region is contained in, for 10 points, what soon-to-be African country that, on July 1st, 2011, will become independent from its northern neighbor, which has capital at Khartoum?
A: Southern Sudan (prompt on Sudan, do not accept North Sudan, prompt on Juwama before mentioned)
Q: This city's Roman ruins advertise to tourists that Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations here when this city was a Roman settlement called Aquincum. Saint Gerard was martyred by being thrown off of the Gellert Hill in this city, which now houses ritzy houses and the citadel. This city's Castle Hill is served by a funicular railway, which leads up from a famous bridge to the thirteenth-century Royal Palace. This city subsumes three islands, Obuda, Csepel, and Margaret. Its name is a portmanteau of the names of a flat city and a hilly city that merged to form this metropolis; its constituent cities are now connected by the Szechenyi Chain Bridge. For 10 points, name this city on the Danube, the capital of Hungary.
A: Budapest [prompt on Buda or Pest before "portmanteau"]
Q: Evidence of this peninsula's first inhabitants is found at the Caves of Akkaya. The ruins of Panticapaion (pan-ti-ka-PAI-on) are found on the southeast side of this peninsula. A former capital city found on this peninsula was known for a slave market at Karasubazar (ka-ra-su-ba-ZAR), and its current capital overprints the ruins of Ak-Mechet on the Salgir River. A manor known as the Swallow's Nest stands on the overhang of a cliffside on this peninsula. Its western extremities are its capes Tarkhankut and Sarych, while its northeastern coast is dominated by the Arabats'ka Spit. This peninsula rises from the brines of the Syvash to its highest point, Mt. Roman-Kosh. Bakchiserai (bak-CHI-sa-rai) was a center of Islamic learning on this peninsula where Vladimir the Great was baptized near the site of its Chersoneses (ker-so-NE-ses) Cathedral. For 10 points, name this peninsula administered from Simferopol (sim-FE-ro-pol) where the longest bridge in Europe spans the Kerch Strait to connect Yalta and Sevastopol with the rest of Russia.
A: Crimean Peninsula or Krymski Poluostrov or Tauric Peninsula
Q: This city is surrounded by the suburbs of Gama and Taguatinga (ta-gua-TIN-ga). The medium's town of Vale do Amanhecer (al-man-YE-ser) is the center of a syncretic millennial movement and is near this city's satellite town of Palanaltina (pa-la-nal-TEE-na). A series of seven pyramids joined to form a cone topped by a massive crystal forms this city's Goodwill Temple. The submerged village of Vila Amaury can be found beneath Lake Paranoa, this city's residential district. A sculpture of Bruno Giorgi known as Meteor adorns the floating gardens of the Itamaraty (i-ta-ma-RA-tee) Palace, a creation of Brule Marx. The form of this city is given by the arc of the Highway Axis and the linear Monumental Axis. Its Praca dos Tres Poderes contains the offices of the Palacio Planalto and the Palacio da Alvarado as well as a set of twin towers flanked by a bowl and dome. For 10 points, name this airplane-shaped planned city of Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer, the capital of Brazil.
A: Brasilia
Q: An international park to the north of this city features the Doline of Death and houses the Fringilla (frin-GI-la) Ornithology Station. This city's Judetten (yu-DE-ten) Church was built shortly after the first city on this site, known as Twangste (TVANG-ste), was razed. Honey Bridge is this city's oldest. Altes Haus preserves items from a culture which once occupied its Amalienau (a-ma-LYE-nau) and Maraunenhof (ma-RA-wen-hof) neighborhoods, whose architecture is recreated at its faux Fisherman's Village. This city on the Sambia Peninsula's fortifications include the Friedland Gate and the Dohna Tower, which houses specimens from its Yantarna Amber Mine. This city features Fort Friedrichsburg, which houses the Museum of World Oceans, and along with a cathedral on Kant Island comprise the remnants of a capital whose bridges over the Pregel River once named a problem from Graph Theory. For 10 points, name this city on the Baltic Sea occupying the former site of Konigsberg, an exclave of Russia.
A: Kaliningrad
Q: A winter ceremony of this people known as Elawatalegi (e-la-wa-ta-LE-gi) involved the use of emetics over running water and tossing tobacco into a sacred fire. The Uku Dance revered leaders of this people who now send representatives to a sitting legislature in the Keeler Complex. A number of these people are buried in McGinnis Cemetery, Illinois, which also names a cutoff associated with them. That route had one end at Webbers Plantation after splitting from the mostly aquatic Deas-Whitely Route at Blythe Ferry. An eastern heritage center is found at Oconaluftee (o-ko-na-LUF-tee) the only remaining one in their original lands, and the heritage villages of Adams Corner and Diligwa (di-LEE-gwa) are administered by a heritage center of these people in Tahlequah, which replaced their former capital of New Echota. For 10 points, name this Native American people removed via the Indian Removal Act by way of the Trail of Tears, the largest recognized US indigenous group with lands in western North Carolina and northeastern Oklahoma.
A: Cherokee or AniTsalagihi Ayeli
Q: The alley Shaar Habarzel (SHAR ha-bar-ZEL) is on the western flank of this location, while the Bab Hatta approaches it from the north. In one interpretation, a name of this place is derived from the tribe that founded the cities of Isin and Larsa and could apply only to Gerizim (ge-ri-ZIM), though most overcome a topographical paradox relating to this place by suggesting a valley north of it was infilled by a king who built the House of the Forest of Lebanon and the House of the Pharaoh's Daughter that once stood there. A defeated king, Ornan, once owned the northern part of this location which overlooks Gihon Springs. The Yeusefiya (yoo-se-FEE-ya) Cemetery is located northeast of this location, and a mosque there which is referred to as "the farthest sanctuary" is governed by an Islamic trust called the Waqf. The road Ophel (o-FEL) ascends to this location that separated the vales of Hagai and Kidron that is now a flatland between Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives. For 10 points, name this mountain associated with Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac which contains the al-Aqsa (al-AK-sa) Mosque and on which the Dome of the Rock was built over the ruins of the second Jewish temple in Jerusalem.
A: Mt. Moriah or Temple Mount or Haram esh-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary or al-Aqsa (before mentioned)
Q: The London Reef protects the northern portion of this area, while its south is part of the Cerro Silva Reserve. Awas and Paiti Pura are lobstering villages associated with this location's Pearl Lagoon, the home of its Rama people. This region, which extends from the Sierra Yolaina in the south to the Laguna de Caratasca (la-GOO-na de ka-ra-TAS-ka) in the north, begins to turn west at Cabo Gracias a Dios, which is the traditional homeland of a mixed race called the Sambu. The Prinzapolka (prin-sa-POL-ka) River reaches the sea in this area whose longest river is the Rio Grande de Matagalpa (rio GRAN-de de ma-ta-GAL-pa). A figure called the Wihta Tara leads a breakaway region centered on a people in this area who mainly speak the Wanki dialect of their language. The departure point of the Bay of Pigs Invasion was at this region's port of Bilwi, also known as Puerto Cabezas. Its main city contains the port of El Bluff and the Malecon de Santa Rosa. For 10 points, name this stretch of coastline featuring the city of Bluefields named for a Latin American people group, not a malaria-spreading insect.
A: Mosquito Coast
Q: The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed in a town named for this man located on the Brazos River. A mountain named for this man can be ascended via the Crawford Path, and has the highest recorded wind speed in America. This man is the namesake of a bridge that links Manhattan to Fort Lee, New Jersey, that was closed by Chris Christie during "Bridgegate." A mountain named for this man is the tallest peak of the White Mountains and the highest point in New Hampshire. His is the leftmost face carved into Mount Rushmore. For 10 points, identify this president, the namesake of a state whose largest city is Seattle.
A: George Washington [or Washington-on-the-Brazos]
Q: This city's Balkan Mile is the center of a large Serbian community in Ottakring. This city's oldest tavern lies in its Fleischmarkt Street, which is its Greek Quarter. A suburb of this city contains the HoHo Tower, the world's tallest wooden skyscraper in the planned community of Aspern. This city's main natural greenbelt is its Lobau Forest. Freyung is one of this city's wealthier gathering spaces. Marcus Aurelius wrote his Meditations while camped at a fortress which now lies beneath this city's Michelenplatz (mi-HEL-en-platz). This city's main park, the Prater, is found beyond its Gurtel road, which encloses the formerly Jewish district of Leopoldstadt. The Ankeruhr Clock presides over this city's central Hoher Markt. This city is enclosed by a road that replaced this city's fortifications, the Ringstrasse (RING-stra-sa), which encloses its Stephan's Cathedral and its central palace, the Hofburg. For 10 points, name this home of Belvedere Palace, the capital of Austria.
A: Vienna
Q: The Doake and Kershaw Rumples are associated with drag on this feature that overlies Thiel Trough. Fletcher and Sky Train rises are found on this entity which is fed through Carlson Inlet. Mt. Austin sits at the head of Gardner Inlet, which is the northwestern limit of this feature. The Scaite and Latady Ranges, part of the Orville Coast, lies directly west of this feature that is interrupted by the Dodson Peninsula. This feature was first named for James Lassiter, while any land beneath it was named for a woman who was abandoned at Stonington Island while her husband explored its outer reaches. Berkner island partially separates this entity from an adjacent feature whose calving destroyed the German Filchner Research Station, which gives its name to an ice-tongue sometimes considered to be part of this feature. For 10 points, name this massive ice shelf that covers a large portion of the Weddell Sea in Lesser Antarctica.
A: Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf
Q: One claimant to this feature posits a relationship of the rocks of its Geofizikov (ge-o-fee-ZEE-kov) Spur to a continental platform. The first of the structural and morphological information of this feature was collected in 1963 when an entity called ARLIS II passed over it. The Marvin Spur parallels this feature on the west, but continues across the Makarov Basin as this feature bulges east, and it also abuts the Podvodnikov (pod-VOD-ni-kov) Basin. Another claimant posits a connection to it passes between the Wandel Sea and Cape Columbia from the Lincoln Shelf. The submersible Mir-II was used to plant a titanium flag on this feature. Seismic activity detected along the Nelson-Gakkel Ridge demonstrated that this western edge of the Amundsen Basin was not part of the mid-ocean ridge system. For 10 points, name this undersea mountain range disputed between Denmark, Canada and Russia that divides the Arctic Ocean into the Eurasian and Amerasian basins, named for a Russian polymath.
A: Lomonosov Ridge
Q: The Barrage Cavagnac is located on this landform and forms the artificial Lake Takerkoust, and this range contains "high" and "middle" subranges and covers Ouarzazate province. The peak Chelia can be found in the Aures Mountains, a subrange of this feature. The Tell Mountains and a region called the Rif are lesser parts of this larger mountain range. Cities in this feature include Tin Mal, and this range contains the peak Jebel Toubkal. It is home to Berbers and is often seen as an extension of the Alps. For 10 points, name this chief mountain range of Northern Africa, named for a mythological titan.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: Astola Island is the largest island off of this region's coastline. Agriculture in this region depends largely on wells dug into underground channels known as karezes, and it raises a type of sorghum known as jowar (jo-WAR). The Rakhshan River disappears into a bowl-shaped depression in this region's center that contains the Kharan Desert. That depression is bounded by the northern Chagai Hills and the Makran Range. Mt. Taftan is the highest point of the westernmost province with this name. A new port built by Chinese engineers in this region is considered the deepest water port in the world, Gwadar. The largest city in the eastern province with this name lies below Bolan Pass, which controls rail access to the sea for Afghanistan, and is the fortified city of Quetta (KWE-ta). For 10 points, name this region of southeastern Iran and southwestern Pakistan that is home to Pakistan's third most widely spoken language.
A: Baluchistan
Q: The Siglitun language, widespread on this body of water in the 18th Century, was long thought extinct until rediscovered at Sachs Harbor in 1980. That language was spoken by two men hanged by the first judiciary established on this body of water at a building known as the Bonehouse, which was located at Pauline Cove on Herschel Island. The wreck of the Investigator is found in Aulavik National Park's Mercy Bay, an extension of M'Clure Strait on this body of water. The only mountains on this body of water are the British and Davidson Ranges, in which rises its nation's oldest river, the Firth, which flows through Ivvavik National Park. This body of water also receives the Anderson River via Liverpool Bay. Prince Patrick Island and Banks Island are found on its eastern shores. This sea meets the Chukchi Sea at Point Barrow. For 10 points, name this sea which receives the Mackenzie River containing the Prudhoe Bay petroleum district and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is located to the north of Alaska.
A: Beaufort Sea
Q: A series of 30 Genoese mansions in this city are known as its Levantines, and are located in its Buca and Bornova districts. Gundogdu Square marks the center of the Kordon Esplanade in this city whose tallest buildings are its Folkart Towers and the Mistral Building. The oldest part of this city lies on the slopes of Mt. Yamanlar in its neighborhood of Tepekule (te-pe-KOO-lay), and a later rebuilding effort of this city centered on Mt. Pagos and included the castle Kadifekale (ka-di-fe-KA-lay). A church in that incarnation of this city was told "be faithful to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life" in Revelation, and St. John's Cathedral in its Kultur district serves its Catholic community. That distict also contains its huge Fuar Alani Cultural Park. The old quarter of this city is its Konak District, which contains an agora restored by Marcus Aurelius, who also noted a mountain over this city which contains the tomb of Tantalus. The Great Fire of 1922 caused a cultural rift with its Greek community. For 10 points, name this large city on the Aegean coast, the third largest in Turkey.
A: Izmir or Smyrna
Q: A prehistoric version of this body of water extended to the sinks of the Djourab (ju-RAB) and drained through the Mayo Kebbi as evidenced by the presence of a species of manatee at its inflows. At the lands of the Babalia people, the channel of the Bahr el-Ghazal empties it into the Soro and Bodele (bo-de-LAY) Depressions. The northeastern reed banks of this body of water are known for trona deposits mined by its Kuri and Buduma peoples, and the Kotoko people fish for its Alestes species using papyrus-based watercraft called kadei at its northern pool. The Yedseram and Ebeji Rivers enter this body of water from the south, and the Komadugu Yobe (ko-ma-DU-goo YO-bay), which enters it from the west, supported the slave-trading city of Ngazargamu (ga-zar-GA-mu), a capital of the Kanem-Bornu system of empires that flourished around this lake. For 10 points, name this lake fed by the Chari-Logone (sha-REE-lo-GO-nay) river system which lends its name to a country with capital N'Djamena (n-ja-ME-na).
A: Lake Chad
Q: Stefan Liess discovered a tripole in the atmosphere above this physiographic region negatively correlating to the southern nodes of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation phenomenon. The ancestral homeland of the Ugric-speaking peoples is in this region centering on the village of Khanti-Mansiysk. A plain known as the Saryarqa (sar-YAR-ka) and the Torghay Plateau bounding this region to the south are classified as steppe, and its northwestern end abuts the Yamal Peninsula. This region's largest population center is the city of Surgut. The autonomous okrug of Yugra is located in the center of this region whose wind pulses are strong predictors of sand storms in the Gobi Desert. Covered by Taiga, the Ob and Irtysh Rivers meet at this region's center. Located north of the population centers of Omsk and Novosibirsk (no-vo-si-BIRSK), For 10 points, name this source of most of Russia's natural gas deposits, a vast flatland region east of the Urals.
A: West Siberian Plain or Zapadno-Sibirskaya Ravnina or West Siberian Taiga (until Taiga is mentioned) Anti-prompt on "Yamalia," "Yugra" or "Khantiya-Mansiya" before stated by asking "What region contains that division"
Q: The Sechelt people give their name to a series of tidal rapids in Skookumchuck Narrows in this body of water, while the Tla Amin band of the Malaspina Peninsula, along with the Klahoose and Sliammon make up the Comox, who created its Great Shell Midden. The Tz'uminus (tsu-MIN-us) people were involved in a recent name change which made this body of water an arm of a larger sea. Water flows into its south through the Haro Strait past Saturna, Galiano and Salt Spring Islands. Glaciers carved its Howe Sound and Jervis Inlets, two of its eastern extensions, and it receives the Nooksack, Toba, and Homathko Rivers. The Johnstone Strait passes through the labyrinthine Gulf Islands to its northwest, and its southern limit is the San Juan Islands, whose city of Friday Harbor is known for its orcas. Bellingham is found on its Boundary Bay, where it meets the 49th parallel. For 10 points, name this arm of the Salish Sea located north of Puget Sound which receives the Frasier River, and separates Vancouver Island from mainland British Columbia.
A: Strait of Georgia (although accept Salish Sea up to the mention of a "larger sea")
Q: The Aravalli Hills bound this ecosystem on the northeast, west of which it grades into the cholistan. Low hills called bhakars are common to this area, and are surrounded by plains of khajri trees. A former maritime extension known as the Rann of Kutch approaches this area from the south, and it includes many playas known locally as dhands such as the Kuragodha. Pokaran is a former nuclear test site in this wilderness area. The Marusthali Region is the driest portion of this desert. The Meherengarh Fortress is located in this desert over its chief settlement of Jodhpur. For 10 points, name this desert on the border of Pakistan and India.
A: Thar Desert or Great Indian Desert
Q: Much of this city's homeless population was settled by the Bagong Lipunan Initiative along its main roadways in the 1970's, and now live in shacks called barong-barongs. This city, which grew from the fortified town of Intramuros, consists of fourteen neighborhoods called bayangays. This city houses its nation's main independent church, the Aglipayan. The marshy delta of the Pampanga bounds this city to the north, and its name derives from a flowering plant that grows along the shores of the Pasig River, to the north of which is found the Malacanyang (ma-la-ka-YANG) Palace of its nation's president. This city's harbor lies on its namesake bay, the site of an 1898 battle, opposite the Bataan Peninsula. For 10 points, name this largest city on the island of Luzon, the capital of the Philippines.
A: Manila
Q: On this province's northern border, the matrilineal Mosuo people dwell around Lugu Lake, which is home to a dying tradition of "walking marriage." An obelisk on the back of a turtle honors the destruction of another of its ethnic states by Genghis Khan, who destroyed a Bai Kingdom that built the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng in its city of Dali. Thirty-four official nationalities are scattered across this province, whose east is a Karst plateau where the Maotao Limestone's erosion created the Shilin, or Stone Forest. A river in this province drains the Meili Snow Mountains through Tiger Leaping Gorge. The Nuchang and Lan Xang (hsang) are the southern and central members of the Three Parallel Rivers region found in its western canyons; downstream they are named the Salween and the Mekong. Bordering Vietnam and Myanmar, For 10 points, name this mountainous province in Southern China with capital Kunming.
A: Yunnan province
Q: This river forms the traditional boundary between the Tuki and Eton peoples, and the Malimba dwell near its mouth. In the lands of the Mbum, the Agoua and Djerem Rivers join to form this river, after which it absorbs the Sese and the Yong at the site of its country's chimpanzee rescue center. Between the barrages of Nachtigal and Song-Loulou, which create its main reservoirs, it receives its most important tributary, theMbam. A bridge over the Dibamba River, which was named similarly to this river's Japoma Bridge, was the subject of much confusion during a World War I invasion. This southwest-flowing river forms the southern boundary of a tropical forest that begins at the Cross River and is named for the Bioko and its region's Atlantic Equatorial forest. Near its mouth it supplies power from a plant at Edea, whose lines reach as far as Douala before entering the Bight of Biafra. For 10 points, name this chief river of Cameroon.
A: Sanaga River
Q: Much of this country's coastal population dwells in Barasti settlements built of interwoven palm fronds, and its city of Karbabad specializes in palm frond basketry. This country contains a 16th Century Portuguese fort that is its nation's namesake Qalat, but its native rulers issued decrees from its Arad Fort. A 'Ghaf tree found near the summit of its highest point, the Mountain of Smoke, may survive by tapping what remains of this country's Dammam Aquifer, and is known as the Tree of Life. A monument in this nation's capital consisted of five hyperbolic pillars topped by a giant pearl, but was destroyed in 2011. The natural gas bearing Hawar Islands were recently awarded to this nation, though its main oilfield, Awali, is rapidly depleting. This nation's airport is in Al-Muharraq, and the King Fahd Causeway connects it to its western neighbor. For 10 points, name this nation in the Persian Gulf with capital Manama.
A: Kingdom of Bahrain or Mamlakat al-Bahrayn
Q: Sun Moon Lake hosts the only remaining community of Thao speakers on this landmass whose other Austronesian languages include Taroko and Atayal. Eluanbi National Park marks the southernmost point of this landmass, on which stands its Dutch Lighthouse. The Koo-p'ing River drains its highlands which are capped by Peaks Hsing-lung and Yu Peak, part of the Chung-Yang Range, which is also drained by its longest river, the Cho-Shui. A people group called the Nanman Fujian migrated to this island before differentiating and fanning out across the South Pacific. Its indigenous Ami People underwent a forced relocation program in the 19th Century, like the Hakka immigrants who were displaced by the Fukien majority of municipalities like Kao-Hsiung. The capital of this island sits in a dry lakebed at the base of the Tatun Volcano, and boasts a namesake "101" tower. For 10 points, name this island governed from 1949 by the Kuomintang from Taipei.
A: Taiwan or Zhonghua Minguo or Republic of China (although do not accept "People's Republic of China or "Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo") or Formosa
Q: This river appears on ancient maps as the Aulon. Its northern course flows through the Hula Valley Nature Preserve, where it receives the Baniyas and Hasbani. Afriqim and Deganya are historic settlements that built irrigation systems on this river. An international peace park called Al-Baqoura is located on this river near its Naharayim (na-ra-ha-YIM) Hydroelectric Plant. This river flows through a terraced badland area known as Ghor, followed by a meandering floodplain called the Zoar. The source of this river whose tributaries are the Jabbok and the Yarmouk, are on Mt. Hermon. A figure once caused an ax head to float on this river; a later one took refuge from stoning at a site now called Wadi Al-Kharrar and formerly called Bethany. For 10 points, name this river that flows mostly below sea level from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, in which Jesus Christ was baptized.
A: Jordan River or Ha-Yarden or Nahr Al-Urdun
Q: The first performance of the Serimpi Dances outside the Royal Kraton of Surakarta occurred in this city's Pasar Melam Besar Festival, which is held in its Malieveld Park, and is now referred to as its Tong Tong Festival. This city's Indian population celebrates Milan Day in its Zuiderpark. Growth in this city's Bomen-en Bloemenbuurt (BO-men-en BLU-men-burt) District and Fruit Quarter has linked its urban development with that of Duindorp and Kijkduin (KEEK-dween). This city's Spui and Princegracht (PRIN-tse-grakt) districts were among the first mercantile districts in Europe. This city's garden district is the Westland. Roger van der Weyden's Lamentation of Christ is found in this city's Mauritshuis (MO-rits-hwees) Museum. The first buildings in this city were built in its Binnenhof district south of an artificial lake called the Hofvijver (HOF-fee-ver), including its Ridderzaal, which hosts its nation's parliament. For 10 points, name this administrative capital of the Netherlands and home to the International Court of Justice.
A: The Hague or s'Gravenhage
Q: The first American incident involving this organism was connected with a cave in the Maramagambo (ma-ra-ma-GAM-bo) Forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park, whose nation had previously experienced an incident at a lead-gold mine in Kamwenge (kam-WEN-gay), and would experience another beginning in Kabale four years later. Two separate incidents following its identification occurred following visits to a salt cave frequented by elephants, Mt. Eglon National Park's Kitum Cave. The longest running outbreak involved its B or Ravn strain, lasted from 1998 to 2000, and took place at a Durba gold mine, while the largest occurred in Angola's Uige province, and killed 227 people. All of the illnesses occurring in its endemic range involved localities involving the Egyptian fruit bat. For 10 points, name this African filovirus, a type of hemorrhagic fever first diagnosed in Green monkeys from Uganda which was named for the German town which experienced its first outbreak in 1967.
A: Marburg Virus
Q: This city's Clara Town slum, also known as its Struggle Community, is flooded for several months of the year, and is home to much of its Kru minority. This city displaced the Dei town of Gawulun on an island later named Bushrod Island, which became home to this city's Vai immigrants. This city's twin diplomatic sectors are at Mamba Point and its neighborhood of Sinkor, many of whose inhabitants inked deals at its Ducor Hotel. The E.J. Royce Tower, though damaged, is still this city's main symbol. The nucleus of this city was named Christopolis, and was located on Providence Island at the mouth of the Mesurado River. The first female president of the UN General Assembly is from this city's suburb of Virginia. A conference in this seat of Montserrado County established the Organization of African Unity. For 10 points, name this city founded by freed American slaves, the capital of Liberia.
A: Monrovia
Q: The Adossa is a violent dancing ceremony celebrated with knives by this country's Semassi warriors. The Akrowa Waterfall is this country's largest, and is located near its western town of Tomagbe. Another waterfall, the Kpime, is located on the northern slopes of its highest point, the Pic d'Agou. The symbols of this country are its layered mud circular Takienta tower houses of the Batammariba (ba-ta-ma-REE-ba) people, part of its Koutammakou (ko-ta-MA-ku) landscape in its Valley of Tamberma. The Fosse aux Lions (fo-SAY aw-le-ON) is a failed national park near its city of Dapaong. Vogan is a lake town in this country known for its Friday fetish market. A former capital of this country is its lagoon town of Aneho, while its current one contains a semicircular skyscraper with two approaching paraboloid gaps in the center that is fronted by a dome, the former headquarters of ECOWAS. For 10 points, name this nation, the home of the Ewe people, with capital Lome.
A: Republic of Togo or Republique Togolaise
Q: Gathering places for these people may be built in the Gedimu or Yihewani style. These people practice a form of education known as Jingtang Jiaoyu. The term Dungan is a Russian reference to these people living in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, while in Myanmar they are referred to as Panthay. The southwestern reaches of the Ordos Desert encompass an autonomous province for this people group. The Manchu mandated a phrase "the emperor, may he live forever" be added to another phrase ending with "most gracious, most merciful" on entrances to their places of worship, including the largest example in Xi'an, which are referred to as "pure truth temples." Mostly living in Ningxia Province and descending from Silk Road traders, For 10 points, name this Chinese nationality consisting of Mandarin speakers who are historical practitioners of Islam.
A: Hui-tsu
Q: This territory's original inhabitants left the rock carvings of Plessis at its Vieux-Habitants (vyoo ha-bi-TANTS). This territory's La Porte d'Enfer is a long lagoon whose entrance features clashing waves. The Pointe des Chateaux is a peninsula that extends to its east, while the Pointe de la Grande Vigie is its northern extremity. Grande Decouverte (de-koo-VERT) and Mt. Sans Toucher give rise to the Moustique (mu-STEEK) and Goyaves (go-YAVS) Rivers in this territory. Its Church of St. Peter and Paul is known as the Iron Cathedral and uses girders rather than buttresses to protect it from hurricanes. A national park contains its Chutes de Carbet, which plunge from the Soufriere (SU-FRER) Volcano. The Salee River and the Large and Small Cul-de-Sac Bays give its main islands a shape which gives it its alternate name, Le Papillon. For 10 points, Marie Galante and La Desirade are the smaller islands of what overseas French department with largest city Pointe-a-Pitre and capital Basse-Terre?
A: Guadeloupe
Q: The El Cristo manganese mine is located in these mountains, and many of its iron mines, including Concordia and Estancia, are located in its Firmeza District on its Baconao Biosphere Reserve. This last home of the ivory-billed woodpecker's northern foothills includes the ridges of Nipe, Sagua and Baracoa, part of a world heritage site which host plantations like San Juan de Escocia and Isabelica, its nation'scafetales. A southern foothill of these mountains contains the seaside castle of San Pedro de la Roca. This source of the Rio Cauto has a prominence which contrasts the Marea del Portillo (ma-RE-ya del por-TRI-yo) with the heights of Pico Suecia and Pico Real. The Vela, Quemado Grande and Dana Mariana ranges compose this home of the first of the escopeteros (e-sko-pe-TE-ros) whose western end can be found at Cape Cruz on Guacanayabo (gwa-ka-na-YA-bo) Bay. Palma de Soriano and Santiago lie at the feet of, For 10 points, what mountains containing Turquino (tur-KEE-no) Peak stretching between Granma and Guantanamo Provinces parallel to the southeastern coast of Cuba?
A: Sierra Maestra
Q: The largest city in this region is located near the base of Chenque Hill. In this region, Mount Chaitlen and the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle lie beside Nahuel Huapi Lake. The Chubut flows through this region, which contains the San Jorge Gulf. Mount FitzRoy is the tallest mountain in this region, which contains the Perito Moreno Glacier in Santa Cruz Province. East of this region lies the lowest point on its continent, the Valdes Peninsula. The Strait of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego lie south of this region, which is itself south of the Pampas. For 10 points, name this region of South America that encompasses Chile and Argentina.
A: Patagonia
Q: The Ilha da Inhaca (EEL-ya da in-YA-ka) opposite this city contains its country's Machangulo (ma-chan-GOO-lo) Nature Reserve. A fort located on its June 25 Plaza contains the tomb of Ngungunhane (n-gun-gun-YA-ne) of Gaza. This city's principal cathedral is its Nossa Senhora da Conceicao (NO-sa sen-YO-ra da kon-say-SOW). This city's train station contains a dome designed by Gustave Eiffel, who also designed an Iron House for a governor of this city. The Infulene (in-fu-LE-ne), Matola and Tembe Rivers drain into the Espirito Santo Estuary near this city that lies opposite of the Cabo da Santa Maria. Africa's longest suspension bridge connects this city to Katembe. A protocol of the African Union on the Charter of Rights of Women in Africa is known as this city's protocol. This city's industry is concentrated in the neighboring city of Matola. For 10 points, name this city on Delagoa Bay formerly known as Lorenco Marques (lo-REN-so MAR-kes), the capital of Mozambique.
A: Maputo
Q: A lake on this peninsula which is alternately called Seal Lake is the source of the name of its indigenous population, a community of which appears in the painting North Hendon. A mission to those people exists at Thom Bay, but is cut off from its main settlement due to west facing escarpments extending from Sagvak Inlet to Lord Lindsay Lake. At its southern end are Pangnikto Lake and Wrottesley Inlet. An explorer was forced to abandon the ship Victory after failing to circumnavigate this peninsula. Because currents in Bellot Strait north of its Murchison Point are too swift, westbound ships must jog north through the Prince Regent Inlet and the Barrow Strait, which surrounds Somerset Island off its northern coast, before entering Larsen Sound to its west. The first location of the geomagnetic north pole was located on this peninsula. For 10 points, name this peninsula responsible for a northern detour of the Northwest Passage west of the Melville Peninsula whose only settlement is the Netsilik community of Taloyoak (ta-lo-YOK).
A: Boothia Peninsula or Kingngailap Nunanga
Q: The Turri is a clock tower in this city that is one of its symbols. It's not San Francisco, but a 1906 earthquake in this city demolished its Edwards Mansion, making way for a cathedral that became the heart of its Almendral district. The El Peral funicular in this city accesses its Cerro Alegre, which contains its Palacio Baburizza (ba-bu-RI-tsa) Museum of Fine Arts. This city's northern twin contains the gardens of the Quinta Vergara. This city's opulent Church of La Matriz was once plundered by Sir Francis Drake. The peninsula of Point Angeles outlines this city's harbor. This city's Cerro Playa Ancha district overlooks multicolored homes on a rolling landscape, one of which is the coral pink and blue mansion La Sebastiana. The dock Muelle Prat (MWE-ye prat) lies on its Plaza Sotomayor and is home to the Martyrs of Iquique (ee-KEE-kay) Monument. This city contains a horseshoe-shaped palace in its neighborhood of El Plan built by Augusto Pinochet. The southern twin of Vina del Mar is, For 10 points, what Chilean port city, its legislative capital?
A: Valparaiso
Q: Pierre Martin Aucher-Eloy completed the first study of the flora of this mountain, which includes its endemic Handel's Alyssum. The Vlach village of Kokkinoplou (ko-KEE-na-plow) stands to its northwest. Sparmous and Kanalon are monasteries associated with this place, while Nazis destroyed another monastery here dedicated to St. Dyonisius. The Makryryma (ma-kri-REE-ma) is the boundary between this feature and the massif of the Voulgara, and the Ziliana Gorge separates its upper and lower slopes, which are surrounded by a chaparral foreland known as the Xirokampi (ze-ro-KAM-pi). The Megala Kazania (me-GA-la ka-za-NEE-ya) is an amphitheater within the spine of Skolio on this feature's south. Kisszavos (ki-SA-vos) and Pilios are among its 52 pinnacleswhich are found in the Kamvounia (kam-voo-NEE-ya) Range, one of which contain a chapel of Elijah the Prophet, and whose highest example is the Mytikas. For 10 points, name this peak on the border of Thessaly and Macedonia, the highest point in Greece and the home of its pantheon.
A: Mt. Olympus
Q: This feature is administered by rangers of the Yuku, Baja and Muliku peoples, who run a rescue operation for species within it based at Archer Point. Periodic discharges from the Yabulu Tailings Dam release nitrates into this feature, and the Ok Tedi Mine, which drains into the Fly River, is commonly accused of damaging it. A creature known as the crown of thorns is a major invasive species of this feature found on the windward edge of Hinchinbrook and Whitsunday Islands. Capricorn and Frasier are outlying examples of this feature's component substructures. Much of the research on this feature is completed on Heron Island, which lies near its southernmost terminus of Lady Elliott Island, and it extends north to Bramble Cay on the Torres Strait, which has seen severe bleaching. For 10 points, name this feature of the southwestern edge of the Coral Sea composed of bryozoans, algae and calcareous remains of polyp skeletons.
A: Great Barrier Reef
Q: A mural painted on the rock of Pita in this valley depicting its native Guanahatabeyes (gwa-na-ta-BE-yes) people in stages of its evolution is the Mural of Prehistory of Leovigildo Gonzales Morillo (le-o-vi-HIL-do gon-ZA-les mo-RI-yo). The Alturas de Pizarras del Sur provide much of this valley's topographic variability, which includes Dos Hermanos, and its El Palenque (el pa-LEN-kay) Cimarron is found above the El Miguel Cave. Another cave system, the Santo Tomas, is its nation's longest, and possibly the longest in Latin America, though most people visit its Cueva del Indio on the San Vicente River. This valley lends its name to a style of music named for the folklore of its field workers and is best represented by the likes of Benito Hernandez Cabrera. The Caiguanabo (kai-gua-NA-bo) River flows through this valley, part of the Sierra de los Organos, home to the Portales Cave once occupied by Che Guevara. For 10 points, name this tobacco-farming valley known for karst towers known as mogotes, located in Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba.
A: Vinales Valley
Q: The "little" region of this name reaches into the Cenkovska (chen-KOV-ska) forest-steppe in the north and to Lake Neusiedl (NOY-zee-dl) to the west. A type of isolated farm typical of this region is the tanyak. Among the local summits in this landscape are the sand ridge of the Illacs (IL-ach), which is broken by Lead Mountain, and Hoportyo, its highest point. The Matyo people are native to this area which contains the Little Sarret in the south and the Bacskai (BACH-kai) Plains in the north. Non-developed parts of this region are known as the puszta (PUS-ta) and are characteristic of Hortobagy (HOR-to-baj) National Park. The west part of this region is the wind-blown loess plain of the Kiskunsag centering on Kecskemet (KECH-ke-meit), while the east extends to the Apuseni range, is cut by the Koros and Maros Rivers, and centers on Debrecen (de-BRE-sen). For 10 points, name this vast grassy plain in the Pannonian Basin divided by the Tisza (TI-sa) River and located east of the Danube that makes up the dominant landscape of Hungary.
A: the Alfold (prompt on "Magyar Plain" or "Hungarian Plain")
Q: The northwestern edge of this body of water is noted for the massive basaltic cliffs of Gaseland and is named for a captain of the La Liloise who vanished while trying to map it; a later expedition of Georg Amdrup found its Nansen and Kivioq Inlets as well as Sokongen Island. The opposing side contains the hexagonally jointed Cliffs of Lodrangar, said to be an Elven chapel. The Irminger Current skirts the southern portion of this channel. Its narrowest point is between Cape Tupinier on the Blosseville Coast and the peninsulas of the Hornstrandir. The Prinz Eugen destroyed the HMS Hood in this channel in a battle also involving the Bismarck. The westward sloping bottom of this body of water contains an aquatic sill that promotes formation of North Atlantic Deep Water, and is thus the beginning of the Global Thermohaline Conveyor and the site of the world's largest submarine waterfall. The island of Jan Mayen lies northeast of, For 10 points, what strait that separates Iceland and Greenland, named for a country?
A: Denmark Strait or Danmarksstrædet or Grænlandssund (until "named for a country")
Q: This province contains the aspen forests of the Thickwood Heights, part of a glacial landscape which also includes the tills of the Wapawekka (wa-pa-WE-ka) Plateau and the interglacial ridges of the Pasquia Hills, which are so kerogen-rich they occasionally catch fire due to lightning strikes. The gold-bearing Cypress Hills in its south are the only landform that escaped glaciation. A people group whose name means "cookers with hot stones" was centered in this province, which also names a tributary of a river that elicited the inquiry "who calls?" due to its propensity to murmur names. That legend of that river, which emerges from Elbow Lake, is recounted by a poem of Emily Johnson in the "Legend of the Qu'Appelle (kwa-PEL) Valley." Lac La Ronge (la-RONJ) overflows into the Churchill River in this province. Another river, whose north and south branches merge in this province, means "swift running river," and flows through Prince Albert. Its capital is found east of the city of Moose Jaw. For 10 points, name this wheat-growing Canadian province with capital Regina.
A: Saskatchewan
Q: The arquebus factories operating on the northern edge of this body of water influenced a medieval general to relocate there after abandoning Odani, building a castle that was later dismantled to build an identical one at Hikone on its eastern edge. A mountaintop near this body of water contains a temple associated with the merger of the Tendai branch of Buddhism with a figure known as the Mountain King, Sanno. That temple is Enryaku (en-RYA-ku) on Mount Hiei, below which the city of Takashima (ta-ka-SHI-ma) contains Shirahige (shi-ra-HEE-gay) Shrine, home to a floating tori gate. The Yodo River drains this body of water from the south, where it is crossed by the Rainbow Toll Bridge, ending at the city of Otsu. For 10 points, name this reservoir for nearby Kyoto, the largest lake in Japan, which is named for a type of lute.
A: Lake Biwa-ko
Q: The high-altitude biomes of these mountains include the Espeletia (es-pe-LE-ti-ya) cushion bogs, as well as the frailejones (fray-le-HO-nes), and the Terepaima (te-re-PAI-ma) cloud forest is located at its northern tip. The first appearance of the Virgin of Coromoto occurred in a canyon in these mountains. Its foothills contain the Dry Valleys of Quibor (KEY-bor), the beneficiary of an irrigation project beginning in Yacambu National Park. The Mifafi Valley and the moorland of the Mucubaji (moo-koo-ba-HEE), as well as the Pico Piedras Blancas are part of its lower Sierra de la Culata, while the higher southern Sierra Nevada portion contains its only remaining glacier, the Humboldt. This northeast trending mountain range, which begins at the Cojedes (ko-HE-des) River and ends at the Tachira (ta-CHEE-ra) Depression, forms the boundary of the states of Portuguesa and Trujillo and ends near Barquisimeto (bar-kee-si-ME-to), east of which the Costa Range begins. For 10 points, Bolivar Peak is located above the namesake town of what northernmost extension of the Andes in Venezuela?
A: the Cordillera de Merida (prompt on "Andes")
Q: A failure of this river's Zeyzoun Dam killed 22 people in 2002, and deprived its fertile floodplain, the Ghab, of much of its irrigation. Part of this river is named for an orphan martyr who was stabbed in the stomach by a trident and traveled around with a lion; coincidentally the name of this river means "lion" in a local extinct language. That saint was St. Mammes of Caesarea, whose monastery is found on the shores of this river. In another language, this river means "insubordinate," a reference to the fact that, unlike the Litani, it flows north from its spring of Ain ez Zarqa. The Afrin and Karasu are the chief tributaries of this river, which flows out of the Beqaa Valley at Qattinah (ka-TEE-na) Lake, which is also known as Lake Homs. This river reaches the sea near Samandag after flowing through its namesake gorge and the ancient city of Antioch. For 10 points, name this chief river of Syria.
A: Orontes River or Asi River
Q: The uplift of these mountains destroyed the ancient lake Obweruka (ob-we-ROO-ka). Routes through these mountains include the Bamwanjara (bam-wan-JA-ra) and Scott Elliott Passes. The Amba and Konjo people raise bananas on the east side of these mountains. Alternating rulers abolish or restore a kingdom that contains these mountains known as the Kingdom of Toro. The Semliki River eventually absorbs rivers that carve the canyons which dissect this range, and its Kilembe copper and cobalt mines are supplied via hydroelectricity from its Mubuku River. Mounts Gessi and Luigi di Savoia are two of its lesser peaks named by an expedition who named its highest peak for the queen of Italy. For 10 points, name this mountain range that extends from Lake Edward to Lake Albert, called the "Mountains of the Moon" by Ptolemy, a source of the Nile which contains Mt. Margherita as part of Mt. Stanley, the tallest peak in Uganda.
A: Ruwenzori Mountains or Mountains of the Moon before mentioned
Q: This body of water has long been a place of exile, as its port of Panderma was a refuge following the Circassian (kir-KA-sian) genocide, an island called Henna Island within it sheltered a large Armenian population, and a large Jewish population dwelled at Burgazada until World War II. Another island in this body of water houses the Halki Seminary, its nation's only Orthodox theological institution. A kingdom on its south shore was once destroyed when a storm on it caused Cyzicus to mistake a retreating force for Pelasgians. Later, Panegorus took the town of Priapus at its junction with a river that flows into it, beginning a battle in which Spithridates (spi-thri-DAY-teez) was slain by Cleitus, saving the life of Alexander the Great. That river, the Granicus, meets it west of the Kapıdagı Peninsula near a group of islands noted for marble quarries used by Justinian to build the Hagia Sophia. An earthquake beneath this sea destroyed the city of Izmit in 1999. For 10 points, name this Turkish sea located between the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.
A: Sea of Marmara
Q: It's not in the Appalachians, but as its two progenitors merge, this feature's eastern trajectory is influenced by the Mitchell Escarpment. This feature encounters an upward deflection east of Cape Romain while crossing the Blake Plateau which creates eddies known as its "Charlestons," which are also influenced by its crossing of the Western Boundary Undercurrent. Above the Libbey Deep, this final leg of the Global Thermohaline Conveyor splits east to form the West Wind Drift after encountering the Grand Banks. Timothy Folger produced the first map of this feature as an answer to a query of Benjamin Franklin involving why westbound ships departing from Falmouth lacked an advantage over those leaving London. This watercourse separates the Sargasso Sea from the Cold Wall of waters influenced by the counterflow of the Labrador Current. For 10 points, name this Atlantic warm water current famously depicted by Winslow Homer which is responsible for the relatively milder temperatures of Iceland.
A: Gulf Stream
Q: The ancestors of one people group now living on this body of water revered a sacred site at Zalavruga (za-la-VROO-ga), which contains a rock art panel depicting several swan and moose-headed beings. A group of islands in this body of water contains a network of stone labyrinths and mounds, many of which are found on Grand Zayatski. A monk beset by a storm while crossing it founded the Krestny Monastery and its Church of the Exultation after praying to the Holy Cross on Kiy Island. Later, a monastery in its Solovetski (so-lo-VYET-ski) Archipelago became the first labor camp in the Gulag. This body of water fills the Graben of Kerets, and the steep cliffs of its Kandalaksha (kan-da-LAK-sha) Gulf are bounded by fault scarps, while the low and marshy Bay of Mezen is an eastern extension found adjacent to the Gorlo Strait. A canal which departs this sea at Onega Bay connects Petrozavodsk (pe-tro-za-VODSK) to its chief port, which contains the St. Michael Monastery. For 10 points, name this sea located between the Kanin and Kola Peninsulas which receives the Northern Dvina River at its port of Archangelsk (ar-kan-GELSK).
A: White Sea or Byeli Mor or Serako Yam or Vienanmeri
Q: A notable cliff carving on this landmass is Yeh Pulu, which depicts a man's hand being bitten by a boar, and it also contains the Goa Gajah cavern, which contains carvings attributed to the giant Kebo Iwa, which is entered through the mouth of a demon and located in its ancient capital of Bedulu. Villages on this island are divided into kaja and kelod ends, and each have temples dedicated to the puseh, or origins, the desa, and the dalem, dedicated to the dead. The main temple on this island is Pura Besakih on its highest point, the volcano Gunung Agung. Most of this island's cultural festivals take place in its central city of Ubud, which is home to its Legong dance stages. This island's Hindu culture dates to the 9th Century. For 10 points, name this island, the westernmost in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago, whose largest city is Denpasar.
A: Bali
Q: The Marte Gomez Dam lies on a river in this state. Its El Cielo Biosphere Reserve is its nation's northernmost cloud forest, and its cenote El Zacaton near Aldama is the deepest sinkhole in the world. Its mountainous south contains the Sierra El Pinal, La Gloria, and its highest point in the Pedragoso Sierra. The Cerro El Bernal is the mountain featured on its coat of arms. The massive Laguna Madre is found on its coast. El Sabinito Ruin and Balcon de Montezuma are two of the Huastec settlements of its Soto La Marina river valley, considered the northern limit of Mesoamerican architecture. The Guayalejo (gwa-ya-LE-ho) River forms the southern boundary of this state, whose port of Tampico is often compared to New Orleans due to its wrought ironwork balconies. For 10 points, name this Mexican state with capital Ciudad Victoria, whose cities of Reynosa and Matamoros (ma-ta-MO-ros) lie across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas.
A: Tamaulipas
Q: A notable firefly sanctuary in this state's village of Nanacamilpa (na-na-ca-MIL-pa) is part of the Forest of Santa Clara. An archaeological site in this state contains the Spiral Pyramid, and another includes massive pictographs known as the Battle Mural and the Scorpion Man, part of the Venus Temple. A city in this state associated with a codex of the Otoni people celebrates the "Night When No One Sleeps," which is dedicated to the building of a 4-mile-long carpet made of sawdust and flowers, followed by a corrida in which bulls are released from two directions. In addition to Cacaxtla (ka-KAX-tla) and Huamantla (wa-MAN-tla), it contains a target city of the pilgrimage of the Virgin of Ocatlan (o-ka-TLAN), a satellite of its capital which sits below the volcano La Malinche, and is also named for Xicohtencatl (si-koh-TEN-ca-tl) For 10 points, name this smallest Mexican state whose indigenous population was once victims of the Aztec Flower Wars which is now surrounded by the states of Hidalgo and Puebla.
A: Tlaxcala
Q: A linguist exploring canyons in this territory's upper Rubas and Chirakh-nir basins claimed its Tabasaran speakers had the empirical maximum number of noun cases, with as many as 52, though a language of the Tsunta district known as Tsez could have more according to his classification. This territory's native Jewish population, the Juhuri, dates from the 5th Century BC, but has been emigrating in record numbers. In its south, the swift rapids of its Sulak and Samur Rivers create deep gorges which are framed by the Gimrinsky and Andysky-Salatau (an-DI-ski SA-la-tau) Ranges. This territory's many towers include its Naryn-Kala fortress and the Cala Koreish, its first mosque, on a fortified peak. In the north of this territory, the Kuma and Terek Rivers enclose the flatlands of the Nogay Steppe near the sandy Agrakhan Peninsula. The Dargwa language is spoken along its coast, on which Alexander's Wall blocks the Iron Gate near the city of Derbent. For 10 points, name this autonomous republic whose more common tongues are Lezghi and Avar located in the northeastern Caucasus Mountains on the Caspian Sea whose capital is Makhachkala.
A: Dagestan
Q: Speculation that the water table in this ecological region derives from a comet impact stems from a large circular depression found northwest of its town of Uchkuduk (OOCH-ku-dook). Another of its depressions is the Jurakuduk (ju-RA-ku-dook), which contains a dinosaur quarry. The center of this desert contains the Muruntau Goldfield. Its northwest is severely weathered into takyrs, while its salty soils form extensive playas known as solonchak. Cliffs known as chinks overlook this desert from the westerly Ust-Yurt Plateau. A miscalculation in the rainfall of this desert resulted in the creation of its Aydar Lake while diverting one of its principal rivers. The Karakalpak (ka-ra-KAL-pak) Autonomous Republic is located in this desert. For 10 points, name this desert located between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya Rivers whose name means "Red Sands" in Kazakh.
A: Kyzyl Kum Desert (prompt on "Transoxiana" or the "Doab" until "desert"; prompt on "Steppe," etc)
Q: This river was a trade artery for the Panche and Yarigui, as well as a people who refer to it as the Yuma. A section of rapids called the "straits of" this river are found near its source between the peaks of Coconuco and Azucar and the totems of San Agustin. One of its canyons is the Barranca Bermeja (ba-RAN-ka ber-ME-ha), which ends as it absorbs the Sogamoso. This river flows to the east of the Sierra San Lucas at a town claimed to be the "glory" of its nation's first president. That town, whose easternmost street is a dike on this river, is Santa Cruz de Mompox. At La Dorada it forms the eastern boundary of the department of Calda. Its nation's northern wetlands are formed by its absorption of the Cesar, Cauca and San Jorge Rivers. After passing the El Quimbo (el KEEM-bo) Dam, the Honda Rapids interrupt a long navigable portion of this river between Neiva and its mouth, the Bocas de Ceniza, which must be dredged to provide access to Barranquilla (ba-ran-KEE-ya). For 10 points, name this river, a central feature of The General in His Labyrinth, Colombia's main waterway.
A: Magdalena River
Q: The serial killer Edgar Cooke was the last man executed in a prison in this metropolis that incarcerated many of its indigenous Noongar People at Round House tower before sending them to Rottnest Island. Yet another former prison in this city is now a museum which uses the epithet Boola Bardip. Stirling Gardens surrounds a tower in this city that contains the original 50 bells of St. Martin in the Fields. This city's heavy industry is concentrated in its suburbs of Kwinana and Welshpool. Cottesloe Beach is this city's best-known strand, and to the east, this city is bounded by the Darling Escarpment. The Coolgardie Gold Rush swelled the population of this city, after which its port cities of Bunbury and Fremantle were founded. This city on the Swan Estuary is the most isolated state capital in the world. For 10 points, what is this metropolis named for a city on the Firth of Tay, the capital of Western Australia?
A: Perth (accept Fremantle before the Round House Tower clue)
Q: This city's industry was built combining quarries of Conasauga (ko-na-SAW-ga) Limestone with products of mines such as the Wenonah, Ishkooda and Ruffner Mines and those of the Cahaba Coalfields. Some of those mines delivered their products to foundries like this city's Ensley and Sloss furnaces. That industry in this city is celebrated by a statue created by Giuseppe Moretti which faces Jones Valley from Red Mountain. This city's suburbs of Bluff Park and Vestavia Hills were swelled by an exodus of its wealthier residents following the results of a campaign in which figures lodging at this city's A.G. Gaston Hotel directed a children's crusade focused on Kelly Ingram Park. One of those leaders wrote a famous letter from a jail in this city with the exhortation "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." For 10 points, name this former steelmaking city in Jefferson County known for its Civil Rights National Monument which contains the 16th Street Baptist Church, the largest city in Alabama.
A: Birmingham, Alabama
Q: Ptolemy referred to this place as the Comedae. Xenoliths recovered from fold-and-thrust belts in this place are the deepest sampled from a convergent province. The Shughni people inhabit dry valleys which radiate from this feature. The only east-west pass across the Sarykol Range, which bounds this area to the east, is the Kulma Pass. Several mountain ranges named for this feature are found around Lake Zorkul, on the Gunt River, and around the town of Murghab, one of which has a name meaning the "onion range," and another of which is the Taghdumbash. Its center is a downwarp characterized by several overlapping fans; that center is the Trans-Alai geologic province, which features its massive Fedchenko Glacier. The Panj and Vakhsh Rivers drain the ranges that are associated with this feature centered in the Gorno-Badakhshan (GOR-no ba-DAK-shan) Autonomous Oblast of Tajikistan. For 10 points, name this orogenic node at the convergence of the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Tien Shan Ranges that contains Soviet mountaineering targets formerly named Lenin Peak and Karl Marx Peak, whose name refers to a glacier-carved U-shaped valley.
A: Pamir Knot or Rishta Kohoyi Pomir or Congling
Q: This mountain's local ethnic name, Kumbu Karna, means "the giant." Nagasthang is a satellite peak of this mountain whose northern abutment is the high wall of the Chomo Lonzo Ridge. A saddle east of that ridge connects to Kangchungtse, this mountain's main satellite peak. Base camp for this mountain is located at Langmale. A glacial valley beginning at the foot of this pyramidal mountain forms a national park with nearby Barun Valley. Jean Couzy and Lionel Teray were the first to climb this peak, from which Sir Edmund Hillary had to be evacuated, eventually leading to the end of his climbing career. Following the international border to the northwest of this mountain leads to the summit of Lhotse. In India this peak is called the "Big Black" and is named in deference to Shiva. For 10 points, name this fifth highest mountain in the world located 15 miles southeast of Mt. Everest.
A: Mt. Makalu
Q: The Bangr Weogo Park is a marsh found to the northeast of this city known as the "forest of knowledge" to its native people. A statue of a woman using a calabash to pour water stands outside this city's train station. Dibdolobsom (dib-do-LOB-som) Avenue in this city is the center of its artisanal market. Canals separate this city's industrial zones of Kalghodin from its center, which is situated south of three dams. Dyula and Fulfulde are this city's minority native languages. A festival in this city which takes place at 7AM on Fridays involves a figure who first appears on a horse dressed in red, but returns dressed in white following an oath of allegiance and a cannon blast. That figure, The Moro-Naba, is a traditional king based in this center of Kadiogo (ka-JO-go) Province which also contains the Kosyam Palace, the home of its nation's president. For 10 points, name this largest city of the Mossi people and capital of Burkina Faso.
A: Ouagadougou
Q: One of this river's tributaries supports the Cattle of Calvana. In a festival occurring along this river, the Madonna del Morbo is transferred to the Church of St. Mark and Lawrence. The town that celebrates that festival also contains a Camaldoli monastery and the Guidi Castle that overlook this river's valley. The Imperial Canal drains the Bientine (bi-yen-TEE-nay) Lake via a tunnel that passes beneath this river. The Val di Chiana (val di KYA-na) was once a marsh on this river that has now been diverted into another basin. The Bisenzio reaches this river at San Piero a Ponti. This river's lower course includes the gorge of Golfolina (gol-fo-LEE-na) and its confluence with the Pesa, Elsa and Era, and it rises on Monte Falterona (fal-te-RO-na). This river flows south through the dry lakebed of the Casentino before bending west at Arezzo. For 10 points, name this river that empties into the Ligurian Sea beyond Pisa after flowing beneath the Ponte Vecchio (PON-te VE-kyo) in Florence, the chief river of Tuscany.
A: Arno River
Q: The Anangu people were displaced to the Yalata Reserve on this body of water due to atomic testing on their ancestral lands. Another people who revered the rocks of Murphy's Haystacks overlooking Baird Bay may have been murdered in an alleged massacre at the overlooking Cliffs of Waterloo. The Tchalangaby (cha-LANG-a-bee) Sand Hills are found on this body of water. The Fitzgerald River is the main fresh water source on the shores of this body of water, which it meets it at Doubtful Island Bay. Right whale calving grounds are found off Cape Ann near its Recherche (re-SHER-she) Archipelago; those whales may also be seen south of the Bunda Cliffs, and have seen a resurgence from whalers at stations like Coffin Bay. Its ports of Albany and Esperance were the targets of a 19th century gold rush. Much of the shores of this body of water consist of the Nullarbor Plain, which terminates at sea cliffs known as its "head," and its coast stretches from Cape Pasley to Cape Catastrophe on the Eyre Peninsula. For 10 points, name this bight located on its continent's south coast.
A: Great Australian Bight
Q: A people living on the shores of this body of water were known for applying ash from the funerary pyres of war enemies to spear points, a tactic last used against the Kaniagmiut (ka-nyag-MYUT). One of its eastern extensions is the maze of inlets known as Intricate Bay, while its easternmost extension is defined by Triangle, Flat and Porcupine Islands. This body of water, which receives the Tuxedni Glacier, forms part of an ethno-linguistic divide between an indigenous people of Kakhonak Bay and Pedro Bay and a people that inhabit its outlet community of Igiugik (ig-yu-GIK). The Rainbow and Newhalen Rivers flow into this home of freshwater seals, and it also supports a sockeye salmon run beginning in the Kvichak River that passes through it on the way to Lake Clark. A large white sturgeon and a Pacific sleeper shark are suggested to explain a creature called the Jigiknak (ji-GIK-nak) by the Aleut, which is said by the Tanaina people to bite holes in kayaks that ply the waters of this lake. For 10 points, name this third largest lake entirely within the United States located at the base of the Alaska Peninsula.
A: Lake Iliamna
Q: The braided, mangrove-dominated channels of this river form grassy islets known as banto faros, and its lower course receives marshy creeks like the Bintang Bolon. One of this river's upper tributaries protects the giant derby eland as it joins it in Niokolo-Koba (nyo-KO-lo KO-ba) National Park, while the Sandougou (san-DU-gu) joins this river between Bansang and Diabugu (ja-BOO-goo). This river flows past the massive Wassu Stone Circles north of Kuntaur. Baboon Island is the access point for this river's namesake national park west of Jangjang Bureh. The former Courland colony of James Island houses a slave-trading fort in this river, which shipped one slave on the Lord Ligonier from Jufureh to Annapolis; that island is now named for that slave, Kunta Kinteh. The Albert Market and the Quadrangle lie opposite MacCarthy Square on a capital city on this river. For 10 points, name this river of west Africa which defines a nation of the Mandinka people with capital Banjul.
A: Gambia River
Q: The waterfall Cachoera da Farofa (ka-CHWE-ra da fa-RO-fa) and the gorge Canion da Bandeirinha (KAN-yon da ban-dei-REEN-ya) are found in a national park in this state. The infertile take part in a pilgrimage to the gold, red and blue church Nossa Senhora do O in its town of Sabara. Another of its churches, the Basilica do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos (bom je-SUS de ma-to-SEEN-yos) in Congonhas (kon-GON-yas) houses a collection of twelve sculptures called The Prophets. This state's Espinhaco (es-pin-YA-so) Mountains give rise to the east-flowing Jequitinhonha (je-ki-tin-YON-ya) and Doce Rivers, which along with the Paraopeba (pa-rao-PE-ba), were declared "dead rivers" in 2017 due to dam collapses at Brumadinho (bru-ma-DEEN-yo) and Mariama. The peak Itatiaia (i-ta-TYA-ya) in its southwest is a noted source of tourmaline and aquamarine. The Sao Francisco River runs through a rift valley on its western border. A train called "Maria Fumaca" (ma-RI-ya fu-MA-sa) connects its town of Tiradentes with Ouro Preto. For 10 points, name this Brazilian state with capital Belo Horizonte (BAY-lo o-ri-ZON-te)
A: Minas Gerais
Q: A minority Balamon Hindu population in this city once carried a lion from its Mariamman Temple through its streets during the festival of Aadi. That temple was built by its Tamil population, which also built the Jamail mosque, which serves a Malaysian and Indonesian population. This city's Khmer (KMAI) community, which calls it Prey Nokor, centers on the Chantaransey (chan-ta-RAN-sey) Temple. This city's wealth is concentrated around the Starlight Bridge in its District 7. The Carlos Zapata designed Bitexco Financial Tower was built in the shape of a lotus bulb in this city. Its tallest skyscraper is Landmark 81, found on its Golden River. A native temple in this city contains an altarpiece beneath the Left Eye of God and features Victor Hugo. Another temple in this city contains the slender yellow Xa Loi Pagoda, and was the focus of dissent against a figure whose Norodom Palace was destroyed in an assassination attempt, after which the Independence Palace, later the Reunification Palace, was built by Ngo Vinh Diem. For 10 points, name this large city in South Vietnam named for a prominent Communist patriot.
A: Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon
Q: This state's Bosque Redondo Reservation was the destination of the Long Walk of the Navajo, and it contains most of the Staked Plain. This state's Edwards Plateau is located in its Hill Country, and this state's largest city is located on Buffalo Bayou. This state contains the Eastern portion of the Permian Basin as well as the Nueces and (*) Brazos Rivers, and its "panhandle" contains the cities of Amarillo and Lubbock. Big Bend National Park is located along the Rio Grande in this state. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Houston, Dallas and its capital, Austin.
A: Texas
Q: The Celtic goddess Adsullata (ad-su-YA-ta) was adopted by the Romans as this river, the first of the three rivers represented by a fountain of Francesco Robba in the square Mestni Trg. This river's longest fork originates in the Zelinci (ze-LIN-tsi) Pools. The Krsko (KURSH-ko) Nuclear Power Plant uses this river for coolant at the Vrhovo (vur-HO-vo) Dam, after which it forms a border at the confluence with the Sutla. Near one of its population centers it enters into the gravel pit wetlands of the Jarun (YA-run) and Bundek where a flood relief canal connects it to the Odra. This river's confluence with the Kupa is the limit of its navigability at Sisak, and it follows a second boundary as it receives the Una. This river encounters the Obedska Bara wetlands before passing the Kalmegdan Fortress and after flowing through Vukovar. For 10 points, name this river that receives the Bosna and Drina, flows through Ljubljana (lyub-LYA-na) and Zagreb, and forms the border of Croatia and Bosnia.
A: Sava River
Q: Tayo is a creole spoken on New Caledonia by immigrants from this territory, who now vastly outnumber the population of their homeland. A penitential form of the Morris dance called the 'eke was created following an axe murder that took place on one of these islands. Rhinoceros beetles decimated the coconut crop of one of these islands in the 1930s, beginning a mass exodus. Sikaiana in the Solomon Islands was settled by emigrants from one of these islands. The Cathedral of Poi commemorates the only Catholic saint from Polynesia on one of these islands, St. Pierre Chanel (san-PEER sha-NEL). This department's only seaway is the Sain Channel in the Horne Islands, which also includes Alofi, in the western section of this department, while the island of Uvea and its associated islets are part of the eastern group. For 10 points, name this French overseas collective consisting of two island groups in the South Pacific with capital Mata'Utu.
A: Wallis and Futuna
Q: The Old Malmok Lighthouse is a ruin on this island's north shore. Gotomeer (go-to-MAIR) Lagoon and the Kaminda Lac support this island's flocks of flamingos, which are reflected by a pink terminal at an airport serving it. Ceru Pungi (SE-ru PUN-gi) and Onira are caves on this island which exibit cave paintings of the Caquieto (ka-KYE-to) people. Branderis is the highest point on this island, a xeriscape which included the Blue Pan whose halite was once mined and stored at Mangazina de Rei (man-ga-ZEE-na de RAY). That site is now protected by its Washington-Slaagbai National Park, and this island now evaporates its salt from the artificial lagoon of the Pekelmeer (PE-kel-mair). Unlike islands to its east and west, this Papiamento-speaking island forms a special municipality along with St. Eustatius and Saba. Fort Orange guards this island's capital. For 10 points, name this arid coral island belonging to the Netherlands, the "B" in the "ABC" Island Chain, whose capital is Kralendijk (KRAIL-en-daik).
A: Bonaire
Q: Guns, Germs and Steel was written in regard to a question posed by a leader of one of these entities, one of which is based at Auki in the province of Malaita. Karkar Island was home to a pre-World War II example of these groups whose leader correctly predicted the bombing of Madang. An earlier example was based at Valala and was first described as "the madness." The Rai Coast Development Agency became one of these entities after the Australian government rebuffed a proposal of Yali. The best known of these entities believes in a being believed to reside in the fires of the Yasur Volcano, follows the kastom tradition, and lives on Tanna in Vanuatu. For 10 points, name these religious entities exemplified by the John Frum movement involved in the building of airstrips and harbors in anticipation of advanced goods, mainly based in the South Pacific.
A: Cargo Cults
Q: The coastline of this city is noted for underwater sea caves so large they could be used by submarines, and a mountain that stands over this city contains an underground hospital that was accessible by Soviet submersibles. This city's Derbe Quartier, a notorious red-light district during the cold war, was once its Jewish quarter. This city was founded between the western Phoenician settlement of Madagh (ma-DA) Cove and the Roman port of Portus Divini (POR-tus di-WI-nee). The castle of Santa Cruz commands this city's western Djebel Mudjadjo (je-BEL mu-JA-jo) Plateau, part of its Spanish District, and a mosque with an octagonal minaret, the Pacha Mosque, is found in its Turkish district of La Blanca. Its district of Sidi al-Houari (SI-di al-WA-ri) is anchored by its Chateau Neuf (SHA-to NOOF), the palace of its former Bey. The oil and gas port Arzew serves this city, which hosts the largest company in Africa in its suburb of Bir El-Djir, the state oil company Sonatrach. Its western port, Mers el-Kebir, saw the destruction by Winston Churchill of the French fleet two years before a plague in this city became the subject of an Albert Camus novel. For 10 points, name this second largest port city in Algeria, located between Tlemcen and Algiers.
A: Oran
Q: The main promontory on this city's meandering river is known as its Altmuenster (ALT-moin-ster) Plateau. A sculptor who refused to produce Aryan-supremacist art works was imprisoned in this city's Abbaye de Neumunster (a-BAY de NOI-mun-ster). This city on the Rham Plateau is defended by Park Redoubt, which was reinforced by a castle called Fort Thungen, and another fortress around which this city was developed was built on its Bock Cliff. This city's Cathedral of Notre Dame contains the tomb of John the Blind of Bohemia, and a cemetery 4 miles east of this city contains the graves of Edward Betts and George Patton. A building in this city overlooking the winding gorges of the Alzette and Petrusse Rivers replaced the European Atomic Energy Commission, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community following the Treaty of Rome. For 10 points, name this seat of the European Court of Justice and capital of a namesake nation in the Benelux.
A: Luxembourg City or Letzeburg
Q: The direct descendants of this city's founders live in a district whose name means "enclosure of the guardian of the cornfields." That district of Bosa is this city's most economically disadvantaged. This city's Usme district lies on the terminal moraine of a glacier that carved the Tunjuelo (tun-WE-lo) Valley. The moorland of the Sumapaz, the largest moor in the world, lies south of this city. The foundation site of this city is in dispute, as some claim the site of a former indigenous capital, Thybzaca (thib-SA-ka), and others the Chorro de Quevedo. The Colpatria Tower is the second tallest skyscraper in this city. The Tequendama Falls are located southwest of this city. The eastern Cerro de Monserrate towers over this city whose Plaza de Santander serves as capital of Cundinamarca district. Its Catedral Primada contains the grave of its founder Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada. This city's center, which contains the Teatro Colon, is La Candelaria and centers on its Plaza Bolivar. For 10 points, name this home of the presidential Casa Narino, the capital of Colombia.
A: Bogota
Q: This country's Nettilling Lake is the world's largest lake on an island. Mount Lucania is in this country's portion of the Saint Elias range, which were seen by Vitus Bering. This country with the fourth-highest land area has a grand majority of its population in its south. A traveler can leave this country by crossing the (*) Ambassador Bridge at Windsor, or the Thousand Islands Bridge over the Saint Lawrence River. For 10 points-name this country whose provinces include New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, the latter of which borders North Dakota.
A: Canada
Q: One subrange of this mountain range contains Mount Roosevelt, Mount Churchill, and Dieppe Mountain, and another subrange contains the Liard River and Muncho Lake. This mountain range contains the Battle of Britain Range and the Terminal Range as well as the sources of the Athabasca and Kicking Horse Rivers in Jasper and Yoho National Parks. In this range, the Royal Gorge cuts through Fremont Peak, and the Jackson and Blackfoot Glaciers are in this mountain range's Glacier National Park. The Teton range of this mountain range lies north of the state which contains this range's Mt. Elbert and Pike's Peak. For 10 points, name this largest mountain range in Western North America.
A: Rocky Mountains [or Rockies; accept Canadian Rockies before "Fremont Peak"; accept Muskwa Ranges before "Athabasca"; accept Battle of Britain Range before "Liard River"]
Q: One archipelago off the coast of this country contains the islands of Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inishear. This country's mountain ranges include the excellently named MacGillycuddy's Reeks as well as the Wicklow Mountains. This country's Connemara region is known for its wild horses, and this country's indigenous language is most widely spoken in its (*) Aran Islands. This country's Shannon Airport is located in its County Clare, and its major cities include Cork and Galway. This country's indigenous language is official in its Gaeltacht, and it is the only country to have a land border with Great Britain. For 10 points, name this Western European country with its capital at Dublin.
A: Republic of Ireland [do not accept Northern Ireland]
Q: One poet from this country wrote "Sea Time, Land Time" and "Book of Ask", both of which helped make him the most recent winner of the Bialik Prize. Another wrote At the Handles of the Lock and The Bridal Canopy on his way to the 1966 Nobel Prize, and literary journals in this country include Ha'adamah and Ma'abarot. For 10 points, what is this country, the home of (*) S.Y. Agnon and Mordechai Geldman, many of whose authors wrote in both Yiddish and Hebrew?
A: Israel
Q: A president of this country noted for his short stature established a system of national parks such as Monts de Cristal that eventually grew to encompass over 10% of its land area. Most of this country's population lives along its Ogowe River, and this country contains a natural nuclear fission reactor at Oklo. This country was ruled for over 40 years by Omar (*) Bongo, and its smaller cities include Franceville and Port-Gentil. This country and Cameroon completely surround Equatorial Guinea. For 10 points, name this African country with its capital at Libreville.
A: Gabon
Q: The Turquoise Hill mine was developed to exploit this region's gold and copper deposits. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program is meant to curb the expansion of this region. The Greater Khingan Mountains form this area's eastern border, and a 1920 expedition into this desert's (*) Nemegt Basin was the first to discover dinosaur eggs. This region is bordered by the Mu Us Desert to the South and the Dzungarian Basin to the West. The Tian Shan mountains separate this region from the Tarim Basin and the Taklamakan Desert, and the Altai mountains lie to its north. For 10 points, name this desert this covers much of northwest China and parts of Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert [prompt on "The Steppe" or "Northern China" or "Inner Mongolia"]
Q: An island chain in this body of water contains the deepest underwater sinkhole in the world, the origin of a mythical golden cudgel which could elongate and fly named "as-you-will." Navigators negotiating this body of water must beware of the Vereker Banks and the Pygmy and Walker shoals, part of its Macclesfield Bank. Its formation involved a rifting event affecting a submarine plateau that includes the Reed Bank known as the Dangerous Ground. The Anambas Islands are the southwestern boundary of this body of water, beyond which is the Natuna Sea. The Rajang, Pampanga and Jiulong Rivers flow into this body of water as does a river whose delta is part of its "Cochin" coast, whose people refer to it as the Champa Sea. Mischief Reef and Fiery Cross Reef are the center of a military buildup occurring in this sea north of a "nine-dash line." For 10 points, name this sea whose northwestern arms are the Tonkin Gulf and the Gulf of Thailand, which receives the Mekong, and whose Paracel and Spratly Islands are claimed by the namesake nation to its north.
A: South China Sea or Nan Hai or Bien Đong or West Philippine Sea or Dagat Timog Tsina or Laut China Selatan
Q: The chromite-rich Tiebaghi (tee-BA-hi) Massif is also a source of this metal, and other mines in its source location include the Nepuoi, Goro and Etoile du Nord. Weathering of the ultrabasic Mt. Humboldt Plateau serpentines has enriched this commodity within a saprolite zone, whose presence is indicated by a leach cap of iron-bearing Terre Rouge. Hydroelectric plants at Yate and Neaoua (NYOW-a) provide most of the electricity for that source, 75% of which goes to the extraction of this commodity. An industry surrounding this commodity has socially stratified rural parts of its island source, whose cultures have dropped their kanak roots and adopted the caldoche way of life, and by the 1920s Asian migrants brought in to work the mines outnumbered cultures like the Xaracu (sha-RA-ku) and Ningone. This metal is refined from garnierite at a foundry near Noumea (nu-MAY-a). For 10 points, name this metal, one fourth of whose world budget is mined from laterite deposits on New Caledonia.
A: Nickel
Q: This city lies at the northwestern end of their native people's namesake Triangle, whose eastern end is defined by the N'Zi River. A recent leader of that people group, whose name refers to a child sacrifice made while crossing the Comoe River, is depicted in stained glass in this city ascending to heaven alongside Jesus Christ. A palace in this city is known for a population of sacred crocodiles which inhabit the crescent-shaped Cayman Lake, but which often escape to devour local children. This city's commune was carved out of a district named in part for another lake created by the Kossou Dam. This Baoule [bow-LAY)-speaking city was formerly named for N'Go, an aunt of its namesake who saved a French governor from a revolt of the Akoue People. Local Iroko wood was chosen for the roughly 7,000 pews found in a place of worship designed by Pierre Fakhoury in this city that is now the largest basilica in the world. For 10 points, name this city known for the Basilica of Notre Dame de Paix, the capital of Cote d'Ivoire.
A: Yamoussoukro
Q: The extreme south end of this landscape is now protected by Bandingalo (ban-din-GA-lo) National Park. The Anyuak people, fleeing genocide in the Gambela, have come into conflict with this area's native population. A type of antelope called the lechwe is native to this region which is sacred to its Shilluk Community. Shambe Island is a game reserve in this region which forms at Mongalla and ends at the inflow of the Sobat above Malakal. Most of this region is protected by the Ez Zeraf Reserve. Lake No is found just north of this region which is divided by grass rivers like the Sea of Gazelles and the Sea of Giraffes. Plans for the completion of the Junqali canal across this region was scrapped due to a civil war. South-marching praetorians abandoned orders from Nero and turned back after encountering this landscape. The Al-Jabal (al-ja-BAL) River loses half of its water to evaporation as it crosses this papyrus and hyacinth sink of Unity and Jonglei Provinces which is inhabited by the Nuer people. For 10 points, name this giant wetland drained by the White Nile in South Sudan.
A: Al Sudd
Q: The name of this desert is shared by the dominant language of the Maha people of its western reaches, while the eastern Halenga and Arteiga people are found in is eastern uplands. The Medemia Palm is endemic to oases in this desert. The ghost harbor of Suakin is found on an island off its eastern coast. An ancient temple complex in this desert watched over by a cobra-shaped pinnacle with a crownlike tip is the Jebel Barkhal of Karima. A boundary in its north between the Beja and Ababda spheres of influence is the origin of the dispute over the Halaib Triangle. That dispute also created its terra nullis of Bir Tawil. The ancient kingdom of Wawat was a part of this desert which begins at the Wadi Halfa south of Lake Nasser. For 10 points, name this desert containing the cities of Napata and Meroe located between the second and sixth cataracts of the Nile and the Red Sea Hills, named for an ancient empire south of Egypt.
A: Nubian Desert
Q: The Zana Valley in this department contains its continent's oldest canals, which date to 5,000BC, and which were presumably built by the ancestors of the Chumy near present day Chiclayos. Another culture built its funerary enclosures of the Ventanillos de Otuzco (ven-ta-NEE-yos de o-TUZ-ko). The Chancaybanos (chan-kay-BAN-yos) Preserve protects a series of warm springs in this department. Its center contains the Acunta Plateau and the city of Chota. The light blue Church of the Holy Virgin of Carmen is located in its city of Celendin. Its lowlands protect the cloud forest of the Cordillera de Tarros (kor-di-YE-ra de TA-ros) in Cutervo National Park, its nation's first. Its capital was revitalized after a silver mine opened at Hualgayoc (WAL-ga-yok) following a steep decline after a figure returning from a victory at Quito (KEY-to) was garroted following a forced conversion to Christianity. For 10 points, name this department of Peru whose capital contains the Cuarto del Rescate, which was filled with gold to ransom Atahualpa (a-ta-WAL-pa).
A: Cajamarca
Q: An indigenous population based on this peninsula dwells at a shoreline they refer to as Gnoozhekaaning (gnoo-zhe-KA-ning), or the Place of the Pike. That shoreline is found on a bay that shares its name with a river on this peninsula said to pass "to the waters of Pauwating" that was cleared with the aid of Kwasind and traversed in a vessel made using the quills of Kagh the Hedgehog. That river is home to a pair of brown waterfalls known for their high concentrations of tannic acid on this peninsula. An immigrant population that began settling on this peninsula with the founding of Herman in Baraga County runs a successor university to Work People's College. The Keweenaw (KEE-we-naw) Peninsula is a northern extension of this larger peninsula, and it contains its state's highest point, Mt. Arvon. Containing the aforementioned Tahquamennon (ta-kwa-ME-non) River and beginning north of the Menominee River (me-NO-me-nee), For 10 points, name this peninsula, home to large Chippewa and Finnish communities as well as the cities of Houghton and Sault Ste. Marie, connected with its larger southern neighbor by the Mackinac Bridge.
A: Upper Peninsula of Michigan or UP of Michigan
Q: It's not honey, but a type of this food called Kasseri is a key ingredient in the cuisine of the Turkish province of Kars. In addition to eggs, Georgia's national dish of khachapuri ["kah-cha-puhr-ee"] consists of bread filled with this food. A Sardinian variety of this food contains live maggots and is named casu marzu. ["kay-suh mar-suh"] One type of this food popular in the Indian subcontinent is (*) paneer. ["puh-neer"] The enzyme rennet is used in the production of this food. Feta is a Greek variety of this food, whose other variations include Stilton and Roquefort. For 10 points, name this dairy product whose types include Swiss, mozzarella, and cheddar.
A: cheese
Q: The Qetaifan Islands are located in this country's planned community of Lusail. This country's tallest building, the Aspire Tower, is located in the West Bay Lagoon district of this country's capital city. The western part of this country is home to its oil-rich region of Dukhan. Until its resolution in 2001, this country and an island country to its north disputed the (*) Hawar Islands. The Al-Thani family rules this country, which is set to host the 2022 World Cup. This country's capital is home to the headquarters of the Al Jazeera Media Network. For 10 points, name this country in the Persian Gulf, with capital Doha.
A: Qatar [or State of Qatar]
Q: The Saramacca Canal irrigates this city's Beekhuizen (BEEK-hoi-zen) plantation resort, whose owners freed slaves that eventually settled in its District F, or Frimongron. This city's neighborhood of Blauwgrond is home to a large Javanese community, and its Arya Dewaker Temple serves its Hindu population, many of whom live in Tammenga. Keizerstaat Mosque is adjacent to the Neveh Shalom Synagogue in this city, and yet another religious structure is its Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, the largest wooden structure in the Western Hemisphere. This city gets its electricity from the Afobaka Dam on a river that begins in von Blommestein Lake. This city, whose Independence Square on the Garden of Palms hosts frequent competitions among its residents' owners of whistling birds, contains the architecturally unique De Waag building, a customs house protected by Fort Zeeland, once an outpost of the Dutch West India Company. For 10 points, name this capital of Suriname.
A: Paramaribo
Q: It's not on an island, but Wrac'h and Ildut are prominent examples of a type of fjord found in this region known as an aber. Apothecary Cave is a sea cave on an island off the coast of this region which is known for clifftop headlands such as Raz and Pen-Hir. This region's town of Argol contains a statue of Gradlon, who ruled a city traditionally placed in this region's Bay of Douarnenez (dwar-ne-NAY), the Ker Y's, which is part of the Sea of Iroise. The basin of the Aulne separates the Aree and Noire Mountains in this region that is part of the Armorica Massif. The Gallo dialect is spoken in the eastern portion of this region. A series of canvases by Monet depicts sea stacks in this region, the Aiguilles de Port Coton. Locmariaquer (lok-ma-RI-a-ker) is a collection of stone monuments in this region's department of Morbihan. For 10 points, name this region containing the ruins of Carnac and the ports of St-Malo and Brest which is governed from its capital of Rennes on a French peninsula noted for its strong Celtic identity.
A: Brittany or Bretagne or Breizh or Bertaeyn or Lesser Britain
Q: Cities on this island include Balikpapan and Banjarmasin, and this island home to the Muller Mountains is directly south of a group called the Spratley Islands. One part of this island is ruled by the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and this island is home to Mt. Kinabalu. Two regions on this island are Sabah and Sarawak, and its largest portion is known as Kalimantan. Separated by the Makassar Strait from Sulawesi, it is located north of the Java Sea and follows New Guinea as the largest island in its archipelago. For 10 points, name this island shared between Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
A: Borneo
Q: This city's water supply begins with the Zongo and Tuni glaciers. The Miradores of Laikakota (lai-ka-KO-ta) and Killi Killi (KI-yi KI-yi) overlook this city's skyline. Business in this city slows down for its hour of Akullicu (a-ku-YI-ku) practiced by its indigenous population. This city's colorful Sopocachi (so-po-KA-chi) Market is located near its Parque Monticulo (PAR-kay mon-TI-ku-lo). Calle Jaen (KA-ye HA-en) is the only remnant of its colonial district. A plateau above this city juxtaposes its wealthy La Ceja (la SE-ha) neighborhood with the adjacent adobe-brick slums of El Alto. This city's Roosevelt Central Park is bisected by the Choqueyapu (cho-ke-YA-poo) River, which later flows through its country's Valley of the Moon. Its extremely steep Calle Sagarnaga (KA-ye sa-GAR-na-ga) contains a marketplace patrolled by Aymara seers known as yatiri, the witches' market. The Plaza Murillo (PLA-za mu-RI-yo) is the center of its government and contains its country's "Burnt Palace." For 10 points, name this highest capital city in the world, the administrative capital of Bolivia.
A: La Paz
Q: A dam in this city's Medeo Gorge saved it from a catastrophic mudslide in 1973. The Kok Tobe Hill provides a panorama of this city. A fortress known as Zailiyskoye (zai-LEESK-o-ye) was founded on the site of a previous city with this name. That earlier city, which was destroyed by the Mongols, was known for its wild apple trees, and this city's name means "father of apples." Turan University is found in this city whose artistic quarter is concentrated along its Zhibek Zholy, and the Green Bazaar is this city's main marketplace. Panfilov Park contains this city's yellow-spired Zenkov Cathedral, which is the second largest wooden building in the world. This city's population grew most rapidly after its republic's capital was transferred from Kyzyl Ordu. For 10 points, name this largest city and former capital of Kazakhstan.
A: Almaty [or Alma Ata]
Q: These islands were first mentioned as populated by the Irish monk Dicuilus. Mitochondrial DNA traces most of their settlers to a Celtic population, and they were known as Na Scigiri in Gaelic. In times of famine, the only source of food in these islands was located between the villages of Lopra and Sumba and consisted of bird eggs collected by rappelling down the steep slope of the sea cliff Beinisvorð (BAY-nis-vorth). The world's largest storm petrel colony is located on another sea cliff in Nolsøy in this territory. A popular photography location in this territory is the half-pyramid Tindholmur, a view of which from Sølvag was painted by an artist of several "Whale Killing" scenes, Samuel Joensens-Mikines (JOIN-sens-mi-KI-nes), which takes place on the island of Vagar. The Tinganes Peninsula hosts the nucleus of a city in this dependency which includes the Skansin Fort and the church Havnarkirkja (HAV-nar-kir-kya), which stands over the multicolored Undir Bryggjubakka (OON-dir BRIG-yu-ba-ka) wharf buildings, and a parliament, the Løgting. For 10 points, name these islands located between Iceland and the Orkney Islands administered by Denmark from Torshavn.
A: Faeroe Islands
Q: This mountain range is home to the threatened spectacled bear, and large silver mines were found near this range's city of Potosi. The farthest point on the surface from Earth's center is this range's Chimborazo. Its highest peak is (*) Aconcagua, and it is home to Lake Titicaca. Cities in this mountain range include Sucre, La Paz, and Quito. For 10 points, name this mountain range along the Western coast of South America.
A: the Andes
Q: This river divides Minneapolis and St. Paul. In 1927, this river's flood was the worst in US history, causing a system of levees to be built that was the world's longest. Nicknamed the "Big Muddy", this river serves as part of the border between (*) Louisiana and its namesake state. For 10 points, name this river that, with the Missouri, makes up the longest river system in the United States.
A: Mississippi River
Q: An endonym for this island originates from a salt-lick on a tributary of the Ulian River which was mined by its Ati population. Those people celebrate the Binirayan (bi-ni-RAY-an) Festival on this island which they call Simsiman, and play a part in a controversial work of historiography that also includes the Romance of Sumakwel and Kapinangan (ka-pi-NAN-gan), the Maragtas of Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro. Bugtong Bato is a seven-tiered waterfall on the west coast of this island. The east of this island contains the karst topography of the Bulabong Puti-An national park. A home on this island, the Casa Mariquit (ma-ri-KEET) is noted for being a diplomatic center, and received Hirohito and Lyndon Johnson. That city also contains a church with a double-pyramid that served its Kinaray population as a fortress against Islamic raiders, the Miagao. The Hiligaynon (hee-lee-GAY-non) people form the plurality among this island's people groups. For 10 points, name this westernmost island of the Visayan Archipelago located across the Guimaras Strait from Negros, a triangular mountainous island of the central Philippines containing the cities of Roxas and Iloilo.
A: Panay
Q: Warning, two answers required. Volcanic eruptions on these two islands are believed to be controllable with magic crowns called makhota, which are topped with cassowary feathers and housed in palaces called keratins. The southeasternmost of these islands harvests its principal crop from the slopes of the strato-cone of Api Kiematubu (A-pee kee-ma-TOO-boo); the other boasts a crater lake called Tolire Besar that is full of crocodiles and that is dominated by the active Api Gamalama (A-pee ga-ma-LA-ma). Benteng Tohula, a Spanish fort, guards the capital city of the smaller island, Soasio, while the larger of these islands lost its hegemony only in 2008 when a regional capital was relocated to Sofifi, though its port of Bastiong is still the transportation center for the Halmahera (hal-ma-HE-ra) region since the Portuguese arrived. For 10 points, name these two islands in the Moluccas whose dueling sultanates supplied most of the cloves later traded by the Dutch East India Company.
A: Ternate and Tidore
Q: An early culture in this nation carved its Odalmelech (o-dal-ME-lech) Stone Faces. A group of erect basalts known as the Badrulchau (ba-DRUL-chau) Monoliths are believed to have supported a giant "bai" or meeting house for a thousand men. Sonsorol and Tobian are dialects of a language spoken in the southwest of this country that is believed to be native to Ulithi. The Ngkesol Passage is a safe route around this nation's massive coral reef, which encloses a system of 300 coral rock islands that are undercut at sea level and connected to brackish lakes by subterranean passages, one of which is its famous "Jellyfish Lake." This nation moved its congress to a site called Ngerelmud (n-ger-el-MOOD) following the collapse of a bridge in 1996. That congress is the Olbiil Era Kelulau. An American invasion reached this island at Peleliu in World War II. For 10 points, name this nation which moved its capital to Babelthuap Island, from Koror to Melekeok, in 2006.
A: Palau
Q: This city was built on the lands of the Ngunnawal (GUN-a-wal) People on four plains, including the Limestone Plain and the Gininderra (gin-in-DE-ra) Plain. A garden in this city was based on the Keukenhof (KOI-ken-hof) Gardens in the Netherlands and celebrates the largest wildflower festival in its hemisphere. The building of Scrivener dam in this city created its Jerrabomberra Wetlands. Telstra Tower is located on the summit of this city's Black Mountain, and this city's circular layout is best viewed from Mt. Ainslie. Wildfires, including a rare fire tornado, damaged this city's suburbs of Weston Creek and Tuggeranong (tug-GER-a-nong) in 2003, and its Mt. Stromlo Stellar Observatory has only partially been restored. This city's most famous residence is the Yarralumla (ya-ra-LOOM-la). This city is located along the Molonglo River on a lake named for its architect, Lake Burley-Griffin. For 10 points, name this capital of Australia.
A: Canberra
Q: Bougna, a dish consisting of seafood and taro wrapped in banana leaves, is consumed by this country's Kanak people. CSG is a prominent rocket launch site located in this country's city of Kourou. Tourists can live in overwater bungalows while visiting an island in this country's Society Islands, (*) Bora Bora. Noumea is the capital of this country's collectivity of New Caledonia. One region belonging to this country lies just east of Suriname and north of Brazil; that region is this country's namesake "Guiana." For 10 points, name this Western European country that governs many overseas departments and collectivities from Paris.
A: France [prompt on New Caledonia; French Guiana; and French Polynesia before they are read with "What country does it belong to?"]
Q: Nazi Germany claimed a portion of this region and called it New Swabia. This region also contains Enderby Land and the Ellsworth Mountains. Its Lake Vanda serves as the mouth of the Onyx River, and its Palmer Land borders the Belingshausen Sea. This region's Ross Island is home to McMurdo (*) Station and Mount Erebus. This region's highest point, Vinson Massif, lies on the Ronne Ice Shelf, which borders the Weddell Sea. Lake Vostok lies in this region, parts of which are claimed by seven different countries and which borders all the oceans except the Arctic. For 10 points, name this southernmost continent where one can find penguins and the South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: This state contains the southern part of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and the western part of Dinosaur National Monument, and a white-and-pink coiling sculpture jutting out from a lake in this state is Spiral Jetty. Hoodoos are found in a national park in this state, whose largest river flows past the city of (*) Moab before receiving the Green River. Its highest point, Kings Peak, is located in this state's Uinta Mountains. The Bonneville Salt Flats can be found in this state, which lies northwest of the Four Corners. Its cities include Ogden and Provo, and it contains Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. For 10 points, name this state east of Nevada, with capital at Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: This language was the basis of the Javindo creole spoken on Java and is a source of the Sranan Tongo spoken in Suriname. Its dialects include Gronings and Zeelandic, and the Afrikaans language evolved from it. Words originating in this language include Yankee, (*) Wildebeest, knapsack, and bazooka. The Van Dale dictionary catalogs this language sometimes said to bridge English and German. For 10 points-name this language spoken in The Netherlands.
A: Dutch language (accept Nederlands before "Netherlands", then prompt)
Q: William Holman Bentley wrote "Pioneering on" this river during time as a missionary in its basin. The Inga-Shaba project transferred power generated from damming this river. It is known as the Lualaba River upstream of the Boyoma Falls, which were formerly called Stanley Falls, and this river reaches the (*) Atlantic Ocean at Moanda. In the 17th century many called it the Zaire River, and the cities of Kinshasa and Brazzaville lie on its banks. For 10 points-name this river of Central Africa that appears in the names of two countries.
A: Congo River (accept Pioneering on the Congo)
Q: A national park in this state is named for the author of The Yearling, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Part of this state's northern border is along the St. Mary's River. Another national park in this state contains the Western Hemisphere's largest masonry structure, Fort Jefferson. Since 1565, this state's European settlement of Saint Augustine has been continuously occupied. This state, home to Dry Tortugas National Park, is also home to an 885-square-mile city on its eastern coast and to a freshwater lake, Okeechobee. For 10 points, name this state home to Jacksonville, the Everglades, and Walt Disney World.
A: Florida <MHH>
Q: This country contains the eastern half of the region of Makran, and its city of Quetta lies southeast of the Bolan Pass. This country is home to the Pothohar Plateau, which lies north of the Salt Range and contains the cities of Jhelum and Attock. The Baltoro Glacier is located in its province of Gilgit-Baltistan, while its southwest is dominated by Balochistan Province. Its city of (*) Peshawar lies southeast of the Khyber Pass, while its city of Lahore lies west of the Thar Desert and is the capital of Punjab Province. K2 lies on its border with China, and its city of Karachi lies on the Arabian Sea near the mouth of the Indus River. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Islamabad.
A: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Q: Gausolen is this city's primary wetland area. The bridge of Gamle Bybbro (GAM-lay BEE-bro) leads to its Kristiansten Fort, which was used as a prison during one occupation of this city, and its Munkholmen (MUNK-hol-men) is a former execution grounds on an island across from its seafood market, Ravenkloa (RA-ven-kla-wa). The main harbor of this city is at Brattora. A statue in this city's Torvet Square depicts its founder astride a slave who assassinated a former ruler. This largely wooden city has burned and been rebuilt 15 times since the 16th Century, and the Erkebispegarden (er-ke-BIS-pe-gar-den) and Stiftsgarden are its largest wooden structures. This former city of Kaupangr (kaw-PAN-gur), the trade rival of Bergen, contains the grave of a king whose body was miraculously preserved following the battle of Stiklestad (STI-kle-stad), St. Olaf. For 10 points, name this city on the Nidelva River that is home to Nidaros Cathedral, the home of the original Kongsgard, the traditional site of coronation of Norwegian royalty.
A: Trondheim
Q: The southeastern border of this body of water is theorized to be a remnant of a crater and is called the Nastapoka Arc. Located west of the Ungava Peninsula, this body of water is home to the Belcher Islands and is known for its low salinity. One city located on this body of water is called the "Polar Bear Capital of the World," and the Arctic Bridge is a proposed sea route linking Russia and that city of Churchill. It contains an offshoot called James Bay and is surrounded by the Canadian Shield. For 10 points, identify this large body of water bordered by Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba which takes its name from the English explorer Henry.
A: Hudson Bay
Q: U Pass provides a route around the northeastern spur of this mountain, while Negrotto Pass is a gap in this mountain's south ridge. The popular southeast route accessing this peak passes formations known as House's Chimney and the Black Pyramid. A rare respite occurs at the Abruzzi Ridge, after which climbers face a narrow path known as the Bottleneck. A tributary of the Baltoro Glacier is considered this mountain's base, which is accessed via a trailhead at Askole. Alison Hargreaves and Julie Tullis perished on this mountain, giving rise to a namesake "curse" which supposedly affected female climbers. Kanchenjunga (kan-chen-JUN-ga) is the only mountain to claim more lives than this peak which is found in northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GIL-git BAL-ti-stan) Province at the intersection of the Kunlun Shan and Karakoram Ranges. For 10 points, name this peak on the border of China and Pakistan, the second highest in the world.
A: K2 or Mt. Godwin Austen or Qoghri Feng
Q: This body of water is bounded on the south by the Taman peninsula, which features many mud volcanoes. In classical antiquity, this body of water was known as Lake Maeotis, and it was called the Sea of Surozh by medieval Russians. Its average depth is only 23 feet, making it the shallowest sea in the world. Major rivers that flow into this body of water include the Kuban and the Don. The city of Mariupol in Ukraine is the most populous city located on this body of water. For 10 points, name this arm of the Black Sea that borders the Crimean peninsula.
A: Sea of Azov
Q: The ruined site of Kandapurpura (kan-da-pur-PU-ra) is found northwest of this city. Like its nation's capital, this city contains a sizeable French quarter that extends along the south bank of its main river. Sebastian Vauban constructed defensive ramparts in this city which is served by the port of Chan May and is located on a river which enters via the Luong Quan Plains, passes its Ngoc Tran Temple, and enters the Thuan An estuary. The Ngo Mon Gate leads to its Imperial Enclosure, the Forbidden Purple City on the Perfume River. For 10 points, name this city which contains the Dai Noi citadel which lost its administrative status as capital of Vietnam's Nguyen (NWAY-en) Dynasty to Saigon in 1949.
A: Hue
Q: The first significant settlement on the upper reaches of this river is a city of the Bani and Guarequena people, while its plains support the Curripaco (ku-ri-PA-ko) and the Piapoco. Those plains also support an Andalusia-based cattle culture which is older than that of the gauchos. This river flows generally west from its source near Delgado Chalbaud in the Parima Highlands, and forms the southern border of Yapacana National Park. As it receives the Guyapo and Cuchivero (ku-chi-VE-ro), it flows north in a wide arc around the Sierra Maigualida (SYE-ra mai-gwa-LEE-da), and flows over the Ature Rapids to end its upper section. In the country of the Pume it turns eastward after joining the waters of the Apure and enters the land of the Warao, receiving the Caroni from Guri Reservoir above its wide delta, the Amacuro, which contains the Boca del Serpiente and the Boca Grande. For 10 points, name this river that supports the settlements of Ciudad Guyana and Ciudad Bolivar, the chief river of Venezuela.
A: Orinoco River
Q: The Morne Bonin Dome has developed in the wake of the event in which these features were formed, which was predated by the buildup of the Fond Deux Composite Cone. The neighborhood of Belle Vue encompasses the northernmost of these formations, while the Anse Ivrogne is located to the south of the larger southern one. The Malgretoute (MAL-gre-toot) Ridge just east of these features hosts Sulfur Springs, which bills itself as a "drive-in" volcano, and is part of the Qualibou Caldera. The tallest one is its nation's second largest peak after Mt. Gimie. Mitan serves as a connecting ridge between them; that ridge stands over Jalousie Beach on its island's west coast. For 10 points, name these two volcanic plugs located between Choiseul and Soufriere which are featured on the flag of their nation, St. Lucia.
A: Gros and Petit Pitons (Greater and Lesser Pitons individually, collectively accept Grand Pitons)
Q: An eight-sided object involved at a ceremony that takes place at this complex once blinded a soldier trying to force open a box containing it. Another is a replica of an object found in the fourth tail of an eight headed serpent. The only original item used in that ceremony is likely a Gogok jewel imported from Silla. Three paintings housed in this complex depict a lion dancer, and red and white camellias. Disasters affecting this structure included two conflagrations, one of which, the Meireki Fire destroyed a dungeon which cleared the way for the Tokagakudo [to-ka-ga-KU-do] Music Hall, and the other that consumed the former military residence of the Nishinomaru [ni-shi-no-MA-ru]. Those structures are now encompassed by its East Gardens. The main building in this complex replaced a structure built by Ota Dokan, is accessed by the Sheimon Ishibashi [ee-shi-BA-shi] Bridge and is the Kyuden Palace, though its garden of Fukiage [foo-ki-YA-ge] houses its principal residence. Located at the center of the Chiyoda Ward of its host city, this is, For 10 points, what home of Naruhito in Tokyo?
A: The Imperial Palace of Tokyo or Kokyo
Q: The Abronigales are abandoned tunnels beneath this city that provided its water until construction of the El Atazar Dam on the Lozoya River. Another tunnel beneath this city also contains an abandoned subway station, the Chamberi. This city's Tanner's Alley contains the street market El Rastro. This city's largest private art collection houses Degas's The Green Dancer and is its Thyssen-Bornemisza (THEE-sen bor-ne-MEE-sa) museum. This city's archaeologists saved the Temple of Debod from inundation by Lake Nasser, and it now stands in its Parque Montana. This city's Moncloa-Aravaca district contains its Casa del Campo and its main green space hosts its Zarzuela Palace. The Sierra de Guadarrama (wa-da-RA-ma) north of this city contains the spring of the Manzanares, this city's main watercourse. For 10 points, name this city where the Puerta de Alcala on the Gran Via leads to the Plaza de Independencia, organized around the Plaza Mayor, the home of the Prado and capital of Spain.
A: Madrid
Q: This structure contains the courtyards Kpododji (kpo-DO-ji) and Jalalahenou (ja-la-la-HE-nu). Each building at this site is associated with a spirit-hut known as the Djexo (JEX-ho). A strong tornado damaged this structure's Assins Room and Jewel Room in 1984, and a fire in 2009 took the Adoxo of Agonglo. This site is protected by a moat of spiny acacia trees and built of laterite cob walls. The Akuehue (a-KWAY-way) was a two-story gated structure at this site known as its cowrie house. A series of bas-reliefs from this place include the sword Goubassa and the "jar of unity," which has become its nation's symbol. Part of the current capital of the department of Zou, this site contains the palaces of Glele and Ghezo, the remnants of a structure said to be built "on the belly of Dan" by the Fon people which was burned by Behanzin. For 10 points, name this complex located to the north of Cotonou, the power seat of the kings of Dahomey located in Benin.
A: Royal Palaces of Abomey (accept Royal Palaces of Dahomey until Dahomey is mentioned)
Q: This city overprinted the earlier town of Shartash, a community of Old Believers. This city's theatre district includes the Kolyada and GAOB theatres. A gem known as the Mistress of Copper Mountain and an ancient wooden sculpture, the Big Shigir Idol, are to be found in museums in this city. The 20th Century saw this city's industrial revolution, which included ball bearing production and biochemical warfare development, although iron produced here had already been incorporated into the Statue of Liberty. This city's best-known landmark is a 5-domed cathedral, the Church on the Blood, which commemorates an act that led this city to be renamed Sverdlovsk. For 10 points, name this city in the eastern Ural Mountains, Russia's third largest, where, in a basement in 1918, Tsar Nikolas II was executed.
A: Yekaterinburg (accept Sverdlovsk until that is stated)
Q: A World War II-era bomb which did not explode nonetheless left only fragments of paintings executed by Camille Alliaudi for this structure as well as a medallion depicting the monarch that commissioned its modern remaking. That restoration occurred following a series of fires, one of which was rumored to have been started by an occult session of General Rayevsky, following which it was redesigned by Konstantin Mayevsky. The original one had been modeled on a residence of Hetman Razumovsky in Perovo. A monument to General Vatutin is located in a park named for this structure on the northwest edge of Konstytutsii Square. This former host of a Taras Shevchenko [shev-CHEN-ko] Museum contains a diplomatic foyer known as the White Hall, and is located adjacent to the Verkhovna Rada in the district of Pechersk. For 10 points, name this Rastrelli-designed palace overlooking the Dnieper River, the ceremonial home of the President of the Ukraine.
A: Mariyinsky Palace or Mariyinsky Dvor
Q: A mountain in this mountain range is the subject of an indigenous legend that states it was formed after the destruction of a land bridge known as the Bridge of the Gods. One of the largest lava domes in the world can be found in this mountain range's Lassen Peak. The eruption of this mountain range's Mount Mazama created the deepest lake in the United States, (*) Crater Lake. Mount Hood and Mount Rainier are located in this mountain range, where the 1980 eruption of another volcano was the most destructive in American history. For 10 points, Mt. St. Helens is a part of what mountain range encompassing most of the Pacific Northwest?
A: Cascades Range
Q: Mysterious glowing balls spontaneously rising from this river are called Naga fireballs. The Ruak River joins this river in the Golden Triangle. The Chi and Mun Rivers flow through the Khorat Plateau before emptying into this river. This middle river of the Three Rivers of Yunnan flows over Khone Falls, which is located west of the Annamite Range. Pakse and Luongprabang are cities on this river, which receives water from (*) Tonle Sap. National capitals on this river include Vientiane and Phnom Penh. For 10 points, name this Asian river which forms the border between Laos and Thailand and flows through Cambodia before reaching the South China Sea near Ho Chi Minh City.
A: Mekong River
Q: A woman who is trying to create one of these objects ironically ends up married to the poet Saul Green working as a marriage counselor, despite having spent the novel in affairs with married men. That woman uses one of these objects called "The Shadow of the Third" to develop her fictional counterpart Ella. In a novel titled for one of these objects, Tommy Portmain, the protagonist's best friend's son, blinds himself after attempting suicide. In the frame story of a novel titled for one of these objects, the protagonist converses with her friend (*) Molly Jacobs. A 1962 novel alternates excerpts from a narrative titled "Free Women" with passages from four of these objects describing the protagonist's time in Zimbabwe and as a member of the Communist Party. Those four of these objects are colored black, red, yellow, and blue to signify different aspects of the life of their author, Anna Wulf. For 10 points, Doris Lessing's best-known novel is titled for what "Golden" object?
A: notebooks [or journals]
Q: A peninsula whose name means "yellow gate" splits this body of water in half. Copper mining on the shores of this body of water has resulted in the quarantine of its fishing fleet, which once sought its endemic spotted loach and namesake perch. Islands in its central zone include Algazy and Korzhyn. The Lepsy and Aksy Rivers form a combined delta on this body of water. The Uzynaral Strait connects the wide, shallow western portion of this body of water to its narrow, deep east. Shempek Bay is a southern extension of this lake that forms a crescent around the Saryesik-Atyray (sar-YE-sik-a-TI-ray) Desert, and that once formed the northwestern boundary of the Qing Empire. The surface of this lake dropped seven feet after the Qapshaghay (KAP-sha-gai) Hydroelectric Plant was built on the Ili River, and it now faces the same fate as the Aral Sea. For 10 points, name this partly saline, partly fresh lake, the largest completely located within Kazakhstan.
A: Lake Balkhash
Q: The Way of the Seven Wells is a strait path in this's city's Enskede district in a cemetery inspired by the works of Caspar David Friedrich. A tree near this city's Hestviken (HEST-vee-ken) Inlet was used to prove the theory of isostatic rebound, and is known as Lyell's Oak. The world's first urban national park was this city's Ekoparken, which includes parts of its suburbs of Solna and Lidingo. This city also boasts the world's oldest building used for banking. An art museum in this city's Djurgarden (JUR-gar-den) district is the Waldemarsudde (VAL-de-mar-su-day) Palace, which features galleries connected by tunnels. This city's nucleus includes the Storkyrkan (STOR-kir-kan) and Riddarholm Cathedrals and rests on Stads and Helgeands Islands, in its Gamla Stan, or old town. Rosenbad Hall hosts its nation's government, which includes its nation's parliament, the Riksdag. For 10 points, name this city at the intersection of Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea, the capital of Sweden.
A: Stockholm
Q: This city features a skyscraper modeled after the Divine Comedy called the Barolo Palace. Soldati Lake is surrounded by the reclaimed floodland of Almirante Brown Park in this city which is entered via the Pueyrr and Uriburu Bridges. Much of its manufacturing is located in Nueva Pompeya, while Catalinas Norte complex on the border of Retiro and San Nicolas is an important business center. This city boasts a number of mansions which were later subdivided into separate living spaces called conventillos (kon-ven-TEE-yos). This city's ward of Once is the center of the largest Jewish population in Latin America, while its brightly painted La Boca is a center of its thriving Italian community at the confluence of the Riachuelo and its waterfront, which also includes the Puerto Madero. For 10 points, name this city whose center is the Plaza de Mayo containing the presidential Casa Rosada, located on the Rio de la Plata, the capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: A geologic unit of this peak's Crashsite Formation is one of its continent's main sources of trilobite fossils. Mt. Mohl is a satellite peak of this mountain that separates the basin of its Thomas and Dater glaciers on its high eastern face. Jacobsen Valley is found to the north of this peak, while its southern promontory is defined by the Hammer Col, a saddle that separates it from the Craddock Group. Most climbers begin to ascend this peak by hiking the Nimitz Glacier to the Branscomb Glacier. The highest point on the Zumberger Coast, this mountain is defined as a high plateau consisting of five peaks which include Corbet Peak and Hollister Peak, and which are part of the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. This peak was first ascended by Nicholas Clinch and was named for a congressman from Georgia. For 10 points, name this highest mountain in Antarctica.
A: Vinson Massif
Q: Important rivers supporting these modern people are the Huacol (WA-kol) and the Patzotzil. The Cunen and Joyabaj (ho-YA-bah) dialects of their language have diverged to unintelligibility. Their population is found southwest of the Chuacus Mountains and east of the Cuchumatanes (koo-choo-ma-TA-nes). The precolumbian drama Rabinal Achi is written in the language of this people, which is the dominant tongue on the Resgualdo Plateau. Their urban population is organized into cofradias dedicated to a saint or deity, and Pascual Abaj (a-BAH) and Chutixtiox (choo-TISH-tyosh) are ceremonial centers of a religion of this people whose Catholic population especially reveres Santo Tomas Church in Chichicastenango (chi-chi-cas-te-NAN-go). This people share most of their culture with the Tz'utujul (TZOO-too-hool) and the Kaqchiquel (KAK-chi-kel). For 10 points, name this people group of eastern Solola, Totonicapan (to-to-NI-ka-pan) and their namesake department, whose mythology is written in the Popol Vuh, the most populous of the decendants of the Maya.
A: Quiche (K'ich'e) (Prompt on "Maya.")
Q: An oil and gas basin underlying the southern portion of this island seeps its product into a bubbling mudhole known as the Devil's Woodyard. That southwest portion also contains the Bon Accord Lagoons, which are surrounded by the Buccoo Reef. Nariva Swamp is a manatee sanctuary on its east coast. Falls like the Blue Basin Falls and Maracas Falls can be found in this island's Northern Range, though most of its rivers start around Mt. Tamana, including the Couva and Navet and a river that goes on to form the scarlet ibis habitat of Coroni Swamp on its west coast. Its longest river, which reaches the sea at Point Radix, is the Ortoire. Sir Walter Raleigh was known for using this island's Pitch Lake to caulk his ships, and it is the largest natural source of asphalt in the world. This island's first peoples were the Santa Rosa Caribs of Arima, which forms a conurbation with Chaguaramas centering on a city on the Gulf of Paria. For 10 points, name this largest of the islands comprising the nation with capital Port-of-Spain.
A: Trinidad
Q: A proposal to drain this body of water involves a giant dike north of Sunday Island and reversing the Harricana (ha-ri-KA-na) River to flow into Lake Timiscaming (ti-mis-KA-ming). Much of the driftwood flushed into this body of water ends up on a beach on the Solomons Temple Islands. The Attawapiskat (a-ta-wa-PIS-kat) River flushes detrital diamonds into this body of water from the upriver Victor Mine. A massive project named for this body of water created the stepped spillway of the Robert-Bourassa Dam and transferred most of the Eastmain River into the La Grande River at great expense to the Chisa and Waskaganish (was-ka-GA-nish) peoples. A railway to this body of water terminates at the port of Moosone in its southern extension of Hannah Bay. Most communities on this bay belong to the first nations of the Cree, which once hunted on Akimiski (a-ki-MIS-ki) Island, which with Charlton Island makes up the southernmost land of the territory of Nunavut. Located south of Cape Henrietta Maria, For 10 points, name this southern extension of Hudson Bay.
A: James Bay or Winipeqw
Q: A church in this city was reportedly saved from attacking dervishes by a swarm of bees. It also contains a mausoleum dedicated to the horse Zobel at a bathhouse filled for this city's celebration of Timkat. This city's first pool by the Lesser Angereb River was inhabited by a hermit who persuaded an emperor to relocate from nearby Gorgora. This city contains an ivory library which was plastered over by an occupying force. That force was evicted from this city in a bombing that damaged a saddle-shaped palace. Another palace in this city was built by an Indian architect and fuses Portuguese Jesuit baroque design with its country's Axumite architecture. Its Muslims dwell in the Addis Alem, while Wolleka is a former Falasha village northwest of this city. For 10 points, name this city containing the Debre Berhan Selassie Church and the palaces of Johannes and Fasilidas, Ethiopia's capital from the 16th to the 19th century.
A: Gondar
Q: The Shetani Lava Flows cover the western part of this region. The Kanderi Swamp is the only water source in its east that survives the dry season, and the Aruba Dam preserves its Voi River for its endemic wildlife. Its eastern section's main topography consists of the Mudanda Rock, and is otherwise a flat plain dominated by the bow-hunting Watta people. Lugards Falls is found on this region's dominant river as it exits the Yatta Plateau. A gem variety of the grossular garnet species is named for this region. Referred to by the Kamba as "a place of slaughter," it is drained by the Tiva River, while the Garama River bisects its eastern section. The jagged Ngulia Hills tower over a black rhino sanctuary in this region. A railroad built through this home of kudu, hartebeest, and buffalo was halted at Kima Station by two creatures that were the subject of a novel by John Henry Patterson. For 10 points, name this plains region containing two giant namesake national parks and game reserves in eastern Kenya best remembered for its namesake man-eating lions, the Ghost and the Darkness.
A: Tsavo (prompt on "Western Coast Province" of Kenya)
Q: The Valle de Bao and Valle de Tetero are found at the base of this peak. It is most commonly accessed from its moist northern side from La Cienaga de Manabao through Comparticion, beginning in Bermudez Park. Another route follows the La Guajara (la gwa-HA-ra) River from Mata Grande. A col on the summit of this peak is the Col del Baito, and La Rucilla (la ru-SI-ya) and La Paloma are sometimes considered its second and third summits. Its base town of Jarabacoa (ja-ra-ba-KO-wa) is the gateway town for Jose del Carmen Ramirez National Park. The Yaque (YA-kay) del Sur drains from this peak into the San Juan Valley, while the Yaque (YA-kay) del Norte, which flows through Santiago, enters the Cibao Valley from this mountain in the Cordillera (kor-di-YE-ra) Central, a range also known as the Massif du Nord. For 10 points, name this mountain in the Greater Antilles which was once named Mt. Trujillo (troo-HEE-yo), the highest point in the Caribbean and its nation, the Dominican Republic.
A: Pico Duarte
Q: A port on the southwest edge of this body of water is known for the tepo mats woven by its Badjao Community, and its outlying island of Simanul is home to its nation's first mosque, the Sheikh Makhdum. On its north end, a river enters this body of water via Olangoan Falls. The Tubbataha (tub-ba-TA-ha) Reefs lie in the center of this body of water. The longest river emptying into it reaches it in the marshes of the Tanjong Bidadari after flowing near the cockroach infested Gomantong Caves. Dumagasa Point in its east was a frequent ambush zone utilized by a large pirate operation. Those pirates under Datu Anil were annihilated in a battle fought in a horseshoe-shaped crater, Bud Bagsak, fought on Jolo Island, part of a namesake archipelago containing the Tapul, Samales and Pangutaran (pan-gu-TAR-an) Groups. Puerto Princesa is found on the northern edge of this sea. For 10 points, name this sea bounded by the islands of Negros and Mindoro, Sabah on the southwest, and Palawan on the Northwest which separates the Philippines and Malaysia.
A: Sulu Sea or Dagat Sulu or Dagat sin Sug or Laut Sulu
Q: A language using 75% of this people's vocabulary evolved from an argot called Shalambombo (sha-lam-BOM-bo) and became the status language Iscamtho, which was developed by the Laita gang operating around Orlando and Pimville. Use of the women's hlonipha (hlo-NI-fa) avoidance language is declining among this people, though its women still undergo the umemulo ceremony, which involves a spear dance called the ukusina (oo-koo-SI-na). Beads called umzansi or isithembu (i-si-THEM-bu) indicate the clans of this people group, its isibongos (i-si-BON-gos), which and are headed by an iduna. This people's heartland is the valley of the White Mfolozi (m-fo-LO-zi) River, and their traditional lands extend from the Tugela River to the Wild Coast. For 10 points, name this people which scattered southern Africa's ethnic groups in the Mfecane (m-fe-KA-ne) after merging with the Natal Nguni whose Inkatha movement helped bring down apartheid, the largest single ethnic group in South Africa.
A: AmaZulu or isiZulu
Q: Point Pelee and the Golden Horseshoe are located in this province, which contains Lake Simcoe, Rainy Lake, and Lake Nipigon. The western half of James Bay is located in this province, and it contains Manitoulin Island and Georgian Bay. Its cities include (*) Thunder Bay, Hamilton, and Mississauga, while Kingston lies upstream from the Thousand Islands. Windsor lies near Lake St. Clair in this province, which borders four of the Great Lakes. For 10 points, name this Canadian province located between Manitoba and Quebec which contains the cities of Ottawa and Toronto.
A: Ontario
Q: The Sulaiman Mountains extend into the northwestern part of this country. The strategic Bolan Pass through the Toba Kakar Range connects the cities of Jacobabad and Quetta in this country. Rawalpindi, located just south of this nation's capital, is the home of this nation's military headquarters. (*) South Waziristan is part of the FATA [Fah-Tah] in this nation that also has divisions named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, named after a well known mountain pass, and Punjab. This nation's Sindh province, with capital Karachi, is home to the Indus River delta. For 10 points, name this western neighbor of India with capital Islamabad.
A: Pakistan
Q: One copper monument in this country's capital features a man holding his wife on his waist and a child on his bicep. The Jola people have spurred an intermittent separatist movement in this country's Casamance region. The Door of No Return can be found in the House of Slaves of this country's (*) Goree Island. The African Renaissance Monument was recently built in the capital city of this country whose most-widely spoken language is Wolof. This country's capital is the westernmost in mainland Africa. For 10 points, name this country that almost completely surrounds the Gambia and has its capital at Dakar.
A: Senegal
Q: Since December 2012, this country has required plain packaging for tobacco, and in July, it switched from a carbon tax to a cap-and-trade system. This country is the home of the Wikileaks political party. A detention center on Manus Island was reestablished in 2012 for (*) asylum seekers to this country, who often aim for this country's Christmas Island in dangerously overfilled boats. This country's Labor Party was previously headed by Julia Gillard until she was ousted for Kevin Rudd in an attempt to win fall elections against the Liberal Party. Kevin Rudd nevertheless lost his spot as prime minister of, for 10 points, what Pacific island country now headed by Tony Abbott?
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: Scientists recently confirmed the cause of one event in this region's Kholat Syakhl to be a slab avalanche with the help of a simulation using animation code from the film Frozen. The eruption of this region's namesake "traps" is believed to have been the primary cause of the Permian extinction event. Many conspiracy theories surround the death of nine hikers in a mountain range in this region's west as part of the (*) Dyatlov Pass incident. This region's city of Irkutsk sits on the Angara River. This region's cold temperatures are caused by a high-pressure area centered on this region's Lake Baikal. For 10 points, name this region that makes up much of eastern Russia.
A: Siberia [prompt on Russia or eastern Russia or Asian Russia until the end; prompt on Ural Mountains with "What general region lies just east of it?" until "traps" is read]
Q: This city lies northeast of Vashon Island and southeast of Admiralty Inlet, and its Pioneer Square is home to the Smith Tower. It contains Pike Market Place as well as a Central Library designed by Rem Koolhaas. Lake Washington borders this city to the east, and the Duwamish River flows through this city before emptying into Elliot Bay. (*) Bellevue and Redmond are a part of the metropolitan area of this city, which is home to a building designed by Frank Gehry, the Experience Music Project. This city lying on Puget Sound is home to the Space Needle. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Washington.
A: Seattle
Q: The first of these objects to reach Europe passed through the hands of Louis I of Hungary and Jean duc de Berry, but it is today named for William Beckford's estate Fonthill Abbey. These objects sometimes featured a motif depicting one hundred deer meant to provide luck in one's career. The best known style of these objects is exemplified by a pair of them that are the masterpieces of Percival David's massive collection. In 1995, an artist painted Coca-Cola's logo over one of these objects, and also created a black-and-white photo-triptych depicting himself (*) dropping one of these objects onto the ground. These were the best known products of the Celadon method, which created a jade coloration. A transparent glaze was applied over cobalt oxide pigments to create iconic blue and white objects of this sort, which were the main export of Jingdezhen. For 10 points, the Ming Dynasty became synonymous with what sort of decorative objects, often used to hold flowers?
A: Chinese vases [prompt on pottery]
Q: Riots in 1998 massacred this city's Chinese population and burned much of its Glodok district. A form of tuktuk called the Bajaj (ba-JAJ) serves as transportation on this city's lesser throrougfares. Paintings by artists from this city are displayed in a former Palace of Justice, which is now the Balai Seni Rupa museum of fine arts. Tanjung Priok serves as the harbor of this metropolis which was founded as the port of Sunda Kelapa. The first sitting US president to visit this city also visited the Botanic Gardens adjoining the Istana Bogor, a presidential palace south of this city, and this city's affluent suburbs include Menteng, which contains the former home of another US president. Like a city of its country's northern neighbor, this city is arranged around Merdeka Square, which was south of Kota, the center of a Dutch district previously known as Batavia. The former home of Barack Obama, For 10 points, name this current capital of Indonesia.
A: Jakarta
Q: The town of Jizcamox (HIS-ka-moks) is currently the only town offering education in a language of this people, a language that is locally related to Duit and Nutabe. They claim descent from a deity of the Iguaque (i-GWA-kay) Lagoon, but first occupied their current lands, which include former settlements at Aguazuque (a-gwa-SOO-kay) and Soacha, in the first millennium AD. This former Chiminagagua (chi-mi-na-GA-gwa) worshipping people's sacred lands include the Tibabuyes (ti-ba-BOO-yes) and Juan Amarillo (WAN a-ma-REE-yo) wetlands, as well as Lake Guatavita (guay-ta-BEE-ta), which was associated with a diving priest who covered himself in gold. These people are responsible for the loan words tatacoa and curaba, meaning "snake" and "fruit" in their nation's dialect of Spanish, which is spoken on the Cundiboyacense (koon-di-bo-ya-SEN-say) Plateau. Their largest settlements today include Cota, Chia and Suba, though a large urban population also dwells in nearby Boyaca. For 10 points, name this indigenous people of central Colombia.
A: Chibchan or Muiscan
Q: The soul of Kartlos is supposedly entombed in a mountain directly north of this city. The ruined Fort of Armazi lies on Mt. Bagineti (ba-gi-NE-ti) in this city. A cross erected on the Sagurami (sa-gu-RA-mi) Hills overlooking this city by a proselytizing saint eventually became its Jvari (JVA-ri) Church. Another cathedral built from a felled cedar that grew from the Grave of Sidonia contained a miraculous floating column, and is Sveti Tskhoveli (SVE-ti sko-VE-li), which houses the royal tomb of Irakli II, as well as the tomb of a 5th Century prince who followed a wounded deer from this city to a hot spring on Mt. Tabori. A capital city that succeeded this one was built by that prince, Vakhtang Gorgasali (VAK-tang gor-ga-SA-li). This city lies at the junction of the Aragvi and Mtkvari (TKVA-ri) Rivers on its nation's Military Highway, and contains the tombs of King Mirian and Queen Nana, who accepted Christianity from St. Nino. For 10 points, name this coronation site of the Georgian monarchy and ancient seat of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
A: Mtskheta (pronounced "Skayta" but accept phonemic pronunciation)
Q: The only taxon conforming to this hypothetical among the arachnids is the Spirostreptidea (spi-ro-strep-TI-dea), as the ranges of the Palpagradi (pal-pa-GRA-di) and Araneae are interpenetrating. Its thalassic southern limit parallels the Suhul Shelf, to the south of which may be found fossils of the Meiolaniidae (me-yo-LAN-i-dae) as well as the living Hylidae (HAI-li-dae). In its northern extent, it separates Gebe and Waigao, but curves southeast, leaving Obi on its west as it skirts the southwestern edge of Misool, then separates the island of Gorong from the Bomberai Peninsula. As it enters its southern reaches it turns southeast and passes between the Kai Islands and Aru before turning south again off the east coast of Tanimbar. Part of its maritime consequences include the biodiversity of the Raja Ampat islands, and it marks the beginning of the Notogaean (no-to-GAI-an) Realm as it merges with Weber's Line south of Timor. Flightless ratites, monotremes and four of the six orders of marsupials are found east of, For 10 points, what eastern boundary of the mixing zone between oriental and Australian fauna, whose western boundary is Wallace's Line.
A: Lydekker's Line
Q: One of the formations discovered on this feature is the cobalt, silver and tin-rich Baochu Pagoda, a 50-foot-high sulfide chimney of the Daxi (da-his) Vent Field. The Kairei and Edmond hydrothermal fields are associated with this feature. Its western contains the New Century Mountains. The Vityaz Fracture Zone accommodates northeastward motion caused by this feature which begins near Rodrigues Island, and is offset by the Owen Fracture Zone. It joins the East African Rift Zone through the Sheba Ridge, which extends from east of Socotra beneath the Gulf of Aden. For 10 points, name this northern extension of the Central Indian Ridge that separates the Somali Basin from the Arabian Sea named for the benefactors of the John Murray expedition.
A: Carlsberg Ridge (prompt on "Central Indian Ridge" until mentioned).
Q: The southern portion of this region is home to the Xavante (sha-VAN-te) and Bororo peoples. Its southwest rim is the Serra de Sao Jeronimo (SE-ra de SOW je-RO-ni-mo) which gives rise to the Itiquira (i-ti-KI-ra) River, while the Serra do Roncador encloses the canyon of the Mortes to the north. The Veu da Noiva is a waterfall in this region's Chapado dos Guimaraes (cha-PA-do dos gwi-ma-RAES) National Park. Its northern town of Alta Floresta is an ecotome of its nation's dominant biomes. The Paranatinga (pa-ra-na-TIN-ga) and Coluene Rivers begin in this highland which grades into the Serra do Bodoquena (SE-ra do bo-do-KE-na) in the south and extends from the Parecis Range in the west to the border of Goias. This northern limit of the Paraguay Basin contains the geographic center of South America. For 10 points, name this plateau, the namesake of two northern and southern Brazilian states with capitals Cuiaba and Campo Grande, the unlikely location of a city called Z sought by lost anthropologist Percy Fawcett.
A: Mato Grosso Plateau
Q: The northern portion of this forest is accessed by the Salazie and Pasquiere trails. The main product of this forest was used to make kashkul bowls for wandering Sufis, but was considered royal property by the Hilaalee (hi-LA-lee) Dynasty, and owning one was punishable by death. It is located beneath the summit of the Fond Azore, and a trail through it is noted for its view south to La Digue Island. This place is located between the cities of Grand Anse and Baie Sainte Anne. This site was the center of an Eden myth propagated by Charles Gordon due to its high number of endemic species, which include Millionaire's Salad, the Thief Palm, and the Pandanus Screw Palm. The Black Parrot and Blue Pigeon are found in this forest which contains a tree whose seeds are the largest in the plant kingdom. For 10 points, name this valley containing a unique palm forest located on the island of Praslin, famous for its coco de mer, a nature reserve in the Seychelles.
A: Vallee de Mai Forest (prompt on Praslin National Park)
Q: The oldest evidence of habitation in this city comes from its former settlement of Michuhol. It's not in California, but this city's theatre district surrounds a square on Rodeo Street, and is known as Guwol-dong. Its nation's only official Chinatown is also located in this city north of Sorae Inlet, which contains a famous seafood market. Inha University is located in this city where a free economic zone centering on the data sharing center of Songdo was built on reclaimed land. Jeondeungsa Temple, its nation's oldest, is located on Kanghwa Island adjacent to this city's airport, and an international business district in this city hosts the Green Climate Fund. A statue of Douglas MacArthur stands in Jayu Park in this city that was the target of Operation Chromite. For 10 points, name this western Korean metropolis at the mouth of the Han River, which serves as the main seaport for Seoul, where a famous "landing" occurred in September of 1950.
A: Incheon
Q: Pagua Bay is the northern limit of the last concentration of these people. The larouma feed basket is a product of this people which is largely culturally appropriated by their country's dominant culture. A church using one of these peoples' canoes as an altar was built by the Waitukubuli (wai-tu-ku-BOO-lee) Development Committee, and is the Church of St. Marie of (these people). A central hut called the Karbet stands at the center of the model village of Barana Aute of these people in Crayfish River. Other rivers flowing through the lands of this people include the Gaulette and one that flows from Morne Trois Pitons to Massacre, the Mahaut River. A leader of this people of St. David Parish was given a silver-headed staff and a yearly allowance of 6 pounds in a proposal that 2% of their homeland be reserved for them by Henry Hesketh Bell. The hamlet of Salybia is the administrative center of the only indigenous reserve for, For 10 points, what direct descendants of the Island Carib who today primarily survive on the island of Dominica?
A: Kalinago or Kalhiphona People or Island Carib or Taino (prompt on "Carib" or "Caribbean" before mentioned )
Q: A legend of Rarotonga notes that the 7th Century navigator U-te-rangiora (OO-tay ran-JO-ra) sailed south of this island and found an area described as Tai-uka-a-pia, or "sea foaming like arrowroot." A seal hunter who later drowned in Perseverance Bay stumbled upon this island, and noted a "wreckage of ancient design" on its north coast. The Bencleugh was shipwrecked in this island's Hasselborough Bay while looking for the phantom Emerald Island, which supposedly lay to its south. An oiling operation targeting an endemic species on this island was centered at The Nuggets, and a 2006 mass wasting event at Lusitania Bay buried an important breeding ground on this island which hosts the entire population of royal penguins during their nesting season. The first radio link to Antarctica was established on this island's Wireless Hill, which is frequently submerged by waves in strong storms. Named for a governor of New South Wales, For 10 points, name this southernmost of the Antipodes Islands, Australia's southernmost landmass.
A: Macquarie Island
Q: The first culture inhabiting the lands around this city takes its name from an island meaning "mother of fire" found within it, which is known for its segmented circular stone tombs. A legend concerning the founding of this city is another one of those legends involving a hunter tracking prey to a spring, in this case Shakbut's tracking of a gazelle to a brackish island marsh and then founding the fortress Qasr al-Hosn, which replaced the Liwa Oasis as his father's seat of power. Part of this city lies on Reem Island, and another of its islands hosts its nation's Mangrove National Park. Those islands are found across the Khor al-Maqta from the mainland. Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi was lost in transfer to a museum on Saadiyat Island to the north of this city, where a branch of the Louvre opened in 2017. Its main island contains the leaning tower of the Capital Gate, the Burj Muhammad bin Rashid skyscraper, and the marble-domed Sheikh Zayed mosque, and is organized around al-Itihad square. For 10 points, name this capital and namesake of the largest of the emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates.
A: Abu Dhabi
Q: These mountains are the easternmost alternative of the home of a mystic sect of priests known as the Masters of the Heart according to the Ilm e-Kshnoom school of thought, and in a national mythology surrounding them, its highest point, rather than Ararat, is the resting place for Noah's Ark. The Kandovan Tunnel is the chief route through its central section, while another pass in this range occurs above the Qisil Uzun and is the Qazvin, found upstream of its nation's only olive growing region. A Hyrcanian (her-KAY-ni-an) forest on this range's north slope is one of the most humid regions found in its nation, and was important habitat for a now-extinct large cat known locally as the Mazanderan (ma-ZAN-de-ran) Tiger. The Alamut is a west-flowing river that begins in this range that casts a rain shadow on the Dasht-e-Kavir desert. This home of the dragon Azi Dahaka contains the second most prominent peak in Asia due to a sub-sea level plain beneath its northern foothills. For 10 points, name this mountain range whose highest peak is Mt. Damavand located north of Tehran on the southern shores of the Caspian Sea.
A: Elburz or Reshteh-ye Kuhha-ye Alborz
Q: A settlement on this river, which was formerly known as the Unjegah (un-JE-gah), was founded by Henry Davis, who pulled $30,000 in gold from a twelve-foot claim. The Vermilion Chutes separate the two navigable portions of this river as it passes between the Birch Range and the Caribou Range. It loops around the Clear Hills between Fairview and Manning, where it forms the border between Northern Sunrise and Northern Lights Counties. After dividing the Muskwa Range from the Hart Range its waters fill the reservoir of Dinosaur Lake above Hudson's Hope. This river's namesake settlement is found at its confluence with the Heart and Smoky Rivers. The building of Bennett Dam on this river, which drowned its source under Williston Lake, decimated its nation's largest freshwater delta, the only natural nesting grounds for the whooping crane. For 10 points, name this Canadian river that joins the Athabasca at Fort Chipewyan to form the Slave River, whose name refers to a boundary treaty between the Beaver and Plains Cree peoples.
A: Peace River
Q: Early archaeological sites in this polity include the Mousterian culture of the Gazma Caves and the early city Ovchular Tepesi, home to some very early salt mines. The Biblical founder of this polity owned a vessel said to be responsible for a cleft in the mountain Ilundag, and is said to be buried not far from the Momune Katun Mausoleum. An ethnic cleansing campaign in this polity erroneously ascribes many tombstones to the ancestors of the Udi people, but they actually belong to the ethnicity of painter Lukis Aguletsi, whose work is described in the now banned novel Stone Dreams. Other graves in this polity include those at a cemetery in Julfa whose many khachkar [HACH-kar] monuments were destroyed in a 1990s era cultural genocide campaign. The victims of that genocide now occupy a nation north of the Zangezur Mountains, while its perpetrators must cross the River Aras to reach Yevlax. For 10 points, name this autonomous republic, its nation's first province to secede from the Soviet Union, a western exclave of Azerbaijan.
A: Nakhichevan or Naxcivan
Q: Access to this area has been historically guarded by the Zalabieh Tribe. Its mazelike Kharazeh Canyon is the main access point for its Jebel Umm al-Ishrin, a 20-domed mesa. Petroglyphs found at its Alemeleh and Anfaishiya (an-fai-SHEE-ya) Inscription Sites began with its ancient Thamudic population, and a rock varnish caricature of a revolutionary figure associated with this area appears in its Siq Umm Tawaqi. Burdah Arch is one of this area's well visited rock formations, and the Jebel ad-Dani is a national high point found in this location. Caravans crossing this desert were watered at a site described as a "five-foot paradise," and a series of fluted turrets in this desert is named for the source of that description, the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which is found near its Lawrence Spring. A shrine to al-Lat in this desert was built by the Nabataeans (na-ba-TAY-ans). For 10 points, name this red rock desert between Aqaba and Petra found in Jordan.
A: Wadi Rum Desert or Wadi al-Qalat until al-Lat is mentioned
Q: A 2002 crime film set in this city is named for a slum whose name translates to "city of God." An affluent area in this city is partially named after the world's largest urban forest, Tijuca. A tram line in this city was extended in 2011 to pass over its Carioca Aqueduct. This city's Avenida Atlantica lies parallel to a beach located in this city's neighborhood of (*) Copacabana. Maracana Stadium and the Sambadrome are located in this city, which hosts the world's biggest Carnaval festival. For 10 points, name this city home to the Christ the Redeemer statue, the second-largest in Brazil after Sao Paulo.
A: Rio de Janeiro [prompt on "Rio"]
Q: On this peninsula, Mulhacen is the highest point on the continental portion of one of this peninsula's countries. That peak is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the southern portion of this peninsula. Llanito ["Yanito"], a native language mixed with English, is the vernacular spoken in one territory on this peninsula. At Valladolid [Vaa-ya-doh-lid] on this peninsula, the Pisuerga River joins the (*) Duoro which has its mouth at Porto. The longest and second-longest rivers on this peninsula are the Tagus and Ebro, respectively. For 10 points, name this large European peninsula upon which Portugal and Spain are located.
A: Iberian Peninsula
Q: One of this river's headstreams flows through Lakes Bangweulu and Mweru. This river forms the Malebo Pool, and its source is the Chambeshi River. Boyoma Falls lies on this river, and after it reaches Kisangani, it is no longer called the Lualaba. This river's mouth lies downstream of Boma, which is located south of Cabinda. Livingstone Falls is located on this river, which receives the Kasai and Ubangi Rivers. This river, which flows through (*) Katanga and receives water from Lake Tanganyika, separates the cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. For 10 points, name this African river which flows through a namesake Democratic Republic.
A: Congo River (or Zaire River; accept Lualaba River until "Malebo")
Q: This state is home to a colony of quaking aspen trees called Pando. The northeastern part of this state is home to its highest point, Kings Peak. One national park in this state is known for its abundance of thin spires of rock called "hoodoos." Devil's Garden is a feature of this state's (*) Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The city of Moab serves as the primary entrance to a national park in this state named for its many natural sandstone arches. Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park are located in, for 10 points, what U.S. state whose capital is Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: Padre Island lies in this body of water, and its lowest point lies in Sigsbee Deep. The Suwanee and Trinity Rivers flow into this body of water, which receives water from Vermilion and Apalachee Bays. The Bay of Campeche forms an arm of it, into which the (*) Sabine and Brazos Rivers flow. Dry Tortugas National Park lies in this body of water, and cities lying on it include Biloxi, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, and Mobile. For 10 points, identify this body of water into which the Mississippi River flows, located northwest of the Caribbean Sea.
A: Gulf of Mexico
Q: El Nicho is a waterfall outside this city. The Bella Durmiente, a marble statue dedicated to a woman who died of a broken heart, is found in its La Reina peninsula, which hosts its nation's only columbarium. An abortive naval uprising based in this city filled its Tomas Acena Necropolis, which is entered via a Doric colonnade modeled on the Parthenon. The Castillo de Jagua (kas-TI-yo de HA-gwa) guards the entrance to this city's namesake bay near the abandoned Jaragua (ha-RA-gwa) nuclear plant. This city's old money once dwelled in a series of mansions on another peninsula, the Punta Gorda, on which stands the Palacio de Valle. This city's Purisima Concepcion Cathedral and its ornate Terry Theatre stand on Jose Marti Square in its El Prado District, whose first building was the house of its founder Louis D'Clouet. For 10 points, name this only city in Cuba to have been founded by the French, the capital of a province between Matanzas and Villa Clara.
A: Cienfuegos
Q: A portage of the Wyandot at Bollingbrook connected this river, whose name either means "Elm River" or "Jawbone," to the Tuscarawas (tus-ka-RA-was). Breakneck Creek joins this river following its exit from Lake Rockwell, and following a drainage north of the Mogadore Reservoir avoids the "Little" fork of this river. Below Yellow Creek it enters Beaver Marsh in a park which is known for its Ledges district as well as falls like Blue Hen and Brandywine Falls. That park also protects its confluence with its largest tributary, the Tinker. The Brecksville Dam was removed in 2020, though the Gorge Metropolitan Dam still submerges its namesake falls. An anaerobic section below the Newburgh and South Shore Bridge was rehabilitated following litigation of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, which released cyanide into this river that was once said to "ooze" rather than "flow." For 10 points, name this American river which flows from Hambden through Akron to Cleveland through its namesake national park hosting valley, known for its tendency to catch fire.
A: Cuyahoga River
Q: In important lake in this territory is the periglacial Lake Ritsa, which lies below Mt Agapsta and is drained by the Bzyb River. A "great wall of" this territory was built along the Kelasuri River in the 6th Century. The church of St. Simon the Canaanite once achieved brief autocephaly over this territory whose 14th Century royal palaces were located at Lykhny. The Galli Reservoir is this territory's largest lake. Anacopia Cave is a holy site in its Mt. Iveri, and the glacial karst of its Arabika Massif hosts the Krubera and Veryovkina (ver-YOV-ki-na) Caves, the deepest on Earth. Mikhail Gorbachev's personal dacha is located at the town of Musera in this territory. Its first capital of Dioscurias is still sinking beneath the sea, while its current one contains the palace of King Bagrat, and is located on the Gumista River. For 10 points, name this breakaway republic on the Black Sea with capital Sukhumi located in the west of Georgia.
A: Abkhazia or Apsny or Apkhazeti
Q: Investigation of this place by a Scandinavian team led to suggestions that its many red dots were caused by dipping bolas in its staining media and flinging them into the air. Carlos Gradin wrote the defining thesis of this location, in which four stylistic groups were outlined, the first of which, a compendium of ambush tactics, was likely ended by the eruption of the Hudson Volcano. Stream piracy of the Baker River was likely the reason for this site's abandonment, as this caused the guanacos it depicts to seek other sources for water. This site's main features were dated to its continent's Archaic period using bone pipes that were used to blow paint made from kaolin, hematite and natrojarosite [na-tro-JA-ro-site] onto its walls. This important shelter of the Toldense people was re-discovered in 1941 by Italian missionary Alberto Maria de Agostini. Accessed from nearby Perito Moreno, For 10 points, name this UNESCO world heritage site located in a canyon of the Rio Pinturas, a cave in Argentina known for its black and red stenciled overlapping outlines of the namesake appendage.
A: La Cueva de los Manos or the Cave of the Hands (prompt on "Francisco Perito Moreno National Park")
Q: To the east of this mountain are the five interfluves of the Calanchi de San Giovanni. The Quinta Gualdaria (KIN-ta gwal-Dari-ya) highway meets the Sottomontano (so-to-mon-TA-no) at Monte Andreino below the triple-banded limestone cliffs of its eastern slope, while its gentler western slope contains the Fonte dell'Ovo. The Domagnano (do-man-YA-no) Treasure, a trove of Ostrogothic jewels, sits in a museum on this mountain. A cable car beginning at Borgo Maggiore accesses this location in the north. The Cando River originates on this mountain, as does a tributary of the Marecchia (ma-RE-kya) that flows through Chiesanova (kye-sa-NO-va) and Acquaviva (a-kwa-VI-va). The Montale Tower and Torre Guaita were prisons on this mountain, while a wall which rises to Cesta (CHES-ta) Castle tops this peak that is depicted with three ostrich feathers in the hands of its nation's patron saint. For 10 points, name this mountain upon which the world's oldest surviving state was founded, the highest point in San Marino.
A: Monte Titano
Q: A quasi-national park in this prefecture contains the Nakatsu River, which provides most of its water by means of the Miyagase dam. That park also protects the Hayato Great Falls and a shrine sacred to the rain god Afuri in the Oyama Mountains. The Miuri peninsula is a part of this prefecture known for tuna and bonito sourced from the port of Misaki that contains the southern half of the Keihin Industrial Zone. This prefecture contains the medieval capital of Kamakura (ka-ma-KU-ra) and was named for the harbor district of the second largest city in Japan. For 10 points, name this prefecture whose capital is Yokohama known outside of Japan as the setting of a painting of a "Great Wave" by Hokusai.
A: Kanagawa ken
Q: The hot springs of Tarapaya (ta-ra-PA-ya) are located in a canyon below this city. This city is noted for narrow, twisting alleyways like the Quijarro (ke-HA-ro) and the Passage of the Seven Turns on which once dwelled its early nobility. This city, which is located beneath the Cordillera de Kari Kari (kor-di-YE-ra de KA-ri KA-ri), contains a number of ruined furnaces known as guayros, though its more modern ingenios (in-HE-nios) are in its barrios of San Antonio and Cantumarca (kan-tu-MAR-ka). This city was home to a school of art led by Melchor Perez de Holguin, and its Santa Teresa convent contains a Madonna by Alonso Cano. Its most famous church is San Lorenzo de Carangas, whose carvings include figures from Aymara mythology. Some inhabitants of this city own a small stake in a mountain to its west believed to be controlled by the demon El Tio. Its national mint, the Casa de Moneda, is also its nation's largest museum, and may be the origin of the "dollar symbol." For 10 points, name this silver and tin mining city whose Cerro Rico mine was the source of much of the Spanish wealth from the New World, located in Bolivia.
A: Potosi
Q: A desert-dwelling branch of this ethnicity cohabit economically with the Ngambwe and Himba. The Kafue Flats and the Swamps of Lukanga are home to a southern branch of this people who are more prone to exogamy. The Nsua, the northeasternmost population of this people occupying the Echuya Reserve, were believed to have migrated from the valley of the Ituri. This people group have suffered due to a ban on Nyakatsi roofing, and have been evicted from their Nyungwe and Gishwati (gish-WA-ti) forests. The Mongo branch dwell around Lake Tumba, while a related group lives on the central course of the Kasai. These people have been targeted for cannibalism by a North Kivu death squad known as The Erasers who are clearing the land for mineral exploration. For 10 points, name these autochthonous survivors of the Bantu migration, the most widespread group of the original hunter-gatherer inhabitants of the Congo Basin rainforests who were commonly enslaved due to their stature.
A: BaTwa People (or Cwa) (if someone answers "Pygmy," prompt and educate them that there are several ethnic groups among the original forest dwellers. I am being generous).
Q: The east coast of this island contains a cave system between Tenaun and Quicavi believed to be haunted by a coven of witches as well as a ghost ship, the Caleuche. A pilgrimage site on this island centers on a statue which protected residents from Dutch buccaneers in its San Carlos Church in Chonchi. This island exhibits a triple ria system in the valley of the Chepu involving its longest river, the Butalcura (bu-tal-KU-ra). This home of the Huilliche (wi-YI-che) People contains the westernmost occurrence of Valdivian temperate rainforest in its Tantauco Reserve. The Huequi (WE-ki) and Minchinmavida (min-chin-ma-VI-da) Volcanoes lie opposite this island which, like the Los Chonos Archipelago to its south, is a partially flooded portion of the accretionary prism of the Andes. Ancud is the main northern port of this island noted for its Jesuit chapels. For 10 points, name this island separated from its nation's lake district by the gulf of Corcovado, best known for hosting the Royalist capital of Castro during the Chilean War of Independence.
A: Isla Grande de Chiloe
Q: This city claims the world's first earthquake-resistant wooden mosque in its nearby hamlet of Dehkadi Chubi. The blue and yellow-tiled dome of the Imam Marugh Mausoleum lies south of this city's Saeedi gardens. Much of the tile of this city exhibits stonework featuring a mineral sourced on a scree slope beneath Mt. Ali-Mersai, including the Qadamgah. What remains of the glory of its first incarnation lies within the Kohandejh excavation area, as a daughter of Genghis Khan ordered a 10-day massacre of this city's inhabitants to avenge the death of Toquchar [to-ku-CHAR]. That old city's Shadiyakh Palace was home to a poet who wrote of a hoopoe who sends thirty birds on the Quest of the Simorgh, as well as the Sufi Ilahi-Nama. Another poet native to this city is known for his theory on the nth root of numbers and invented the Jalali Calendar. For 10 points, name this home of the apothecary of Firad ud-Din which contains the Mausoleum of Omar Khayyam, located in Razavi Khorasan province, known for its turquoise.
A: Neyshabur (or Nishapur)
Q: An ancient name for this city, Arimaddanapura (a-ri-ma-da-na-PU-ra), means "city which tramples on enemies." The Tharabar Gate is the last remaining structure of a palace that once existed in this city. Many of this city's features are guarded by half-lion, half-dragon idols known as chinthe. Like many of the other ancient cities of Pyu, this center of abhidhamma (a-bi-DA-ma) studies promoted both Theravada Buddhism and Hinduism, leading to buildings such as the Sulamani and Ananda Pahto. Most of this city's protected features are located on the southwest end of Anawratha Road, including the the Nathlaung Kyaung, located to the north of its Shwesandaw Temple and west of its golden Shwezigon Stupa, which is one of over 2,000 remaining since its Myinsaing Period ended this city's golden age. For 10 points, name this city of a thousand pagodas, a UNESCO world heritage site in Myanmar.
A: Pagan or Bagan
Q: One group against the production of this commodity is MEND, which draws heavily from a country's Ijaw population and operates around Port Harcourt. In 1956, this commodity was found at Oloibiri in the Niger delta. Much of this commodity is transported along the Strait of Hormuz. Cuba receives this good for free from (*) Venezuela, which exports a poorer quality version of this commodity than countries. The price of this good hit $147 per barrel in July 2011. For 10 points, Saudi Arabia, a member of OPEC, is famous for exporting large amounts of what fossil fuel that is commonly retrieved through drilling?
A: crude oil [or petroleum]
Q: An eight-stringed fiddle native to this country's city of Hardanger is often heavily decorated with an axed lion present in this country's coat of arms. This country extracts large amounts of oil from the Ekofisk field. This country owns the sub-Antarctic island of Bouvet Island, and another archipelago whose largest town is (*) Longyearbyen. A variety of seeds can be found in a secure vault in that archipelago belonging to this country, Svalbard. This country has Europe's longest coastline, which is known for its many fjords. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country whose capital is Oslo.
A: Norway [or Kingdom of Norway]
Q: If this city were a nation, it would have the world's longest life expectancy. This city, with the most skyscrapers in the world, is home to the Central Plaza building. This city is bordered by the city of Shenzhen ["Shen-jen"] on the north. The (*) Kowloon Peninsula and this city's namesake island are separated by Victoria Harbour. This city is a constituent of the Pearl River Delta megalopolis along with Guangzhou ["gwang-joe"] and Macau, and Britain transferred control of this former colony in 1997. For 10 points, name this Special Administrative Region located in southern China.
A: Hong Kong
Q: This river's tributaries include the Niobrara and the Marias. The Milk River flows into this river at Fort Peck, while the James River flows into it near Yankton. Billings lies on one tributary of this river, on which Lakes Oahe and Francis Case can be found. The Garrison Dam forms Lake Sakakawea on this river, which flows past Great Falls, (*) Council Bluffs, and Sioux City before meeting with the Platte River. The Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers join in Montana to form this river, which then flows past Bismarck, Omaha, and Kansas City. For 10 points, name this longest tributary of the Mississippi river.
A: Missouri River
Q: The Twin Peaks and Sunset Tunnels are two major transit arteries in this city, and the Civil War-era Fort Point lies in the north of this city. The Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard is located in the southeast of this city. The Farallon Islands, though lying thirty miles to the west of this city, are still officially part of it. Coit Tower is located on Telegraph Hill in this city, and Portsmouth Square is at the center of this city's Chinatown. Ghirardelli Square and Pier 39 are located on this city's Fisherman's Wharf. The only mobile National Historic Landmark in the United States is this city's cable car system. For 10 points, name this California city that is the location of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: City and County of San Francisco
Q: A valley in these mountains contains a solar and wind farm at Lake Fryxell that takes advantage of its katabatic winds. A subrange of these mountains once connected the Pampean Ventana Mountains, the Hunter-Bowen Orogen and the Cape Fold and Thrust Belt. That range, which extends from the Pecora Escarpment to the Argentina Range, is the Pensacola Mountains. The Beacon Supergroup exposed in its Horlick, Prince Charles, and Queen Alexandra Ranges host vast coal deposits. The Leverett Glacier climbs the Watson Escarpment in this range as part of a route planned through these mountains. This mountain range stretches from the Bailey Ice Stream to Lillie Glacier and its Prince Albert subrange contains the great majority of its continent's dry valleys. For 10 points, name this mountain range, home to the Scott Glacier, that divides Greater and Lesser Antarctica and climaxes at Mt. Kirkpatrick.
A: Transantarctic Mountains (accept Prince Albert Range before "Ventana Mountains")
Q: A river that empties into this body of water flows over Manchewe Falls as it exits the Viphya (VIF-ya) Plateau, and hides a cave once used by escaped slaves. Mwala wa Mphini (MWA-la-wa m-FI-ni) is a grooved rock that is part of a national park on this lake's Cape Maclear. The wreckage of the Hermann von Wissman can be found at Sphinx Haven on this body of water. The Ruhuru is the longest river emptying into this body of water. An effort to end slavery is commemorated by a tree at this body of water's port of Nkhotakhota (n-ko-ta-KO-ta) named for David Livingston. Anglican Missionaries built St. Peter's Cathedral on Likoma Island in this body of water, and like Likoma, its Chizumulu (chi-zu-MU-lu) Island is in the territorial waters of its eastern nation but belongs to the one on its west. A southern extension of this lake is Lake Malombe, which like this lake is drained by the Shire River. For 10 points, name this southernmost of Africa's rift valley lakes that shares its name with a country.
A: Lake Nyasa or Lake Malawi
Q: An intratribal conflict in this valley began when the inhabitants of the Lodario settlement killed two rebels and chased away a splinter group led by a woman named Maya. That people use the endonym Dslala. Another of the peoples of this valley revere a bird called the xokeke [sho-KE-ke], which they believe carry ancestor spirits; that people rescued nine survivors when that bird, actually an airplane, crashed on the Itui River following surviving a devastating epidemic introduced by the FUNAI agency. SIL missionaries stopped a civil war centered in this valley caused by the raiding habits of the Matses people, who kidnapped women from the villages of Yaquerana [ya-ke-RA-na] and were nearly exterminated by napalm bombing in return. Sydney Possuelo entered this valley in 2002 in search of a tribe he called the "Arrow People." For 10 points, name this indigenous territory of Amazonas state which contains the world's highest concentration of uncontacted peoples, and is named for a river which forms Brazil's border with Peru.
A: Javari Valley or Vale do Javari (prompt on "Amazon," "Amazonas," etc)
Q: The Iles de Ngor are found off the northern coast of this city. An order of Layene Sufism has its roots in this city's neighborhoods of Yoff and Camberene. The fishing village of Soumbedioune (soom-BE-joon) is encompassed by this city whose main markets are the Sandaga and the pentagonal Marche Kermel. This city's university is named for Cheikh Anta Diop. This former city of the Lebu People was given a name that means "tamarind tree" and is traditionally governed by the Serigne. The tall, thin minarets of the Mosque of the Divinity is found in this city's Ouakam (wa-KAM) arrondissement adjacent to the set of hills known as Deux Mamelles, one of which contains the North Korean-designed African Renaissance Monument. Amerigo Vespucci formulated his New World hypothesis while visiting this city on the Bay of Bezeguiche (be-ze-GWEESH), and its Ile de Goree (eel de go-RAY), one of the busiest slaving ports in West Africa, was the closest to North America. For 10 points, name this city on the Cap Verde Peninsula, the capital of Senegal.
A: Dakar
Q: A subgroup of a namesake ethnicity of this trans-national region invented an alpenhorn known as the Trembita and a sphepherd's axe called the Bartka. Another speaks the Dolinian dialect and uses the endonym Verkhovenian (ver-ho-VEN-ian). This region's industry includes a salt mine at Solotvyno (so-lo-TVEE-no) and a tobacco factory at Mukachevo (moo-ka-CHE-vo). In addition to the Hutul and Boyka, a state of the Rani based at Rugen had this name which was applied by one empire to residents of Halych-Volhynia (HA-lich vol-HEEN-ia), but was used by Boemus to refer to all of Russia. This region renamed itself and declared independence for a day under the capital of Khust, but its White, Black and Red populations lost their official ethnic status upon transfer to the Soviet Union. For 10 points, name this region comprising the eastern Tatra Mountains and trans-Carpathian Ukraine, containing the city of Uzhhorod (OOZH-ho-rod), an early exonym for the Rus for which a platinum group element is named.
A: Ruthenia (accept Rusyn, Karpatalia, Zakarpatya, or Sub-Carpathian Ruthenia; anti-prompt (generously) on Trans-Carpathian Ukraine, southeast Poland, northeast Hungary, East Slovakia, etc)
Q: The fumarolic Valley of Wabua is located in this island group's Pangula Island, and the Koimumu Geysir Field is part of a geothermal region based around its Willaumez Peninsula. Another island is famous for a shark-calling ritual as well as its Malagan carvings, which are part of its funeral rites. The first colony in this group of islands was a copra farm established among the Tolai tribe on the Gazelle Peninsula. A movement founded on one of these islands that fused Christianity and animism with Western architecture was first based in its Manus Province. A massive gold mine on its island of Lihir is under development. The Paliau Movement remains in its Admiralty Islands, which, like the Duke of York Group is an extension of this arc that forms a reverse crescent around a namesake sea. For 10 points, New Britain and New Ireland are the largest islands in what archipelago in Papua New Guinea with a German moniker?
A: Bismarck Archipelago
Q: This river was known as the Var to the Huns, and to the Tatars, the Uzeu. This river flows out of the Akseninsky Mokh (AK-sen-in-sky MOH), and becomes navigable below Dorogobuzh (DO-ro-go-buzh). This river passes over limestone to create its first rapids above Orsha, and splits into several channels between sandbanks and islets above Zhlobin. The Volyn-Podilsk Uplands follow this river's middle course, which includes its merger with the Ps'ol and Vorskla, and a city that is home to Alfred Nobel University near this river's confluence with the Samara. This river's island of Khortytsa (hor-TEE-tsa) was the seat of a population that was governed from Alexandria, which they referred to as Zaporizhzhya (za-po-RIZH-ya). This river flows past the St. Sophia Cathedral, and meets the sea after flowing through Kherson. For 10 points, name this river which is connected to the Bug River by a namesake canal and flows through Kiev, the principle navigable river of the Ukraine.
A: Dnieper River
Q: This mountain range's Lake Suesca was important to the Muiscas, who built the "Little Hell" religious monuments here. Another country has these mountains' Rasuwillka peak in provinces named Lucanas and Sucre [SUE-cray]. These mountains' formation is due to the Nazca Plate subduction. The (*) Tama Massif is part of this range's northernmost peaks in the Orinoco Basin. Their highest peaks include Huascaran, Monte Pissus, and Aconcagua [AH-con-CAH-gwah]. For 10 points-name these mountains on South America's west coast.
A: Andes mountains (prompt on "Cordillera Oriental" or "Eastern Ranges" before "Sucre")
Q: Nunaoil is the state-owned petroleum company of this polity that has its highest point at Gunnbjorn Fjeld [Gun-byorn F-yeld]. Although the United States failed to purchase this island from its owner after World War II, the United States continues to maintain the Thule Air Base on this island's northwest coast. The world's largest (*) national park and the second largest municipality in the world, Sermersooq, are located on this island that has its capital at Nuuk. Kalaalisut is the official language, but Danish is also used in, for 10 points, what second largest island of the world, ironically named because the majority of it covered in ice?
A: Greenland
Q: This island's Cibao Region contains the Samana Peninsula. The Tiburon Peninsula is a part of this island, which contains Lake Enriquillo in its Cul-de-Sac Depression. The Mona Passage lies to this island's east, while the Windward Passage lies to its west. The Gulf of Gonave lies on the western coast of this island, and its highest point is Pico Duarte. Along with (*) Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba, this island forms the Greater Antilles, and it contains the cities of Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince. For 10 points, name this Caribbean island shared between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
A: Hispaniola
Q: The Passe de Korizo accesses the west part of this territory. Its southern delimiter bulges south to include the valley of Yebbi Soumme, though a 2-degree difference in the angle of its northern and southern demarcation lines leaves the village of Ybakourdi (ee-ba-KUR-di) to its south. This area's only known mineral wealth consists of the Yedri Tin-Tungsten deposit. The peak of Bikubeti is on this area's northern border in its Wadi Yangara region. The Mourdi Depression is the southern limit of its eastern portion, which contains the sandstone towers of Erdi Ma. Its main town is an oasis of the Toubou people located in a bend of the Enneri Yebige (e-NE-ri ye-BI-gay). Although not included in this area, the city of Bardi administers the northern part of the province of Tibesti corresponding to this heavily land-mined piece of land. For 10 points, Libya went to war over what speculatively Uranium rich territory in the Sahara belonging to Chad?
A: Aozou Strip
Q: The sage is a ceremonial dance performed in this nation. Forest can be found on its Trou aux Chefs (troo au SHEFS) Volcano as well as Vallee de Ferny (va-LAY de fer-NEE), although 95 percent of it is deforested, the legacy of which is inherent in its St. Aubin plantation house. This country's Le Morne peninsula contains a rock from which many of its escaped slave population leaped on the approach of police; unfortunately, they were coming to announce the abolition of slavery. Much of its electricity comes from the burning of bagasse (ba-GAS). This nation contains large Hakka Chinese and Tamil minorities, many of whom arrived at its Aapravasi Ghat (a-pra-VA-si ghat) to work in its cane fields. This half-Hindu nation administers Agalega and the mostly Catholic Rodriguez Island, and also claims the Chagos Archipelago, including disputed Diego Garcia. For 10 points, name this island nation, a part of the Mascarene Islands, the former home of the dodo bird with capital Port Louis.
A: Republic of Mauritius or Republique du Maurice or Republik Moris
Q: Lumber is a key export of this country whose pine plantations are found around the town of Piggs Peak. Mthondvo (m-THOND-vo) was the last of this country's native black rhinos, and was killed following a shootout between its rangers and Taiwanese agents at the Battle of Big Bend. A non-native population is kept within its Mkhaya Preserve, where the Usuti River passes through the Bulungu Gorge. The Phophonyane (fo-fon-YA-ne) Falls are found on this country's Mlumati River. Most of this country's rivers flow east through its Lebombo Mountains, including the Lusutfu and Mbuluzani (m-bu-lu-ZA-nee). This nation's industrial center is at Manzini. Most of the diplomatic activity in this country is concentrated in its Ezulwini (e-zul-WEE-nee) Valley, where the annual Umhlanga Festival, a gathering of the reeds, mends the fences of the royal village of Ludzidzini (loo-dzi-DZEE-nee). For 10 points, name this nation whose monarchy is centered at Lobamba administered from its capital Mbabane (m-ba-BA-nay).
A: eSwatini (no, it's not called "Swaziland" anymore)
Q: This capital city was built on the remains of a failed cotton farm once owned by the Bau tribe. A rainforest reserve in this city is focused on its Waisila Creek. This city's Thurston Gardens exhibits its nation's unique flora, including several endemic hibiscus plants. This city's Holy Trinity Cathedral features an internal boat-shaped design. Two similar rituals from two different religions, one of which is the vilavilairevo (vi-la-vi-lai-RE-vo), are performed in this city; the other is the fire walking ritual of Uccita (ook-SI-ta) performed at its Mariamma Temple by this city's thriving Hindu population. The house of parliament in this city features its nation's masi tapestries as well as an orange trapezoidal roof, and is the vale ne bose lawa. This city overlooks the intersection of the Kaduvu Passage and the Koro Sea. For 10 points, name this city located on Viti Levu island, the largest city in the South Pacific and the capital of Fiji.
A: Suva
Q: Rain forests in this section of coastline are broken up by its shola grassland complex. This region consists of dune-bounded lagoons like the Ashtamudi Backwater, the largest of which is Vembanad, which are connected by canals which form its nation's main intracoastal waterway. One of this region's chief religious minorities worshipped in its Parur and Chendamangalam (chen-da-MANG-a-lam) Synagogues and are the oldest Jewish population in its nation. Another community was established by the founder of the Ezharapallikal (e-zha-ra-PA-li-kal), or Seven Churches, and is an offshoot of a Syrian Orthodox faith founded by St. Thomas. In the novel 1984, Oceania and Eurasia are locked in trench warfare centering on a front in this region, and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things takes place on this edge of the Lakshadweep (lak-SHAD-weep) Sea that is predominantly Malayalam (ma-la-YA-lam)-speaking. Including the cities of Mangalore, Trivandrum and Cochin, For 10 points, name this coastal region south of Goa encompassing the coastlines of the states of Kerala and Karnataka in southwestern India.
A: Malabar Coast (anti-prompt on "Kerala," prompt on "western Karnataka")
Q: The Tsat language is spoken in this province by the Utsul People, who are predominantly Muslim. Another native people of this province perform ancestor-stirring Tiaocai (tiao-tsai) Dances which utilize bamboo poles, and have fiercely resisted incursions since the institution of its historic prefectures of Zhuya and Dan'er. A reserve of macaque monkeys is found in this province's Nanwan Monkey Island, which is actually a peninsula in Lingshui County. This place of exile was romanticized by the poet Su Dongpo, who established an academy at its city of Danzhou, and its Wugongsi Temple celebrates five disgraced lords from the Song and Tang dynasties. The Nandu and Wanquan Rivers rise in the Yanoda Rainforest, which covers the Limu and Wuzhi Ranges in its center. Yalong Bay indents this tropical landmass at its southern city of Sanya. For 10 points, name this island province located south of the Leizhou Peninsula which forms the southeastern border of the Gulf of Tonkin, administered from its provincial capital of Haikou.
A: Hainan
Q: The Gandom Beryan Plateau in this region hosts a local example of desert pavement known as the Reg, which grades into fields of plant-influenced dunes called Nebkhas, the highest of their kind in the world. This region's northern and western borders are defined by ranges that include the Nay Band and Lakar Mountains. On this region's eastern edge, a people known as the Zranka once inhabited the ancient land of Drangiana (dran-JA-na), but only a few villages around its town of Shahdad are inhabited today. The Aqua satellite once measured a surface temperature of 159 degrees Fahrenheit in this extremely harsh desert that hosts sandblasting winds that carve out corrugated ridges known as yardangs, the largest examples of which are found just east of Kerman. With a name meaning "wilderness of barren rock," For 10 points, name this desert that boasts the bulk of the salt deposits in Eastern Iran.
A: Dasht-e Lut
Q: A type of schizophrenia caused by a shared demonic possession recognized among this people is known as ukuthwasa [oo-koo-THWA-sa]. Orphans among these people are burdened with a type of shame known as uburhanka [oo-bur-HAN-ka], or lack of identity, and a custom of umbilical burial gives rise to a traditional identity inquiry translating to "where is your navel?" Womanhood begins among this people via the Intonjane [in-ton-JA-nay] Rite. One of the ancestors of this people was a diviner and the other a warrior whose power base was located in the Amathole [a-ma-THO-lay] Mountains. This group whose members include the Mfengu of Zimbabwe claims all the land between the Mbhashe and Gamtoos Rivers, and is mainly divided between the amaRharabe [a-ma-ra-RA-bay] and the amaGcaleka [a-ma-g!a-LE-ka] tribes, which can be found inland as far as the Winterberg. For 10 points, name this people group of the Eastern Cape Province who successfully petitioned the government of South Africa to rename the city of Port Elizabeth to Gqeberha [k!e-BER-ha].
A: Xhosa
Q: This city's Stela Doce (STE-la DO-say)is noted for a dot-and-bar calendar system which was known as the piye. Its role was eventually succeeded by a city built between the Atoyac and Jalatlalco (ha-la-TLAL-ko) Rivers, and it itself was built following the abandonment of nearby San Jose Mogote. This city administered the secondary chiefdoms of Yeguih (YE-gweeh) and Tilcajete (til-ka-HE-te) from a strategic lookout at the junction of the Etla, Tlacolula (tla-ko-LU-la) and Zimatlan Valleys, whose sacrificed residents are possibly represented in its Plaza of the Dancers. Its inheritors later built the city of Antequera below it. A network of tunnels is found beneath its J Structure, an arrowhead-shaped observatory whose hieroglyphs detail its military history, and which is located north of its Monticulo Sur. The Temple of the Two Columns is located at the north end of this site on its North Platform, adjacent to a set of tombs which were later co-opted by the Mixtec. For 10 points, name this archaeological site in the Valley of Oaxaca, the chief cultural center of the Zapotec.
A: Monte Alban
Q: This river rises at Lake Toma before flowing over Schaffhausen Falls. This river's distributaries include the Waal and the IJssel ("eye-sell"), and the Aar flows into this river after passing by a national capital. Bingen lies at the end of this river's namesake gorge, which contains a rock named after the Lorelei. The Moselle joins this river at Koblenz, and it flows past the industrial (*) Ruhr Valley. The western border of Liechtenstein is formed by this river, which receives the Neckar and the Main after flowing past Lake Constance. Basel, Cologne, and Rotterdam lie on this river. For 10 points, name this river which flows through Germany before emptying into the North Sea.
A: the Rhine (or Rijn; or Rhin)
Q: This mountain range is bounded by Fredonyer Pass to the north and Tehachapi Pass to the south. The American and Tuolumne Rivers rise in this mountain range, which contains Mono Lake and Devil's Postpile. Mariposa Grove and Hetch Hetchy Valley can be found in one national park located in this range, while King's Canyon names another. The General Sherman Tree is located in this range, through which the (*) John Muir Trail runs. El Capitan and Half Dome are landmarks in this range, which lies east of the San Joaquin Valley. This range is home to Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks, as well as Mt. Whitney. For 10 points, name this mountain range found primarily in eastern California.
A: Sierra Nevada
Q: Outside of England, a small evangelical sect called "Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion" only has a current notable presence in this country. An ethnic group in this country held celebrations in which they mocked European practices, called "Koonkings." This country's capital is home to "King's Gate," which bears an inscription that "any slave who passes through this gate is declared a free man." This country's capital was founded under its Cotton Tree. This country's largest ethnic groups are the Mende (MEN-day) and Temne (TAME-neh). A small minority in this country are Krio people descended from Black Loyalists and other freedmen who returned here called the Nova Scotia Settlers. The Moa River forms part of this country's border with Guinea and Liberia. For 10 points, name this west African country whose capital is Freetown.
A: Republic of Sierra Leone [prompt on Salone]
Q: This country's People's Life First party merged with its Tomorrow Party, and its prime minister recently called for "bold" monetary policy, 5 years after finally apologizing for the "comfort women" used by its army. Property belonging to individuals from this country was destroyed in China after a September dispute over its buying of the Diaoyu Islands. This country's TEPCO stock rose in value after news that the government sought to resume (*) nuclear power production. This country's LDP defeated the DPJ in the 2012 elections, meaning its new prime minister is Shinzo Abe. For 10 points, identify this country whose Diet is located in Tokyo.
A: Japan (or Nippon)
Q: This lake's refilling after desiccation in the Pleistocene (PLICE-tuh-seen) marks the origin of its superflock of haplochromines. This lake is the subject of Hubert Sauper's documentary Darwin's Nightmare. Over 130 people live on this lake's 20,000-square-foot Migingo Island. Its largest island, Ukerewe (oo-keh-REH-weh), is home to a community of albinos. Outflow from this lake supplies the Owen Falls Dam, and its primary inflow is the Kagera River. A perch species introduced to this lake outcompeted or ate hundreds of its native cichlid (SICK-lid) species to extinction. John Hanning Speke named this lake during an expedition to find the source of the Nile. For 10 points, identify this African Great Lake whose name honors a British queen.
A: Lake Victoria [or Nalubaale; or Nyanza]
Q: This culture began the practice of painting porch ceilings "haint blue" to ward off ghosts. Lorenzo Dow Turner identified hundreds of loanwords in the language of these people, some of whom he found could count in Mende (MEN-dee) or Fulani (foo-LAH-nee). Generations of women of this community on St. Helena (heh-LEE-nuh) Island are the subject of Julie Dash's film Daughters of the Dust. This American culture, whose chieftess is Queen Quet, retained an unusual amount of African influence due to the low white population on Lowcountry rice plantations. The name of these people, who are also called "Geechee," may be a shortened form of "Angola." For 10 points, identify this term for African-Americans who live in the Sea Islands and coastal plain of Georgia and South Carolina.
A: Gullah people [or Geechee people until it is read]
Q: The western shore of this large body of water contains the resorts of Burgas and Varna. The river upon which the Iron Gate lies empties into this body of water into which the Dniester and Dnieper Rivers flow. Abkhazia, a territory at the center of the 2008 South Ossetia War, is located on the eastern boundary of this sea. Cesium-137 radionuclides from the Pripyat River eventually find their way in this massive (*) sea. The home of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi, is on this sea which is connected to the Mediterranean via the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. For 10 points, name this large sea located north of Turkey into which the Danube flows.
A: Black Sea
Q: A cliff-sided island in this ocean is home to the world's smallest flightless bird, a type of rail. Inhabitants of a nearby island in this ocean mostly worked at a canned crawfish factory until its volcanic Queen Mary's Peak erupted in 1961 and destroyed it. In the nineteenth century, an enterprising individual declared himself ruler of those islands in this ocean with the intention of running them as an oceanic pit-stop, renaming them "the Islands of Refreshment." Today, inhabitants of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, which is located in this ocean, collect guano from the nearby Inaccessible and Nightingale islands. That archipelago in this ocean is the most remote inhabited place on earth, Tristan da Cunha (COON-yuh). For 10 points, name this ocean also home to St. Helena (heh-LEE-nuh) and the Falkland Islands.
A: South Atlantic Ocean
Q: This region wholly contains the Simeto River. The namesake of this region's most expansive plain is the city of Catania, which is the tenth largest city in its nation, just behind Bari. Off the northern coast of this island lies Lipari, which is part of the archipelago of the Aeolian Islands, which also includes Vulcano and (*) Stromboli. This large island is broken up into nine provinces including Ragusa. A proposed suspension bridge would link this massive island to Calabria across the Strait of Messina. Syracuse is located in, for 10 points, what largest island in the Mediterranean, located just southwest of Italy's boot?
A: Sicily
Q: This area's Thurstaston Common contains Thor's Stone, supposed to have been a site of religious ceremonies for early Viking settlers. A four-and-a-half-foot carving of a sun goddess, believed to be Norse, is close to Bidston Observatory in this area. The world's first publicly-funded civic park, which was designed by Joseph Paxton and was a model for Central Park, is located in this place. A model village in this area was built to house the workers of a local soap factory. The Tower Ballroom in this area's town of New Brighton was the location of 27 early performances by The Beatles. Home to the towns of Wallasey and Birkenhead, for 10 points, name this peninsula situated between the Rivers Mersey and Dee, between Liverpool and Wales.
A: The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral [prompt on Merseyside or Cheshire]
Q: A mountain in this region has a large lake in a crater at its peak and is named "Academy of Science." Indigenous people from this region, including the Itelmens, frequently lamented that the big-raven god Kutkh created such an inhospitable world. A formation of large stones called the "three brothers" appears to guard the mouth of Avacha Bay on the coast of this peninsula. A subspecies of brown bear from this peninsula has subtly violet-tinted fur and is the largest in all of Eurasia. The mountain of Kikhpinych (keek-pin-EECH) stands near the Valley of Geysers in this region, which is home to the Koryak people and has twenty-nine active volcanoes. The Commander Islands lie east of this peninsula, which sits between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea. For 10 points, name this far eastern Russian peninsula northeast of Japan.
A: Kamchatka Peninsula [or Poluostrov Kamchatka; prompt on Russian Far East; prompt on Siberia]
Q: This country's El Oriente region is the source of the source of the Napo and Putumayo rivers. The port cities of Manta and Esmeraldas lie on the western coast of this country, which also controls the Floreana and Isabela Islands. Mountains in this country include Tungurahua, Illiniza, and Pichincha. The Charles Darwin Research Station is located in this country, and its second highest peak is (*) Cotopaxi. The farthest point from the center of the earth, Chimborazo, is located in this country, which saw a 1822 meeting between Jose de San Martin and Simon Bolivar in Guayaquil. Along with Chile, it is one of only two South American countries that do not have a border with Brazil. For 10 points, name this country which controls the Galapagos Islands and has its capital at Quito.
A: Republic of Ecuador
Q: This nation contains the city of Pula, which lies at the tip of the Istria peninsula, whose capital is Pazin. Nearby to Istria is this country's principal seaport, the city of Rijeka . This country also contains the coastal region of Dalmatia, which, along with Pula and Rijeka, lies on the (*) Adriatic Sea. This country contains the western part of Slavonia, whose largest city in this country is Osijek, located on the Drava River. The highest point of this country is Dinara, located in an extension of the Alps. For 10 points, name this NATO member country that surrounds Bosnia and Herzegovina on two sides and has its capital at Zagreb.
A: Republic of Croatia
Q: The prominence of this peak is the only one measured to be its elevation above sea level. The Khumbu Icefall can be encountered on this mountain's easiest path, the South Col. [end of sentence] Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb this mountain solo without the aid of oxygen. In 1856, the Great Trigonometric Survey computed the height of this peak, which is still (*) growing at a rate of 2.4 inches per year. This mountain near the city of Lukla is called in one language "Chomolungma." Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa, helped Edmund Hillary climb this mountain in the Himalayas. For 10 points, name this highest mountain in the world.
A: Mount Everest (accept Chomolungma before mention; accept Sagarmatha)
Q: Jon (YONE) Steingrimsson gave a sermon at the outskirts of one of these events in 1783. As a result of these events, so-called "castles" were created in a region called Dimmuborgir. Locals describe these events using a word that means "the hardship of the mist." One of these events threatened the harbor of Heimaey (HAY-mah-AY), leading to a massive four-month campaign that transported over a billion gallons of water. Over time, many of these events created Surtsey, and these events earned Hekla the nickname "Gateway to Hell." Flights in Europe were disrupted for six days after one of these events at Eyjafjallajokull (AY-uh-FYAH-luh-YOH-kull). For 10 points, name these events that often add to the landmass of Iceland through cooling lava.
A: volcanic eruptions in Iceland
Q: Pillars called "latte" are common on islands owned by this country. It's not France or Brazil, but a territory of this country completely avoided the 1918 flu pandemic. An island currently owned by this country had its native bird population nearly wiped out by an invasive brown tree snake. This country gained several small islands through the Guano Islands Act. Many of this country's current territories are home to the (*) Chamorro people. This country won a large carrier battle sometimes referred to as the namesake "Turkey Shoot" of one of its territories. Through the Compact of Free Association, this country gives military and economic benefits to its former territories of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. For 10 points, name this country that controls Guam and a namesake portion of Samoa.
A: USA [or:United States of America, obvious equivalents]
Q: This country is home to the Scalesia genus of giant trees in the daisy family, as well as a species of flightless cormorant and the only marine iguana species in the world. The hundred-year-old Lonesome George was the last individual of a species in this country. Adaptive radiation in this country led to (*) "ground," "tree," and "warbler" species of birds with many varying beak shapes. This country's islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela, which are home to giant tortoises and Darwin's finches, are part of a wildlife-rich island group in this country. For 10 points, the Galapagos Islands are part of what South American country, named for its position around zero latitude?
A: Ecuador [or the Republic of Ecuador or Republica del Ecuador]
Q: This location contains Mount Gibbs and Mount Conness, but the highest point in this locale is Mount Lyell. This location is the home of the Wawona tree, and the O'Shaughnessy Dam stretches across the Hetch Hetchy Valley in this locale. The Merced River originates here, and this park spans portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa, and Madera counties. This park is the home to Bridalveil Fall, which is located near the granite cliff El Capitan. Half Dome is located in this park and was the subject of many photographs by Ansel Adams. For 10 points, name this national park in eastern California.
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: This city is connected by an eight-mile-long bridge to Niteroi. Things from this city are called carioca . This city includes the surf spot Arpoador, close to its Leblon neighborhood. This city surrounds the Tijuca ("tee-ZHOO-cuh") Forest. The movie City of God is set in one of its suburbs. This city is home to the enormous (*) Maracana Stadium. The headquarters of Vale and Petrobras are both in this city. This city on Guanabara Bay is surrounded by slums called favela s. It's overlooked by Sugarloaf Mountain and includes Ipanema and Copacabana Beach. For 10 points, name this Brazilian city home to a huge statue of Christ the Redeemer and a famous Carnival.
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: This region, which is nowhere near Spain, was once home to a kingdom called Iberia, which bordered its kingdom of Colchis. Evaporation and irrigation projects have drained its Lake Sevan. This region is home to the Circassian people and the Kartvelian languages. It includes disputed regions like (*) Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as the exclave of Nakhchivan. Mount Elbrus is in this region. It is home to capital cities like Tbilisi and Baku. For 10 points, name this mountainous region between the Black and Caspian seas, which also lies on the border between Europe and Asia.
A: the Caucasus [or Caucasia]
Q: This is the largest of three lakes known for their diverse populations of cichlid ("SICK-lid") fish. Outflow from this lake creates hydroelectricity at the Owen Falls Dam. This lake lies to the east of Lake Kivu and Lake Edward. It was named by John Hanning Speke. This lake's largest inflow is the (*) Kagera River, and it lies in between the "arms" of the Great Rift Valley. The three countries bordering this lake share Swahili as an official language, and were founding members of the East African Community. It lies to the north of Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi. For 10 points, name this source of the White Nile, the largest lake in Africa.
A: LakeVictoria [or Nalubaale; or Nam Lolwe; or Nyanza]
Q: This city's Tres de Febrero Park can be found in its neighborhood of Palermo. This city's Plaza de Mayo sits near the Casa Rosada, the seat of its country's government. Other distinctive neighborhoods in this city include San Telmo and La Boca, which sits at the mouth of the Riachuelo River. The Obelisk lies in the middle of this city's Avenida Nueve de Julio, which is sometimes called the (*) "widest avenue in the world." The residents of this city are called portenos, and this city sits on the confluence of the Parana River and the Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, name this second largest city in South America, the capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: This country contains the Mambilla Plateau as well as the the western end of the Adamawa Plateau, through which the Benue River flows. Kano is this country's second largest city, and the Bight of Bonny lies to this country's southwest. This country was home to a breakaway country formed by native Igbo people, the Republic of (*) Biafra. The Gulf of Guinea lies to the southwest of the country, which contains the Niger River delta. Lake Chad lies to the northeast of this country, which borders Benin to the west and Cameroon to the east and whose largest city is Lagos. For 10 points, identify this most populous African country whose capital is Abuja.
A: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Q: This Asian city contains a stadium called the Mercedes-Benz Arena. The City God Temple and the She Shan Basilica can be found in this city, which also contains Yuyuan Garden and a namesake World Financial Center skyscraper that has a trapezoidal aperture at its peak. Lujiazui lies within this city's (*) Pudong district, which is home to the Oriental Pearl Tower and Jinmao Tower, across the Huangpu River from which lies the Bund. This city lies north of Hangzhou Bay and downstream from Nanjing on the Yangtze River. For 10 points, name this most populous Chinese city.
A: Shanghai
Q: Neighborhoods in this city include Botafogo and Leblon, and this city contains Maracana Stadium and the Sambadrome. Tijuca Forest can be found in this city, which is connected to Niteroi via a bridge over Guanabara Bay. Cable cars allow tourists to visit Sugarloaf Mountain in this city, whose residents are called cariocas. Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches are found in this city, and its slums are called (*) favelas. This city's Corcovado Mountain holds one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, a statue of Christ the Redeemer. For 10 points, name this Brazilian city that will host the 2016 Olympics, located northeast of Sao Paulo.
A: Rio de Janeiro (prompt on "Rio")
Q: The last of three of these buildings to be built at the Findlay and Western intersection had a fifteen-degree inclined terrace leading up to a wall. They're not banks, but some of these buildings built in the early twentieth century that were generally asymmetrical were called "jewel boxes." One of these buildings with an (*) ivy-covered brick back wall has unpredictable wind patterns due to the proximity of Lake Michigan. A single red seat in one of these buildings is across from a wall called the "Green Monster." One of these buildings that replaced the Polo Grounds was nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built." For 10 points, name these places like Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.
A: baseball stadiums [or baseball fields or baseball parks or Major League Baseball stadiums or MLB stadiums or baseball diamonds; accept League Park or Palace of the Fans or Redland Field or Crosley Field or Wrigley Field; accept Fenway Park before "Fenway"; accept Yankee Stadium before "Yankee"; prompt on stadiums or fields or parks by asking "For what sport?"]
Q: A statue in this city was renovated in 1980 to prepare for the visit of Pope John Paul II, and, in 2010, Barack Obama visited this city's neighborhood of Cidade de Deus (see-DAH-dzee dee doos). This city is home to the largest urban forest in the world, its Tijuca (tsee-ZOO-ka) Forest National Park, and this city lies west of (*) Guanabara Bay. Rocinha (roh-SEEN-ya) is one of this city's slum districts, or favelas (fah-VAY-las). Paul Landowski sculpted a statue located atop Mount Corcovado in this city, whose Sambadrome features a large samba parade at its annual Carnival. A large statue of Christ the Redeemer, overlooks, for 10 points, what second most populous city in Brazil after Sao Paulo?
A: Rio de Janeiro [or Rio]
Q: This state contains the Speckled Mountain. This state is home to the Penobscot River, and Moosehead Lake is its largest lake. This state's Sugarloaf Mountain overlooks its Carrabassett River, and this state's tallest peak is found in Baxter State Park. Features found in another of this state's national parks include Cadillac Mountain and Bubble Rock, and that park is found on Mount Desert Island. A major city in this state is found in Casco Bay, and this state is separated from Canada by the St. John River. This state is the home to Mount Katahdin and Acadia National Park. For 10 points, name this state whose capital is Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: A classic country-folk song from this state has a narrator with a home that is across a mountain range in it. Besides the Carter Family, Anne Dillard also wrote about a home in this state in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek . The Sweet Tea Line is found in this state. The major mountain range in this state is featured in both George (*) Washington National Forest and the home of Skyline Drive: Shenandoah National Park. Colonial Williamsburg is a popular tourist trap and historic site in this state. For 10 points, what northernmost state of the South has its capital at Richmond?
A: Commonwealth of Virginia
Q: The Turquoise Mountain was an ancient city in this country whose only standing remains is the Minaret of Jam. The Bukhara pattern is found on many of this country's namesake handwoven rugs. Two Buddha statues in its Bamiyan valley were destroyed with dynamite in 2001. This country, home to the majority of world's Hazara population, is the world's leading producer of (*) opium. Its city of Jalalabad is located northwest of the Khyber Pass, while other cities include Herat and Kandahar. Dari and Pashto are the official languages of this country, which in recent years has been heavily influenced by the Taliban. For 10 points, identify this country with capital at Kabul.
A: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Q: The book Noah's Flood, written by William Ryan and Walter Pitman, proposed the "deluge" hypothesis about this body of water. The ancient cities of Tomis and Histria were established on this body of water. The Don River flows south into this body of water. The cities of Varna and (*) Odessa are located on this sea. The Strait of Kerch separates the Sea of Azov from this sea, which is connected to the Sea of Marmara by the Bosphorus Strait. This sea, which is home to the only warm-water ports in Russia, also contains a large peninsula annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. For 10 points, name this sea which contains the Crimean Peninsula.
A: Black Sea
Q: India's only feature of this kind is found on Baratang in the Andaman Islands. According to legend, a priest sprinkling holy water into one of these features caused it to change into its present state; that feature is El Totumo near Cartagena, Colombia, which is now used for bathing. Natural gas drilling and an earthquake at Yogyakarta may have caused a substantial increase of activity at one of these features. That feature, Sidoarjo, is located on Java and has been active (*) nonstop since 2006. Nearly a third of the world's examples of these features are found in Gobustan along the Caspian coastline of Azerbaijan, some of which occasionally spit fire. For 10 points, name these geologic features that spew a mix of water and soil instead of lava.
A: mud volcanoes [or:mud domes; prompt on:mud flows, volcanoes]
Q: Smaller islands that are part of this nation include the Chatham Islands and Stewart Islands. The Cook Strait separates the two main islands of this country, whose smaller main island contains the old capital of Auckland. The Maori people live on the North and South Islands in, for 10 points, what nation with a capital at Wellington that sits over 1,000 miles off the coast of Australia?
A: New Zealand
Q: Lake Zaysan lies in the eastern part of this country, high in the Tarbagatai Mountains. Its most populous province has its capital at Shymkent. The Syr Darya has its mouth in this country, while in its southeast, the Ili River flows into Lake Balkhash. This country's most populous city lies on the (*) Esil, a tributary of the Irtysh. The Baikonur Cosmodrome lies in the south of this country, east of the Aral Sea. For 10 points, name this second-largest former Soviet republic whose capital was Almaty but is now Astana.
A: Republic of Kazakhstan
Q: The Sunderbans are located in the eastern portion of this country, while the Thar Desert is located on the northwestern border. One city in this country, Darjeeling, is internationally known for its production of tea, while another city on the Vindhya Mountains was the site of the Bhopal Disaster. This country's Eastern and Western (*) Ghats are located on either side of the Deccan plateau, while its Nicobar and Andaman Islands both lie in the Bay of Bengal. The Palk Strait separates this country from Sri Lanka, while the Brahmaputra River flows in its northeast. For 10 points, name this country containing cities like Kolkata and Mumbai, with capital at New Delhi.
A: Republic of India
Q: This nation contains the world's longest sand beach, Cox's Bazar. Its northeasterly region of Sylhet contains many tea gardens, and its seven divisions are themselves divided into upazilas. This country contains the eastern half of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. This nation's capital is home to the Grameen Bank, which gives out microloans, and its second largest city is Chittagong. Frequent floods disturb the delta of the Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers in, for 10 points, what country that seceded from Pakistan, found east of the Indian state of West Bengal?
A: People's Republic of Bangladesh [or Gonoprojatontri Bangladesh] <MJ>
Q: One ethnic group in this country, the Tasaday, was created as part of a hoax to enrich a corrupt tourism minister. This country has three linguas francas that include Ilocano and Cebuano, and this country's island of Palawan contains its city of Puerto Princesa. A Muslim population in the South of this country is known as the (*) Moros, and this country's capital has a large suburb named for its first president, Manuel Quezon. This country's island of Mindanao is home to both Communist and Islamist insurgent groups. For 10 points, name this country whose capital on the island of Luzon is Manila.
A: the Philippines
Q: This state's highest point is Britton Hill, and the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers meet in the north of this state to drain into Apalachicola Bay, which is due east of Cape San Blas. Although it's not North Carolina, the barrier island Sanibel is a popular tourist destination south of this state's Charlotte Harbor. The cities of Sanford, Daytona Beach, and Winter Haven lie along its I-4 corridor. Cape Sable separates a bay named for this state from an island group known as its namesake keys. Cape Canaveral, site of the Kennedy Space Center, is on the east coast of this state. For 10 points, name this state home to Miami and Orlando, with capital at Tallahassee.
A: State of Florida [or Estado de Florida]
Q: The Saratov Bridge runs across this river to Engels. The largest tributary of this river is the Kama River and joins this river at Samara Reservoir. The Sheksna River connects this river to Lake Onega and to the Baltic Sea through the Rybinsk Reservoir. The Oka River flows into this river at Nizhny Novgorod. The Ivankovo Reservoir connects this river to the Moskva River through the Moscow Canal. Before flowing into its namesake delta, one part of this river splits into the Akhtuba River near the city formerly known as Stalingrad. For 10 points, name this river that starts in the Valdai Hills and flows through western Russia into the Caspian Sea, the longest river in Europe.
A: Volga River [or Volga-Matushka; or Itil; or Atil; or Rav; or Jul]
Q: This country's Mount Rapehu serves as the source of the Waikato River, which drains into Lake Taupo. This country is home to the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, and it controls the Chatham Islands, Tokelau, and Stewart Island. This country's Antipodes Islands are notable for lying near the opposite side of the earth from London, and its (*) Canterbury Plains are located south of Christchurch. This country's highest point, Aoraki, lies in its Southern Alps, and it borders the Tasman Sea to the northwest. Its two parts are separated by the Cook Strait and are known as North and South Island. For 10 points, name this Pacific Island country with largest city at Auckland and a capital of Wellington.
A: New Zealand
Q: This country is separated from its western neighbor by the Tornio River. After its city of Turku was devastated by a fire, the national university moved to this country's current capital, which was renovated by Carl Ludwig Engel. Its capital also contains Senate Square and the offshore fortress of (*) Suomenlinna. Lake Saimaa is located in this country, which controls the Aland Islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Bothnia. A nearby country's city of Tallinn lies across this country's namesake gulf from its capital, which is the northernmost in continental Europe. For 10 points, identify this country with capital at Helsinki.
A: Republic of Finland
Q: One of this city's largest slums has a name translating as "Complex of Germany". After losing its status as its country's capital in 1960, this city made up the entirety of the state of Guanabara. Barra de Tijuca is an upscale neighborhood of this city whose inhabitants are referred to by the Tupi-derived word (*) "carioca". Sugarloaf and Corcovado Mountains overlook this city in which the beach of Ipanema is located. This city is home to the Cristo Redentor statue and is its country's second largest after Sao Paulo. For 10 points, name this Brazilian city that hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics.
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: The Hogup Mountains lie northwest of this body of water. Rivers originating in the Uinta Mountains flow into this body of water. Crude oil has been extracted from Rozel Point at the north of this body. The Spiral Jetty was built by Robert Smithson in this endorheic lake. Gunnison Bay is separated from the rest of this body of water by Lucin Cutoff, which was built across this body of water to replace a railroad line passing through Promontory Point. Farmington Bay and Antelope Island are features within this body west of the Wasatch front. For 10 points, name this remnant of the ancient Lake Bonneville bordered to the southeast by a namesake state capital of Utah.
A: Great Salt Lake
Q: The Trucial States along this body of water were a British protectorate until 1971. Bandar Khamir is a port city on this body of water just ten miles from its largest island, Qeshm Island. This site of a 1932 pearl divers' riot is home to a deepwater port at Umm Qasr and is the current home of the United States Fifth Fleet. In January, the USS Abraham Lincoln passed into this body of water despite threats, going through the Strait of Hormuz connecting this body to the Gulf of Oman. For 10 points, name this site of Bahrain, a body of water between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
A: Persian Gulf <SL>
Q: Inhabitants of this geological feature speak a namesake dialect with rule-governed a-prefixing of progressive verbs. One end of this range contains the Shickshocks and Baxter State Park. Further south, mines in this range are the largest source in the Americas for anthracite coal. This range contains Springer Mountain and Mount Katahdin, has Blue Ridge and Great Smoky subchains, and features Mount Mitchell, the tallest in America east of the Mississippi river. For 10 points, name this long mountain range whose namesake trail can be hiked north from Georgia to Maine.
A: Appalachian Mountains [prompt "Appalachia" until "range" is read] <MJ>
Q: This country controls the island of Wolin. Mount Rysy lies in its Tatra Mountains, which, along with the Sudetes, forms much of this country's southwest border. This country lies south of Kaliningrad Oblast and across the Western Bug from a neighboring country's city of Brest. The Masurian Lake District is located in this country, and its city of Stettin lies on the Bay of (*) Pomerania. Its cities include Krakow, Lublin, and Gdansk, and it contains Auschwitz. This country's western border is formed by the Neisse and Oder Rivers, and the Vistula flows through this country before draining into the Baltic Sea. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Warsaw.
A: Republic of Poland
Q: Treks up this mountain begin at Moschi and proceed up the Barranco Wall and past the Garden of Senecios. The Rebmann and Furtwangler Glaciers are located at the top of this mountain. This mountain was named "Kaiser Wilhelm peak" in 1889 by the first person to ascend it, Hans Meyer. The Reusch Crater is found within Kibo, which, along with Mawenzi and Shira, is one of the three cones that make up this mountain. Not far to west lies Mount Meru, while Mount (*) Kenya lies 200 miles to the north. Called Uhuru in Swahili, this is, for 10 points, what stratovolcano located in Tanzania, the tallest mountain in Africa?
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: The world's first wave farm, which only operated for two months in 2008, was established in this country. A legend in this country tells how a crowing rooster and a faulty knot saved a pilgrim from execution in Barcelos. This country, whose flag includes a yellow armillary sphere, lends its name to the Arabic word for "orange." Montados in this country are the source of over half the world's supply of (*) cork. The pottery-producing town of Porches is on the southern coast of this country's Algarve region. A namesake wine is produced in this country's Douro River valley. The Belem Tower sits at the mouth of the Tagus River in this country's capital. For 10 points, name this country that was once united with its only neighbor, Spain.
A: Portugal [or:Portuguese Republic]
Q: This country is home to the world's only active natrocarbonatite volcano, the "Mountain of God" or Ol Doinyo Lengai, which is found to the south of its Lake Natron. Another volcano in this country is the scientific namesake of a baboon-like monkey genus, the kipunji. This country's Mbeya Region hosts Mount Rungwe, and a caldera from a former volcano here comprises the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which contains Olduvai Gorge. The Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira volcanic cones adorn another mountain in this country, Africa's highest, which is found near its border with Kenya. For 10 points, name this home of Mount Kilimanjaro.
A: Tanzania [United Republic of Tanzania; or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania]
Q: This state's highest point is Mount Greylock, which lies in the Taconic Mountains near the Housatonic Valley. Its western portion contains the Berkshires, and this state's cities of Northampton, Holyoke, and Springfield lie on the Connecticut River. Olmsted Park, the Prudential Center, and the Old North Church are located in this state's largest city, which lies at the mouth of the (*) Charles River. Other cities in this state include Worcester, Lowell, and Plymouth. This state's islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket lie south of Cape Cod. It borders New Hampshire to the north and Rhode Island to the south. For 10 points, identify this New England state with capital at Boston.
A: Commonwealth of Massaschusetts
Q: This province was home to tribes such as the Lillooet who lived in pithouses called quigglies. The Dakelh, or Carrier people in the interior of this province traded in nutritious oolichan fat using "grease trails". Salmon fishways were built after rail construction obstructed flow through this province's Hells Gate. The rape of a Nlaka'pamux (in-kluh-CAP-muh) woman precipitated a war with white miners who had traveled to this province following announcements of gold by governor James Douglas, who later negotiated with Winfield Scott during a conflict over whether Britain or the United States owned the San Juan Islands off the coast of this province. This province's Fraser River passes west of the Canadian Cascades before emptying into the Pacific near Vancouver. For 10 points, name this Canadian province directly north of Washington state.
A: British Columbia
Q: Mount Korbu lies in this country's Titiwangsa Mountains, while its Crocker Range contains Mount Tambuyukon. Sibu lies on this country's longest river, the Rajang. Major cities in this country include Ipoh and Kuching, and coral reefs attract tourists to its Sipadan Island and Swallow Reef. This country's Gunung Mulu National Park is located in (*) Sarawak, and Mount Kinabalu lies in the state of Sabah. This country's biggest city lies in the Klang valley, and landmarks within its capital include the Istana Negara, the KL Tower, and the world-famous Petronas Towers. The Straits of Johor separate this country from Singapore, and it shares Borneo with Brunei and Indonesia. For 10 points, name this southeast Asian country which has its capital at Kuala Lumpur.
A: Malaysia
Q: A country home to the headquarters of the BIMSTEC organization filed a complaint to the UN on its larger neighbor on water diversion of the Farakka Barrage of this river. This river's endangered river dolphin was elected to be the city animal of the city of Guwahati . (*) The two principal distributaries of this river, the Hooghly and the Padma, diverge at the central panhandle of West Bengal. The Sundarbans is a natural region located at the mouths of this river and is the primary home to the national animal of Bangladesh. For 10 points, name this river whose drainage basins include most of Nepal and Northern India and is the most sacred river to Hindus.
A: Ganges River [accept Ganga]
Q: Point Alden and Cape Gray border Commonwealth Bay in this region. The oldest settlement still occupied in this region is Orcadas Base, and the King Haakon VII Sea borders this region's Queen Maud Land. Deception Island surrounds Port Foster in this region's South Shetland Islands. Weddell Sea lies between this region's namesake peninsula and Coats Land. The Ellsworth Mountains contain the highest point on this landmass, Vinson Massif. Mount Bird is an inactive volcano on this landmass's Ross Island, which also contains Mount Erebus. Vostok is a subglacial lake under this landmass. For 10 points, name this continent covered by ice that contains the South Pole.
A: Antarctica [accept Adelie Land or Terre Adelie before "Orcadas"]
Q: In 2011, a large underground river was found in this country and named Hamza after one its geologist discoverers. The proposed Belo Monte dam would sit on the Xingu [SHING-goo] river in this country. Cars in this nation run on "gasohol" or ethanol made from its sugar cane cultivation. The first Jews in the Americas came to the city of Recife, now in this nation, whose planned capital has city limits shaped like an airplane. Slums called favelas surround a major city of this nation home to the Mato Grosso, where a statue of Christ the Redeemer also stands with open arms. For 10 points, name this site of rapid deforestation, a Portuguese-speaking nation in South America.
A: Federative Republic of Brazil [or Republica Federativa do Brasil] <BH/MJ>
Q: The cities San Juan and Panajachel are located in the western highlands of this country and surround Lake Atitlan. The archaeological site Holmul is located in this country's north, which houses the Peten basin, and this country contains the highest peak in Central America, Volcan Tajumulco. The Polochic and Dulce Rivers flow into this country's Lake Izabal. Puerto Barrios is located on the eastern coast of this country within the Gulf of Honduras. Flores and Santa Elena are cities in the north of this country near the ancient ruins of Tikal. For 10 points, identify this Central American nation bordered by Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, and Mexico.
A: Republic of Guatemala [or Republica de Guatemala]
Q: The Lomonosov Ridge traverses the floor of this body of water that can be entered through the Fram Strait. Currents in this body include the Beaufort Gyre and a drift stream that begins in the Laptev Sea. In 1958 the USS Nautilus submarine traveled this body of water, a (*) difficult feat due to inaccurate compass readings. Territories here include Russia's Franz Josef Land and Norway's Svalbard Archipelago. For 10 points--name this ocean that covers the North Pole.
A: Arctic Ocean
Q: This river traces its headwaters to the La Poudre Pass. At Glenwood Canyon, the Hanging Lake flows into this river, and the canal joining this river and Lake Havasu is spanned by the 1831 London Bridge. Cities along this river include Moab and Yuma, where the Gila River flows into this river. The All-American Canal is used to irrigate the Imperial Valley with waters from this river upon which (*) Lake Mead was created after the Hoover Dam was built. This river forms the boundary between Baja California and Sonora before emptying into the Gulf of California. For 10 points, name this river on which the Grand Canyon lies.
A: Colorado River
Q: Outside of Canada, a trick-taking card game called "forty-fives" is primarily played in this US state and its northern neighbor. Locals take pride in a lake with an egregious 45-letter name in this state, which they claim means "you fish on your side, I fish on my side, nobody fish in the middle." An aberration in this state's southern border is called the "Southwick Jog," and the Western part of this state is home to the Pioneer Valley. Most of this state's Elizabeth Islands are owned by the Forbes family. Those islands are separated from a peninsula of this state by the Woods Hole strait. The Quabbin Reservoir in this state supplies its main metropolitan area with drinking water. For 10 points, name this New England state that extends eastward as Cape Cod.
A: Massachusetts [The Commonwealth of Massachusetts; or New Hampshire until "northern" is read]
Q: The identity of one participant in this event was confirmed when she recalled the name of her pet pigeon Jenny. A popular theory about it concerns radio operator Kenneth Ormiston and his affair with a "Mrs. X" at his seaside cottage in Carmel-by-the-Sea. A newspaper challenged one person involved in this event to quiet doubters by walking twenty miles through the desert. A Grand Jury investigation into it did not locate "Steve" or "Mexicali Rose," who had allegedly signed a note "The Avengers." It caused a (*) 1926 media circus as newspapers first reported on an apparent drowning and then disbelievingly on the explanation provided by the subject of this event that she had escaped from kidnappers in Mexico. For 10 points, name this scandal surrounding the alleged disappearance of the female evangelist who founded the Foursquare Gospel.
A: disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson [or: obvious equivalents]
Q: One structure that lies along this river is the plutonium-producing Hanford Site. The city of Astoria lies near this river's mouth, and this river flows past Golden and Invermere. "Fish-ladders" help salmon cross this river's numerous hydroelectric dams, which include John Jay and Bonneville. The Yakima River joins this river at Tri-Cities, while Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake is formed by the (*) Grand Coulee Dam on this river. This river is joined by the Willamette at Portland, while its largest tributary goes through Hell's Canyon and is called the Snake. For 10 points, name this river which lies on the border between Washington and Oregon.
A: Columbia River
Q: Basal slip occurs when glaciers slide on a soft bed of sediment, and moraines appear as long dark bands on the edges of glaciers as they carry along debris. The cirque type of these form on the sides of mountains, and the tidewater type extend all the way to the sea. The continental type of these expands outward from a central point. Firn are layers of snow that survive through a full melt season and are a major component of these. Icebergs form from the calving of these. For 10 points, name these natural features in which the accumulation of snow exceeds the rate of ablation, melting, or calving.
A: glaciers
Q: Activist Roy Sesana led the FPK movement in this country, which advocated for people who had been forcibly resettled in New Xade. The Tsawana group protested a 2001 referendum in this country which was believed to concentrate judicial power in the Kalanga. This country is separated from its western neighbor by the Chobe River. This country, whose economy is reliant on government-owned diamond mines, is the setting of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and has a twenty-five percent HIV rate. This country's north point has a border of less than one kilometer with Zambia and a much longer border with the Caprivi Strip. For 10 points, name this country renowned for its economic and democratic stability and found to the north of South Africa.
A: Botswana
Q: This country's capital is home to the Witches' Market, where healers called yatiri sell various herbs. A 1970s dictatorship in this country attempted to eradicate an industry centered on its Chapare (cha-PAH-ray) region. This country adopted an alternate flag consisting of multicolored squares arranged in diagonal stripes, known as the wiphala (wee-PAH-lah). An all-female wrestling group called the "Fighting Cholitas" performs for tourists in El Alto, a suburb of this country's capital. This country's notoriously dangerous Yungas Road ends in the rainforest after starting in the Altiplano. This country contains the majority of the Aymara people, who use coca leaves to treat altitude sickness. For 10 points, name this country where Evo Morales rules from La Paz.
A: Bolivia [or Plurinational State of Bolivia]
Q: In the BBC documentary The Love of Books, Congo-born Abbas Lutumba Hussein risked his life saving manuscripts such as al-Ghazali's The Revival of Religious Sciences in this city. Restaurants such as the Morica Han were converted from centuries-old hans in this city. In this city, tourists can buy pens made from bullet cartridges at the Bascarsija (bosh-char-SHEE-ya), its Turkish market. Its Gazi Husrev-beg Library housed a rich collection of texts written in the local language with Arabic script called arebica (ah-reh-BEET-sah). This "Jerusalem of the Balkans" is at the foot of Mount Trebevic (TREB-eh-veech). Its namesake "rose" formed after a 1,425-day siege. In this city, a member of the Black Hand assassinated a monarch in 1914. For 10 points, name this capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A: Sarajevo [or Vrhbosna]
Q: The 1985 murder of five members of this group in Quebec is known as the Lennoxville Massacre. Much of the information about this group comes from books written by Sonny Barger, who led this group in 1979 when it was the target of one of the first major RICO cases. This group took its name from a 1930 Howard Hughes film about World War I (*) combat pilots. A swamped boat stymied this group's attempted assassination of Mick Jagger, which was planned after members of this group were criticized for killing Meredith Hunter while providing security for the Altamont Speedway Free Festival in 1969. This group, which uses the number "81" as a symbol, was the subject of the 1967 book that launched Hunter S. Thompson's career. For 10 points, name this prominent American motorcycle gang.
A: Hells Angels
Q: In this city, a pair of "grand" and "small" sister museums replaced a former "Palace of Industry." A park in this city contains a museum built in a former tennis court, as well as a museum of "Decorative Arts." A "Royal Bridge," one of the thirty-seven bridges over this city's central river, separates that park from a different museum in this city with a (*) long glass roof over a central gallery. That museum in this city is housed in a Beaux-Arts (boh-zarr) styled former train station and is named after Orsay. A glass pyramid stands outside a museum in this city which contains the Mona Lisa. For 10 points, name this city that houses the Louvre.
A: Paris
Q: In 2016, the golden lantern-like cap of a 123-floor "World Tower" in this city was finished. This city is home to the largest Pentecostal congregation in the world. An area of this city once home to towering trash piles became the site of a "Digital Media City." Hikers frequent the Bukhan (pook-HAN) Mountain that lies on the northern edge of this city, whose 63 Building is coated in a layer of gold. This city was the center of a business boom nicknamed "the Miracle on the Han River." The AREX rail line links this city to a frequent contender for the world's best airport, Incheon International Airport. For 10 points, name this city home to chaebol (cheh-ball) businesses such as LG, Hyundai, and Samsung, the capital of South Korea.
A: Seoul
Q: This island is where one of the few tonal Malayo-Polynesian tongues, Tsat, is spoken. That language is spoen here by an ethnic group descended from a Cham refugee community which lives around this island's city of Sanya. This home of the Utsul is the largest place that was designated a Special Economic Zone and is the site of a January to February fog blanket that routinely floods homes. The country which controls this island claims that its namesake province also includes the Paracel and Spratley archipelagos. The Haidian River runs through the north part of this island, separating its main mass from parts of its capital, Haikou. For 10 points, name this island province found off the south coast of mainland China.
A: Hainan
Q: Discoloration of this country's rivers and a nickname for this country are due to high laterite content in its soil. A national park in this country contains a "forest" of huge limestone spikes called Tsingy de Beharama, and a dry "spiny forest" biome of actual trees takes up much of this country's south. Species that are endemic to this country and are seen as national symbols include the cat-like fossa and most species of (*) baobab trees. This country is home to the Malagasy people and has its capital at Antananarivo. For 10 points, name this country, which is separated by the Mozambique channel from the eastern coast of Africa and is known for its lemurs.
A: Republic of Madagascar [or Repoblikan'i Madagasikara]
Q: The 'War in the Woods' at this island's Clayoquot protests were the largest act of civil disobedience in one country's history and were fought over logging of this island's temperate rainforests, where the Douglas Fir was first discovered. This island is separated from Quadra Island by a strait named for the ship commanded by this island's namesake. The highest mountain on this island was named by a later fur trader for Francis Drake's ship, the Golden Hinde, from which Drake had probably sighted this island in 1579. The construction of the Pacific Railway allowed a mainland city with the same name as this island to overshadow this island's largest city, Victoria. For 10 points, name this Canadian island, part of British Columbia.
A: Vancouver Island
Q: Flight PT-RDZ, which was carrying pensioners looking to take up state benefits, disappeared in this country partly as a result of taking off from one of its many unregistered landing strips. The EU gave money to this country in 1982 to demarcate land for the Awa people, one of the last hunter-gatherer groups found here. The rubber-rich Uru-Eu-Uaw-Uaw [OO-roo-EY-oo-WOW-WOW] Indigenous Territory can be found in this country's state of Rondonia. The Haximu massacre, in which gold miners attacked this country's indigenous Yanomami tribe, took place near this country's border with Venezuela. For 10 points, name this country, whose President Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of allowing further destruction of the Amazon.
A: Brazil
Q: Anthropologists like Georg Steindorff investigated traditional homosexual behavior in a town in one of these natural features. Ralph Bagnold and Laszlo Almasy (LASS-low ALL-mash-ee) led separate expeditions to discover a legendary one of these features called Zerzura. During World War I, the British drove out the Senussi from many towns on these features. Salt deposits near a temple in one of these features were the first to be called "ammonium." One of these features called Ein Gedi in Israel is home to a kibbutz and a popular spa. Notable examples of these features include Siwa and Ghadames (gah-DAM-ess). Many of these features in the Gourara region of Algeria support the cultivation of dates. For 10 points, name these isolated areas of water and fertile land in deserts.
A: oases [or oasis; prompt on lakes; prompt on deserts]
Q: This state's Fremont County is home to the Boysen Resevoir. This state is home to the southern part of the largest sub-range of the Rocky Mountains, the Absaroka Range. Its southeastern portion contains both Bridger and Medicine Bow Peaks, and its southern portion contains the town of Green River. Home to Shoshone National Forest, this state contains the oil hub of Rock Springs, and the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway runs through one of its National Parks. That same national park was decimated by a 1988 forest fire, and contains the largest super volcano in North America, a namesake caldera. Its lone university lies in the city of Laramie, and it also includes the cities of Jackson Hole, and Casper. For 10 points, name this home to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, a western state with capital at Cheyenne.
A: Wyoming
Q: In the 1980s, a "Solidarity Crisis" led to protests and strikes in response to the policy of this province's Socred (soh-CRED) government. Graham Island and Moresby Island make up an archipelago in this province that is governed by the Haida First Nation, and was formerly named for Queen Charlotte. A tower called Living Shangri-La is the tallest in one city in this province, which developed out of a settlement called Gastown. That city in this province has a fully-automated, elevated metro line which recently abandoned its new Morgan Freeman-voiced announcements; that metro system in this province is called the SkyTrain. Indigenous peoples from this province, including the Tsimshian (TSIM-shee-in) and Kwakiutl (kwah-kee-OO-tull), hold a once-criminalized gift-giving feast called Potlatch, and make totem poles. For 10 points, name this Canadian province whose largest city is Vancouver.
A: British Columbia [or Colombie-Britannique]
Q: Supposedly, Al Capone once took a leak at this city's art deco Stasiu urinals, which are so popular women sneak into the men's restroom to see them. Two of this city's bars, the 5-8 Club and Matt's Tavern, claim to be the inventor of the "Juicy Lucy," a burger in which the cheese is inside the patty. In the 19th-century, eighteen people were killed in this city after flour powder in the air of a mill caught on fire, and subsequently caused an explosion. Claes Oldenberg's Spoonbridge and Cherry can be found in a sculpture garden nearby this city's Walker Art Center. This city's (*) "skyway" allows pedestrians to walk through its buildings, such as the Target Center or the Wells Fargo Center, without going outside. This city, which is located nearby Saint Anthony Falls on the Mississippi River, is adjoined to the capital city of Saint Paul. For 10 points, name this more-populous of the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
A: Minneapolis
Q: This man's government suffered humanitarian backlash when his colonial secretary Alfred Lyttleton sanctioned the importation of Chinese indentured labor into South African mines. This man's strict enforcement of the Coercion Laws as Chief Secretary of Ireland in the second Salisbury ministry led Irish nationalists to nickname him "bloody." One year after facing a Cabinet crisis, this man's government reached the Entente Cordiale agreement with France. This man noted that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing ... communities" in a document incorporated into the Treaty of Sevres and influenced by a meeting with Chaim Weizmann while this man was Foreign Secretary. For 10 points, name this British politician who addressed Baron Rothschild in a 1917 declaration endorsing a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
A: Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour
Q: The largest island in an archipelago owned by this country is covered in an endemic plant whose high vitamin C content made it valuable to sailors, called its eponymous "cabbage." On that island owned by this country, the terrestrial mammal denizens consist of feral cats that feed on mistakenly-introduced rabbits. A research outpost is the only population in this country's Kerguelen (KURR-guh-lin) Islands. Another territory of this country is home to the Kanak people, and is named New Caledonia. A South American territory of this country was converted into a penal colony after this country banned slavery, so it could keep using forced labor; that territory is home to the European Space Agency's primary launch site and is this country's Guiana. For 10 points, name this country that colonized the Ivory Coast, Madagascar, and Quebec.
A: France [or the French Republic; or Republique francaise]
Q: This region's town of Makawao hosts an annual rodeo that features this region's paniolo cowboys. The world's rarest duck is found on Laysan Island in this region, whose other bird species include the nene goose. This region's capital city is home to the (*) 'Iolani Palace. One variety of arabica coffee is grown near and named for this region's city of Kona. One dance from this region that makes heavy use of hand movements is often performed at luʻau feasts; that dance is the hula. The ukulele originates from, for 10 points, which U.S. state in the Pacific Ocean whose capital is Honolulu?
A: Hawai'i [accept Hawai'ian Islands; anti-prompt on specific islands like Oahu, Maui, or Big Island]
Q: An Art Nouveau-styled water tower can be found on this river's Margaret Island. The construction of two dams in this river led to the submerging of the former Turkish exclave of Ada Kaleh in 1972. A city on this river, Novi Sad, is the capital of the autonomous region of (*) Vojvodina. This river's tributaries include the Tisza and Drava Rivers. This river begins in Germany's Black Forest and splits the areas of Buda and Pest, which make up a present-day capital city on this river. For 10 points, name this second-longest river in Europe that passes through the cities of Belgrade, Bratislava, and Vienna before emptying into the Black Sea.
A: Danube River
Q: One body of water in this state receives water from Lake George via the La Chute River. This state's Glimmerglass State Park is located on the northeastern shore of its Otsego Lake, the source of a river that merges with the Unadilla River in Sidney in this state. This state contains Lake Tear of the Clouds, which is located on the southwest slope of this state's highest peak, Mount Marcy. This state contains the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, and it also contains the origin of the Susquehanna River and the western portion of Lake Champlain. For 10 points name this state with capital at Albany.
A: New York
Q: This city is known for a kielbasa and french fry sandwich called a Polish Boy. Though not New York, the Olmsted Brothers firm designed a namesake Metroparks System surrounding this city. In 2008, the HealthLine was added to this city's metro system, the RTA. The Van Sweringen brothers developed this city's suburb of Shaker Heights. Cesar Pelli designed the largest building in this city, the 57-story (*) Key Tower. This city's theater district, Playhouse Square, lies on its Euclid Avenue. This city's North Coast Harbor is the site of a museum with an odd cylindrical tower and a large glass pyramid adjacent to the shore of Lake Erie. The oft-burning Cuyahoga River runs through this city. For 10 points, name this Ohio city home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A: Cleveland, Ohio
Q: A small portion of this river's watershed extends into Virginia via the Big Sandy and Tug Fork Rivers. The cities of Parkersburg and Wheeling lie on this river. This river's main tributary is spanned by the Fort Duquesne Bridge and its secondary tributary is spanned by the Fort Pitt Bridge. Those two rivers are the (*) Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers respectively and confluence just feet from the two aforementioned bridges in Pittsburgh to form this river that discharges at Cairo. For 10 points, name this largest right tributary of the Mississippi River, from which the state containing Cleveland derives its name.
A: Ohio River
Q: This state's Mogollon Rim sustained damage from the so-called "Dude Fire" in 1990 and the Rodeo-Chediski Fire in 2002. Fort Whipple served as the capital of this state while it was still a territory, and this state's highest point is Humphrey's Peak, which lies near the Barringer Meteorite impact site. Along with Hawaii, this state does not observe Daylight Savings time. This state contains the Painted Desert, part of which extends into its Petrified Forest National Park. This state's Maricopa County is home to the cities of Chandler and Glendale. For 10 points, name this home state of the Grand Canyon with capital at Phoenix.
A: Arizona
Q: A copy of the Olmec Colossal Head that was gifted to this city can be found in the Exotic Zone of its Century Park. British and French buildings in this city can be seen along its Riverside Promenade Avenue. It's not in Germany or the United States, but the Mercedes-Benz Arena is located in this city. This city's central district is home to its Old City God Temple. The (*) Yu Garden is located in this city, whose Oriental Pearl Tower and namesake World Financial Center are located in its Pudong district. One historic district in this city is called the Bund. For 10 points, name this largest city in China, which is located on the Yangtze River delta.
A: Shanghai
Q: The northern portion of this country can be accessed via the Salang Pass, which lies east of the alternative Kushan Pass. This nation's Band-e Amir National Park lies in its Bamyan Province, the same province in which two Buddha statues were destroyed with dynamite in 2001. This country is the home of the Registan Desert, and this country's highest peak, Noshaq, lies in the Hindu Kush Mountains. This country has the largest Hazara population in the world, and its city of Jalalabad lies near the Khyber Pass. For 10 points, name this country home to Kandahar with capital at Kabul.
A: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Q: Remains of the crassicutata species of this animal were found at Little Salt Spring, Florida, where Paleo-Indians killed them with wooden stakes and then roasted them on ledges at the side of a sinkhole. One of these animals named "Jonathan" lives at Plantation House on Saint Helena, where he was brought by British sailors in 1882. David (*) Attenborough's series The Living Planet describes the concentration of these animals on the atoll of Aldabra. The last of these animals native to ► Pinta island died in 2012 and was known as "Lonesome George." For 10 points each, what giant slow-moving reptiles are now restricted to isolated islands such as the Seychelles and Galapagos?
A: giant tortoises (prompt on "turtles")
Q: These organisms name a set of islands off the coast of Namibia. Tasmania is home to the "fairy" species of this organism. The northernmost species of this organism mostly live on one archipelago's islands of Fernandina and Isabela. One species of this animal is named after a strait north of (*) Tierra del Fuego. It's not a squid, but Alexander Humboldt names one species of these animals that have been impacted by oil spills along with its Magellanic and African species. The tallest species of these animals, the "emperor," is endemic to Antarctica. For 10 points, name these flightless birds that primarily inhabit colder areas of the Southern Hemisphere.
A: penguins [or Emperor Penguins; or Fairy Penguins]
Q: Description acceptable. Reports of toxic contamination at one of these sites have been corroborated by high DDT levels in habu snakes. There are 32 of these sites, the northernmost of which is named for Harold Gonsalves and is home to the Jungle Warfare Training Center. Many of these sites, including Kadena and Camp Hansen, changed hands in (*) 1945, and the most controversial site, MCAS Futenma, is located in the city of Ginowan. A 1995 rape committed by a resident of one of these places and a murder perpetrated by Kenneth Franklin ► Shinzato led to protests in Naha against the presence of these foreign-controlled sites, but local residents have not experienced the long-promised relocation of personnel at these sites to Guam or Hawaii. For 10 points, name these American institutions on the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, in southern Japan.
A: American military bases on Okinawa [prompt on military bases in Japan, generously accept any branch at any point]
Q: Local legend in this city holds that the extremely narrow Casa Minima house was given to a freed slave by a resident of its oldest neighborhood, San Telmo. It was the birthplace of a class of small colorfully painted buses built from cars which are known as colectivos. Its largest art museum is known as the MBNA and is located in its cultural center Recoleta. This site of Ezeiza International Airport has a downtown area which is dominated by a massive obelisk designed by Alberto Prebisch. Residents of this city are widely known as Portenos, and the tango was invented in its slums. It is located at the northeastern edge of the Pampas, where the Parana River widens into the Rio de la Plata estuary. For 10 points, name this capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: A 1972 expedition led by John Blashford-Snell crossed a region in this country using two Range Rovers and started from the city of Yaviza. Numerous studies of tropical rainforest ecosystems have been conducted on this country's Barro Colorado Island, which is located on a man-made lake formed by a dam on the (*) Chagres River. Lake Gatun is located in this country which is home to the only pause in the Pan-American Highway at its Darien Gap. For 10 points, name this Central American isthmus country home to a shipping canal connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
A: Panama [or Republic of Panama]
Q: This body of water is bounded to the northwest by Marin County. The Dumbarton Bridge spans this body of water which contains Yerba Buena Island and the artificial Treasure Island. The Cosco Busan collided with one of the more famous bridges spanning this body of water in 2007, causing a small oil spill. That bridge's eastern span partially collapsed in the (*) Loma Prieta Earthquake. The O. Co Coliseum lies on its shore near Alameda Island, a large island in the eastern portion of this bay, while Alcatraz and Angel Islands lie in the western portion. For 10 points, name this northern California bay spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco Bay ("Bay" not needed after it's read)
Q: Pheasant Island, located on the western end of this mountain range, switches ownership between two countries every six months. A species of ibex endemic to this mountain range's Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park went extinct in 2000. Pico de Aneto is the highest point in this mountain range. The Bishop of (*) Urgell is one of the two heads of state of a country located in this mountain range. The city of Lourdes is located in the foothills of this mountain range, whose western portion encompasses the Basque country. For 10 points, name this mountain range that spans the border between France and Spain and is home to the nation of Andorra.
A: Pyrenees Mountains
Q: The Bansagar Dam is located on the Son River, which is a tributary of this larger river. This river was the subject of illegal mining in the Haridwar district, and it is dammed at Farakka, at which point it splits from the Hooghly river. This river begins at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers, and the primary distributary of this river is the Padma. This river has become highly polluted due to the Kumbh Mela ceremony. At its confluence with the Brahmaputra, this river empties into the Bay of Bengal, forming the world's largest delta. For 10 points, name this river in India sacred to Hinduism.
A: Ganges River
Q: Though it's not a broadcasting tower, Adziogol (AH-jig-ohl) is an example of one of these structures made of a hyperboloid lattice, built by Shukhov in southern Ukraine. The second-oldest of these structures in operation is a massively-buttressed example on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa (HEE-oo-MAH). The oldest building of this type, located in Spain, is the last Roman example still standing; that building in A Coruna (AH ko-ROON-yah) is called The Tower of Hercules. One of these in Genoa nicknamed Lanterna has been the tallest example of these buildings in mainland Europe since it was rebuilt in 1543. This type of building on Ile Vierge in France is one of the last to be continuously manned, and another once existed at Alexandria. For 10 points, name this kind of tower for guiding ships.
A: lighthouses [prompt on lights]
Q: The cancer-treating drug vincristine comes from a periwinkle endemic to an island in this body of water. One island country in this body of water is the only home of the coco de mer tree, which can be found on its island of Praslin. One tree named for its red sap, the dragon blood tree, can be found on the island of (*) Socotra in this body of water. Before its extinction, the dodo bird lived on an island in this body of water. The island countries of Seychelles and Mauritius are both located in this body of water. Madagascar is located in, for 10 points, what third-largest ocean stretching from eastern Africa to Australia that borders its namesake subcontinent?
A: Indian Ocean
Q: People who do this rigorously in Scotland are said to have gone "Munro bagging" and are at risk of encountering a cryptid known as the "Big Grey Man." Practitioners of this pastime should be wary of Brocken spectres, caused by an optical illusion that magnifies the size of one's own shadow. Side effects of performing this action are treated in South America by chewing medicinal coca leaves. People attempting a feat in this activity might rely on (*) landmarks such as "Green Boots," the epithet of a person who froze to death while doing this. A particularly well-known person involved in this activity, when asked about his motivations for performing it, responded, "Because ► it's there." For 10 points, name this extreme sport in which absolute maniacs gain intimate geographical knowledge of places such as Ben Nevis or Mount Everest.
A: mountain climbing [or obvious equivalents; if player gives more specific answer than necessary, ask for less specificity or accept outright at own leisure]
Q: According to one early scheme for creating these things, they should all be squares 18 leagues on each side, and divided into nine cantons. Early 19th-century expansion of the number of these things increased the total of them to 130, including in such unlikely places as "military Croatia," "Lake Trasimene," and "the mouth of the Elbe." The Abbe (*) Sieyes claimed that he was not the principal creator of these things, but the only creator of these things, which were actually introduced to the National Assembly by a lawyer named Thouret. These things were given standardized numbers and, in most cases, the names of rivers: for example, number 38 is the Isere, number 70 the Haute-Saone, and number 47 the Lot-et-Garonne. In 2011 the island of ► Mayotte stopped being a "collectivity" and achieved this status, joining Reunion and Guadeloupe as "overseas" examples of these places. For 10 points, give this term for the territorial subdivisions of government in France.
A: departments of France (or French departments; accept overseas departments after "Mayotte")
Q: In 1951, a developer renamed this waterway's Haw Par Island after the Brooklyn neighborhood of Coney Island. Its former name translates to "Big Fish Strait," and pods of bottlenose dolphins have appeared near this waterway's Punggol [PUNG-gall] Marina. It is the ancestral home of the indigenous Orang Seletar [or-AHNG sell-uh-tar] people, who retreated north after Sir Stamford (*) Raffles purchased a bordering island in 1819. A causeway to The Woodlands was constructed across this waterway in 1923, four years before the Territorial Waters Agreement designated it an international border. Planes flying south into Changi [CHENG-yee] Airport cross this waterway just before landing. For 10 points, name this strait separating peninsular Malaysia from the city-state of Singapore.
A: Strait (s) of Johor
Q: A site in this region called Puzzlewood was apparently part of the literary inspiration for the deep forests of Middle Earth. While temporarily living in this region, a man got seriously disillusioned by reading a book whose main source was told "you said everything, even if you don't (*) remember it" by its author. In this region, a lake of ice nearly kills a man who jumped in without first removing a certain locket. Extra-canonical sources claim that Rubeus Hagrid was born in and got his accent from this specific region. A white doe, which is actually a ► Patronus, reveals the sword of Godric Gryffindor in this region, where Ron Weasley is reunited with his friends. For 10 points, name this region where Hermione's family used to go camping, and where she takes Harry after his wand breaks in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
A: Forest of Dean
Q: The Turkish firm Gulsan-Cukurova supplied seven screening plants used in the resurfacing of this road, a job executed by the Louis Berger Group. A crash involving a 303 commuter bus killed seven people on this road in March, days after hundreds of protestors camped out here to draw attention to a pair of killings in the Qarabagh [kah-rah-BAHK] district. The Loya Jirga legislature convened for the first time two days before this road's 2003 dedication ceremony, at which U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad declared, "On to Ghor, and then to (*) Herat." This road includes a particularly treacherous stretch in Ghazni province. Taliban fighters regularly besiege-for 10 points-what 300-mile-long road connecting Afghanistan's two most populous cities?
A: Kabul-Kandahar highway (or Highway One; accept descriptions involving a road linking Kabul and Kandahar; prompt on "Afghan ring road" or similar answers)
Q: The Diamond Craters volcanic field lies at the southeast edge of this location, where a Streak-backed Oriole was seen in September 1993. The Lilly Irons memorial bench is outside the headquarters of this location, which houses stone bowls and projectile points produced by the Burns Paiute people. Waters of the Donner und Blitzen River, which runs through the center of this location, eventually reach Harney Lake. (*) LaVoy Finicum was killed as a result of an incident at this location, where the "Citizens For Constitutional Freedom" ► occupied U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service property in January 2016. For 10 points, what wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon was taken over by right-wing extremists associated with the Bundy family?
A: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Q: The controversial Constitution Bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, opened across this body of water in 2008, near a major train station at its northern end. Sites along the banks of this body of water include the Church of San Stae and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and a university stands where this body of water meets the Rio de Ca' Foscari. For centuries, this ► canal's only crossing was the Rialto Bridge. The Doge's Palace lies along the banks of-for 10 points-what major canal that makes a reverse "S" shape across the historic core of Venice, Italy?
A: Grand Canal
Q: The deliverer of the 1992 Presidential Address to the American Association of Geographers claimed this field and geography "occupy much the same ground but have been standing with their backs to each other." Norwood and Monk collaborated on a book that applied this discipline to geographies of culture in the American Southwest. This discipline's ability to enhance scientific efforts to reduce illusion was praised by Staeheli and Lawson in a paper titled "[this field], (*) Praxis, and Human Geography." It's not indigenous rights, but interdisciplinary studies involving this field were pursued by noted New Zealand geographer Evelyn ► Stokes. For 10 points, name this discipline whose application is sometimes relevant to human geography, as it encourages the recognition of geographical issues that affect the lives of women.
A: feminism
Q: This country has introduced protections for local bird species in areas such as the Ravine of the Crows. Horse races take place in this country at the Maronas National Hippodrome. The inaugural 1930 (*) FIFA World Cup was held in this country's Estadio Centenario, which is today the first and only official "Historical Monument of Football." Visitors to this non-European country's capital city might choose to visit the stylish Pocitos neighborhood or take a stroll down the Rambla, which is a long scenic avenue along the beach. Although this country has no known surviving indigenous languages, some people in its northern territories speak ► "Portunol," or Spanish-influenced Portuguese. For 10 points, name this country to the north of the Rio de la Plata estuary, on which lies its capital, Montevideo.
A: Uruguay [or la Republica Oriental del Uruguay]
Q: Lithuanian artist Gintaras Karosas manages a large open-air park dedicated to celebrating a possible one of these locations that includes such landmarks as the LNK Infotree and a Monument to [this concept]. An irregularly shaped rock upon which is mounted a sunburst marks an early claimant to this location in Suchowola, (*) Poland. Russian propaganda has supported the dubious claim that a monument consisting of a sailing ship suspended above a map in Vitebsk, Belarus is the actual true ► holder of this title. If the United Kingdom follows through with Brexit, according to one definition this location will shift from Westerngrund to Gadheim, Bavaria. For 10 points, identify this abstract location that represents the point equidistant from the borders of a certain continent.
A: the geographical center of Europe [or obvious equivalents referring to a center or a midpoint; do not accept "pole of inaccessibility," as that is a different concept]
Q: In early times the Bishops of Sodor also had ecclesiastical jurisdiction over this island. King Orry's Grave is a stone age site on this island, where the "Tourist Trophy" motorcycle race has been held since 1907. Ned Maddrell, the last man who spoke the native language of this island, grew up in its small fishing town of Cregneash. Near this island's southern tip is a smaller island called "the (*) calf of" [this island]. This island's red flag bears a symbol called the triskelion or "ny tree cassyn," three armored legs joined at the hip. The ► Tynwald is the traditional parliament of this island, a crown dependency whose capital is Douglas. For 10 points, what island in the Irish Sea is known for its tailless cats?
A: Isle of Man
Q: This state contains Singer Island and Anna Maria Island, and its Big Talbot Island is a state park. This state's highest point is Britton Hill, and it is home to the Rim Canal and the Seven Mile Bridge. Dry Tortugas National Park lies in this state, which shares (*) Okefenokee Swamp with its northern neighbor and contains the Kissimmee River. This state's Cape Canaveral is home to the Kennedy Space Center. Big Cypress Swamp, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa Bay, Epcot, and the Everglades all lie within this state. For 10 points, name this Sunshine State home to Key West, with capital at Tallahassee.
A: Florida
Q: A crippled princess accedes to the throne of the Cloud Kingdom in a folktale from this mountain range collected in the 2018 book Dancing on Blades. Antoni Rehman was the first to comprehensively describe this range, in an 1895 text on its "physico-geography." The Little and Great Alfolds form the Pannonian Basin between the two arms of this range. During the Middle Ages, this range's Bihor Massif [bee-HOAR maa-SEEF] was home to an intensive gold- and silver-mining operation. The Iron (*) Gate, part of the Djerdap [jurr-DAHP] gorge system, divides these mountains from the Balkans. This range begins in the Czech Republic, ends at the northern tip of Serbia, and covers the bulk of Romania. The Transylvanian Alps belong to-for 10 points-what mountain range that arcs across eastern Europe?
A: Carpathian Mountains
Q: The city nearest this man-made structure includes the southernmost campus of South Valley University. The building of this landmark resulted in the diocese of Faras becoming a titular see. Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman was criticized in 2001 for threatening to (*) blow up this historic landmark. A plummet in regional sardine fisheries coincided with the completion of this infrastructure project, although the exact cause of the former remains contested. John ► Foster Dulles refused funding for this project after its leader officially recognized the People's Republic of China. Due to the anticipated effects of this project, the temple complex of Abu Simbel was relocated so it would not be submerged. For 10 points, name this 1960s construction project that created Lake Nasser and ended the yearly flooding of the Nile.
A: Aswan High Dam [or Al-Sadd al-ʿAli]
Q: This territory is the northernmost place in which was practiced the funerary tradition of carving a hole in a massive tree trunk for the bodies of slaves and topping them with a jar of the dead king's bones. That ritual, conducted by this territory's Punan Bah people, is called Kelirieng. More than a hundred miles of tunnels make up this territory's Clearwater Cave, located in Gunung Mulu National Park. This territory's museum, its Government Lay School, and its Fort Margherita were all founded in the 19th century by its second monarch, Charles Brooke. Relics of this territory's White (*) Rajahs are still apparent in the architecture of its capital city, Kuching. For 10 points, name this territory on the island of ► Borneo that, along with Sabah, is controlled by Malaysia.
A: Sarawak
Q: This is an alternate name for the pass of Biban in central Algeria, where Marshal Valee's movement of a French army in 1839 caused the breakdown of the Treaty of Tafna. This name was also used for what Chinese sources call the Tiemenguan, a passage on the road to Samarkand that supposedly kept the Western Turks from invading the land of the Tokharians. A third feature with this name include the now-submerged Turkish smuggler island of Ada Kaleh and the Mesolithic village site of (*) Lepenski Vir. The Derdap National Park preserves part of a feature with this name, where many historic sites were submerged by two ► Ceausescu-era hydroelectric dams. For 10 points, give this name shared by a gorge of the River Danube on the border between Serbia and Romania.
A: Iron Gate (or Iron Gates or Gates of Iron)
Q: This state's Chichagof Island and Prince of Wales Island are part of the Alexander Archipelago located off its southeastern coast, and this state also controls St. Lawrence Island. The Unorganized Borough covers more than half of this state. This state's city of Barrow is located on the Beaufort Sea, and this state contains the Brooks and Wrangell mountain ranges. This state's city of (*) Nome lies on Norton Sound, and an oil pipeline connects Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. This state contains Kodiak Island, and the islands Attu and Kiska, which were invaded during World War II, are part of its Aleutian Islands. Its cities include Fairbanks, Anchorage, and its capital, Juneau. For 10 points, name this northernmost and largest US state.
A: Alaska
Q: The world's first metal truss bridge was opened in 1779 over this river; that bridge, the gorge it crosses, and the town it sits in are now named "Ironbridge" because of it. Two long suspension bridges over a channel called "the shoots," one of them using the "English Stones" as a foundation, constitute this river's eponymous "crossing" near its mouth. This river has been long discussed as the site of a possible power-generating barrage, due to its massive 46-foot tidal range that produces a recurring bore, a standing wave that surfers ride upriver. It rises at Wales's highest point, and the River Wye and the Warwickshire Avon flow into this river, which drains into the Bristol Channel. For 10 points, name this river in West England whose enormous estuary sits between south Wales and Somerset.
A: River Severn
Q: Description acceptable. One building of this purpose was the centerpiece of the Little Norway living museum in Wisconsin, while a Chinese-built structure of this purpose was moved 150 miles to serve as a theater for Walla Walla Community College. Extant structures of this purpose include the Sunsphere in Knoxville, the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio, and one that opened as a Palace of Fine Arts but now hosts the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. One structure of this purpose is a tower built in conjunction with a 1962 ► event in Seattle, the Space Needle. Many of these structures were temporary pavilions built by companies or countries, and few remained in sites like Jackson Park and Flushing Meadows after the year or two of their use. For 10 points, name this type of structure, defined by its construction for a months-long international event like the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
A: buildings (or structures) constructed for World's Fairs [accept mentions of pavilions even though not all structures were pavilions at their respective world's fairs; accept mentions of specific world's fairs]
Q: In April, researchers Emile Begin and Ken Hodges warned this park was due for a major forest fire. The karst Maligne [muh-LEEN] Canyon was created in this park by outflow from Medicine Lake. Edith Cavell, a nurse killed by a German firing squad during World War I, names a mountain in this park; with the adjoining Sorrow Peak, it sandwiches Angel (*) Glacier. A transparent "Skywalk" here affords striking views of the Sunwapta Valley below, and a gondola lift takes visitors up Whistlers Mountain. The Miette Hot Springs lie just inside the eastern edge of this park, near where the Athabasca River enters. The Icefields Parkway connects Banff to-for 10 points-what other national park in the Canadian Rockies?
A: Jasper National Park
Q: Traditionally, Irish participants in this journey began at a western gate into Dublin that is now the location of the Guinness brewery. Medieval guidelines for performing this journey were compiled in the Codex Calixtinus. In a 2010 film, Martin Sheen stars as the elderly Tom Avery, who (*) travels this route to scatter his son's ashes. People who traveled this route began a tradition of collecting scallop shells to prove they had made the journey. Travelers who complete this journey may participate in religious services involving a massive censer called the ► Botafumeiro, stay for free at the historic Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, and stamp a passport called a credencial. The namesake of this journey increased in popularity after performing miracles as the "Moorslayer," or Matamoros, during the Reconquista. For 10 points, name this popular pilgrimage route to a Catholic shrine in northwestern Spain.
A: Camino de Santiago [or Peregrinatio Compostelana; or the "Way of St. James;" or obvious translated equivalents]
Q: This city was where the ancient plaster-and-reed statues of Ain Ghazal were excavated. Rainbow Street and Souk Jara are important cultural centers in its downtown. Arab geographers knew this city as the center of the Balqa region, but Victorian British visitors thought it had been depopulated for centuries before a wave of Circassian refugees resettled it from the 1870s onward. The Romans built a Temple of Hercules on the citadel of this city, which was known in classical times as (*) Philadelphia. The nearby town of al-Salt was overshadowed by this city, which became an administrative capital in 1921 under ► Abdullah I and is today the center of the Hashemite monarchy. For 10 points, name this city, the capital of Jordan.
A: Amman
Q: The Bluefish Cave site in this territory is an early source of human-modified mammal bone. In 2016 scientists observed this region's Kaskawulsh River conduct an act of "river piracy" when climate change melted an ice dam and cut off the flow of water to the Slims River. The (*) Dempster Highway begins at Flat Creek in this territory before crossing the Eagle Plains. This territory is described as a place where addition is not taught and where one can use the fork of one's choice, according to the "real primitive" rules set out in a song found at the beginning of a 1989 Calvin and Hobbes collection. The Kluane National Park, which covers most of this territory's southwestern corner, is the site of Mount ► Logan. For 10 points, what Canadian territory was the center of a 1890s gold rush around Dawson City?
A: Yukon Territory
Q: A rainbow of extremophilic algae coat the man-made Fly Geyser in this state. 2000-year-old duck decoys were discovered in this state's Lovelock Cave, where guano miners unearthed mummified remains supposedly belonging to the legendary Si-Te-Cah tribe described by the Paiute. The high-def Toshiba commercial Space Chair launched an armchair into near space from a site in this state. The cui-ui is endemic to this state's tufa-rich Pyramid Lake, a remnant of the prehistoric Lahontan Lake in Washoe County and the terminus of the Truckee River. This state's Black Rock Desert is the site of the Burning Man Festival. For 10 points, name this state that shares Lake Tahoe with California.
A: Nevada
Q: An old neighborhood in this city is home to the Gutzlaff Signal Tower, an art deco structure that provides weather info to passing ships. This city's Lujiazui (LOO j'yah ts'way) district was the site of the intentional development of a new skyline starting with a tower that consists of two large spheres connected by three tube structures. That part of this city, across the river from the historic Bund neighborhood, is home to a recently completed twisting "Tower" which shares this city's name and is the second-tallest on earth, and another tall "World Financial Center" which is nicknamed "The Bottle Opener" due to its appearance. This city lies on the banks of the Yangtze estuary on the coast of the East China Sea. For 10 points, name this global financial center and shipping powerhouse in China, currently the largest city proper by population in the world.
A: Shanghai
Q: An hourglass-shaped island within this lake is home to the "bowling ball face" stone figures and was formed by the Concepcion and Maderas volcanos. The Mombacho Volcano within this lake formed its Granada islets. Thomas Thorson's research in 1976 showed that a fish endemic to this lake is actually a common bull shark. Ometepe Island and the Solentiname archipelago are found within this lake, whose outflow is the San Juan River, which once made it a candidate for the centerpiece of a canal. Beyond Zapatera island in the northwest of this lake, the Tipitapa River connects it to Lake Managua. For 10 points, name this large lake in Central America.
A: Lake Nicaragua
Q: The deepest point on this river, Algiers Point, is the namesake of a neighborhood around this river in one city. A National Scenic Byway, the Great River Road, accompanies the full length of this river. Systems for controlling this river include the Old River Control Structure, which helps fight against this river's tendency to redirect into a neighbor, the (*) Atchafalaya. This river's water is diverted by a spillway into Lake Pontchartrain. The 1811 New Madrid earthquake briefly made this river flow backwards. For 10 points, name this river whose headwaters are at Lake Itasca and which flows past New Orleans on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.
A: Mississippi River
Q: A hilarious Joseph Keppler cartoon features Uncle Sam ordering a man to commit hara-kiri after being involved in this scandal. As a reference to this scandal, the number 329 was painted on various buildings by supporters of Winfield Scott Hancock. Despite accusations of involvement in this scandal, Henry Wilson secured a nomination for Vice President. A company owned by Thomas Durant underreported their profits by twenty million dollars in the lead-up to this scandal. It revealed that Oakes Ames distributed stocks to several politicians, including Schuyler Colfax, in exchange for their support of Union Pacific. For 10 points, name this scandal involving bribes during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad that marred the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant.
A: Credit Mobilier of America scandal
Q: This body of water and the nearby Gippsland Lakes feature the endemic Burranan dolphin. A popular scuba spot in this body of water is an unfinished fort known as The Pope's Eye. The HMS Lady Nelson, commanded by John Murray, was the first British ship to enter this body of water, doing so in 1802. It is bordered by the urban neighborhoods of Williamstown and St. Kilda. The first European settlement on this body of water was at Sorrento, on the Mornington Peninsula. This body of water's western arm, Corio Bay, extends to the city of (*) Geelong, and this bay empties through The Rip into the Bass Strait. For 10 points, name this Australian body of water fed by the Yarra River that borders the southern edge of Melbourne.
A: Port Phillip (Bay)
Q: On April Fools' Day 2017, the Dutch company TravelBird promoted discounted flights to this place, which it deemed its "most noteworthy destination" of the year. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion occurred at a rig within an oil prospect named for this place. This place names an "express" train that travels south from Santa Marta through Magdalena (*) province. Its inhabitants include Mauricio Babilonia, who was inspired by a real-life electrician whom yellow butterflies reportedly trailed wherever he walked. A banana company arrives in and departs this town like a "leaf storm." Aracataca, Colombia was the basis of-for 10 points-what setting of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel One Hundred Years of Solitude?
A: Macondo
Q: This city's Podil district was historically its financial center. This city's ancient church of St. Michael of the Golden Domes was demolished in 1930. Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli designed the turquoise-domed St. Andrew's Church in this city. This city's Pechersk district contains the Monastery of the Caves, and a statue in this city commemorates a man who destroyed its (*) Polish-built Catholic monasteries named Bohdan Khmelnytsky. This city is located below where the Desna joins with the Dnieper River. Viktor Hartmann proposed a never-built structure to supplement this city's Golden Gate. The Cathedral of St. Sophia in this city contains the tomb of one of its rulers, Yaroslav the Wise. For 10 points, name this capital of the Ukraine.
A: Kiev (or Kyiv or Kyyiv or Kiyev)
Q: The islands of Saba and Bonaire are a part of this country, and its highest point, Vaalserberg, lies in the Ardennes in the south. The mouths of the Meuse and the Scheldt lie in this country, and its cities include Tilburg and Utrecht. This country's area has steadily increased over the years due to use of polders in land reclamation. This country is home to the world's largest port, (*) Rotterdam, which lies on the mouth of the Rhine. This country lies mostly below sea level and is home to the Europol and the International Court of Justice, both of which are located in The Hague. This country borders the North Sea to the north and Germany to the east, and along with Belgium and Luxembourg, this country forms the Low Countries. For 10 points, identify this country with capital at Amsterdam.
A: the Netherlands (or Holland)
Q: The Guama [gwuh-MAH] crocodile hatchery is among the attractions on Route 116, which links this site with the Autopista Nacional [oh-toh-PIECE-tuh nah-see-oh-NALL] 20 miles to the north. Porgies and groupers congregate in Cazones [kuh-ZOH-ness] Gulf, an underwater canyon in Cienaga de Zapata [see-ay-NAH-guh day zah-PAH-ta] National Park, which bounds this site to the west. Playa Larga lies at the northern end of this site, while Playa (*) Giron sits off its southeast. The Tractors for Freedom Committee sought to free captives taken at this site, who were eventually released in exchange for $53 million worth of medicine and baby food. This site was attacked by Brigade 2506, whose members had received military training in Guatemala. 1,500 U.S.-backed exiles conducted an unsuccessful 1961 invasion of-for 10 points-what porcine-named inlet on Cuba's southern coast?
A: Bay of Pigs (or Bahia de Cochinos)
Q: This non-American city is home to Baze University and a Millennium Park designed by Manfredi Nicoletti in its Maitama neighborhood. Zuma Rock and Aso Rock lie in the outskirts of this city, which is powered by the nearby Shiroro Dam. This city's territory borders Nasarawa, Kogi, and Kaduna States and is home to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. This city, its country's (*) eighth-largest, is home to both a national church and a national mosque in its master-planned center. The site where this city would be built was selected in ► 1976 in an area not controlled by one of its country's three main ethnic groups to help spur economic develop away from this country's most-populous metropolis, located in its southwest corner. For 10 points, name this planned city, which in 1991 replaced Lagos as capital of Nigeria.
A: Abuja, Nigeria
Q: In 2017, this city's mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb [ah-boo-TAH-leb], raised hackles by claiming "every Muslim is a bit of a Salafist." Unilever, the parent company of Lipton tea and Dove soap, moved its corporate headquarters from London to this city in the wake of Brexit. This city is the birthplace of the gabber subgenre of techno music. This city's Caland [kuh-LAHND] fountain was moved in 1939 from the entertainingly named "Cool" district to the street Veerkade [VEER-kah-duh]. This city contains a horseshoe-shaped commercial (*) building called Markthal [MARK-tall]. The 19th-century construction of this city's "New Waterway" linked it to the Meuse [MUZZ] and Rhine Rivers, easing steamship travel. For 10 points, what coastal Dutch city contains the busiest cargo port in Europe?
A: Rotterdam
Q: Segments of an interstate bridge were floated upriver from North Kingstown to this city as part of the Iway project. This city's Waterplace Park holds gatherings during which several fires are lit in a circular pattern just above the surface of the Woonasquatucket (woo-NOSS-qua-tucket) River. A notably gigantic statue of a blue termite serves as a roadside attraction in this city. The Seekonk River meets this city's namesake river at Fox Point, a former hub of the Atlantic slave trade. This city's College Hill is home to the oldest Baptist church in the United States. This capital city lies at the northern end of Narragansett Bay and was founded by Roger Williams. For 10 points, name this home of Brown University and capital of Rhode Island.
A: Providence, Rhode Island
Q: This country has a forty-million-carat pipe of kimberlite at Catoca and also mines the billion-ton hematite deposit around Kassinga. This country, which is dominated by the Ovimbundu and Kimbundu ethnic groups, is home to the only woman billionaire in Africa, the accused corruption-monger Isabel dos Santos. This country is the second-largest oil producer in Africa after Nigeria, and is fighting a low-level war against the home of much of its oil, its secessionist exclave of Cabinda. It formerly underwent a long civil war between MPLA and UNITA. For 10 points, name this Portuguese-speaking country on southern Africa's Atlantic coast.
A: Angola [Republic of Angola; or Republica de Angola]
Q: The growth of this food in Uganda and surrounding countries has been hampered by a namesake bacterial wilt caused by Xanthomonas campestris. In Indonesia, the leaves of this food's plant are used in a cooking method called pepes, while food of southern India is also served on its leaves. In the 1950s, the Gros Michel variety of this fruit was wiped ► out by Panama disease, which is now affecting the most-consumed variety, the Cavendish. In 2014, an Ireland-based firm that sells this fruit, Fyffes, nearly agreed to merge with Chiquita, which was involved in creating a "republic" named after this fruit when the business was known as the United Fruit Company. For 10 points, name this curved yellow fruit that turns brown upon ripening.
A: bananas
Q: This island contains the archaeological site of Tanki Flip, where people of the Dabajuroid culture left a midden of conch shells around 1000 CE. Betico Croes, who advocated political autonomy for this island, lapsed into a coma on the day that it was scheduled to actually receive self-government. The Casibari and Ayo rocks are monoliths located near the center of this island, where visitors can scuba-dive among the wreckage of SS Pedernales, an oil tanker torpedoed near this island in 1942. The endangered unicolored rattlesnake lives on the southern tip of this island and appears on the 25- (*) florin denomination of its currency. Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts was born on this island, which seceded from the ► Netherlands Antilles in 1986. For 10 points, the 'A' in the 'ABC islands' stands for what neighbor of Bonaire and Curacao?
A: Aruba
Q: It's not in Boston, but the bulging appearance of this building led to it being known as the "pregnant building." This building, designed by John C. Portman Jr. and completed in 1985, is most famous for its large atrium, within which some scenes of the Capitol from the (*) Hunger Games movies were filmed. This building's address is 265 ► Peachtree Center Avenue. For 10 points, name this hotel in Atlanta, the site of the 2017 HSNCT.
A: Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Q: The eastern portion of this country contains the Dasht-e-Kavir and Dasht-e-Lut deserts. This country contains the Khuzestan Plain, and Mt. Damavand is found in its Alborz Mountains. Its city of Bandar-e-Abbas lies on a strait that transports a third of the world's seaborne oil shipments. The (*) Zagros Mountains are located in this country which was home to the ancient cities of Ecbatana and Persepolis. Modern-day cities in this country include Tabriz and Esfahan, and, like Oman, it abuts the Strait of Hormuz. This country is bordered by the Caspian Sea to the north and the Persian Gulf to the south. For 10 points, name this large Islamic republic with capital at Tehran.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran
Q: A yearly "passion play" in this city began after an 1843 cholera epidemic and unusually depicts the harem of King Herod. That ceremony ends with the Crucifixion taking place on its Cerro de la Estrella. An image of the Child Jesus dubbed "Ninopa" is venerated by residents of one of this city's boroughs, whose canals are navigated by trajineras. Many tourists in this city visit a tilma, or cloth, on which an image of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared. The largest cathedral in the Americas sits at the northern end of this city's Constitution Square, or Zocalo. Pilgrims flock to this city's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. For 10 points, name this city home to the most Catholics, as well as the most residents, of any North American city.
A: Mexico City [or Ciudad de Mexico]
Q: Description acceptable. This site is located on a reclaimed strip mine, and a portion of nearby U.S. Route 219 was renamed to honor this location in Stonycreek Township. The shape of a planned path at this site, the Crescent of Embrace, was changed to a partial circle to remove any association with (*) Muslim symbology. That path was part of a complex that officially opened in 2015 off U.S. Route 30 at this site, once closed to the public by the FBI, that now features a memorial wall bearing 40 ► names. A boulder here marks the former site of a crater created by a vehicle that was traveling at over 500 miles per hour in the direction of Washington, D.C. For 10 points, name this site just outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, immortalized on September 11, 2001.
A: United Airlines Flight 93 impact site (accept similar descriptions; accept Flight 93 National Memorial; prompt on Shanksville and Stonycreek Township before mentions; do not accept any responses that suggest 9/11 never happened or that Flight 93 never crashed)
Q: The documentary Village of Widows noted the high death rate surrounding this body of water, which was historically used to transport pitchblende to Port Radium. Permanent protection has been granted to sacred land on the peninsulas of Sahoyue-Edacho on this body of water. The five "arms" of this body of water are named Dease, McTavish, McVicar, Keith, and Smith. Fort Confidence, established by the (*) Hudson's Bay Company on this body of water, now lies in ruins. The community of Deline [day-li-nay] lies on this body of water, where Sir John Franklin may have documented the birth of ► ice hockey. For 10 points, name this largest lake entirely within Canada, located in the Northwest Territories.
A: Great Bear Lake [or Grand lac de l'Ours; or Sahtu]
Q: This region's township of Upper Saucon [SAW-kin] is projected to experience a 70-percent population increase by 2040, in part because of its location straddling Interstate 78. This region's towns of Mauch Chunk [MAWK chunk] and East Mauch Chunk merged in 1954 and assumed the name of legendary Sauk and Fox athlete Jim (*) Thorpe. Moravian immigrants to this region built the Sun Inn, which sheltered John Hancock and other members of the Second Continental Congress. A company headquartered in this region manufactured the steel used to build the Golden Gate Bridge. This region is home to the IronPigs, the Phillies' AAA ["Triple A"] affiliate. Easton, Bethlehem, and Allentown lie within, for 10 points, what historical hotbed of industry, a region of eastern Pennsylvania?
A: Lehigh Valley
Q: A site called the "Cave of the Hands" is an example of pre-historic art in this region. For much of its history, a narrow-gauge train called La Trochita was the only rapid transport through this region. A camelid creature called the Guanaco is sometimes eaten as a controversial delicacy in this region. This region's name originated when Magellan's expedition thought the natives of this region were giants. The towns of Gaiman and Trelew in this region were founded along the Chubut River valley by Welsh settlers. The northern border of this region is commonly marked with the Colorado and Barracas rivers. For 10 points, name this sparsely populated southern region of mainland South America, for which an American clothing company is named.
A: Patagonia
Q: The only confirmed specimen of the false potto was found in this country. This country contains the Dja Faunal Reserve and Waza National Park. The Bamileke are one of the largest ethnic groups in the nation. Lake Lagdo here was created by the damming of one its rivers. Mount Etinde is a subpeak of this country's namesake volcano. Garoua is the The Benue River arises in this country. Douala is the major port of this country, whose Lake Nyos experience a major limnic eruption that led to significant local animal kills. Equatorial Guinea borders this country to the south and Nigeria is to its west. For 10 points, name this African nation with capital at Yaounde.
A: Republic of Cameroon
Q: It's not Georgia, but a festival with the slogan "Give Peach a Chance" is held in this state's city of Ruston. This state's central city of Natchitoches (NACK-uh-tish) is known for producing meat pies. This state's residents make dishes from its invasive population of the nutria rodent, which was introduced by the McIlhenny family. A dish from this state incorporates a powder made from ground sassafras leaves called file (FEE-lay). This state's Avery Island is where Tabasco sauce is made. The "smothering" technique is used throughout this state to produce dishes called etouffee (ay-too-FAY). This state produces the country's vast majority of crawfish, and it originated a seafood sandwich known as the po' boy. For 10 points, name this state whose Cajun dishes include gumbo and jambalaya.
A: Louisiana
Q: German explorer Alexander von Humboldt described this country's highland Lake Atitlan as the "most beautiful lake in the world," and in his 1934 book Beyond the Mexique Bay Aldous Huxley compared it to Lake Como and said it is "really too much of a good thing." The new capital of this country was destroyed in 1773 by a devastating earthquake, and is now known as the popular town of la Antigua, a tourist favorite. Although the Garifuna culture is centered in this country's port of Livingston, the largest port here is Puerto Barrios. This country's largest department, Peten, lies in its mountainous north. The pyramids of Tikal are found in this country, home to large numbers of ethnic Mayans. For 10 points, identify this Central American bordered to the north by Mexico and to the northeast by Belize.
A: Guatemala
Q: This man's brother-in-law, James Dickson, helped secure him a spot on the Worcester that journeyed to Sumatra. This one-time prisoner of King Ali of Ludamar escaped and traveled to Silla on an expedition begun after the disappearance of Daniel Houghton. He recounted meeting natives who wouldn't believe him that white people didn't purchase slaves in order to eat them in his best-selling Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa. He left his medical practice in Peebles to embark on his final expedition with his brother-in-law John Martyn and then marched stupidly into the bush during the rainy season. His guide, Isaaco, later concluded that this man died after defending his capsized boat, the Joliba. For 10 points, name this Scottish explorer who died in 1806 while charting the Niger River.
A: Mungo Park
Q: The flower or scented form of this substance is supposedly preferred among people who live near alkaline wells. Imperial regulations led to the decline of the powdered and brick forms of this substance and the rise of its loose form. A legendary origin of this substance is in the Wuyi Mountains. (*) Catherine of Braganza introduced this substance to the British nobility by marrying King Charles II. A common variant of this beverage is grown in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Darjeeling region. Bergamot oil is added to one variety of this beverage to produce its Earl Grey variety. For 10 points, name this beverage made by steeping its leaves in boiling water.
A: tea [or cha or chai; accept specific varieties such as black tea or oolong tea or Earl Grey tea]
Q: This city's Deera or "Chop-Chop" Square still holds public decapitations. A luxurious hotel in this city is set inside a skyscraper which has a catenary arch cut out of it, called the Kingdom Centre. This is the largest city in the Najd region, which is the birthplace of the Wahhabi movement. This city's historical center is named for King (*) Abdulaziz, who recaptured it in 1902 from the Rashidis; that man's son lent his name to this city's King Abdullah Botanical Gardens. Women in this capital city are not allowed to drive. For 10 points, name this city which is larger than Jeddah and Mecca, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
A: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Q: The corpses of the crocodile victims Moss and Orchard were found at the second gorge of this natural feature, known as the Boiling Pot, following a 1910 hippo attack on their canoe. This feature's recession is expanding the Batoka Gorges. A small rock barrier within the Armchair section of this feature forms the treacherous Devil's Pool. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park comprises the land on one side of this feature, which was bridged by the Cape to Cairo railway at the insistence of Cecil Rhodes. This feature is overlooked by a bronze statue of David Livingstone. For 10 points, name this site at which the Zambezi River becomes impassable to ships, an enormous waterfall found between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
A: Victoria Falls
Q: In this city, a 50cm-tall statuette of the Little Princess was inspired by the artist's eldest daughter. A landscape park in this city was created by connecting three islands named for Painter, Bath, and Rabbits; that park is called Margaret Island. Many abandoned buildings in this city are home to 'ruin bars', and a statue complex depicting seven chieftains of a certain tribe can be found in this city's Heroes Square. This city's approximately 80 geothermal springs feed its Szechenyi [say-CHAIN-yee] medicinal baths, the largest in Europe. The building of a chain bridge across the Danube created this city by linking a capital to another town and combined their names in a portmanteau. For 10 points, name this capital of Hungary.
A: Budapest
Q: A former bridge, a former horse racing arena, a present-day urban development, and an aquarium in this state are named after a fraternal organization whose name is this state's name spelled backwards, with hyphens. This state's capitol building features nautilus designs in its floor mosaics and is topped by a statue called The Sower; though it's not Louisiana, that capitol of this state is a prominent art deco tower. The largest indoor desert, largest indoor rainforest, and largest geodesic dome are in this state, located at its Henry Doorly Zoo. This state's legislature does not allow delegates to be officially registered with any political party, and it is the only state to have a unicameral legislature. The Platte River runs through, for 10 points, what plains state whose largest city is Omaha?
A: Nebraska
Q: Nobles once lived on this city's central Arbat street. The Boulevard and Garden Rings are two of the five concentric streets encircling this city's center. Its nation's first skyscrapers, dubbed the Seven Sisters, were constructed in this city in the 1940s. An electroplated gold dome highlights the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which lies on the banks of this city's namesake river. The historic (*) Bolshoi theater is in this city. To commemorate the capture of Kazan, an onion-domed cathedral named for St. Basil was constructed in this city. Red Square is at its heart. For 10 points, name this city where the Kremlin complex is found, the capital of Russia.
A: Moscow, Russia [or Moskva]
Q: A British-led expedition in this country discovered 70-metre-high stalagmites in one cave, suggesting it may be the largest in the world. The government of this country has recently forced many of the floating villages in one region to relocate to the mainland due to growing pollution. Although this country has banned sand mining offshore for export to Singapore, the practice continues in the delta of a river in this country's south. That river, where floating or deepwater rice is grown, is known in this country as the 'Nine Dragons' for the number of mouths that discharge into the South China Sea. Home to the Son Doong cave, for 10 points, name this country, the location of thousands of islands in Ha Long Bay and the Mekong delta.
A: Vietnam
Q: One nickname for this body of water is the "Older sister of the Sister Lakes," with the sister lake being Lake Khоvsgоl ("HOOVS-gool"). In historical Chinese texts, this lake was also known as the "North Sea." The Small Sea Strait is on the western portion of this lake, and it forms a passage to the island of Olkhon. The rivers of Sarma, Barguzin, and Selenga flow into this lake, while the only river that flows out of it is a tributary of the Yenisei. This lake is the origin of the Angara. For 10 points, name this crescent-shaped lake in eastern Russia, the oldest and deepest lake in the world.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: This country is home to the Riau and Sunda Islands, and another of this country's islands contains the cities of Medan and Palembang. The Barisan Mountains as well as Lake Toba are also found on that island in this country, which is separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca. Mahakam and Barito are this nation's largest rivers, and they are located on an island known to natives as Kalimantan. For 10 points, name this country that contains Sumatra and shares Borneo with Malaysia and Brunei, whose island of Java contains its capital, Jakarta.
A: Republic of Indonesia
Q: This body of water is home to Belene Island, which housed a concentration camp in the 20th-century for political dissidents. A popular tourist destination is viewing this river's namesake "Bend" from the Julianus Lookout from the town of Vac. Its namesake "flat" is home to the "Great Rye Island," partly because the rye crop is cultivated there. This river, which is classified as the "Seventh Corridor" is home to the huchen, a type of salmon native to this river. A country built a namesake canal to connect this river to their (*) Tisa River. The Razim-Sinoe lagoon complex can be found south of this river's delta, which is home to the ports of Sulina and Tulcea. The Breg River serves as the source of this river in Germany, which flows for 1,777 miles before emptying into the Black Sea in Romania and the Ukraine. For 10 points, name this second-longest river in Europe.
A: Danube
Q: The 17th-century French monk Gabriel Foigny, wrote that this place was entirely populated by hermaphrodites. By contrast, in 1668 Henry Neville wrote that an English sailor named William Pine had been shipwrecked off the coast of this place with four women, and his descendents had founded a colony whose chief pastime was gambling. The 16th-century Dieppe maps depict the "Great Island of (*) Java" as part of this landmass, whose name was coined by the German globe-maker Johannes Schoerner. Theories about this landmass date back to Aristotle, who speculated about the ► necessity of having additional populated regions to balance the presence of both Europe and Asia in the Northern Hemisphere. For 10 points, name this hypothetical landmass below the equator whose existence was finally disproven by James Cook's voyages across the Pacific.
A: Terra Australis Incognita (or the (Great) Unknown Southern Continent; prompt on "Australia" before "hypothetical")
Q: A potato salad named for this city is similar to the Russian Olivier salad, but includes boiled sausage. As a result of the climate of this city making it difficult to grow beets, a borscht from this city is made with tomato paste. The most widespread dialect of the Wu language is sometimes spoken in schools in this city in order to stop it from dying out. It's not Beijing, but Shikumen are a type of Western-style house found in this city that are sometimes named for the 'lilong' lanes that make up many of its streets. The Oriental Pearl Tower was the tallest building in this city before its World Financial Centre was built in 2007. For 10 points, name this most populous Chinese city.
A: Shanghai
Q: Chocolate-covered beetles and boiled possum are among the "wildfoods" sold at an annual festival on this island. A sanctuary was established on this island's Banks Peninsula in 1988 to reduce set-net deaths of the endangered Hector's dolphin. It's not Greenland, but in February 2015 shallow water stranded nearly 200 pilot whales on a spit extending east from Cape (*) Farewell, this island's northernmost point. Tunnels through the Port Hills connect the coastal town of Lyttleton to this island's most populous city, which lies east of the sheep-farming ► Canterbury Plains region. A cathedral made largely of cardboard tubes opened on this island in 2013, replacing a Victorian-era one that was destroyed in a February 2011 earthquake. The city of Christchurch lies on-for 10 points-what largest island of New Zealand?
A: South Island
Q: The Cavally River forms the bottom of this nation's western border, and the Sassandra River runs throughout this country. This country's only mountain range literally translates as the "Eighteen Mountains," which include Mont Nimba. This nation's Baoule people are part of the Kwa language group-speaking Akan. This nation's longest river, the Bandama, was dammed to create the artificial Lake Kossou, and both the Bandama and Sassandra flow into the Gulf of (*) Guinea. This nation's president Felix Houphouet-Boigny moved the capital to his hometown in 1983. For 10 points, name this former French colony between Ghana and Liberia on the Gulf of Guinea, with capital at Yamoussoukro.
A: Ivory Coast (accept Cote d'Ivoire)
Q: A pop-up art market with booths made of reclaimed wood opened on this island's Korteweg [CORE-teh-vegg] in 2015. The Baranca Sunu cave in this island's Arikok National Wildlife Park features a heart-shaped entrance and rocks said to resemble Madonna and Abraham Lincoln. Ancient petroglyphs are visible on diorite boulders at this island's sites of Ayo and Casibari. This island's economy improved in the 1920s with the opening of an oil refinery in the port town of San (*) Nicolas. A hundred-foot-long coral limestone bridge drew tourists to a cove on this island's west coast until it collapsed in 2005, the same year in which Alabama teenager Natalee ► Holloway disappeared while visiting this island's capital, Oranjestad [orr-AHN-yeh-stodd]. For 10 points, name this autonomous Dutch state in the Caribbean that, with Bonaire and Curacao, comprises the ABC islands.
A: Aruba
Q: Two people performing this action were murdered by Randall Lee Smith in 1981. The first person to fully complete this action continuously in a single (*) year was an Army veteran nicknamed "The Crazy One," Earl Shaffer. A partly fictionalized account of this act involves meeting characters like the annoying Mary Ellen, as documented in a book featuring Stephen Katz and the author, Bill Bryson. To cover up an extramarital affair, South ► Carolina Governor Mark Sanford initially claimed he had been performing this action for six days. People who perform this action may start at Springer Mountain, visit Clingmans Dome and Shenandoah National Park, traverse the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, and end at Mount Katahdin. For 10 points, name this journey undertaken on a route that follows an eastern mountain range in the U.S.
A: hiking the Appalachian Trail (or the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which is the official name, or the AT, or more specific answers involving thru-hiking, or obvious equivalents)
Q: Description acceptable. The Scudder Falls Bridge is one of the last landmarks on one side of this navigational problem, while the other side technically includes the Pearl Harbor Memorial Extension but ends in earnest near Robbins (*) Township. This problem arose after a planned road was cancelled by Brendan Byrne; that project was the Somerset Freeway. A construction project in Bristol will remedy this problem by building a direct connection to Interstate 276. Most drivers overcome this issue by using the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the New ► Jersey Turnpike. For 10 points, name this discontinuity that affects drivers on the longest north-south freeway in the U.S.
A: The gap in Interstate 95 (accept synonym for gap or any cogent description that includes I-95)
Q: Kent State researcher Rodney M. Feldman was the lead author of a 2007 paper announcing the discovery of Late Cretacious fossils of two new species of lobster in this desert. This desert is home to a clan of shepherds called chobans. Journalist-explorer Paul Salopek described this desert as a "redoubt of ghosts" in a 2016 dispatch for National Geographic; he also described the disappearance of 50 liters of water his party had buried. Several camps near this desert's village of Yangi Kazgan offer lodging in camel-hair (*) yurts. The Amu and Syr Darya Rivers flow past either side of this desert en route to the Aral Sea. For 10 points, name this "red sand" desert north of the Karakum that occupies much of central Uzbekistan.
A: Kyzlkum Desert
Q: Lawson Hill and Norwood are among the neighborhoods serviced by this town's Galloping Goose bus system, which takes its name from a railbus contrived from a Buick in 1931. Glen and Isabel Harcourt founded the artists' retreat of Steeprock 10 miles west of here, in the tiny town of Sawpit. This town was originally named Columbia, but derives its current name from a Group 16 (*) chemical element. This town's marquee event was first held at the Sheridan Opera House, and now includes open-air showings at Elks Park. The Silver Medallion has been awarded to Francis Ford Coppola and Meryl Streep in-for 10 points-what Colorado ski town that hosts an annual late-summer film festival?
A: Telluride
Q: New Zealand's harakeke [HAH-ruh-KEH-kay] lily is misleadingly referred to as a variant of this crop. This crop's oil is boiled and mixed with spirits to produce a patented anti-spalling compound sold by the construction-supply firm W. R. Meadows. Hippocrates [hip-AWK-ra-tees] recommended crushing this crop's grain for use in surgical poultices. For decades, this crop has suffered reduced yields due to the fungal disease Pasmo, first identified in 1911 in Argentina but now common in the Upper (*) Midwest. While typically high in alpha-linolenic acid, this crop has a low-fat variant called solin. It's not hemp, but the term "retting" may refer to the act of softening this plant's fibers. For 10 points, what plant produces a "superfood" known to Brits as linseed?
A: flax (accept flaxseed or flaxseed oil; accept linseed or linseed oil before mention; accept Linum usitatissimum)
Q: The "Black Pyramid" is a major obstacle on the upper slopes of this mountain. Collapsing seracs on this mountain's "Bottleneck" killed three members of a South Korean expedition that tried to reach its summit in 2008. Fredrik Ericsson died during a 2010 attempt to ski down this mountain. (*) Achille Compagnoni, who led the first successful expedition to climb this mountain, did so via the Abruzzi Spur. This mountain was once named after the ► British author of The Birds of Assam, but its usual modern designation is that used by the Great Trigonometric Survey. For 10 points, name this "Savage Mountain" in the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan, the world's second-highest.
A: K2 (or Mount Godwin-Austen)
Q: Until the 20th century, this was the more southern of two regions that produced an alcoholic beverage that was fermented using only the saliva of two virgins in one cup. This region is home to a dish in which pork and its skin is dipped into a molasses and soy sauce - that dish is rafute [rah-foo-tee] A soup noodle dish from this region is often served with pork ribs that have their cartilage attached, known as soki. This region's cultural arts include a "grappling hands" contest called kihon. This region's cuisine has Chinese influences since it paid tribute to the Ming during the (*) Sanzan Period. "Taco Rice" became a specialty dish of this region after a restaurant named Charlie's Tacos opened here in the 1940s. The martial art of karate was developed in this region, which was once the largest part of the Ryukyu kingdom. For 10 points, name this southern Japanese island, whose distinct cuisine is vastly different from mainland Japan.
A: Okinawa [prompt on Japan; accept Ryukyu islands until "Ryukyu"]
Q: According to these people's mythology, the first man was Puntan, whose decision to die resulted in his eyebrows turning into rainbows. Frenchman Charles le Gobien theorized about ethnic distinction among the "manachang" caste group of this people, who were responsible for constructing monuments known as the "latte stones." A ruler named Mata'pang led resistance to the ceremony of baptism among these people, who were persecuted after they killed the Jesuit missionary Diego Luis de San Vitores. A Spanish word meaning (*) "bald" designates these people, whose initial contact with Europeans came in 1521, when members of Magellan's expedition called their home the "Island of ► Thieves." For 10 points, name these indigenous people of Rota, Saipan, Guam, and the rest of the Mariana Islands.
A: Chamorros (or Chamorro people)
Q: Opposition groups in this nation criticized the use of the South African firm Waymark Infotech to run its 2012 elections. George Soros provided funds to investigate the shady transfer of mining rights in this country from Rio Tinto to the Beny Steinmetz Group Resources. The head of its military junta briefly fled to Morocco after surviving an assassination attempt by Aboubacar Diakite. Earlier, over 150 people were killed protesting the fact that the aforementioned Moussa Dadis Camara was running for president. This nation, home to an extremely large iron mine in Simandou saw Cellou Dalein Diallo defeated by Alpha Conde in a 2010 presidential election. It was ruled for many years by Lansana Conte. Its namesake highlands are the source of the Gambia and Niger Rivers. For 10 points, name this West African country with capital at Conakry.
A: Republic of Guinea [or Guinea-Conakry; do not accept "Equatorial Guinea" or "Papua New Guinea"]
Q: British composer Tom Lane recorded the sounds of this bridge's cables with contact microphones for a 2014 "river cantata." It was formerly known as the Macken Street Bridge, so named for connecting Macken and Guild Streets. Per the specifications of a 1997 "docklands master plan," this bridge was built to rotate 90 degrees so larger boats could travel down the River (*) Liffey. This bridge lies two miles downstream from the James Joyce Bridge, also designed by Santiago Calatrava. It resembles a harp laid on its side, its 31 cables representing the instrument's strings. For 10 points, identify this Dublin bridge whose namesake wrote an absurdist play in which Vladimir and Estragon await the arrival of the mysterious Godot.
A: Samuel Beckett Bridge (prompt on "Beckett")
Q: Climbers wishing to ascend this peak are often forced to stay in the Refuge of the Eleven, a hotel made of a gigantic mobile home perched precariously over a sheer cliff. This home to the "World's Nastiest Outhouse" is the source of a river running through Armavir and Krasnodar, the Kuban. This mountain's west summit was first scaled in 1874 by an expedition led by a man who had scaled the Zinalrothorn a decade earlier, Florence Crauford Grove. Like a separate mountain range to the east that contains Mount Damavand, this peak derives its current name from the primordial mountain of Zorastrianism. This inactive volcano was previously known as Strobilus, and regarded as the location where an eagle ripped the liver from a chained Prometheus. For 10 points, name this 5600-meter high mountain that straddles the Eurasian border in the Caucasus near the border of Georgia and Russia.
A: Mount Elbrus [or Mini taw]
Q: A civilization centered around this river invented rammed-earth walls and developed advanced black and gray pottery. This river's valley was home to a civilization that wrote a book about every permutation of three broken-or-whole horizontal lines. The Records of the Grand (*) Historian describe early civilizations on this river. A civilization on this river wrote on tortoise shells, and performed divination using oracle bones. Flooding of this river led to many sorrows, but also permitted human settlement because of the fertile loess-rich soil. For 10 points, name this river, around which the Chinese civilization developed.
A: Yellow River [or the Huang He]
Q: It's not in the continental United States, but this geographic feature completely surrounds a Roosevelt Island. Vance Woodall was accidentally crushed to death on this geographic feature while participating in Operation Highjump. Several expeditionary bases named "Little America" were established by Richard (*) Byrd on top of this geographic feature. If you traveled directly south from the non-Canadian Scott Island, your boat would crash when it collided with this geographic feature. Permanent American presence next to this geographic feature is currently maintained by ► McMurdo Station. The Bay of Whales, which no longer exists, formed a harbor on this geographic feature where Roald Amundsen established the Framheim base. For 10 points, name this largest ice shelf in Antarctica, located within New Zealand's claimed dependency.
A: Ross Ice Shelf [or McMurdo Ice Shelf until "McMurdo" is read; accept answers like "Ross Sea" because that's what it floats on]
Q: Landmarks in this metropolitan area include a headquarters building designed by Eero Saarinen and a baseball stadium home to the River Bandits. The Atlanta (*) Hawks played their first five seasons in this metro area, which is home to Augustana College and the base of the TV show American Pickers. John ► Deere is headquartered in this metro area. which is bypassed along its north side by Interstate 80. Despite its name, this area is now considered to have five principal cities, including East Moline. For 10 points, name this metropolitan area that straddles the Mississippi River in Illinois and Iowa and includes Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline, and Davenport.
A: Quad Cities (prompt on "Davenport" before mention; prompt on "Tri Cities" after Atlanta Hawks clue)
Q: The curved roof of this city's tallest building conflicts with a 1974 fire ordinance that resulted in many of its other buildings having flat roofs to allow helicopters to land on them. A cathedral in this city features a series of acute and obtuse angles and was called the 'Rog Mahal' by critics. The pyramidal tower of a building in this city was built using sand from the 58 counties of the state in which it is located and features on the badge of this city's police department. A music venue in this city, which is home to the Wilshire Grand Center, was built using stainless steel sheets that mimic the Guggenheim in Bilbao, also designed by Frank Gehry. That venue is the Walt Disney Concert Hall. For 10 points, name this California city home to the Hollywood sign.
A: Los Angeles
Q: In one religion in this country, funerals are sometimes held years after death so that families can throw a lavish enough ceremony to help the decedent reach an afterlife called "Puya." It's not Ethiopia, a religious tradition in this country traces itself back to a group of nine semi-historical apostles. A Muslim movement in this country, which struck out at perceived superstitions, was founded by Ahmad Dahlan and called Muhammadiyah. The Toraja practice the animist "aluk" faith in this country. A tradition in this country includes feasts called (*) "slametans" and is divided into "abangan" and "santri" variants. Monotheism is the first of five principles in this country's official founding philosophy of Pancasila. For 10 points, name this most populous Muslim country, which was discussed by Clifford Geertz in Islam Observed and The Religion of Java.
A: Indonesia
Q: A 2001 flyby of this object revealed 300-foot-tall icy spires undergoing a mysterious form of erosion. In 1998, UCLA professor Krishan Khurana debuted the claim this body has a salty subsurface ocean, evidenced by its fluctuating magnetic field. Burr, Nirkes, and Njord surround an impact site on this object called Asgard, while 10 concentric rings form the crater Valhalla, one of (*) many riddling this object. NASA refers to this object's landscape as the oldest in the solar system. Unlike its counterparts Ganymede, Europa, and Io, this object did not undergo tidal heating, which accounts for its barren look. For 10 points, name this outermost of Jupiter's Galilean moons, named for a lover Zeus turned into a bear.
A: Callisto
Q: The endangered blowout penstemon is a plant endemic to this region. A 1904 act sponsored by congressman Moses Kinkaid expanded the terms of the Homestead Act to allow for free land grants in this region, whose early history was dominated by large cattle ranches. Counties in this region include those named for Civil War generals Phil Sheridan, Joe Hooker, and John Logan. The Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve protects part of this region. The connection between this region's near-surface groundwater and the (*) Oglalla Aquifer was cited by opponents of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have been built across this region. For 15 points, name this arid region of western Nebraska.
A: Nebraska Sandhills
Q: Jim Russell penned the world's longest-running comic strip, The Potts, for this city's Herald Sun newspaper. The Santiniketan Lodge on this city's outskirts served as the headquarters for the Family, a secretive cult that administered LSD to children it obtained through adoption scams. This city lies on the ancestral lands of the Kulin people, who carved coveted green-stone axe heads dubbed (*) murring. This city was briefly named Batmania, after co-founder John Batman. Portions of this city's Flinders and Yarra Parks were transformed in 1987 into Rod Laver Arena, the principal venue of the Australian Open. Geelong lies across Port Phillip Bay from-for 10 points-what capital of Victoria?
A: Melbourne
Q: This sport may derive from the game of sipa, and it is alternatively known as rago. The regu, or lineup, that won the 2017 iteration of a regional championship in this event dedicated its win to the residents of the flood-stricken Isaan region. Karen refugees living in New Zealand and Australia have fielded internationally competitive teams in this sport. A variety of this sport called chinlone [chin-LUN] involves six-person squads performing 10-minute routines within a circular court. A woven (*) rattan ball and badminton net are the equipment traditionally required to play this game. Three-player teams compete in-for 10 points-what Southeast Asian sport that combines elements of volleyball and soccer?
A: sepak takraw
Q: This desert's village of Darvaza is the site of three artificially created craters, including the "Mud Crater" and the relatively uninteresting "Water Crater." In 1881 general Mikhail Skobelev successfully besieged this desert's fort of Geok Tepe, allowing his compatriots to conquer the nearby oasis city of Merv three years later. In 1971 Soviet drilling engineers accidentally created this desert's "Door (*) to Hell," a crater where a natural gas fire has been burning since. During the Cold War, this desert's namesake canal was built to facilitate cotton cultivation, draining the Amu Darya River and ► shrinking the Aral Sea to the north as a result. For 10 points, name this Turkmenistani desert that lies southwest of the similarly named Kyzyl Kum Desert.
A: Karakum Desert
Q: The endpoint of this event is a landmark called the "burled arch." Participants in this event are required to take an eight-hour break at the White Mountain checkpoint. Early landmarks on the course of this event include a desolate patch of fire-scarred spruce forest called the "Farewell Burn" and the ghost town of Ophir. In even-numbered years, this event uses a "northern route" through (*) Galena and Ruby; in odd-numbered years, it adopts a "southern route" through the town of Eagle Island. This event commemorates the actions of ►"Balto," who brought serum against diphtheria to Nome in 1925. "Mushers" lead teams of huskies on-for 10 points-what annual sled dog race across the interior of Alaska?
A: the Iditarod
Q: This city was founded by St. Mungo and its Subway system operates as a single loop and includes stations at Ibrox and St. Enoch, near one of this city's two downtown malls. An equestrian statue of the Duke of (*) Wellington in this city is topped with a large traffic cone. This city's airport is in the nearby town of ► Paisley and its Southside constituency is represented by Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of this city's territory. This city is home to Celtic FC and lies on the banks of the Clyde River. For 10 points, name this largest city in Scotland.
A: Glasgow
Q: This river's flow is regulated by the Orlik [OR-leek] dam, whose cutting-edge ten-blade turbines won a gold medal at Expo 58. The Herbertov and other weirs pose a challenge to rafters on this river. Saaz [SOTTS] hops are used in the production of Budvar, a beer brewed on the banks of this river by the original (*) "Budweiser" corporation. The Devil's Channel, said to have been dug by the Knights of Malta, departs from this river near Legion Bridge before rejoining it half a mile downstream. This river's St. John's rapids and Vysehrad [vee-SHARE-aht] fort figure prominently in the second symphonic poem of Bedrich Smetana's Ma vlast. This river empties into the Elbe [ELL-ba] at Melnik, and is known to its German neighbors as the Moldau. For 10 points, what longest Czech river flows through Prague?
A: Vltava River (accept Moldau until mention)
Q: The medical condition of familial alpha-lipoprotein deficiency is named after this place, where it was identified. This location's official website recommends restaurants such as the ice cream parlor "Spanky's Place" and the year-round Lorraine's Seafood Restaurant. Part of this location is separated from the rest by a channel called the Big Gut. In July 2016, the New York Times Magazine asked, "Should the United States Save [this place] From Oblivion?" in an article about rising (*) sea levels. The oyster buy-boat Delvin K, the last of its kind still in operation, sails from this Chesapeake Bay location. For 10 points, name this island community near the Eastern Shore of Virginia, whose residents speak a distinctive dialect similar to Restoration-era English.
A: Tangier Island
Q: This city's House of the Golden Scales was formerly owned by a burgher whose visage is preserved in gargoyle form on its quoin [KWOIN], and its Archaeological Garden includes remnants of a Roman military camp. Both venues are part of a newly rebuilt neighborhood within this city's Altstadt [ALT-shtott], or Old Town, that links a Gothic cathedral named for St. (*) Bartholomew with Romer [REW-mar] Square. Rows of commemorative metal cubes, known as the Wand der Namen [VAUNT der NAH-min], line a wall of this city's Old Jewish Cemetery. Visitors to this city can tour the rebuilt birthplace of Goethe just north of the Main [MINE] River. The Rothschild family launched its banking dynasty in this city, now home to the European Central Bank. For 10 points, name this German financial capital.
A: Frankfurt am Main
Q: A scientific expedition documenting this body of water was undertaken in 1940 by Ed Ricketts and John Steinbeck. The Comcaac, or Seri, people live along the shores of this body of water and on this body of water's largest island, Tiburon. This body of water serves as the habitat of the critically endangered (*) totoaba fish. The rarest cetacean in the world, the vaquita, lives in this body of water. When it's not blocked by dams or ► diverted for human use, the Colorado River empties into this body of water. For 10 points, identify this body of water located below a similarly named American state and east of a similarly named Mexican peninsula.
A: Gulf of California (or Sea of Cortez; or Vermilion Sea; or Mar de Cortes; or Mar Bermejo; or Golfo de California)
Q: In the anthropological tome The Flows of Sovereignty, Christine Folch analyzes how the Patriotic Alliance for Change rode discontent with the management of this structure to a 2008 electoral victory. In 2014, four former workers here and the wife of another crucified themselves to demand wages withheld by the contractor Unicom. This structure's name means "singing stone" in the language of the Ava-Guarani [GWAH-rah-knee] people, tens of thousands of whom were (*) displaced by its construction. The building of this structure created a hundred-mile-long reservoir that submerged a series of 18 waterfalls near the town of Guaira [gwah-EEH-ra]. This structure's 14,000-megawatt capacity is shared evenly by its two owners, Brazil and Paraguay. For 10 points, name this massive hydroelectric plant spanning the Parana [pah-rah-nah] River.
A: Itaipu Dam
Q: This organization was founded by Ralph Bagnold, who designed a sun compass used by this organization's Chevrolet trucks because the operation of a magnetic compass would be disrupted by deposits of iron ore. Extensive areas of the Kalansho Sand Sea were mapped this organization, which was often based around the Jalo (*) oasis. Counting road traffic on the Via Balbia was an important mission of this organization, whose 'R' and 'T' patrols were made up of volunteers from New Zealand forces in the Middle East. The Italian "autosaharan" companies were meant to counter the actions of this group, which took heavy losses during Operation Agreement, a disastrous ► 1942 attack on Tobruk. For 10 points, name this British special forces unit that conducted raids behind enemy lines during the North African campaign of World War II.
A: Long Range Desert Group (or LRDG)
Q: In one city of this name, Ogden Creighton purchased land that would become the popular Clifton Hill neighborhood. Another city of this name was home to the southern portion of the Robert Moses State Parkway until it was renamed in 2016. Thoroughfares in the larger city of this name include Queen Elizabeth Way and Lundy's (*) Lane, while that city's Skylon Tower overlooks the landmarks that name both of these cities. One site in a city with this name was a toxic-waste-site-turned-housing development named Love ► Canal. The Rainbow Bridge connects two cities of this name, crossing an international border. For 10 points, give this name shared by two cities around a watery precipice in New York and Ontario.
A: Niagara Falls
Q: To attend school, children at this site braved the so-called "checkpoint of death," until its March closure. The 2012 bombing of this site's Abd Qader Husaini mosque drove many of its inhabitants to the neighborhoods of Yalda and Hajar al-Aswad, contributing to its recent 30-fold population decrease. A 2017 agreement allowed aid deliveries to this site in exchange for access to two towns in the Idlib governorate. Khaled Meshaal lived here before relocating Hamas's (*) headquarters to Qatar in 2012. Crumbling buildings flank this site's main street in a viral 2014 photo of a throng of people awaiting a U.N. Relief and Works Agency food distribution. For 10 points, name this refugee camp in southeastern Damascus, long a hub of the Palestinian diaspora.
A: Yarmouk
Q: The Walls of the Night encircled the primordial sea Ekkaia on this planet. The mountain Kalorme and the city Valmar lie on this planet's equator, dubbed its "girdle." This planet's rulers included its "high ones," the Aratar. The Ainur created this planet by spontaneously singing a harmony-rich (*) tune, intended to spawn a habitat for the children of Iluvatar [EE-loo-VAH-tur]. This planet took on a "bent" shape after Numenorean forces made the fateful mistake of attacking Aman [AH-mahn]. This planet inhabits a universe called Ea, and its creatures include Vanyar and Noldor, two clans of elves. The sea Belegaer lies west of Middle-earth on-for 10 points-what fictional planet, the setting of much of J.R.R. Tolkien's ouevre?
A: Arda
Q: This state's ruling AIADMK party has built a personality cult around the movie star M. G. Ramachandran. In this state, a former screenwriter known as Karunanidhi leads the political opposition against its sitting chief minister, the former movie actress Jayalalithaa. This state is the site of the community of Auroville, an international utopian township built in 1968 around a golden (*) geodesic dome. This state, the so-called "Detroit of India," is located east of the highly developed state of Kerala, and contains the former French colonial center of Pondicherry. It lies west of a chain of low-lying limestone shoals known as Adam's ► Bridge. Its capital is Chennai, also known as Madras. For 10 points, identify this Indian state whose name indicates it is the "land of" an ethnic group more commonly associated with Sri Lanka.
A: Tamil Nadu
Q: Monk's Cowl and Cathkin Peak are among the lesser peaks of Champagne Castle, the third-highest mountain in this range. The sandstone Clarens Formation, part of the Karoo Basin, lies in this range. Fulton's Rock, within this range's Highmoor Wilderness Area, preserves cave paintings of (*) elands and other wildlife created by Bushmen. One portion of this range is known locally as Quathlamba, or "barrier of broken spears," and runs along the southwestern border of KwaZulu-Natal [kwah-ZOO-loo nah-TALL]. The Orange River flows to the Atlantic from its source in the Lesotho [leh-SOH-toh] Highlands, a subrange of these mountains. For 10 points, name this principal mountain range of southern Africa.
A: Drakensberg
Q: In the late 2000s, the European Union conferred protected designation of origin status on oscypek and bryndz, two ewe's milk cheeses produced in this mountain range. The lake Morskie Oko, or Eye of the Sea, lies in a national park named for this range. This range and the Western Beskid Mountains to the north sandwich the (*) Podhale region. Vestiges of the Vlach shepherd culture are identifiable in the customs of this range's Goral people; the most famous Goral is almost certainly Pope John Paul II, who in 1997 delivered a homily inspired by a 45-foot-high steel cross that sits atop this range's Mount Giewont, near the town of Zakopane. For 15 points, name this subrange of the Carpathians lying on the border of Slovakia and Poland.
A: Tatra Mountains
Q: The forthcoming book The Fishmeal Revolution addresses how this current's "industrialization" satisfied growing demands for marine-protein-based animal feed in the U.S. and Europe after World War II. This current's exceptionally large minimum oxygen zone, or MOZ, forces tuna and anchovy to congregate near the surface, which accounts for this current's six to 20 percent share of the world's fish catch. El (*) Nino events warm this current, which is otherwise unusually cold, in part because of significant upwelling. The Atacama Desert owes its extreme aridity to this current. The Peru Current is another name for-for 10 points-what turbid current off the Pacific coast of South America named for a German naturalist?
A: Humboldt Current (accept Peru Current until mention)
Q: Participants in a Turkish festival devoted to this activity are called pehlivans and wear kispet, thick trousers traditionally made of water-buffalo leather. A Mongolian form of this activity known as bokh is practiced at the country's annual independence celebration, Naadam. Thirty members of the rival Bor-Dinka and Mundari tribes engaged in this activity in an April 2016 event in Juba (*) Stadium to promote peace in South Sudan. Thirteenth-century Mongolian invaders introduced this activity to Iran, where it gained royal patronage and later became the national ► sport. Yokozuna is the highest rank attainable in a Japanese form of this activity in which two rikishi face off in a dohyo. For 10 points, name this activity whose varieties include Greco-Roman and sumo.
A: wrestling
Q: British mystery writer Torquil MacLeod [muh-CLOUD] set his most famous series in this city. German herring merchants named this city Elbogen [ELL-boh-ghen] , forsaking an earlier name meaning "sandpile." In 2016, the pseudonymous artist Anonymouse MMX created two rodent-sized restaurants on the corner of this city's Almbacksgatan [ALM-bocks-gah-TAHN] and Bergsgatan [BEAR-eez-gah-TAHN]. Alex Jones (*) associate Paul Joseph Watson tweeted he would sponsor a journalist to visit this city's "crime ridden migrant suburbs." This city's international airport lies between the towns of Skurup [SCOO-rupp] and Svedala [SVAY-uh-DAH-la]. It is the county seat and most populous city of Scania, and trails only Gothenburg and Stockholm nationally. For 10 points, name the Swedish city connected by the 16-kilometer-long Oresund Link to Copenhagen.
A: Malmo
Q: This non-Australian lake is home to a wild population of wallabies, which were introduced to the island of Inchconnachan in the 1940s. In its original language, this lake's name means "Lake of the Elms." The largest freshwater island in the (*) British Isles, Inchmurrin, is located in this lake. The sound of "wee ► birdies" singing is referenced in a song titled for this lake that mentions observing the "highland hills" and "purple hue" of this lake's surroundings. For 10 points, name this lake, which titles a Jacobite song whose singer will take the "low road" and "be in Scotland afore ye."
A: Loch Lomond (or Loch Laomainn)
Q: Howler monkey populations grew rapidly after the construction of this country's Guri Dam eliminated their natural predators. This country's longest river, whose name derives from the Warao term "a place to paddle," empties into the ocean in the state of Delta (*) Amacuro. According to a 2016 American Meteorological Society paper, a "deep nocturnal convection driven by locally forced convergent flow" is responsible for the dramatic lightning that occurs 300 days a year near the mouth of this country's Catatumbo River. In 2004, a major duckweed outbreak struck this country's largest "lake," an oil-rich inlet of the Caribbean Sea. For 10 points, name this country that includes Lake Maracaibo and most of the Orinoco River.
A: (Bolivarian Republic of) Venezuela
Q: A book by Mark Mazower called this city the "City of Ghosts" and traced the history of its Sephardic Jewish community, which made up a majority of its population in the early 16th century. The 10th Irish Division was withdrawn from Gallipoli to be shipped to this city, whose use as a base for Allied forces in World War I led Georges Clemenceau to call its troops "the (*) gardeners" and Erich Ludendorff to refer to this city as a giant self-sustaining POW camp. This city, a center of trade on the Via ► Egnatia, was where Gothic troops under the Emperor Theodosius carried out a notorious 390 AD massacre. For 10 points, name this port on the Thermaic Gulf, the second most populous city in Greece.
A: Thessaloniki (or Thessalonica or Salonika)
Q: This state produces 90 percent of its country's exported mangoes, in the area around Petrolina in its Sao Francisco Valley. Other sites in this state include the former trading hub and UNESCO World Heritage Site Olinda. This state's namesake stadium was the easternmost of the 12 used in the 2014 (*) FIFA World Cup. This state shares its name with a type of wood used for stringed-instrument bows. Dutch settlement in Brazil was centered on a city in this state known as the "Venice of Brazil." For 10 points, name this northeastern Brazilian state governed from Recife.
A: Pernambuco
Q: During the 1940s, thousands flocked to the midget-wrestling contests held at this city's Art Deco Atwater Market. This city's abandoned Royal Victoria Hospital is exemplary of the Scottish Baronial style of architecture. Its Ritz-Carlton was the first to open, and still features the grand staircase envisioned by Cesar Ritz in 1911. This city's tennis-specific (*) Uniprix [OOH-KNEE-pree] Stadium incorporates the grandstand of an earlier venue, Jarry Park. Another stadium in this city formerly featured a retractable Kevlar cover, whose operators opened it just 88 times over its 11-year lifespan. Moshe Safdie [MOH-shay SOFF-dee] designed a complex of prefabricated concrete apartment buildings for this city's World's Fair. For 10 points, what city's architectural landmarks include the cubic Habitat 67 complex and the cavernous Stade Olympique [STAHD oh-leem-PEEK]?
A: Montreal
Q: The Good Performers Initiative discourages production of this commodity. Both Haji Bashar and Haji Bagcho were experts in the sale of this commodity. 75% of the world's production of this commodity comes from Helmand Province. This crop is grown in the Golden Crescent and in the Golden Triangle, including Myanmar. During a 2014 election, Dr. Abdullah (*) Abdullah promised not to end a ban on this product instituted by Mullah Muhammad Omar in 2001. After American troops destroyed this crop, the Taliban permitted it to be grown again. For 10 points, name this crop which provides half of Afghanistan's GDP and is used to make opium.
A: poppy [or opium before it is read; prompt on morphine; prompt on heroin; prompt on illicit drugs or similar answers]
Q: While en route to this place, a small plane flown by Will Rogers and Wiley Post experienced engine failure and crashed, killing them both. Medical care in this city is handled by the Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital. The Tuzzy Consortium Library in this city serves as public library to the entire North (*) Slope Borough, according to its website. One of the few tribally ► controlled colleges within the United States, Ilisagvik College, is located in this city. The Drew Barrymore film Big Miracle is based on a true story of whales trapped under the ice near this city. For 10 points, name this city, the northernmost in the United States.
A: Barrow, Alaska
Q: In January, a tractor-trailer driver veered onto one of these features and left deep scars in an additional two. In 2014, a sign reading "Time for Change! The future is renewable" was unveiled beside one of these features by Greenpeace activists. Maria Reiche [RYE-shuh] advocated protecting these features, which she hypothesized served as an astronomical (*) calendar. In their World Heritage site designation, these features are grouped with a set of similar works near Palpa. Constant winds clean sand out of these features inscribed on the Pampa Colorada. The Paracas culture, active from 400 to 200 BCE, may have created some of these features. They include a 210-foot-long depiction of a killer whale and a 165-foot-long hummingbird. An ancient Peruvian culture lends its name to-for 10 points-what mysterious set of large geoglyphs?
A: Nazca Lines
Q: Israeli programmers Talmon Marco and Igor Magazinik launched the Skype alternative Viber in this country. It's not Germany or Kazakhstan, but this country's capital includes a constructivist Palace of the Republic, colloquially called "the Sarcophagus." A tractor works here covertly sold arms to Saddam Hussein's Iraq. This country's cuisine includes a potato-and-onion (*) pancake called draniki. A 300-foot-tall steel obelisk and a massive carved stone head dubbed "Courage" overlook a fortress in this country's city of Brest, which, like Grodno to the north, lies along its border with Poland. This is the only country in Europe to retain the death penalty, and is home to the continent's "last dictatorship." For 10 points, name this country ruled by Alexander Lukashenko from Minsk.
A: Belarus
Q: During an annual festival in this state male residents are carted around and beaten with shoes and brooms. This state's town of Jalesar produces cast brass bells popular among Swiss cow farmers. This state's power is generated in part by a coal plant named for the Rihand River. This state contains remnants of the ancient city of Prayag, on whose plan the city of (*) Allahabad was built. Dasharatha and his son Rama hailed from Ayodhya [eye-OH-juh], a sacred city in this state. During British rule, this state bore the name United Provinces of Agra and Audh. The Manikarnika [MAH-knee-CAR-knee-kah] ghat, a popular cremation site, lies on the Ganges River in this state's city of Varanasi. For 10 points, name this state of northern India, the most populous subnational territory in the world.
A: Uttar Pradesh
Q: This city is home to prostitutes dubbed "central bankers," after their preferred solicitation spot outside a branch of the country's central bank. In February 2018, this city's mayor labeled fellow politician Pantaleon Alvarez an "insecure, fat sleaze," and said, "You messed with the wrong girl." This city exports the fiber abaca from the deepwater port of Sasa. Pakiputan Strait separates this city from the island of Samal, from which Canadian mining engineers John Ridsdel and Robert Hall were abducted in 2016 by Abu (*) Sayyaf militants. Contract killers formed a "death squad" convened by a former mayor of this city. Sara Duterte-Carpio governs-for 10 points-what city in Mindanao, led for 21 years by her father, current Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte?
A: Davao City
Q: The Englishman Armitage Forbes and his wife Harrie promoted this route's development, with sponsorship from such groups as the Native Daughters of the Golden West. This route winds north through Cahuenga [kuh-WENG-guh] Pass to Sherman Way. State Route 82 and U.S. Highway 101 have largely replaced this route, while Interstate 5 supplanted it in the cities of Tustin and (*) Oceanside. A different route of the same name connected the Red River with Mexico City. This route passes Our Lady Queen of Angels church, where the first of many bells marking it was erected in 1906. This route's central attractions are said to be spaced one day's horse ride apart. Twenty-one Franciscan missions, four presidios, and two pueblos are linked by-for 10 points-what route that roughly follows the California coast?
A: El Camino Real (prompt on "Royal Highway," "Royal Road," or "King's Highway")
Q: In this state, children and pregnant women without health insurance may qualify for the publicly funded Dr. Dynasaur program. Judith Steinberg, once first lady of this state, met her husband in a neuroanatomy class at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. This state's medical facilities include Morrisville's Copley Hospital, Randolph's Gifford Medical Center, and the former Fletcher (*) Allen Health Care, which was renamed for its flagship university in 2014. This state was governed from 2011 to 2017 by Peter Shumlin, who claimed he lost "tremendous credibility" when his single-payer healthcare plan stalled in its legislature. For 10 points, name this New England state formerly led by Dr. Howard Dean.
A: Vermont
Q: After working for 10 days in one of these facilities, Bruce Jessen described its conditions as "nasty, but safe." In 2011, the February 20 Movement protested in front of a former venue of this kind in Zemara, now run by the Moroccan interior ministry. The closure of one of these venues in Poland led to the opening of another code-named (*) "Bright Light" within the headquarters of Romania's National Registry for Classified Information on a leafy street in Bucharest. Abu Zubaydah was held at one of these facilities in Thailand called "Detention Site Green," which was later helmed by Gina Haspel. A Langley, Va.-based organization maintained-for 10 points-what secret venues for rendering and interrogating suspects in the U.S.'s global "war on terror?"
A: CIA black sites (or Central Intelligence Agency black sites; prompt on partial answer; prompt on "CIA detention facilities" or similar answers lacking the term "black site")
Q: In a March Instagram post, model Cindy Sirinya Bishop related being harassed on this holiday and launched the hashtag campaign "#DontTellMeHowtoDress." This holiday's name derives from a Sanskrit word for "transformation," or "passage." The "Seven Deadly Days" refers to the increased incidence of drunk-driving accidents during this holiday. The day of the week on which this holiday falls each year determines which daughter of the Hindu deity Thao Kabinlaphrom [TAO kuh-BEAN-luh-proam] is honored. Participants in this holiday throw talc on one another and paint colorful designs on elephants. This holiday is analogous to the Burmese (*) Thingyan [THITCH-yan], and is likewise held in April and typified by large-scale water fights. The end of the dry season is marked by-for 10 points-what five-day Thai new year festival?
A: Songkran [soang-"CRAYON"]
Q: This island's southeast is indented by Laulau Bay, which is designated a sea cucumber reserve. Cane harvested at this island's three major plantations - As Lito, Chacha, and Marpi Point - was shipped from Sugar Dock during the 1920s and '30s. This island's town of Susupe [soo-SOO-pee] includes a judicial building bearing the Filipino name Guma' Hustisia. The steep-sided Mount (*) Tapotchau occupies the center of this island and affords clear views of the terrain below, dubbed "Death Valley" by American soldiers who fought there. Hundreds of Japanese civilians committed suicide by jumping from this island's Banzai Cliff during a 1944 Allied attack. The Northern Mariana Islands are governed from-for 10 points-what island north of Tinian [tin-ee-ANN]?
A: Saipan
Q: An 18th-century captain who aided refugees in what is now this country lends his name to a market town here with the world's longest natural sandy beach, Cox's Bazar. The 1952 Language Movement is commemorated at the Shaheed Minar in this country, which is home to the "Rickshaw Capital of the World." The documentary My Architect features this country's parliament building, which was designed by (*) Louis Kahn. Innovations in microfinance at this country's Grameen Bank won Mohammed Yunus the Nobel Peace Price. Most shipping is conducted through the city of Chittagong in this country, where the Padma River is formed from the Meghna, Jamuna, and Ganges. For 10 points, name this nation consisting of the former East Pakistan.
A: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Q: On the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Rome, this river is depicted being menaced by a snake. Irish expatriate William Brown led naval expeditions to defend this river, which was later blockaded by both the British and French. The only river (*) dolphin that prefers saltwater and estuary environments, the Franciscana, is more commonly named after this river. The International Hydrographic Organization puts this river's eastern boundary between Punta del ► Este and Cabo San Antonio. For 10 points, name this river whose headwaters allegedly contained much silver and which flows past Buenos Aires.
A: Rio de la Plata (other answers are possible but uncommon)
Q: Herbert David Lore opened one of the first inns in this desert, but sold it within two decades after it was compromised by an underlying seam of bentonite clay. This desert is situated between the communities of Willow Springs and Holbrook. Most visitors entering this desert from the west obtain provisions at the Cameron Trading Post, on U.S. Route (*) 89. Its red Adeii Eechii Cliffs are accessible from Tuba City, but require a permit to explore due to their location within the Navajo Nation. Petrified Forest National Park includes part of this desert, which follows the southeastern course of the Little Colorado River. For 10 points, identify this Arizona desert named for its distinct hues of shale and sandstone.
A: Painted Desert
Q: This organization's official opposition to the accession of Faure Gnassingbe forced him to hold elections. The governing body of this group is currently chaired by Idriss Deby. Angelina (*) Jolie gave an address concerning violence against women at a 2015 summit of this organization. Because of this organization's relations with the Polisario Front, Morocco is notably ► not a member of this alliance. Barack Obama was the first sitting American president to address this organization, which he did in July 2015 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa. This group is working to build a Great Green Wall to slow the desertification of the Sahel. For 10 points, name this organization of states from a continent south of the Mediterranean Sea.
A: African Union
Q: The Kant Plateau borders this low-lying region, which is set off from a similarly named neighbor by the Plinius and Vitruvius craters. The 600-meter-long, 100-meter-deep "West" ray compelled one mission to this region to land four miles from its planned (*) touchdown spot. One visitor to this region described it as having a "stark beauty all its own, like the high desert of the United States," while another noted its "magnificent desolation." This region is bounded to its southeast by seas of "fecundity" and "nectar." Michael Collins remained in the spacecraft Columbia while his crewmates Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong undertook a "powered descent" to this region. For 10 points, on what lunar region did the Apollo 11 "Eagle" module land?
A: Sea of Tranquility (or Mare Tranquilitatus)
Q: This archipelago's northernmost member lends its name to the colonial official who implemented the Navigation Acts as governor of the Dominion of New England. In a 2008 song titled for one of these islands, Robin Pecknold sings, "Brother, you don't need to turn me (*) away. / I was waiting down at the ancient gate." The word pyrgos may refer to any of a number of imposing watchtowers dotting this archipelago, or to a settlement on its island of Santorini. Thucydides described the subjugation of one of these islands in his "Melian Dialogue," and another names an historical maritime confederacy dominated by Athens. Andros, Mykonos, and Delos are among the islands of-for 10 points-what Aegean archipelago?
A: the Cyclades [SICK-luh-deez]
Q: In 1957, the US's oldest aquarium was moved to this place. A recent book by Claire Prentice describes how, in 1905, a tribe of Igorot people was placed in this place's Luna Park. This place is easily accessed via Stillwell Avenue. Diane Arbus's photos of this place include Masked Boy with Friends and Two Girls on a (*) Beach, while "I Am Waiting" and "Junkman's Obbligato" are two poems from a collection named for it by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. This place was originally named for the diversity of rabbits found in it. Requiem for a Dream is set in this place, where Nathan's Famous hot dogs originated. For 10 points, name this so-called "island" in New York City known for its amusement parks.
A: Coney Island [prompt on "New York (City)" or "Brooklyn"]
Q: The border between two cities on this lake is marked by 22 oversized sculptures depicting the Major Arcana, the trump cards of a tarot deck. In 2019, Rolls Royce is scheduled to test a liquefied natural gas engine on a car ferry that operates on this lake. Swedish countess Bettina Bernadotte [BEAR-nah-DOT] owns a baroque palace on this lake's island of (*) Mainau [MY-now]. The mountainous Bodan ridge juts into this lake, giving it the appearance of a tuning fork. Bregenz, Kreuzlingen [CROYTS-ling-inn], and Lindau are among the major cities on this lake. A Carolingian polity centered on the northwestern arm of this lake is the likely origin of its German name, Bodensee. For 10 points, name this lake at the junction of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
A: Lake Constance (or Lake Konstanz; accept Bodensee until mention)
Q: This venue earned the nickname "the Colossus of Saint Ursula" for its enormous size. The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers faced off in a 2005 game here, the first regular-season NFL contest held outside the U.S. Felix Candela lost out to Pedro Ramirez Vazquez in the bidding to design this venue. Beginning in 1962, workers excavated 200,000 tons of volcanic (*) rock to allow for construction of this venue. During a 1986 World Cup quarterfinal held at this venue, Diego Maradona carried Argentina to victory over England with his infamous "Hand of God" goal. Renovations to Rio's Maracana [MAH-ra-KUH-nuh] rendered this stadium the most capacious dedicated to soccer. For 10 points, name this home stadium of El Tri, Mexico's national soccer team.
A: Estadio Azteca (or Azteca Stadium)s
Q: "La Dope" and "Messi" name two animals of this type that face off in annual fights held in Annaba and Algiers; those animals are trained by kbabshis, who decorate them with henna ahead of matches. Since 1977, Utah State professor Lyle McNeal has sought to restore the Navajo Nation's population of the Churro (*) breed of this animal. Ketchum, Idaho's main street is closed each October for a "trailing" of these animals, which were historically tended by Basque immigrants. This animal's Perendale breed, a cross of the Cheviot [SHEV-ee-it] and Romney, was developed to better navigate the hilly terrain of the North Island. For 10 points, name this animal that, at its peak population size in 1982, outnumbered humans 22-to-1 in New Zealand?
A: sheep
Q: A former government office now open to public viewing on this island was designed by Horace Capron, who visited this island to revitalize its agriculture. A 1993 earthquake near this island caused a tsunami that devastated nearby (*) Okushiri. A UNESCO World Heritage Site on this island is Shiretoko National Park, where a population of brown bear thrives. The first Winter Olympics held outside ► Europe or North America took place in this island's largest city in 1972. The Tsugaru Strait separates this home of many Ainu people from Honshu, which lies south of this island. For 10 points, name this second-largest island and northernmost prefecture of Japan that has its capital at Sapporo.
A: Hokkaido
Q: This island is the only habitat of the one plant in genus Dendrosicyos, often called the "cucumber tree." It's not in the Strait of Hormuz, but the Portuguese explorers Tristao da Cunha and Afonso de Albuquerque briefly captured and occupied this island in a 1507 attempt to cut off Muslim trade routes, before abandoning it due to the harsh (*) desert climate. This island's small medieval-era Christian population may have been converted by Thomas the Apostle while he was en route to India. Its most famous plant is an endemic, umbrella-shaped species of tree whose sap was believed to be the blood of dragons. This really weird-looking island, a biodiversity ► hotspot that is often compared to the Galapagos, lies southeast of the Gulf of Aden. For 10 points, name this isolated island in the Indian Ocean, owned by Yemen.
A: Socotra
Q: This group took eight hostages from the iron-mining town of Zouerate [zoo-ay-ROT] in 1977, a debacle that led to the ouster of neighboring president Moktar Ould [OOLD] Daddah. In May, foreign minister Nasser Bourita severed his country's diplomatic ties with Iran over the latter's alleged arming of this group. This group's late secretary-general, Mohamed Abdelaziz, faced resistance from the hardline Khatt al-Shahid [shah-HEED] faction. This group established a government-in-exile abbreviated SADR, which it founded near the town of Tindouf and now leads from the Rabouni refugee camp. This group's full name references its claims to Rio de (*) Oro and Saguia el-Hamra, regions annexed, respectively, by Mauritania and Morocco. For 10 points, name this group that asserts sovereignty over Western Sahara.
A: Polisario Front (or Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro; or Frente Popular Para la Liberacion de Saguia el-Hamra y Rio de Oro)
Q: Quail Creek State Park and Goblin Valley State Park are located in this state. This state's capital contains the Seagull Monument, honoring birds that saved the region's crops from an invasion of crickets in 1848. Its Park City is home to the US Ski Team. The Sundance Film Festival is hosted here. World land-speed records are often set at (*) Bonneville Salt Flats in this state. The Arches and Zion National Parks are in this state. This state's capital, which hosted the last US Olympics, lies near the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. For 10 points, name this state with a majority Mormon population.
A: Utah Moderator note: In the fourth sentence of this tossup, the word is "formication". With an M. Not an N.
Q: One route for climbing this mountain begins in the town of Moshi, passes the Garden of Senecios, and follows the Barranco Wall. This mountain, which is crowned by the Furtwangler Glacier and the Shira Plateau, contains Gillman's point and was first climbed in 1899 by Hans Meyer. One feature that neighbors this mountain is Mount Meru, and the Reusch Crater tops Kibo, the highest of this stratovolcano's three cones. This mountain is known as Uhuru in Swahili, and it is the largest freestanding mountain in the world. For 10 points, name this Tanzanian mountain, the largest in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: This city's Qutb [KOOT-b] complex is home to a 20-foot-tall iron pillar and the world's tallest brick minaret. Its business district is called the Connaught Place. This city is the northernmost connected by the Golden Quadrilateral. The reformist party Aam Aadmi [AWM ODD-mee] currently holds power here. A Baha'i House of Worship in this city is shaped like a (*) lotus. A Durbar [DER-ber] held in this city in 1911 at its Red Fort welcomed King George V to the country. This non-Chinese city has the world's worst air pollution. The Yamuna River passes through Agra and this city, which became capital in August 1947 after the partition. For 10 points, name this capital of India.
A: New Delhi [or Delhi]
Q: A leader of this country borrowed from Chateaubriand's idea that his country would ignite "great history" in Towards the Great Civilization. This country created corrupt tax-exempt charitable trusts called bonyads that now control nearly a fifth of its GDP. Land reform in this country that privileged holders of nasaqs but excluded landless people prompted the revolt of the Qashqai federation. Those reforms were coupled with the creation of a (*) Literacy Corps, an enormous expansion of higher education, and the permitting of women to be elected as legislators. The principle of velayat-e faqih was developed by a religious leader who criticized those reforms while in exile in France and who returned to this country to lead a revolution. For 10 points, identify this country that undertook the White Revolution while ruled by Muhammad Reza Pahlavi.
A: Iran [or Persia; accept Islamic Republic of Iran even though almost all the clues are pre-1979]
Q: The lowest point in this nation is Laguna del Carbon. The Iguazu falls lie on this nation's border with its northern neighbor, and the highest point in this nation is contained in its Mendoza province. That peak in this nation is Quechua for "Sentinel of Stone," and it was first ascended using the Horcones Valley route by Matthias Zurbriggen. This nation contains the scrub plateau of Patagonia, and the Uruguay River merges with the Parana River in this nation to form the Rio de la Plata. This country is the home of the tallest mountain in the Americas, Mount Aconcagua. For 10 points, name this country home to the Pampas region with capital at Buenos Aires.
A: Republica Argentina [or Argentine Republic]
Q: To repudiate foreign culture, this leader renamed the months of the year to celebrate traditional religion, national epics and heroes. Out of the many national holidays created by this leader, Melon day is one of the few that is still celebrated. This leader built a massive arch to commemorate the UN's recognition of his country's permanent neutrality. This leader mandated reading a fabricated history of his country that he wrote called the (*) Ruhmana, renamed the city of Krasnovodsk after himself, and created a Latin-based alphabet to replace his country's Cyrillic writing. This leader's massive cult of personality involved the construction of numerous gold statues of himself and his declaration to be President for Life, which ended when he died in 2006. For 10 points, identify this first post-Soviet President of Turkmenistan.
A: Saparmurat (Atayevich) Niyazov [or Saparmurat Turkmenbasy]
Q: This good was the subject of the quote, "No power on earth dares to make war upon it." Kozhikode, India, was a center for the production of this raw good. Egypt became a leading producer of it under Muhammad Ali Pasha. Uzbekistan is the world's second-largest exporter of this good, but its production caused the (*) Aral Sea to shrink. Gandhi's Khadi movement was a boycott of this commodity from England. A "famine" on this good in England in 1861 was caused by a Union embargo of the Confederacy. For 10 points, name this crop that was "king" in the South.
A: cotton [prompt on textiles; prompt on calico]
Q: The first Queen regnant of this country declined to shield herself from the rain while attending the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, according to the custom that one must not imitate the person they are honoring. Shirley Waldemar Baker founded this country's Free Church and served as prime minister to the first king of this country, who took the name George. This country's first written legal code was promulgated from the town of (*) Vava'u. This country brought a lawsuit against court jester Jesse Bogdanoff after Bogdanoff wasted the revenue this country obtained by selling passports to foreigners. This country elected its first commoner to serve as prime minister in 2014, ʻAkilisi Pohiva. For 10 points, name this Polynesian country ruled by Tupou VI, the only surviving monarchy in Polynesia.
A: Tonga [Kingdom of Tonga; or Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga]
Q: Inhabitants of this island love to eat fried plantains mashed together with chicharron in a concoction called mofongo. A small frog called the coqui [coh-KEE] is native to this island's mountainous Yunque [YOON-kay] rainforest. The world's largest radio telescope is at Arecibo on this island. Its capital contains a 16th-century fort called the (*) Morro. A "White House" on this island is the mansion owned by its colonial governor Ponce de Leon. An independence referendum on this island failed in 2012, which is a problem, since it declared bankruptcy in 2015. For 10 points, name this commonwealth of the US in the Caribbean.
A: Puerto Rico
Q: Geologically speaking, Kure (rhymes with brewery) is the oldest part of this region, dating back to about 30 million years ago. A dike of igneous rock fills an eroded cavity to create this region's Pinnacle Peak. This region is also home to the hypersaline Lake Laysan. Its northwestern-most island lies very near the Darwin Point, where ocean water temperatures perfectly balance upward coral growth with subsidence of land. J. Tuzo Wilson proposed the process that formed this (*) archipelago as well as the series of guyots and seamounts stretching from it to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, known as the Emperor Seamounts. The hotspot that created this island chain has slowed down. For 10 points, name this volcanic archipelago home to Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea.
A: Hawai'ian islands [or Honolulu County, Hawai'i until "archipelago" is read; or Northwestern Hawai'ian Islands until "Mauna Loa" is read]
Q: The city of Kuttanadu is famous for producing this commodity. The mountains of Ifugao near Banaue [BAN-OW-UH] include a natural wonder where this commodity is produced. The "Johnson spot" is characteristic of Magnaporthe grisea, a namesake "blast" affecting this product. When this product is grown in soil, it is called "upland." Along with indigo, this crop is produced by the Gullah in coastal South Carolina. Bangladesh is the fourth-largest exporter of this crop in the world. It is often grown in terraced underwater fields called paddies. For 10 points, name this most important staple grain in the world, mostly grown in Asia.
A: rice [or white rice; or other types of rice]
Q: On June 23 in this country, adults light bonfires and children jump over smaller fires in a festival called "Hogueras". After one tradition in this country, the ear of a certain animal is given to participants. This country's namesake omelette is made with potatoes. The pre-Christmas festival of Posadas originated in this country. Every year, citizens of this nation gather to throw tomatoes at each other in Bunol, and a cold tomato soup originating from this country is called gazpacho. Tapas are traditional appetizers in this country, which is famous for its paella. For 10 points, name this country where people run away from bulls in Pamplona and speak Catalan in Barcelona.
A: Kingdom of Spain [or Espana]
Q: Moderator note: Cairo, in this context, is pronounced "CAY-row", not "KYE-row". Asian carp comprise more than 95% of fish biomass in some areas of this river, which was invaded by carp in the early 90s. A bridge crossing this river's St. Anthony Falls collapsed in 2007, killing 13 people. An elephant was led across the Eads Bridge over this river in 1874. Two hundred thousand people were forced to relocate after its devastating 1927 floods. The (*) New Madrid seismic zone is on this river. Its lower and upper branches meet at Cairo. This river flows through Natchez and Vicksburg before meeting Lake Ponchartrain on its southern course. For 10 points, name this river which flows into the Gulf of Mexico, the longest in the US.
A: Mississippi River [prompt on Illinois River]
Q: The Verinag Spring, located within this geographical region, is the source of the Jhelum (JELL-UM) River. China claims the Aksai Chin in this area, which includes the Ladakh district of another country. The Line of Control is located here. Located between the Pir Panjal and Karakoram Ranges, this territory has two different regional capitals at Muzaffarabad and Srinagar. Goat husbandry in this region lent its name to a type of wool. It's located northeast of Punjab. A state is named for Jammu and this region, once called "Heaven on Earth" by Mughal emperors. For 10 points, name this region fiercely contested between Pakistan and India.
A: Kashmir [or Jammu and Kashmir; or Azad Kashmir; prompt on "India", "Pakistan", or "Southwest Asia"]
Q: Photosynthetic organisms called hypoliths are found in large quantities on this territory's Devon and Cornwallis Islands. The medieval Dorset culture flourished in this modern day territory, whose northernmost point lies south of the Lincoln Sea. The Belcher Islands are a part of this territory, whose highest point is Barbeau Peak. The northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, (*) Alert, is located on an island in this territory. The cities of Whale Cove and Rankin Inlet are located in this territory, which includes most of the western shore of the Hudson Bay. This territory, which includes Ellesmere Island, has a capital that lies between two peninsulas on Frobisher Bay. For 10 points, name this most recently incorporated and primarily Inuit Canadian territory, whose capital is Iqaluit.
A: Nunavut
Q: Ivan Martos sculpted a statue of Cardinal Richelieu's great-nephew that resides near the top of this feature. This feature was designed by Francesco Boffo [fran-CHESS-koh BAW-foh], who also designed two semicircular buildings, originally a hotel and municipal administrative office, that frame its entrance. This feature titles a film sequence that follows "Men and Maggots," "Drama on the (*) Quarterdeck," and "Appeal from the Dead." This feature connects Primorskii Boulevard to a port on the Black Sea below. Cossacks kill a mother atop this feature in a 1925 film, causing her baby's carriage to roll down it. The Potemkin Stairs are another name for-for 10 points-what location of a massacre in a Sergei Eisenstein film set during the 1905 Russian revolution?
A: Odessa Steps (accept Great Staircase; accept Potemkin Stairs or Potemkin Steps until mention)
Q: This river was first fully navigated by John Goddard in 1951. The Nuer and Dinka peoples live along this river that flows through the Sudd wetlands. The term "delta" originally referred to the triangular shape of this river's delta, which contains the Damietta and Rosetta branches. Lakes Albert and (*) Victoria feed into this river's "White" branch, which joins its "Blue" branch at Khartoum, Sudan. For 10 points name this river on which the Aswan High Dam was built, which passes through Cairo, Egypt.
A: Nile
Q: This river's name is followed by "do norte" and "do sul" in the names of two Brazilian states, and a change in its path was the basis of the Chazimal border dispute. This river rises in the San Juan Mountains before passing Laredo and (*) Matamoros and receiving water from the Conchos and Pecos Rivers. This river forms the boundary between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, making it a popular location for border crossings. For 10 points, name this river that separates Texas from Mexico.
A: Rio Grande (prompt on Rio Bravo)
Q: This region's western entrance was once guarded by the city of Alexandria Eskhata, whose name translates to "Alexandria the Farthest." According to the Records of the Grand Historian, this region was the home of the Hellenistic Dayuan people, who were forced to give up 3,000 of their so-called "heavenly horses" after they lost a 2nd-century war to Emperor (*) Wu of the Han Dynasty. This valley, the birthplace of Babur, was southeast of the historic region of Sogdiana and northeast of Bactria. In this valley, the Syr Darya River emerges from the Tian Shan Mountains to the northeast. For 15 points, name this densely populated valley split between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
A: Fergana Valley (or Ferghana Valley or Farghana Valley)
Q: A stone "Chair" in this city, built in 1810 to honor its governor's wife, is part of its "Domain." This city developed on Garigal land by Lachlan Macquarie is home to a namesake Harbor Bridge. This city contains its country's first settlement at Port Jackson, which is near (*) Darling Harbor. This city hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics and is home to Bondi Beach. The capital of New South Wales is, for 10 points, what largest city in Australia, home to a famous namesake opera house?
A: Sydney
Q: The Siskiyou Wilderness is a section of the Klamath Mountains located in the northern part of this state. The largest amount of dust pollution in the US comes from a dry lake in this state where borax is mined. After a 1905 flood, this state's largest lake was formed near the Coachella Valley. This state is home to Mono and Owens Lakes. A bristlecone pine tree called Methuselah, located here, is the oldest single living organism on the planet. This home of the Salton Sea is also the location of the largest mountain outside Alaska in the US. The San Joaquin river flows from the Sierra Nevada in this state. For 10 points, name this home of Yosemite National Park.
A: California
Q: This neighborhood's Holy Translators' School was the first in its city to be coeducational. The group that names this neighborhood included the Crusader queens Arda, Morphia, and Melisende, who contributed to its development. The head of the apostle James is said to be buried in this neighborhood's (*) cathedral, which Kanye West visited in 2015 to baptize his daughter North. This neighborhood may be accessed by taking a right after passing through the Jaffa Gate. It is smaller than three neighboring areas named for their Christian, Muslim, and Jewish makeup. For 10 points, name this quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, some of whose residents are descended from survivors of a Turkish genocide.
A: Armenian quarter
Q: This region produced the storyteller Lem Griffis, who joked he crossed bees with fireflies so "they could see how t' work at night an' ... make a double crop o' honey every year." Francis Harper chronicled the folk traditions of this region, whose natives called it a name meaning "land of the trembling earth." Beginning in the 1860s, Primitive Baptist adherents in this region held "sacred harp" sings in Hoboken and other surrounding towns. This region's Chesser Prairie and Honey Island attract birders hoping to sight the likely (*) extinct ivory-billed woodpecker. This region is crossed by the 13-mile-long Suwanee Canal, blazed in the 1890s in an attempt to drain it. Melting Pleistocene glaciers yielded-for 10 points-what swamp on the border of Georgia and Florida?
A: Okefenokee Swamp
Q: The root of the iboga shrub is consumed in ceremonies of this country's indigenous Bwiti faith, which is practiced in open-sided temples called mbandjas. The valley of the Djidji [JEE-JEE] River is a key habitat for this country's forest elephant population, which is protected from increasingly ruthless poachers by ANPN rangers. This country's westernmost point is Cape Lopez, north of which the coast becomes harsher and less sandy. Following lobbying by J. Michael Fay and other conservationists, Ivindo, Bateke [bah-TAY-KAY] Plateau, Crystal (*) Mountains and 10 other national parks were established in 2002 by this country's longtime president Omar Bongo. For 10 points, name this equatorial African country governed from Libreville [LEE-bruh-ville].
A: Gabon (or Gabonese Republic)
Q: This body of water is internally divided by regions of sills called the "Northern Quark" and "Southern Quark." 17th-century botanist Elias Tillandz supposedly became so seasick while crossing this body of water that he journeyed hundreds of miles around its shores on foot to avoid the return crossing. Far northern parts of this body of water are known for low (*) salinity, which allows species like the freshwater mussel Anodonta to thrive. The ports of Tornio and ► Lulea lie on-for 10 points-what northern extension of the Baltic Sea that separates Sweden from Finland?
A: Gulf of Bothnia (prompt on "Baltic Sea" before "Aland")
Q: Henry Moore's Man Enters the Cosmos is located next to this body of water. The world's oldest planetarium, Adler Planetarium, is on a manmade island in this body of water, which also houses the Shedd Aquarium. A ferry service on the SS Badger crosses it to reach the city of Manitowoc. Mies van der Rohe designed two apartments on the "drive" which runs parallel to this lake's shore. Grant Park abuts this lake, and Green Bay is located in its northwest. It is connected to its northeast neighbor by the Straits of Mackinac. Cities on this lake include Milwaukee and Chicago. For 10 points, name this Great Lake located entirely within the US.
A: Lake Michigan
Q: The Cave of the Winds and Goat Island can be found near this landmark. This landmark gives its name to two cities, one in the US and one in Canada, which are northwest of Buffalo. Tourists can ride the Maid of the (*) Mist at this place, which thrill-seekers have attempted to traverse in barrels. Horseshoe Falls and American Falls make up, for 10 points, what giant waterfall complex in Western New York?
A: Niagara Falls
Q: Lake Ladoga, the largest freshwater lake fully in Europe, is in this country, and this country's exclave of Kaliningrad lies between Poland and Lithuania. The city of Vladivostok is located in the far east of this country, as is the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. The (*) Trans-Siberian Railway traverses, for 10 points, what Eurasian country with its capital at Moscow, the largest country in the world by area?
A: Russia [accept Russian Federation; accept Rossiya]
Q: In the histories of this event, a man named Ernest Gill is the primary antagonist to the "Lordite" school of thought, which defends a leader criticized in an American investigation led by Senator William Alden Smith. Many victims of this event were buried at Fairview Lawn, including a boy known only as "the Unknown Child." During this event, Benjamin (*) Guggenheim supposedly declared "We are dressed in our best and are prepared to go... like gentlemen." Several people involved in this event were ordered to rescue others by Molly Brown. A survivor of this event was Second Officer Charles Lightoller, who interpreted his orders to only allow women and children to board lifeboats. For 10 points, name this 1912 event where an allegedly unsinkable ship was sunk by an iceberg.
A: sinking of the RMS Titanic
Q: An outdated one of these places in Berlin named Tegel was finally closed in 2021. One of these places in Beijing is nicknamed the "starfish" due to its architecture. One of these places in Singapore houses an indoor rainforest and is named Changi. London is served by six of these places, including (*) Heathrow, the largest. For 10 points, name these places which include John F. Kennedy International in New York City.
A: airports [accept equivalents like airfields or aerodromes]
Q: This country's southwest is home to the Anuak people, many of whom live in the province of Gambella. A large migration of white-eared kob takes place in that province, which shares the Baro River with a country to its west. The ethnically-based provinces of this country are called kililoch, and this country is home to the Gurage people. People in this country cook a spiced meat stew called wat, which is traditionally eaten using a sourdough flatbread called (*) injera. The Afar Triple Junction lies on the Red Sea in this nation's northeast and this nation is the site of the former Kingdom of Axum. For 10 points, name this country in east Africa whose people speak Amharic, which has its capital at Addis Ababa.
A: Ethiopia
Q: In this largest meromictic sea, the world's first known saline undersea river flows through an anoxic bottom layer. A biodiverse wetland delta at Sulina, on this sea, is the least populated temperate region of its continent and is located in Bessarabia and Dobruja. This sea south of the Kerch Strait is the terminus of the (*) Dnieper. This sea flows south into the Sea of Marmara through the Bosporus and contains the mouth of the Danube. For 10 points, name this sea north of Turkey, connected to the Mediterranean and named for its color.
A: Black Sea
Q: This museum includes an exhibit on the stages of Mount St. Helens' 1980 eruption captioned, "A small catastrophe in the present helps us understand a huge catastrophe in the past." This museum features a display responding to the work of Charles Templeton. An imposing mastodon skeleton greets visitors to this museum, which boasts an animatronic display relating the expulsion from (*) Eden of Adam and Eve. This museum's Australian-born founder, Ken Ham, contested the claims of Bill Nye in a live-streamed 2014 debate. In 2016, this museum's operator, Answers in Genesis, opened a replica of Noah's ark in nearby Williamstown. Petersburg, Ky., just south of Cincinnati, is home to-for 10 points-what museum that touts a biblical alternative to the theory of evolution?
A: Creation Museum
Q: This country disputes the wooded Tigri Area with its eastern neighbor. One of the largest wooden churches in the world, St. George's, is in this country's capital, which also contains the Stabroek Market. The Wai-Wai people are native to this country, whose Acarai Mountains are the source of the Essequibo River. The Kaieteur National Park is in this country, which is bordered to the east by the (*) Courantyne River. The leader of a settlement in this country staged several "White Night" meetings and eventually killed himself and his followers with cyanide-laced Flavor Aid. For 10 points, name this South American country that was the site of the Jonestown Massacre, with capital at Georgetown.
A: Guyana
Q: TWO ANSWERS REQUIRED. The border between these two nations joins the cities of Dajabon (DA-HA-BONE) and Ouanaminthe (OOH-AWN-A-MINTH). The Cul-de-Sac Depression and Artibonite River are found in these two countries. The Pico Duarte is found in the larger of these countries, and they share a mountain range called either the Cordillera Central or the Massif du Nord. 20,000 people were killed in October 1937 during the Parsley Massacre, on the border between these two countries. In 2010, an earthquake striking these two countries led to an outbreak of cholera, as the smaller of these nations is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. For 10 points, name these nations which share the island of Hispaniola.
A: Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic [accept DR or Republica Dominicana for the Dominican Republic; accept answers in either order]
Q: This country's walled port city of Saint-Malo was a historic center of piracy and is the starting point for a sailing race that ends at this country's overseas territory of Guadeloupe. The only Celtic language in mainland Europe is spoken in this country's region of Brittany, which is west of (*) Normandy. The Seine (sen) River passes through this nation's capital city. For 10 points, in what country is the Eiffel Tower found?
A: France [accept Fifth French Republic or Republique francaise]
Q: Both the Kaibab Plateau and the Havasupai Indian Reservation are located in and around this geographic feature. Visitors can walk on a glass sky bridge built over this feature, which is around (*) 6,000 feet deep and was formed by millions of years of erosion caused by the flow of the Colorado River. For 10 points, name this geographic feature in northwest Arizona, the longest canyon in the United States.
A: Grand Canyon [accept Grand Canyon National Park]
Q: This country's capital is home to the world's oldest Chinatown, Binondo. This country is the home of a popular condiment called banana ketchup as well as the fast food chain Jollibee. A sauce called adobo, which originated in this country's cuisine, blends Southeast Asian staples with Spanish influences. (*) Quezon City is found on this country's most populous island, Luzon. For 10 points, what country is led from Manila?
A: Republic of the Philippines [accept Republika ng Pilipinas; or Filipinas]
Q: A song named after this city describes it as being 9,957 miles away from the location of the singer, Joe Robinson. In 1857 the "steerage passenger" John Askew wrote that "all the shops of any importance" in this city accepted payment in gold, which was mined nearby. Local and specialty foods are sold at the Central Market of this city, which also contains its country's National Wine Centre. Much of this city's drinking water is provided by a "Desalination Plant" that borders Gulf St. Vincent. A gallery celebrating the life of explorer Douglas Mawson, opalized fossils from Andamooka, and a collection of (*) Ediacaran fossils from the Flinders Ranges are all found at one of this city's museums. The name of this city honors the ► queen consort of Britain's King William IV. For 10 points, name this state capital, whose metropolitan area is home to over 75 percent of the residents of South Australia.
A: Adelaide
Q: This city lies opposite the 20-mile-long Mussulo Peninsula, which is directly accessible via Jeep during low tide. SonAir long operated a twice-weekly non-stop flight between Houston and this city; that service, as well as the Belas Shopping Center, which opened in this city's upscale Talatona neighborhood in 2007, catered largely to executives at Chevron and ExxonMobil. Unregulated van (*) taxis called candongueiros [KAHN-doan-GWARE-ohs] are widespread in this city. The national Liberation Movement Day commemorates a 1961 uprising in this city led by the MPLA, which has been helmed since 1979 by Jose Eduardo dos Santos. An offshore oil boom has led to a soaring cost of living in, for 10 points, what most populous Portuguese-speaking city outside Brazil?
A: Luanda, Angola
Q: Part of this landform called the "Estero de Camaguan" is dominated by the palm tree Copernicia tectorum. A seasonally-flooded part of this landform known as the "gamelotales" is a monoculture of grass in genus Paspulum. A turtle called the "Arrau sideneck" and the long-nosed armadillo are typical animal species found in this region. Jose Antonio Paez, a general known as "the Centaur of [this region]" led its horsemen to victory at the Battle of (*) Boyaca, where they supported Simon Bolivar against the Spanish royalists. The Apure and Meta Rivers, tributaries that flow into the middle course of the ► Orinoco, drain this region. A Spanish word for the "plains" titles-for 10 points-what grassland area of northeastern Colombia and western Venezuela?
A: Llanos
Q: This country's city of Antsiranana is near Cap d'Ambre, its northernmost point. The Meller's duck lives on Lake Alaotra in this country, the largest producer of vanilla in the world. The Merina people occupy the Central Highlands of this country west of Reunion where the native language is (*) Malagasy. Comoros is northwest of this country separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. Lemurs are endemic to, for 10 points, what African island country with capital Antananarivo [An-tan-nan-a-rivo]?
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: A national park in this state features a lengthy slot canyon called The Subway. The Virgin River runs through the southwest of this state, which is home to its lowest point, Beaver Dam Wash. Philo Farnsworth gives his name to a peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, which lie south of this state's most notable geographical feature. A park in this state is known for its large assemblage of eroded spires called (*) hoodoos. Another park in this state contains the Kolob arch, the second-largest natural arch in the world and includes Angels Landing, from which one can see Zion Canyon. The world land speed record was set in this state's Bonneville Salt Flats. For 10 points, name this western state home to Bryce Canyon National Park, whose capital is Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: The Zanata stone found in this archipelago contains inscriptions in the Tifinagh script, lending credence to the idea that the language of this archipelago's natives was Afro-Asiatic. Ibn Farrukh landed on an island in this archipelago he called "Gando" and visited a king named Guanariga. Prior to colonization, this archipelago was controlled by chiefs called menceys who belonged to the Achaman-worshipping (*) Guanche people. Horatio Nelson lost his right arm attempting to capture this archipelago for the British in 1797. After the death of Francisco Franco, independence movements prompted Juan Carlos I to grant autonomy to these islands. For 10 points, name this archipelago near Morocco, which contains Tenerife and is owned by Spain.
A: Canary Islands [or Islas Canarias]
Q: The regional peacekeeping force MISAB entered this country in 1997 in the wake of three army revolts. The epithet la colonie poubelle - or, the trashcan colony - was applied to the territory that would become this country. This country's Yakoma people include Andre Kolingba, who became its leader in a 1981 coup. The Muslim state Dar al-Kuti sold slaves from its base in Ndele [in-DAY-LAY], in this modern-day country. Operation Barracuda toppled this country's Emperor (*) Bokassa I, who had named it an "empire." A central plateau in this country and the river that forms most of its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo are called Ubangi. For 10 points, what landlocked African country is governed from Bangui [BONG-ghee]?
A: Central African Republic (or CAR)
Q: Traditional accounts hold that this event took place in the home of Apo Namalyari, who initiated this event after being displeased by logging and environmental destruction. This event heavily affected the Aeta people who lived in the surrounding area and were forced to relocate after this event (*) destroyed their homes. Typhoon Yunya made landfall during this event, preventing the dispersal of ash clouds and complicating the emergency response. This event contributed to the abandonment of Clark Air Base and the transfer of the naval base at ► Subic Bay. For 10 points, identify this disaster in which lahars and pyroclastic flows caused damage on the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
A: the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo
Q: Mikhail Gorbachev was featured in a commercial advertising this food, whose St. Louis variety is made with a distinctive cheese product called Provel. The Margherita kind of this food is topped with basil and (*) mozzarella. New York is famous for a variety of this food known for its thin crust and foldable slices. For 10 points, what kind of food is made by chains such as Little Caesars and Papa John's?
A: pizza [accept Margherita pizza or New York pizza]
Q: In 1991 anthropologist Anna Curtenius Roosevelt claimed this island once featured an advanced mound-building agricultural society of over 100,000 inhabitants, rejecting the traditional view of Betty Meggers that this island's high soil acidity prevented dense human settlement. Today, this island is mostly known for its huge population of domesticated water buffalo, which serve as mounts for local policemen and outnumber humans here 3 to 1. This isolated (*) fluvial island may have been the world's only major population center to be left unaffected by the 1918 Spanish flu. In 1542 the explorer Francisco de Orellana became the first European to sail past this island, which sits north of the city of Belem. For 15 points, name this really big, low-lying Brazilian island at the mouth of the Amazon River.
A: Marajo Island
Q: The creation of a "sea forest" landfill is one of this city's green initiatives, which began under a mayor who called on his country to "Say No" to America in a 1989 book. This city's 23 wards are all confusingly called "cities" in English. A firefighting deity inspired the name of the "Field of Autumn Leaves" in this city, which has the most Michelin stars of any in the world. (*) Roppongi Hills is a real estate development in this city, where a giant "Skytree" was completed in 2011. The Sevii islands were probably inspired by the "Seven" Izu islands that extend south of this city. This city's name was changed to mean "Eastern Capital" at the end of the Edo period, and it contains Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel. For 10 points, name this capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo-to [or Eastern Capital until it is read; prompt on "Edo"]
Q: A valley called the French Corner near this city is named for 200 Huguenots who settled here to begin a fledgling wine industry that spawned the company Groot Constantia. Three of the mutineering slaves on the ship Meermin were imprisoned for observation in this city. French regiments sent to help defend this city failed to prevent its capture at the Battle of Muizenberg. The Muslim district of Bo-Kaap was established in this city by Malay slaves who were freed by (*) British decree in 1808. This city was called the "Tavern of the Seas" by sailors who frequently stopped here to resupply. It lends its name to a racial group called the Coloureds whose ancestry was a mix of East Indian slaves, European settlers, and local Khoisan. For 10 points, identify this city near which Robben Island is located, a South African city on the Atlantic coast.
A: Cape Town [or Kaapstad; or Ikapa]
Q: Two tourist routes in this nation are the Golden and Diamond Circles, the latter of which leads to the powerful Dettifoss Waterfall. In an annual ceremony in this country, children release hundreds of puffins from the Westmann Islands. This nation's strict hygiene rules apply at its Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa. A 1967 volcanic eruption off the coast of this nation created the island of Surtsey. The Faroe Islands are located east of this island, whose inhabitants wrote the Poetic and Prose Edda. Flights across Europe were affected after the 2010 eruption of a volcano on this island. For 10 points, name this glacial island with capital Reykjavik.
A: Republic of Iceland
Q: An abundance of eels near a lake in this nation is said to have inspired its Bolac stone arrangements. This country contains depictions of the Dynamic Figure and slender spirits called the mimi at Ubirr, a rock art site usually only open to women. Alan Thorne led the effort on studies of this country's Mungo Man. Archeological sites in this nation contain songlines, which the natives believe help them "travel" during Dreamtime. A location sacred to the natives of this country has a distinctive red color and is called Uluru, or Ayers Rock. For 10 points, name this nation home to the Aborigines.
A: Australia
Q: This fruit is added to the sauce for Sole Veronique. Since Ancient Roman times, this fruit has been used to produce a syrup called Saba. Portuguese varieties of this fruit include Sercial and Verdelho, and cream of tartar is traditionally made from it. Though crab-apples are sometimes used, unripe versions of this fruit are most commonly used to make verjuice. An alcohol made from this fruit comes in (*) Oloroso and Amontillado varieties. Dolmades are Greek rolls made by stuffing the leaves of this fruit, and Argentina is known for growing its Malbec variety. Its Concord variety is used to make jelly. For 10 point, name this fruit whose varieties include Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon and which is grown in vineyards.
A: grapes
Q: Mud Island is located in this city. In a hotel in this city, ducks live in a palace on the roof and march down to a fountain in the lobby twice a day. The National Civil Rights Museum is at the Lorraine Motel in this city. An attraction in this city has a green gate with musical notes written on it. Sun Studio is located in this city, where WC Handy first got his start playing blues music. This seat of Shelby County is the largest city on the Mississippi River. The world's largest barbecue competition is located in this city each May. Popular tourist attractions in this city include the Peabody Hotel, Beale Street, and the estate of Elvis Presley, Graceland. For 10 points, name this largest city in Tennessee.
A: Memphis, Tennessee
Q: This state's high point, Britton Hill, is the lowest high point of any of the fifty states. This state and a state to its north share the Okefenokee Swamp, and Lake Okeechobee is in this state. This state's largest city of (*) Jacksonville lies 150 miles from the Georgia border, and this state has the largest population of Cubans in the US. For 10 points, what state contains cities like Orlando and Tallahassee?
A: Florida
Q: One peak in this mountain range is surrounded by Baxter State Park. One subrange of this mountain range, the White Mountains, contains a mountain famed for its excessive wind speeds; that mountain is Mount (*) Washington. Mount Mitchell is the highest mountain in this range, and this range's namesake trail runs from Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. For 10 points, what large mountain range runs through the eastern US?
A: Appalachian Mountains [accept Appalachians]
Q: This country's most populous city was founded by settlers rescued from the ship Elizia. Louis Tardy, a bishop active in what is now this country, controversially preached that "the Free French are not French in either their origin or their hearts." This country's deposits of manganese were exported using the COMILOG cableway system until this country was capable of financing a railroad to cross the Abanga swamps. High concentrations of ruthenium-99 and neodymium-143 around this country's (*) Oklo mine suggest that it was the site of a natural nuclear reactor where fission took place during the Precambrian. The Bateke people are a minority ethnic group of this country's southeastern savannahs, near the border with the ► Republic of the Congo. For 10 points, what country was once ruled by the Bateke strongman Omar Bongo?
A: Gabon (or Gabonese Republic)
Q: A 2015 reddit AMA by user samuirai documented the wartime experiences of their grandmother who had grown up in a village in this region. The Romans called this place the Marciana (*) Silva. This region's restaurants with three Michelin stars are Bareiss and Schwarzwaldstube, both of which are located in the town of Baiersbronn. The highest German mountain outside the ► Alps, the Feldberg, is in this place. This place is the origin and namesake of a dessert consisting of chocolate sponge cake layered with whipped cream and cherries. For 10 points, name this deeply wooded mountainous region in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wurttemberg.
A: the Black Forest (prompt on Germany or Baden-Wurttemberg)
Q: This park is the location of the Castle Mountain internment camp, which was used to confine Ukrainian immigrants during the First World War. The 2009 internet meme "Crasher Squrirrel" used an image of a ground squirrel taken at this park's Lake Minnewanka. The snail Physella johnsoni is endemic to the hot springs near the base of Sulphur Mountain, which were the first protected area in what is now this park. Deltaform Mountain and Mount Tuzo are two of the summits that surround this park's Valley of the Ten Peaks, which was once inhabited by the (*) Stoney people. This park is the southern terminus of the Icefields Parkway, which connects it with ► Jasper National Park to the north. For 10 points, Lake Louise is located in what national park in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta?
A: Banff National Park
Q: H.C. Lumbye conducted this site's orchestra in a building destroyed in 1944 bombing. This site's Nimb, a luxury, 14-room hotel, has a facade reminiscent of the Taj Mahal's. Pierrot [pee-air-OH] is "madly in love" and a "sorcerer" in a pair of plays currently being staged at this site's Pantomime Theatre. TV host Art Linkletter accompanied Walt (*) Disney on a 1951 trip to this site, where Disney reportedly took scrupulous notes on the concessions and rides. King Christian VIII ["the eighth'"] allegedly signed off on this site's construction after being told, "When the people are amused, they do not think about politics." This site's rides include Aquila and the Star Flyer, nods to native son Tycho Brahe [TIE-koh BRA-hey]. A 19th-century theme park is a central attraction of-for 10 points-what "gardens" in central Copenhagen?
A: Tivoli
Q: For almost two decades, Gary dos Santos served as this site's self-proclaimed "mayor," dictating where buskers could play. Landscape architect Bruce Kelly redesigned this site in 1984, incorporating a black-and-white, starburst mosaic gifted by the city of Naples, Italy. This teardrop-shaped site consists of two and a half acres of shrubbery, trees, and walking paths, preserving its initial purpose as a "peace (*) garden." This site was inspired by a 1967 song containing the repeated line, "Nothing is real, and nothing to get hung about." This site is accessible via an entrance on West 72nd Street, just across from the Dakota, the apartment building outside which its dedicatee was killed in 1980. For 10 points, name this Central Park memorial to Beatles legend John Lennon.
A: Strawberry Fields
Q: Bernie Whitebear founded the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in this city after helping stage a 1970 takeover of Fort Lawton, a former U.S. Army post in this city's Discovery (*) Park. A hearing of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights was held in this city in the wake of the 1974 Boldt Decision, which restored fishing rights to the Queets, Quinault and other indigenous peoples. In the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott, this city's namesake ► chief secured a reservation at Port Madison in exchange for some of the land comprising present-day Kitsap County. The ancestral homelands of the Suquamish and Duwamish encompass - for 10 points - what "Emerald City" of the Pacific Northwest?
A: Seattle, Washington
Q: Manshiyat Naser is a slum in this city, whose inhabitants may also reside in the City of the Dead. The law student and anti-British advocate Fahmy, who longs for Maryam, and the philosophical Kemal live in this city under the patriarch Sayyid Ahmad, who keeps an iron hold over his family and wife Amina in Palace (*) Walk. This city's Tahrir Square was the site of protests against Hosni [OS-NEE] Mubarak during the Arab Spring. Naguib Mahfouz wrote a trilogy set in, for 10 points, what capital of Egypt?
A: Cairo, Egypt (accept Kahire)
Q: The mineral that constitutes this rock has three polymorphs, of which vaterite is the least common. The Trona Pinnacles in California are made of a type of this rock that precipitated when saturated groundwater interacted with alkaline lake water. The Colosseum was built from a form of this rock known as travertine, while coquina is a type of this rock whose name refers to the (*) shells of marine creatures that constitute it. Precipitation of the minerals that make up this rock is driven by degassing of carbon dioxide, resulting in the formation of speleothems in many caves. For 10 points, name this type of rock that erodes to form karsts, metamorphoses into marble, and is primarily made of aragonite and calcite.
A: limestone
Q: One of these geographic features contains an endpoint near a town whose name literally translates as "burning water," Ai-Ais, and is most often viewed from Hobas. Another of these geographical features contains the archaeological site of Buffalo Eddy and is home to a town named Pittsburg Landing. A different example of this feature is traversed by the Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad and is home to the Tarahumara people, who were driven there from the more fertile land around it by the Spanish. One of the largest ones in the world is found in Namibia and named after the (*) Fish River. Kaibab National Forest is located near the most notable one in the U. S., which can be seen from the Lipan and Guano Points. For 10 points, name these features that include the Copper one in Mexico, the Hells one, carved by the Snake River, and the Grand one, carved by the Colorado River.
A: canyons [accept synonyms such as gorges; accept more specific answers]
Q: This city's Decatur Street contains Cafe du Monde, famous for its beignets ("BEN-yays").This city's St. Louis Cemeteries contain vaults rather than graves due to a high water table. Alligator soup is a traditional delicacy in this city centered on Jackson Square. The longest continuous (*) bridge over water in the world connects this city to Lake Pontchartrain. The world-famous Bourbon Street lies in this city's French Quarter. For 10 points, name this city famous for cajun food and Mardi Gras parties, the largest in Louisiana.
A: New Orleans
Q: Advertisements for "Alice's Adventures in the New Wonderland" were used to attract tourists to this park. "The Perfect Crime" explains how there is no legal jurisdiction within this park's "Zone of Death." This park's Morning Glory Pool is home to bacteria that turn the water (*) blue and yellow. In 1995, wolves were reintroduced to this park, the only place in the US where bison never went extinct. This National Park is located on the largest volcano in the US. For 10 points, name this park home to the geyser Old Faithful.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: The Teutonic Order donated the Nydegg church in this country's capital, also home to the Bear Pit, a bear-only zoo on the Aar River. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world's longest, connects this country to its southern neighbor. This country hosts the World Economic forum in Davos and the International (*) Olympic Committee in Lausanne. Romansh is one of the four official languages of this country, a confederation of cantons. For 10 points, name this European country with capital Bern, known for being neutral during wars.
A: Switzerland
Q: This is the only nation in the world to recognize the Republic of Northern Cyprus as a country. Historically, the terms Asia Minor and Anatolia referred to the region that is now this country. Ships entering the Black Sea pass through the Bosphorus at this country's largest city, which contains the Hagia Sophia and was previously called (*) Constantinople. For 10 points, what Eurasian country is home to Ankara and Istanbul?
A: Republic of Turkey [accept Turkiye Cumhuriyeti]
Q: It's not the Isle of Man, but the flag of this region is divided diagonally between yellow and red with a triskelion, a triple spiral, of legs, in the center. Noto, Ragusa, and Catania are cities on this island whose south is covered by the Hyblaean Mountains. The Aeolian islands are off the cost of this larger island, where the cannoli originated. It is separated from (*) Calabria by the Strait of Messina. Palermo is the capital of, and Mt. Etna is on, for 10 points, what island at the southern tip of Italy?
A: Sicily (or Sicilia)
Q: Route G318, this country's longest national highway, has its western terminus at a "Friendship Bridge" to Nepal. Millions of people were displaced by the construction of this country's Three Gorges Dam, which lies on its (*) Yangtze River. This country's capital contains the Forbidden City, formerly home to its imperial court. For 10 points, what country contains cities like Shanghai and Beijing?
A: People's Republic of China [accept Zhongguo; accept PRC; do not accept or prompt on "Taiwan", "Republic of China", or "ROC"]
Q: This mountain's Lemosho Route crosses its Shira Plateau and Barranco Wall, while its most popular route is the Machame [MACH-HAM]. Two peaks in this mountain are separated by the "Saddle Plateau" and one has a sub-peak called Neumann Tower. (*) Shira and Mawenzi are two of the three volcanic cones on this mountain, and the third, Kibo, was first summited by Hans Meyer at Uhuru Peak. This mountain is south of Mount Kenya in Tanzania. For 10 points, name this tallest mountain in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: McCarran International Airport serves this state's biggest city and nearby cities like Henderson. The "Extraterrestrial Highway" is in this state, and Groom Lake is located near a military base in this state. This state's border with Arizona is partially formed by Lake (*) Mead. This state and California share Lake Tahoe. Carson City and Reno are in, for 10 points, what state home to Area 51 and many casinos in Las Vegas?
A: Nevada
Q: This city's East Lake is the largest urban lake in its country. From 1937 to 1938, this city became a temporary national capital. The name of this city at the mouth of the Han combines those of its three predecessor cities, one of which named an uprising caused by a railroad protest in 1911. This capital of (*) Hubei Province contains its country's first Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, and its Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was shut down after Chinese New Year 2020. For 10 points, name this city of origin of the 2019 coronavirus pandemic.
A: Wuhan
Q: The Inga Falls Dam lies on this body of water, and its tributaries include the Sangha and Kasai rivers. This river's source is in the mountains of the East African Rift, and it creates the Livingstone and Boyoma Falls. This river creates the Malebo pool, and it crosses the equator twice. Flowing through the cities of Leopoldville and Stanleyville, this river is the longest westward-flowing river in the world. For 10 points, name this river running through Brazzaville that shares its name with two countries in Africa and is also known as the Zaire.
A: Congo River [accept Zaire River before read]
Q: It's not Loch Ness, this region is the home to a cryptid called the olgoi-khorkhoi, or the "large intestine worm." This region's western border contains Lop Nor and Lake Bosten. This region also contains the Nemegt ("neh-MECHT") basin, which has been the source of many fossil finds, and the Hexi ("HESH-ee") Corridor of the Northern Silk Road ran along its border. This region is bounded to the west by the Taklamakan desert, to the north by the Altai Mountains, and to the south by the Tibetan Plateau. With a name meaning "semi-desert," for 10 points, name this cold desert located in southern Mongolia and northern China.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: The MKAD and the Garden Ring are both ring roads circling this city. A Hilton Hotel and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building are skyscrapers among this city's "seven sisters." A church in this city is shaped like a flame, contains nine side churches around a main Church of Intercession, and is known for its brightly colored onion domes. (*) Gorky Park and the GUM department store are in this city home to St. Basil's Cathedral. Red Square and the Kremlin are in, for 10 points, what capital of Russia?
A: Moscow (or Moskva)
Q: An incident on this lake inspired Gordon Lightfoot to write the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Wolves live in an unstable relationship with moose on this lake's Isle Royale, and cities that lie on this lake include Marquette and (*) Duluth. The northern coast of Michigan's Upper Peninsula borders this lake. For 10 points, name this largest freshwater lake in the world and largest of the Great Lakes by area.
A: Lake Superior
Q: The ruins of the saltwater Sutro Baths are in the Lands End park in this city. Irving Morrow designed a bridge that connects this city to Marin County. During the 1967 "Summer of Love," one hundred thousand hippies converged on this city's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. (*) Nob Hill and Telegraph Hill are other neighborhoods in this city that was significantly damaged by a 1906 earthquake and fire. The "most crooked street in the world," Lombard street, is in, for 10 points, what city home to Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge?
A: San Francisco
Q: Chemotherapy drugs vinblastine and vincristine derive from this country's namesake periwinkle. The ravenala, or traveller's tree, is endemic to this country. The largest nocturnal primate is endemic to this country and is the aye-aye. This country's biodiversity comes from splitting from (*) India 90 million years ago. Endemic species form the Avenue of the Baobabs in, for 10 points, what African country, an island with capital Antananarivo, the only home of lemurs?
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: This river is the home of the McAlpine Locks and Dam, and the most populous island on this river is Wheeling Island. This river merges with the Kanawha River at Point Pleasant, and this river also merges with the Scioto at Portsmouth. The Licking River is a tributary of this larger river, and this river merges with its largest tributary, the Tennessee, at Paducah. This American river, which has its mouth at Cairo forms in Point State Park at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Pittsburgh. For 10 points, name this river whose namesake state has a capital at Columbus.
A: Ohio River
Q: One of these places in Cochin was labeled a 2018 UN Champion of the Earth for being fully solar powered. It's not a university, but Urs Fischer's giant Lamp-Bear is held in one of these places. It's not a causeway, but King Fahd names the largest of these places, located near Mecca. Chek Lap Kok is home to one of these places on (*) reclaimed land in Hong Kong. The Sundrome and Worldport were former parts of the JFK one of these places, and one current terminal there is the TWA Flight Center. For 10 points, name these places that manage air travel.
A: airports
Q: This country contains the beautiful Charyn Canyon, as well as the Tobol and Ishim tributaries of a river that begins in Dzungaria. A long lake in this country is half saltwater and half freshwater and is Lake Balkhash. This country dammed the northern lobe of a lake into which the Syr Darya flows after the lake's (*) size decreased by 90%. This country contains the northeastern parts of the Caspian Depression and Aral Sea. For 10 points, name this largest landlocked country, south of Russia, with capital Nursultan.
A: Republic of Kazakhstan
Q: Margarita Island is a popular tourist destination in this country where the Catatumbo River is home to a lightning storm for over 260 days of the year. Table-top mountains called tepuis can be found in this country's Canaima National Park, which is also home to the world's tallest (*) waterfall. The Llanos plain is drained by the Orinoco River in this country home to Angel Falls. Lake Maracaibo is the center of the oil industry in, for 10 points, what country once led by Hugo Chavez from Caracas?
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (or Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela)
Q: Dry Tortugas National Park lies in this body of water, into which rivers such as the Brazos and Atchafalaya drain. This body of water was the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Cities like (*) Mobile and Tampa lie on this body of water. New Orleans and Houston are on, for 10 points, what gulf, which receives the Mississippi River and borders states like Louisiana and Texas?
A: Gulf of Mexico [accept Golfo de Mexico]
Q: A rice dish and macaroni salad are included in this state's "plate lunch". The canned pork product Spam is extremely popular in this state, which also originated a raw fish dish called poke and a food derived from the taro plant called poi. This state's traditional food might be consumed at a (*) luau, which might be attended by hula dancers. For 10 points, name this state consisting of an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
A: Hawai'i
Q: Adrian Smith used a Y-shaped design for one of these structures located next to the Dubai Fountain. An early architect of these structures, Louis Sullivan, designed one of them named for Elias Wainwright. William Van Alen designed the Chrysler Building, one of these structures in (*) New York. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest of, for 10 points, what towering buildings often found in large cities?
A: skyscrapers [prompt on buildings or towers]
Q: A migration from present-day Indonesia in around AD 500 brought this country's native Malagasy people to it. The oldest primate in the world is a species native to this island with a distinctive black and white tail. Most of the world's baobab trees and (*) lemurs, and the capital city Antananarivo, can be found on, for 10 points, what island off the east coast of Africa, which names some DreamWorks films about zoo animals?
A: Republic of Madagascar [accept Repoblikan'i Madagasikara]
Q: This river's namesake dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris, was first described by Richard Owen based on a specimen found in Visakhapatnam. The Mu and Shweli are two notable tributaries of this river. This river may previously have discharged into the Gulf of Martaban through the current Sittaung river, but nowadays its lower course flows between the Rakhine and Pegu Yoma mountains. This river originates in the (*) Kachin State from the confluence of the N'mai and Mali Rivers, and it is the site of the controversial Myitsone Dam. The streams that eventually form this river originally come from mountains near the Tibetan border. A Rudyard Kipling poem popularized its nickname "The Road to Mandalay." For 10 points, name this major river of Myanmar.
A: Irrawaddy River
Q: The northernmost of this country's main islands is home to an ethnic minority called the Ainu. A city on that island, Sapporo, also hosted the marathon and race walk competitions during a recent sporting event in this country's (*) capital. This country's rail network uses high-speed Shinkansen bullet trains, and its capital is overlooked by Mt. Fuji. For 10 points, what country hosted the postponed 2020 Olympics?
A: Japan [accept Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku]
Q: A bridge connects this country's city of Dammam to the island nation of Bahrain. This country's southeast is dominated by the Rub' al-Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter, and it is by far the largest exporter of (*) oil in the world. The cities of Medina and Mecca, the holiest cities in Islam, are found in this country. For 10 points, what absolute monarchy in the Middle East is led from its capital of Riyadh?
A: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [or Al-Mamlakah al-ʿArabiyah as-Saʿudiyah]
Q: One city in this state is the largest city in the US by area. Utqiagvik (OOT-kee-AR-vik), once known as Barrow, is the northernmost town in this state, and this state's Kodiak Island is located close to its Kenai Peninsula. This state is the only one divided into boroughs, and it is home to the Iditarod Sled Race. The cities of (*) Nome, Sitka, and Anchorage are in, for 10 points, what largest US state by area, with capital Juneau?
A: State of Alaska [accept other answerlines like Alaxsxax, Alaasikaq, Anaaski, and Alaskaq]
Q: An arch-shaped rock formation is found in the city of Cabo San Lucas in this country. States of this country include Veracruz and Tabasco, and the Zapotec people were based in Oaxaca (wah-HAH-kah) in this country. This country shares the Yucatan peninsula with its southern neighbors, Belize and Guatemala, on which (*) Cancun lies. The Rio Grande forms much of the northern border of, for 10 points, what country located south of the US?
A: Mexico [or United Mexican States; accept Estados Unidos Mexicanos]
Q: The architect Alexander Baerwald designed this city's Reali [reh-AH-lee] School. Felix Tikotin [tee-ko-TEEN] got banned from the Japanese art museum he established in this city. William Sutherland Maxwell designed a structure in this city with an 18-windowed drum and dome on top of an octagon. The Dada artist Marcel Janco [YAHN-ko] founded a controversial artist's colony near this city. The very polluted Kishon [kee-SHOWN] River flows into city's namesake bay, which is its country's only natural harbor. This city's (*) Technion [TEKH-nee-on] is its country's oldest university, and has contributed to the development of the Matam business park in this city, part of its country's "Silicon Wadi." Located uphill from the German Colony in this city are The Universal House of Justice and the second holiest site in the Baha'i Faith. The Shrine of the Bab is located on Mount Carmel in-for 10 points-what city in northern Israel?
A: Haifa
Q: One city in this country is the site of a Friendship Bridge connecting that city with this country's neighbor's city of Giurgiu. That city is sometimes known as Little Vienna, and is called Ruse. Components of its only nuclear power plant at Kozloduy were required to be put out of commission upon this country's entry into the European Union in 2007. Another city in this country lies to the north of the (*) Vitosha massif and lies near the largest river entirely in this country, the Iskar River. That city contains the large Amphitheatre of Serdica. The Maritsa river flows past this country's second largest city at Plovdiv and empties into the Aegean Sea after acting as the border between Greece and Turkey. For 10 points, name this Balkan country on the Black Sea with capital at Sofia.
A: Bulgaria [accept Republic of Bulgaria]
Q: Excellent cherries are grown on this state's Door Peninsula, which was the site of a much deadlier fire the same day as Chicago's 1873 Great Fire. This state's paper industry developed around the Fox River. The Dells are found on this state's namesake river. The city of Spring Green in this state is where Taliesin was originally built by (*) Frank Lloyd Wright. This state's largest city is at the confluence of the Kinnickinnic and Menonmonee Rivers and is the home of Harley-Davidson. Its smaller cities include Eau Claire, Racine, and Green Bay. For 10 points, name this "Dairyland" of the US where you'd find Milwaukee.
A: Wisconsin
Q: Soukous music, a variant of the rumba, arose around this river. Boma is an inland port on this body of water. The Inga hydroelectric dams on this river were linked by HVDC by the US to mineral fields in Katanga in the 80s. The Malebo pool in this body of water separates two national capitals. The western lowland (*) gorilla lives in this river's basin. The Livingstone Falls prevent access to the Atlantic from this river. Lake Tanganyika drains through the Lukuga into this body of water. Its basin is the second-largest rainforest after the Amazon in the world. Kinshasa lies on this river. For 10 points, name this massive river of Central Africa.
A: Congo River
Q: In 2004, this man was imprisoned in Camp Bucca before being released in December of that year. According to a biography, this man is a member of the al-Bu Badri tribe and is a descendant of the Quraysh. This man started a conflict with Jabhat al-Nusra, which ended when he combined their forces with his own, in opposition to the wishes of Ayman al-Zawahiri. In his first public appearance, this man was mocked for preaching while wearing a Rolex. This man is said to have a PhD from the Islamic University of Baghdad, and in early November 2014, conflicting reports stated that he had been either injured or killed by an airstrike on the city of Qaim. For 10 points, name this self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State.
A: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Q: This author wrote a novel in which a fifteen-year-old boy becomes the captain of the Pilgrim after the entire crew is killed on a whale hunt. Another of his nautical novels is narrated by Jeorling, who is returning to America from the Kerguelen Islands aboard the Halbrane. That novel is a sort of sequel to Poe's Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. In a sequel to one of his own works, Cyrus (*) Smith and four other Americans are stranded on an island which turns out to be the hideout of a man whose real name is Prince Dakkar. This author of The Sphinx of the Ice Fields and The Mysterious Island also wrote a novel in which a message from Arne Saknussemm is discovered by Axel and Otto Lidenbrock, telling them to descend into an Icelandic glacier. For 10 points, name this pioneer of science fiction who wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth.
A: Jules Verne
Q: Old open-pit coal mines in this non-Dubai city are being filled in to build its third international airport, projected to be the largest in the world. Cyrus Hamlin and a namesake philanthropist founded Robert College in this city. It contains an area known for two columns with Medusa-head bases, neither of which are right side up; that area, the Basilica Cistern, contains water that flows from its Belgrad Forest. Burgazada and Buyukada are two of the nine Prince Islands in this city. The sarcophagus of Alexander the Great is found in this city's Archaeology Museums, which are located near Gulhane Park. This city's Seraglio Point is a promontory by its main natural harbor, the Golden Horn, and is the site of the Topkapi Palace. For 10 points, name this city on the Bosporus that straddles two continents and is the most populous city in Turkey.
A: Istanbul [prompt on "Byzantium" or "Constantinople"]
Q: In this nation, the proposed Lekki Port will begin operations in 2018. After the governor of this country's central bank suggested that nearly 50 million dollars were missing from oil revenues, its finance minister argued that only 10.8 million dollars were missing. The Eko Atlantic district is a planned region in this country's largest city which has been blamed for degrading the coastline. In this nation, oil pipelines and platforms have been attacked by rebel group MEND, which seeks economic liberation for its namesake region. This country's largest conglomerate is named after Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa. In 2014, 276 schoolgirls in this country were kidnapped by terrorist group Boko Haram. For 10 points, name this nation currently led by Goodluck Jonathan, the most populous country in Africa.
A: Nigeria
Q: In 1535, several Anabaptists ran naked through the streets of this city at night shouting at unrepentant citizens what they called the "naked truth." This city's police intervened in a game of eel stretching, causing the Eel Riots in its Jordaan [your-DAHN] neighborhood. It's not Bruges, but the world's first stock exchange was in this city, where the erection of the Liberty Tree celebrated the formation of the Batavian Republic. A resident of this city was arrested by Karl Silberman at Prinsengracht 263 before being deported to Bergen-Belsen after living in the Secret Annex with her sister Margot. For 10 points, name this Dutch city where Anne Frank hid from the Nazis.
A: Amsterdam
Q: A building in this city adorned with patches and stripes of various colors is the headquarters of the paint company Valspar. The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway is a linked set of parks in this city, which is home to the first basilica established in the United States. An island in this city is home to a giant sign for Grain Belt Beer and is located just north of its St. Anthony Falls. Cadwallader Washburn and Charles Pillsbury founded pioneering flour mills in this city, whose unusually strong Park Board owns most of Nicollet Island and co-owns a sculpture garden featuring a Claes Oldenburg statue of a cherry on a spoon. Its natural attractions include Lakes Calhoun and Harriet, as well as the Minnehaha Falls. For 10 points, name this city that forms the Twin Cities with its eastern neighbor St. Paul.
A: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Q: This country's Christmas lottery is annually the largest in the world, and had a prize pool of 2.4 billion euros in 2016. A scallop shell is the symbol for a pilgrimage route to a city in the Galicia region of this country, the Way of Saint James. In this country, participants celebrate a festival in Bunol, (*) La Tomatina, by throwing tomatoes at each other. The rice dish paella is from the Valencia region of this country, while its city of Pamplona is home to the Running of the Bulls. For 10 points, name this country with capital Madrid.
A: Kingdom of Spain (accept Espana)
Q: One militant leader in this region authored the book 12 Days Revolution about his time fighting as a separatist in this sub-national region. Nottingham Dick and Isaac Adaka Boro declared an independent state in this sub-national region in 1967, and militant groups currently active in this region include the Egbesu Boys. The Kaiama Declaration was issued by one people, the Ijaw to protest environmental degradation here; MOSOP is another militant group in this region, which was formerly headed by Ken Saro-Wiwa and fights on behalf of the Ogoni people of this region. Henry Okah, Godswill Tamono, and Jomo Gbomoo have all claimed to have founded MEND, whose use of kidnappings and explosions in oil fields and refineries has been intended to secure independence for this region, the importance of which prompted Umaru Yar'Adua to choose Goodluck Jonathan as his vice-president. For 10 points, name this region at the mouth of a namesake river, which has long been at conflict with governments in Lagos and Abuja.
A: Niger Delta [or Niger River Delta; accept "Bayelsa State" or "Rivers State", but prompt on "Delta State"; prompt on "Nigeria"]
Q: In the town of Mod-jad-jisk-loof, you can throw darts at the Sunland bar, which is inside one of these objects. A giant one of these things known as Kon-da-nam-wali, supposedly "ate" four maidens out of jealousy and can be found in Kafue National Park. A group of these objects, including thousand-year old ones named for Alfred Grandidier, can be found along a namesake "avenue" in the Menabe region. The now-extinct (*) elephant bird and fork-marked lemur disperse the seeds of these members of genus Adansonia on an island often called the 8th Continent of the World. Seven distinct species of these plants can be found on an island separated from Africa by the Strait of Mozambique. For 10 points, name these prehistoric trees found on Madagascar, known for their distinct swollen trunks.
A: baobab tree [prompt on trees]
Q: This city is currently home to Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen's restaurant, and to the pink-domed Le Negresco hotel. Greek exiles in this city built the Church of Saint Spyridon in the 1950s. A house in this city was rented out by the Rolling Stones to record Exile on Main Street. The Dukes of Savoy long occupied the Prefecture Palace in this city, and the Neanderthal sites of Cave of Le Lazaret and Terra Amata are located in the suburbs of this city, the latter on the slopes of Mount Boron. This city overlooks the Bay of Angels, which can be seen from its main beachfront road, the "Promenade des Anglais." This home of a namesake Occitan dialect is home to the busiest non-Parisian airport in France. For 10 points, name this capital of the Alpes Maritimes departement and center of the French Riviera.
A: Nice
Q: This country is the origin of a xylophone-like instrument called the mbila, while its capital was the birthplace of marrabenta music. The Makua people are the largest ethnic group in this country, which is the birthplace of Kester, the artist who created Throne of Weapons. In 2000 this country was devastated by flooding that was then exacerbated when Cyclone Eline made landfall near its city of Beira. The Cahora Bassa dam is located on this nation's largest river. Its capital was, until 1976, named for its discoverer, the Portuguese explorer Lourenco Marques. This nation's flag is the only one in the world to display an AK-47. It forms most of the eastern border of Swaziland and is where the Zambezi enters the Indian Ocean. For 10 points, name this country in southeastern Africa that is separated by a namesake channel from Madagascar.
A: Republic of Mozambique [or Republica de Mocambique]
Q: Description Acceptable. The earliest example of these events likely involved the settlement of the Luwian people around Cilicia. Scholars in the early 1900s classified people involved in the eastern-facing examples of these events as Tocharians. During these events, the Corded Ware culture likely emerged from the procession of a "horizon" named for the Yamnaya people. Colin Renfrew has articulated a competing theory about these events which links them to the demic diffusion of agriculture in the 8th millennium BC, which is called the (*) Anatolian hypothesis. A 2007 David Anthony book partly titled for "the horse" and "the wheel" revised Marija Gimbutas' widely-accepted theory of these events, which she said were traced by the spread of burial mounds known as Kurgans from the Pontic-Caspian steppe into Old Europe. For 10 points, name these supposed events through which the world's largest language family was disseminated.
A: Indo-European Migrations [accept answers describing the migration of people who spoke Proto-Indo-European; prompt on migrations or synonyms by asking, "of who?"]
Q: Michel Cadotte led a trading post on Madeline Island, one of this state's black bear-filled Apostle Islands. The most recent advance of the Laurentide ice sheet is a glaciation named for this state, the southwest area of which lacks significant till and outwash because it escaped that glaciation and is thus known as the "Driftless Area". The land in its Sauk County was exalted in a book which coined the term "land (*) ethic", Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac. A sandstone gorge on this state's namesake river lends its name to a nearby waterpark-filled tourist trap, its namesake "Dells". Its eastern Door Peninsula separates Lake Michigan from Green Bay. For 10 points, identify this Midwestern state whose major cities include Racine, Milwaukee, and Madison.
A: Wisconsin
Q: This geographic feature is the origin of the Sebou River, which is the largest in its region. The Draa Valley is found within the lesser version of this mountain range, and the Kabylia region, located within this range, is a major exporter of cork. Sub-ranges within this range include the High, Middle, and Tell ranges. These mountains were once the home to a now-extinct species of bear, the only kind found within its continent. Mountains in this range include (*) Tazaghart, Afella, and Ouanoukrim. Marrakesh, Fes, and Rabat are major cities in the west of this range, whose tallest mountain is Toubkal. For 10 points, name this mountain range of northwest Africa that shares its name with the mythological titan that holds the Earth.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: A townhouse on this neighborhood's Willow Street is home to the only church in the Western Hemisphere that conducts Danish-language services. William Jay Bolton created a complete canon of figural stained glass windows for this neighborhood's Saint Ann and the Holy Trinity Episcopal church. In 2017, this neighborhood's "Watchtower" sign was removed after the (*) Jehovah's Witnesses sold their international headquarters in it. This neighborhood began to develop after Hezekiah Beers Pierrepont bought a large amount of land in an area previously called Clover Hill. A number of buildings along this neighborhood's Furman Street were demolished to achieve Robert Moses's plan for a cantilevered promenade that runs over IS-278 in this neighborhood. The Nassau steam ferry originally operated between this neighborhood and Fulton Street. Cobble Hill and DUMBO both border-for 10 points-what affluent Brooklyn neighborhood that sits across the East River from Lower Manhattan?
A: Brooklyn Heights [or Brooklyn Village; prompt on Brooklyn before "Brooklyn" is read; accept the Heights after "Brooklyn" is read, but prompt on it beforehand]
Q: An epic hero from this country is a giant who hurls stones and loose lumber at foes and currently serves as the legless warden at the gates of hell. This country's literary masterpiece is a pentalogy about Indrek Paas, Truth and Justice, by A. H. Tammsaare. Its language is unusual in its group in that it has lost vowel harmony, and features distinctive long, short, and "overlong" phonemes. Its citizens formed the northern terminus of a massive human chain during the Singing Revolution in 1989. This country's islands of Hiiumaa and Saaremaa face its southern neighbor across the Gulf of Riga. This site of Tartu shares the Narva River and Lake Peipus with Russia. For 10 points, name this country located between the Gulf of Finland and Latvia, a Baltic state with capital at Tallinn.
A: Estonia [or the Republic of Estonia; or Eesti Vabariik]
Q: One culture that lived in this modern-day country were known as the Warriors of the Clouds, who built a walled-city named Kuelap. A common figure in the ancient mythology of this country was the mysterious "Staff God" who was depicted by multiple cultures. The oldest (*) city in the Americas was founded in this modern-day country in around 3500 BC. That city was Huaricanga. One culture that lived in this modern-day country drew large geoglyphs of animals like monkeys and hummingbirds that can only be seen from the air. That culture was the Nazca. For 10 points, name this country, whose city of Cuzco was also the capital of the Incan Empire.
A: Peru
Q: A popular tourist site in this nation consists of a walkway punctuated by a series of blowholes, an area called Pancake Rocks. This nation owns an island group called the Forty-Fours, part of the Chatham Archipelago. Viaduct Harbor is found at the shores of this nation's largest city, which is nicknamed the "City of Sails." Parts of this nation's state of (*) Otago form the southern part of the Canterbury Plains, which include Christchurch. This nation's highest point lies in the Southern Alps and shares its name with that of a strait that separates its two sections. Auckland is located in this country, where The Lord of the Rings was filmed. For 10 points, name this nation that consists of two large islands located east of Australia, with its capital at Wellington.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: Flooding in this region in late 2010 occurred along the Burnett and Fitzroy Rivers and destroyed parts of its city of Toowoomba. The majority of the Great Artesian Basin is located in this region, where the Glass House Mountains can be found in the urban area of the Sunshine Coast. This region's capital, containing Story Bridge, lies to the west of Moreton Bay and to the east of the Darling Downs. Off the coast of this region is an island once called the Great Sandy Island but now called Fraser Island. The northernmost parts of this region are comprised of Cape York Peninsula, to the west of which is the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the Great Barrier Reef is found off of its shores. Brisbane is the capital of this region, which lies north of New South Wales and east of the Northern Territory. For 10 points, name this Australian state named in honor of the monarch Victoria.
A: Queensland
Q: The 1970 Ndongmo Affair in this country saw the execution of three leaders of the illegal Communist-friendly UPC party and the exile of a Catholic bishop accused of aiding them. The 1994 Buea Declaration was issued by this country's English-speaking minority, calling for an end to francophone domination in this country, and that was followed by the Bamenda Proclamation, declaring for independence for this country's western region. Opposition political parties were legalized in this country following the success of the NCCOP's "Ghost Town Operation" of civil disobedience and the subsequent "Plan of Action", an economic blockade of this country's capital in 1991. Nevertheless, this country's ruling People's Democratic Movement party has yet to lose control of the legislature, and its current president has been in power since succeeding this country's first post-colonial leader, Ahmadou Ahidjo. For 10 points, identify this country, which is still ruled by Paul Biya from its capital at Yaounde.
A: Cameroon
Q: The Mesolithic settlement of Taxila is in this present-day nation. Lollywood films originate from this country. This nation's largest mosque is shaped like a tent, was named for Saudi Arabia's King Faisal, and is in this country's capital, which was built in 1960. Polio is still endemic to this nation, partly due to a widespread myth that the vaccine would cause (*) sterilization. This country's Federally Administrated Tribal Regions include Waziristan and are inhabited by the Pashtun. Urdu is spoken in this country. This is the only Muslim nation with nuclear weapons. For 10 points, name this country which disputes Kashmir with India.
A: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Q: Fred Pierce posits a form of apartheid based on the availability of this thing according to a book which argues that this thing is "The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century." A 2001 book by Tony Allan discusses a "virtual" form of this thing, which a country exports or imports to develop its underlying infrastructure. The politics of this thing in "the developing world" was highlighted in a book by Arun Elhance, who argued that conflicts over this thing is rapidly becoming a "core national security concern." The (*) "power projection" of states is limited by the presence of large amounts of this thing according to the book The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, which discusses the "stopping power" of it. William Mulholland diverted this resource from the Owens Valley to Los Angeles in a set of California wars named for it in the early 20th century. For 10 points, name this resource, the subject of hydropolitics.
A: water
Q: Fort Campbell straddles this state's northern neighbor and its own city of Clarksville. The Hunter Museum of American Art is located in one of this state's major cities. The busiest cargo airport in the United States is found in this state, in a city located at the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi Rivers. A landmark in this state includes several tombstones in its Meditation (*) Garden, and a "Jungle Room" that was used as a recording studio. Centennial Park, located in this state's capital, is home to a replica of the Parthenon, as well as the Grand Ole Opry House. For 10 points, name this home state of Elvis Presley whose largest cities are Memphis and Nashville.
A: Tennessee
Q: This province's capital was the site of a 1912 "cyclone," the deadliest tornado in Canadian history. The western red lily adorns the flag of this province, whose city of Preeceville is near the source of a river that flows east to another province's capital. This province, the source of the Assiniboine River, contains the eastern portion and majority of Lake (*) Athabasca. Sitting Bull settled his people in this province's Wood Mountain area following the Battle of Little Bighorn. This province, which is a quadrilateral, contains the cities of Prince Albert and Moose Jaw. For 10 points, name this Canadian prairie province whose capital is Regina and whose largest city is Saskatoon.
A: Saskatchewan
Q: Note: Description acceptable. Creation of this environmental situation has been ascribed to projects like the SEMRY rice-cultivation scheme, which included the creation of a nearly 17-mile long embankment at Maga from 1979-81, which disrupted the flow of the Logone. Exacerbation of this situation followed completion in 1974 of the Tiga and in 1992 of the Chalawla Gorge Dams, which has been tied to the rise of Boko Haram in media reports. A proposed solution for this disaster is TRANSQUA, including construction of a dam at Palambo and of an approximately 100-mile long canal between the Chari and Ubangi Rivers in the Central African Republic, for the purposes of providing additional recharge to reverse this ecological disaster, which has seen a 90% decrease in water-covered surface area in the affected location between 1963 and 2010 and increased desertification. in Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon. For 10 points, identify this disaster, the dramatic volume decrease of an endorheic lake in a namesake landlocked country with capital at N'Djamena.
A: Shrinking of Lake Chad [accept logical equivalents like "Drying Up of Lake Chad" or "Lake Chad Becoming Smaller"; prompt on "Desertification" until "desertification" is said]
Q: Cross-dressing men in this country are often referred to by the term kathoey [KAT-HOE-EY], or "ladyboy." This country's Isan region includes the Khorat Plateau, which is bounded by Phetchabun [PECH-AH-BOON] Range. Patong Beach is on this country's largest island, which lies in the Andaman Sea west of the Isthmus of Kra. (*) Phuket [POO-KET] is a resort area in this country separated from Laos by the Mekong River. Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya [AY-YOOT-HAY-AH] are cities in, for 10 points, what country ruled by Rama X [RAMA THE TENTH] from Bangkok?
A: Kingdom of Thailand
Q: One of the most popular folklore characters of this country is a one-legged mulatto youngster with holes in his palms who smokes a pipe and wears a magical red cap. Until Europeans exterminated them, one native people of this country believed that the pink dolphins of a certain river could shapeshift and mate with humans. The Belo Monte Dam is an under construction dam on the Xingu River in this country's state of (*) Para. Pico da Neblina is this country's highest peak, which is part of the Guiana Shield. The longest river entirely within this country, which was home to the Tupi ethnic group, is the Sao Francisco. Mount Roraima is also located on the triple border point of this country with Guyana and Venezuela, and this country notably doesn't touch either Chile or Ecuador. For 10 points, what is this large South American country that once had its capital at Rio de Janeiro?
A: Brazil
Q: In 2005, a man employed by this city, Darshan Singh, bragged that he doesn't cause men to "struggle like chickens" before killing them. An essay about this city imagines a version of Leave it to Beaver in which Beaver says "Gosh, dad, I'm really glad you took the time to explain the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts to us in such minutely comprehensive detail." That essay appears in a Wired article about this city written by science-fiction author William Gibson. Duos of policemen carry assault rifles as they regularly patrol this city's (*) Changi Airport. partly because this city imposes a mandatory death sentence on all drug trafficking. This city, in which is it is illegal to carry durian fruits, passed a law finding people $700 for chewing gum within it as part of Lee Kwan Yew's effort to maintain cleanliness in this city. For 10 points, name this city on the tip of the Malay Peninsula.
A: Singapore
Q: This mountain range was created by the subduction of the Nazca Plate. The southern part of this mountain range is found in Patagonia and, further south, Tierra del Fuego. The altiplano (all-tee-PLAH-noe), a plateau of this range, contains Lake Titicaca. This range contains the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, Mount Aconcagua. For 10 points, name this mountain range of South America.
A: Andes Mountains
Q: This modern state's panhandle was crossed by the Cimarron Cutoff, a branch of the Santa Fe Trail. A city in this state is called "Broken Arrow" because it was settled by Creek people, while part of this state was known as the "Indian Territory." White settlers who anticipated an 1889 decision to open its lands to homesteaders gave this state its nickname: the Sooner State. For 10 points, Tulsa is located in what state between Texas and Kansas?
A: Oklahoma
Q: Ghost towns in this desert include Kelso, formerly known as "the town without television," and the abandoned silver mining town Calico. The name of this desert is derived from the endonym of a native tribe which means "beside the water." The Tehachapi and San Gabriel Mountains bound the Western tip of this desert, comprising the Antelope Valley. A namesake river flows into this desert from the San Bernardino mountains to the south, and the Joshua Tree is endemic to this desert. For 10 points, name this driest desert of North America, lying in southern Nevada and California, in which Las Vegas and Death Valley are located.
A: Mojave Desert
Q: National parks in this state preserve the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, the Kenai Fjords, and Mount St. Elias. Its Bristol Bay is a center of the salmon-fishing industry. The highway that connects this state to the rest of the union crosses British Columbia and the Yukon before it reaches Fairbanks. For 10 points, name this 49th state, the only one that adjoins the Bering Sea and contains part of the Arctic Circle.
A: Alaska
Q: The last wild herd of bison in the United States was located in this park, where today they are hunted by grizzly bears and wolves reintroduced in the 1990s. This site that became America's first national park in 1872 is located north of the Grand Teton Range. Geothermal features like the Old Faithful geyser are found in, for 10 points, what national park of northwestern Wyoming?
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: One of these landforms "of Tehuantepec" (teh-WAHN-teh-pek) is found in the Mexican states of Oaxaca (wah-HAH-kah) and Veracruz. One "of Kra" connects the Malay Peninsula to the rest of Asia. The Suez Canal was built across one of these landforms separating the Red and Mediterranean Seas. For 10 points, name these narrow strips of land that connect larger land masses, another of which is the country of Panama.
A: isthmus [accept isthmi]
Q: This city contains many yalis, mansions built immediately adjacent to the sea. This city's main business districts are Maslak and Levent, which contains the Sapphire building. The original Orient Express ran from Paris to this city's Sirkeci train station. The conically-topped Galata Tower was built by Genoese merchants living in this city. The Sublime Porte was a gate into this city's Topkapi Palace, which is located next to its harbor, called the Golden Horn. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in this city spans the Bosphorus strait and connects its Asian and European components. For 10 points, name this largest city in Turkey.
A: Istanbul
Q: In this city, a clock with the times of 148 major cities around the globe is topped by a sculpture of an atom and is known as the Urania World Clock. A major boulevard in this city is named after a June 17, 1953, workers' uprising, and is continued by an avenue whose name translates as "Under the Lindens" after it passes through the Tiergarten. Checkpoint Charlie was a heavily-guarded crossing point between the American and Soviet occupation sectors in this city, whose Brandenburg Gate lay between its very-separated west and east portions. For 10 points, name this city that used to be divided by a wall during the Cold War, the capital of Germany.
A: Berlin
Q: A boundary dispute with Britain over this state's border was resolved in 1903 and involved determining the exact meaning of vague terms such as "the mountains parallel to the coast." The Gastineau Channel separates the capital city of this state from the mainland. The largest national forest in the United States, the Tongass National Forest, covers a sizable portion of this state, including its state capital. A series of islands and inlets that stretch along this state's southeastern panhandle is a popular cruise ship route called the Inside Passage. Popular tourist destinations in this state are the cities of Ketchikan and Sitka. For 10 points, name this state whose capital is Juneau, the largest state by area.
A: Alaska
Q: This city was named after the Pottawatomie (POT-ah-WAH-tah-mee) for either "smelly onion place" or "skunk." An early road in this city crossed the "Nine-Mile Swamp" and Des Plaines (day PLAINS) River. Its Statistical Metropolitan Area includes Kenosha and Gary. This seat of Cook County is on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. For 10 points, name this third largest city in the United States known as the "Windy City."
A: Chicago
Q: This city's Meigs Field Airport was destroyed in the middle of the night and was located on the man-made peninsula named Northerly Island, which also contains its Adler Planetarium. That peninsula is also home to the Shedd Aquarium which lies across a small inlet from this city's Navy Pier. This city is home to a building with a (*) "bundled tube" design that was the tallest in the world until 1998 and changed its name to Willis Tower in 2009. Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate is located in this city's Millenium Park. For 10 points, name this seat of Cook County, the largest city in Illinois
A: Chicago
Q: The northern part of this country is home to the Hyrcanian Forest, and the Kavir and Lut ["loot"] deserts lie in this country's west. This country's Arzhan ["ar-jan"] National Park was once the destination of a plan to re-introduce lions to this country, which is home to the only remaining Asiatic (*) cheetahs. Those cheetahs currently live on a plateau near this country's Zagros mountains. This country, home to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, is located on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz. For 10 points, name this Islamic Republic governed from Tehran.
A: Iran [or Islamic Republic of Iran; or Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran]
Q: One ethnic minority in this non-Oman country practices Ibadi Islam and speaks a branch of the Zenati language group known as Mozabite. In 1988, the October Riots in this country led to the fall of its one-party system. This nation contains a region that borders the mountains of the Grande Kabylie [pr. "kuh bah lee"] and contains an eastern terminus in its Soumman River known as the (*) Tell. Along with Tunisia and Morocco, the Atlas Mountains lie in this country. The largest country in Africa is, for 10 points, this nation with capital at Algiers.
A: Algeria
Q: This city is home to a mall called Neonopolis, which is located inside of a larger mall that contains a twelve story zipline. The Fremont Street Experience is located in this city, which is supplied by the the largest reservoir by capacity in the United States, courtesy of the Boulder Canyon Project. This city is served by (*) McCarran International Airport and is supplied water by Lake Mead, formed by the Hoover Dam. For 10 points, what city is the seat of Clark County and home to the Luxor, Mandalay Bay, and Caesars Palace Casinos along the Strip, the most populous city in Nevada?
A: Las Vegas
Q: In a subrange of this mountain range, Project Greek Island sought to build an emergency bunker at the Greenbrier Resort. The New River Gorge acts as a biocorridor through this range. Colorfully named subranges of this mountain range include the Blue Ridge and the Black Mountains, which contains Mount (*) Mitchell. Mount Katahdin lies at the northern end of a trail named for this range. Most of West Virginia lies in, for 10 points, what mountain range in the eastern United States, whose namesake trail runs from Georgia to Maine and contains the Great Smokies.
A: Appalachian Mountains [or the Appalachians]
Q: A businessman in this city required developers to build houses with stone facades around its Viau (vee-OH) biscuit factory, which produced a chocolate-coated marshmallow cookie called the Whippet. The Lachine Canal through this city was financed by Scottish-born businessman John Redpath, whose son endowed its Redpath Museum of Natural History. The Iroquoian village of Hochelaga was once located near the current location of the world's tallest inclined tower in this city's Olympic Park. Buckminster Fuller designed a Biosphere and Moshe Safdie designed a Habitat for this city's Expo 67. This city is the only one in its country to have hosted the Summer Olympics, which it did in 1976. St. Laurent (SAHN loh-RAHN) Boulevard divides the historically English- and French-speaking sides of this city, which lies on an island in the St. Lawrence River and was founded by Jacques Cartier. For 10 points, name this largest city in Quebec.
A: Montreal
Q: This state is home to an archipelago that contains the Islands of the Four Mountains and Unimak. The Gastineau Channel separates this state's capital from the mainland, and this state's "North Slope" is home to Prudhoe Bay. This state is home toBligh Reef, which lies near this state's city of (*) Valdez and was the site of a major oil spill. This state's largest city lies on the Cook Inlet and is near the Chugach mountains. That city is Anchorage. The Iditarod sled dog race takes place in, for 10 points, what largest US state by area, with capital at Juneau.
A: Alaska
Q: This region is home to Deception Valley, a part of a game reserve that covers 10% of one nation's area. This region is home to the world's largest non-glacial underground lake, which can be found in Dragon's Breath Cave. This region is crossed by the (*) Okavango River, which once fed the paleolake Lake Makgadikgadi ["mak-ad-eek-adi"]. This semi-arid desert contains an inland delta and is home to the Herero and the San bushmen. The Namib Desert borders, for 10 points, what desert of southern Africa that covers much of South Africa and Botswana?
A: Kalahari desert
Q: A mountain range in this state begins at Cape Yakataga, and includes Mount Marcus Baker. In this state's southeast, the Inside Passage begins. Ash flow from the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in this state created the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, which is in its Katmai National Preserve. Much of this state's land is part of the so-called Unorganized Borough. A bridge connecting Gravina Island in this state's Alexander Archipelago to its city of Ketchikan was never built, and became nicknamed "the bridge to nowhere." The golden king crab is native to this state's island of Kodiak. A historic dog race in this state ends at Nome after departing from Anchorage. For 10 points, name this state with capital Juneau.
A: Alaska
Q: This nation's cities include Pleiku in the Central Highlands and the port of Haiphong on the Gulf of Tonkin near the Red River delta. The Mekong River also has its delta in this country, south of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. For 10 points, what Southeast Asian nation was divided between "North" and "South" governments during a war that saw the commitment of U.S. troops in 1965?
A: Socialist Republic of Vietnam (or Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam)
Q: This city's airport is the third largest in the world by passenger traffic, and is the home to one of the world's largest buildings in its Terminal 3. A diamond trading hub has developed in this city and this city is notable for its Gold Souk [rhymes with book]. This city is home to several artificial islands including the Palm (*) Jumeirah and the island called the world's only seven-star hotel. The namesake mall of this city is the world's largest, and another mall in this city houses a ski slope. One skyscraper in this city was completed in 2009 and is the tallest in the world. For 10 points, name this city in the United Arab Emirates, home of the Burj Khalifa.
A: Dubai (accept Emirate of Dubai)
Q: The kangaroo-like rodent called the jerboa is found in this location. Traditional houses in this location are made from crude brick and are known as gers or yurts. Dinosaur eggs were first discovered at this location that contains the city of Dalanzadgad. The Dalan Qara (*) lies to the south of this region that contains the Alashan Plateau. This location is bounded to the north by the Altai Mountains and bordered by the Taklamakan Desert to the west. Bactrian camels can be found within this desert. For 10 points, identify this arid desert in Northern China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: Wildlife native to this island include its namesake striped rabbit, and other unique species can be found on the Mentawai islands to its west. In 2001, military units hired as security for ExxonMobil workers on this island's gas fields were accused of human rights abuses. A province on this island was granted control of the Leuser Ecosystem thanks to an agreement with a separatist movement called GAM. This is the smaller of the two islands to which the largest (*) flower on earth, Rafflesia arnoldii, is endemic. This island's Barisan Mountains include the supervolcano Toba. This island contains the province of Aceh ("ah-chay"), which was hit hard by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It is separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca, and is the sixth largest island in the world. For 10 points, name this Indonesian island.
A: Sumatra (or Sumatera)
Q: In 2012 an unknown disk-shaped object was found on the floor of this sea. Arms of this sea include the Gulf of Riga and Gulf of Bothnia. The Kiel (KEEL) Canal bypasses Kattegat (KAH-teh-gaht) Bay and Skagerrak (SKAH-geh-rahk) Strait to connect this sea to the North Sea. Germany and Poland are on its southern shore. For 10 points, name this sea bordered by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, its namesake "States," as well as Finland and Sweden.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: In 2010, this country drew international attention by passing an environmentalist act called the Law of the Rights of Mother Earth. An unpaved, winding road through this country's Yungas region is infamous for being "the most dangerous road in the world." A mountain overshadowing this country's city of Potosi provided much of the silver ore that enriched Spain during the colonial era. The capital city of this country is the highest in the world because it lies on the Altiplano, most of which is located in this country. This country shares Lake Titicaca with its northwestern neighbor Peru. For 10 points, name this landlocked country in South America, with two capitals: Sucre and La Paz.
A: Bolivia
Q: Two of the US's primary sources of this good are located beneath Detroit and Cleveland. Kanawha, West Virginia was founded where wild animals congregated around a large source of this good. It's not dirt, but Cobalt-60 nuclear weapons are nicknamed for this good. The founder of Arbor Day was the heir to a company that produced this good. Tabasco sauce originated at a center for producing this substance at Avery Island, Louisiana. The sculpture "Spiral Jetty" was built on one lake named for this substance. Several land speed records were set at a location named for this substance in Bonneville, Utah. For 10 points, name this good produced by Morton that is the namesake of a lake that lends its name to the capital of Utah.
A: salt
Q: Two answers required. A citizen of one of these countries was executed in the other for allegedly destroying the freighter Le Coubre. An official in one of these countries took the codename AM/LASH to help the other in an assassination plot. One of these countries planned to blame a terror campaign on the other in the crazy false-flag Operation Northwood, which was part of a larger series of plans called Operation Mongoose. Insurgents in one of these countries were aided by the other during the War against the (*) Bandits; that country also planned to kill the other's leader with a poisoned wetsuit, among other things. One conflict between them involved the Operation Puma airstrike and a landing at Point Zulu. In that incident, one of these countries had Grayston Lynch lead Brigade 2506 in an ill-fated invasion of the other. For 10 points, name these countries, one of which sponsored the Bay of Pigs invasion of the other.
A: Republic of Cuba and the United States of America (in either order)
Q: This company was the defendant in the court case that established that a company's board of directors must prioritize shareholder value. This company won a key patent lawsuit against George Selden, and it tried to set up a planned town near Santarem as part of its plans to acquire rubber production resources in Brazil. After serving in a group of military men under Charles Thornton who ran this company as the Whiz Kids, Robert McNamara served as president of this country. The Battle of the Overpass was fought between this company and its unionized employees, and its founder wrote The International Jew and published The Dearborn Independent. Its founder quipped that people could have one of its products in any color they wished, so long as it was black. For 10 points, name this auto manufacturer that pioneered the assembly line in producing the Model T.
A: Ford Motor Company
Q: Four people were killed in this city's St. John's Regional Medical Center, which is now closed and scheduled for demolition. The Red Cross estimated 25% of this town was destroyed that same day, including about 7,000 houses. For 10 points, identify this Missouri city devastated by a tornado rated as an EF-5, the highest on the Enhanced Fujita scale, in May 2011.
A: Joplin Tornado Outbreak [prompt on tornado until mentioned]
Q: Fauna unique to this region include the llama-like guanaco, the ostrich-like Darwin's rhea, and a rodent called the tuco-tuco. The Conquest of the Desert pacified native tribes of this region during the 1870s. Antonio Pigafetta wrote in his log that this region was inhabited by a race of namesake giant people ten feet tall. This native region of the Tehuelche and Yaghan peoples is also the site of Torres del Paine National Park and the cities of Rawson and Ushuaia. The Strait of Magellan offers a shortcut through this region, bypassing its southernmost tip, Cape Horn. For 10 points, name this famously cold and windy region of southern Argentina.
A: Patagonia [prompt on Tierra del Fuego; prompt on Argentina]
Q: In April 2011 this country announced it was "for rent," eight years after its Head of State, Hans Adam II, joked about selling it to Bill Gates and renaming it Microsoft. This nation and Uzbekistan are the only double-landlocked countries in the world, and it is the wealthiest per capita German-speaking country. For 10 points, name this principality between Switzerland and Austria with capital Vaduz (vah-DOOZ).
A: Principality of Liechtenstein [or Fuerstentum Liechtenstein]
Q: A proposal to build a highway across this island originally included several sections to be built on causeways off its coast due to the complex nature of property rights on this island. That road is projected to pass around the land of the Baduy, this island's last uncontacted people, and through a city on this island nicknamed "Solo". The sacred volcano of Mt. Bromo is located in this island's Tengger Mountain chain, the home of much of its Hindu community. This island's port of Surabaya contains a bridge to the smaller island of Madura. The city of Yogyakarta is one of two on this island that makes up its own province. Buddhists on this island worship at the massive shrine of Borobudur. For 10 points, name this most populous island in Indonesia, the home of its capital of Jakarta.
A: Java [accept Jawa]
Q: The construction of an aquarium in one of these places in Miami was controversial due to the adverse effect of prolonged noise exposure on fish reproduction. Before relocating, one of these places was named for Charles Comiskey. The owners of one of these places sued the owners of several "rooftops" on Addison Avenue for copyright infringement before officially partnering with some of them. A two-pound chicken tender is only available at one of these places. A building of this type that served as a model for most others constructed since the 1990s was built at Baltimore's Camden Yards. The first domed building of this type was built in Houston in 1965 and is the namesake of a type of artificial grass frequently used in these places. For 10 points, name these places that include Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and the Astrodome.
A: baseball stadiums [accept ballparks]
Q: This state is home to the second-most densely concentrated surname in the US, Locklear, which comes from the Lumbee people in Robeson County. Two of the three oldest rivers in the United States have their headwaters in this state; those are the French Broad and New Rivers. This state was home to the "I-85 District," a congressional district that ran along its namesake highway to include heavily African-American parts of this state's cities. The highest point east of the Mississippi, Mount Mitchell, is located in Pisgah National Forest outside this state's city of Asheville. For 10 points, name this state whose "research triangle" includes its cities of Chapel Hill and Raleigh.
A: North Carolina
Q: Christine Stark wrote an expose about sex trafficking on this body of water, in which Native women were forced to live on commercial boats. A mythological being called the Great Lynx was said to live on one island in it. The Apostle Islands are found in this body of water. The Greenstone Ridge Trail is found on one island in this body of water that was the site of a study of predator-prey dynamics between its populations of moose and wolves. This home of Isle Royale is drained by the St. Marys River, and the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve was established to preserve the numerous shipwrecks it contains, including that of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The cities of Thunder Bay, Marquette, and Duluth are located on its shores. For 10 points, name this largest of the Great Lakes.
A: Lake Superior
Q: The Sorbonne is the university of this city, which is divided into twenty arrondissements. This city is the site of a monument built to commemorate victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, the Arc de Triomphe. Notre Dame cathedral is located in this city on the Seine River, where tourists may also visit the Eiffel Tower. For 10 points, name this capital of France.
A: Paris
Q: This country's Beni River flows through its Bala Gorge. This country has a large iron ore deposit called El Mutun. A river in this country is named after Spain's Guadalquivir River, and flows past the city of Tarija. Its World Heritage Sites include the pre-Columbian site of Tiwanaku and the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos. This country is home to the extremely dangerous Yungas Road. Its largest city is Santa Cruz, though the cities of Oruro and Cochabamba may be more well known. This country's region of the Altiplano contains Lake Poopo, which receives water from the Desaguadero River flowing from the lake it shares with Peru, Lake Titicaca. For 10 points, name this South American country with two capitals, Sucre and La Paz.
A: Plurinational State of Bolivia
Q: The first mosque in this country was built at Marree by a group of laborers known as the "Afghan cameleers." The Nan Tien Buddhist temple was built near this country's Mount Kembla. It's not France, but its first native saint founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart and is known as "Saint Mary of the Cross." Ceremonial musical instruments from this country include the (*) bullroarer. Some people from this country believe in "songlines," invisible paths across the landscape which mark the routes taken by totemic creator figures such as Barnumbirr, Baiame, and the Rainbow Serpent, who were active during the sacred "Dreamtime." For 10 points, name this country in which Ayers Rock, or Uluru, is considered sacred by its aboriginal population.
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: This city's stock exchange building was converted in 1965 into the Centaur Theater. The largest island in the Hochelaga Archipelago shares its name with this city, which is the world's largest inland port. This city contains a green-domed basilica called Saint Joseph's Oratory. An unpopular stadium here includes the world's tallest inclined tower, but is only really used for the (*) Alouettes after the departure of this city's baseball team. This city, which hosts the Just for Laughs festival, is the headquarters for Cirque du Soleil. This host city of the 1976 Olympics lies at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers and has a large bilingual population. For 10 points, name this Francophone Canadian city, the largest in Quebec.
A: Montreal [accept an unlikely buzz of Hochelaga until mentioned]
Q: Operation Nemesis was organized by Shahan Natalie and the Dashnak Party in retaliation for this action, which inspired Raphael Lemkin to introduce a new field of study. Facilitated by the Tehcir Law and a few selective arrests on April 24 known as "Red Sunday," this action was opposed by the Sassoun, Zeitun, and Van resistance movements. This action was preceded by the failed siege of (*) Sarikamish, which a leader of the CUP blamed on turncoats siding with Russian forces. Hrant Dink was prosecuted under the infamous Article 301 for "insulting Turkishness" by acknowledging this action. Enver Pasha was the architect of, for 10 points, what campaign of mass killing during World War I perpetrated by the Ottomans on a certain Caucasus ethnic group?
A: Armenian Genocide [accept equivalents; accept the Great Crime or Medz Yeghern]
Q: The world's largest natural river bifurcation is located in this nation, where the Casiquiare River acts as a natural canal between two larger streams. This nation finances a music education program for youth called El Sistema. The largest city along this nation's namesake gulf is the birthplace of gaita music. This nation's border dispute with a smaller neighbor involves a claim to all land west of the Essequibo River. The Rafael (*) Urdaneta Bridge connects Maracaibo to the rest of this country. This nation derives much of its income from its vast oil reserves, some of which are found in the Orinoco River delta. For 10 points, name this nation with its capital at Caracas.
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Q: On the Doubtful Sound in the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand, one of these objects shares its name with a tarn named after Browne. In Hawaii, one of these physical objects is at the end of the Pipiwai Trail and is known as Waimoku. Though not an island, the name of one these objects originally described an island in Whitefish Bay. (*) One of these geographical feature is associated with Auyan-tepui and is in Canaima National Park in Venezuela. For 10 points, identify these geographic objects, examples of which include Michigan's Tahquamenon, the tallest one known, Angel, and Niagara.
A: Waterfalls (prompt on "falls")
Q: The "bongo flava" genre of hip-hop uses this language in its lyrics. One country attempted to adopt this language as official in 2019 to reduce conflict between the Dinka and Nuer. Siddi was a dialect of this language spoken in Gujarat. The slum of Kibera is a center of the Sheng language, which is heavily influenced by this language and English. A dialect of this language known by the prefix "Wa" is more complex than other forms. Prominent dialects of this language include ones named for the islands of Lamu and Unguja. The cities of Pate, Kilwa, and Mombasa were centers of trade on a "coast" named for this language. Ron Karenga adapted terms from this language for his new holiday of Kwanzaa. For 10 points, name this lingua franca of East Africa and official language of Tanzania.
A: Swahili [accept Kiswahili, Waswahili]
Q: The world's longest railway platform is found in this country. In this country, numerous z-reverses and the Agony Point loop are used to help flatten the effective gradient of the line taken by the steam-powered "Toy Train" up to Ghoom Station. Frederick William Stevens designed an ornate Gothic Revival railway station in this country that was formerly called Victoria Terminus. The ongoing Diamond Quadrilateral high-speed rail project in this country parallels the Golden Quadrilateral that connects four of its major cities. A circular suburban railway line in this country has stations that serve the old Dum Dum Arsenal as well as the Eden Gardens cricket stadium. This country's DHR railway passes by the southern face of the world's third-tallest mountain, Kanchenjunga. For 10 points, name this country where you could take an extremely crowded train from Delhi to Mumbai.
A: India [or Republic of India; or Bharat Ganarajya]
Q: Men going to fight in World War I left objects named for these things hanging in McSorley's Old Ale House. Offerings for guardian deities like Coventina may have originated a practice for acquiring these things. In a Charles Perrault ("pair-OH") story, a black pudding craving causes a couple to use these things ridiculously. In Jain cosmology, kalpavrikshas are trees that provide these things. Visitors tie these things to trees in a Yoko Ono project named for them, and the senbazuru is another method for obtaining them. In a Thanksgiving game, two people pull simultaneously to break an object named for these things. Sadako Sasaki began folding one thousand cranes to receive one of these things. For 10 points, children blow on dandelions to make what magical demands?
A: wishes [or equivalents like hopes or desires; accept wishbones or wishing wells or Wish Tree or "Les Souhaits ridicules"; prompt on bones or wells by asking "what kind?"; prompt on furcula by asking "what is its common name?"; prompt on tags or paper by asking "what do they represent?"] (Wishbones still hanging in McSorley's represent the men who never came back from World War I; the Perrault story is "Les Souhaits ridicules"; the Yoko Ono installation is Wish Tree.)
Q: This region is home to the Hindu holy site of Lake Man-a-sar-o-var, which is fed by a river originating from this region's Mount Kailash. This region is home to the world's deepest canyon, which is carved out by the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The Kunlun Mountains border this region to the north, and the southwest of this region is the origin of the (*) Indus river. This region's capital is home to the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple. For 10 points, name this "autonomous region" of China, the home of a namesake form of Buddhism and formerly ruled from Lhasa ["lah-sah"] by the Dalai Llama.
A: Tibet [or Tibetan Plateau; or Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; or Qing-Zang Plateau; prompt on "People's Republic of China;" prompt on Himalayan Mountains or Himlayas]
Q: A suburb of a city with this name included an iron mine that lent its name to the daiquiri. A city with this name is nicknamed for a group of thirty knights from nearby La Isabela, and is the economic center of the Cibao Valley. Another city with this name is home to Latin America's tallest building, the Gran Torre, as well as a stadium named after the executed folk singer Victor Jara ("BEEK-tor HA-rah"). Fruit bats that lived in a distillery in a city with this name inspired the logo of Bacardi, which was founded there. A city with this name is home to the presidential palace of La Moneda, which was bombed during a September 11, 1973, coup. The second most populous cities in both the Dominican Republic and Cuba share this name with a capital city located 75 miles inland from Valparaiso ("vahl-pah-rah-EE-so"). For 10 points, give the saintly name of the capital of Chile.
A: Santiago [accept Santiago de los Caballeros or Santiago de Cuba or Santiago de Chile]
Q: A study by Barry Ife (eye-f) suggests that one literary character from this country had vision problems due to Vitamin A deficiency, since his diet was very heavy in a bean stew from this country called olla (oya). Grains are roasted before milling in a flour called gofio that originates from a territory of this country. Potatoes and onions are mixed with eggs and fried in this country's namesake omelette. A soup from this country is made from blended tomatoes and cucumbers and traditionally served cold, and a seafood stew from this country derives its yellow color from the inclusion of saffron. Sheep's milk is used to make this country's Manchego cheese. Gazpacho and paella originate from, for 10 points, whatcountry where tapas originated in the region of Andalusia?
A: Kingdom of Spain [accept Reino de Espana]
Q: This river was known in ancient times as the "Black" River due to the black silt it deposited during floods. Lake Tana is one source of this river; John Speke discovered that the other was Lake Victoria. It forms from the confluence of namesake Blue and White Rivers near Khartoum. For 10 points, Aswan High Dam is on what longest river in the world?
A: Nile River
Q: Carleton Watkins published a book of "Photographic Views" from this location in 1863. James Hutchings ran a lodge in this location to help increase its domestic popularity. The Tuolumne Meadows in this place were protected from sheep grazing after it was made a national park. Landmarks in this park include the (*) Wawona Tree. A tepee is visible in the background of Thomas Hill's depiction of this location's Bridal Veil Falls. This national park's highest point is Mount Lyell and its Mariposa Grove contains many giant sequoias. A red filter was used to capture a white peak in this park in "Monolith" by Ansel Adams. For 10 points, name this California national park, home to the El Capitan and the Half Dome.
A: Yosemite National Park [accept Yosemite Valley or Yosemite Falls before "Tuolumne Meadows"]
Q: The first bridge to span this river was constructed in 1934 near the town of Ava. In 2011, construction was suspended on a project that plans to build the Myitsone Dam on this river. A blunt, rounded head is characteristic of the dolphin native to, and named for, this river. The Chindwin and the Mu are two important tributaries of this river, which is the longest and most commercially vital river in a country that also contains the mouth of the Salween. The banks of this river are home to the city of (*) Pagan. This river takes from a Rudyard Kipling poem its nickname of "The Road to Mandalay." The delta of this river is on the Andaman Sea just west of Yangon, the former Rangoon. For 10 points, name this principle river of the country alternately known as Myanmar or Burma.
A: Irrawaddy River [or Ayeyarwady River]
Q: The Cahul region is a major wine-growing area in this country, which also produces the "Queen of England's wine", Negru de Purcari. This modern-day nation's second-most-populous city was founded by Russian general Alexander Suvarov. Forests that grow in this nation's hilly areas are known as "Codri". This nation's "northern capital" lies on the Raut River. The cities of Bender and Balti are controlled by this nation, which is currently run by president (*) Nicolae Timofti. The Dniester and Prut rivers bound most of this nation, the southernmost point of which contains the city of Giurgiulesti. Its second-most-populous city is Tiraspol, and it considers the breakaway republic of Transnistria to be a part of its territory. For 10 points, name this landlocked nation that has its capital at Chisinau.
A: Republic of Moldova [or Republica Moldova]
Q: This island's north is home to the Tsimihety people, who are centered around the city of Mandritsara. Lake Alaotra is the center of rice production on this island, which is the westernmost extent of the Austronesian expansion. This country was home to the Merina dynasty, which names this island's largest (*) ethnic group. Native wildlife of this island include the catlike fossa ["foo-sah"] and a primate with an extremely long finger, the aye-aye ["eye-eye"] lemur. For 10 points, name this African island country with capital at Antananarivo.
A: Madagascar [or Republic of Madagascar]
Q: This island is home to the city of Mayaguez, which lies on the eastern shore of the Mona passage. SETI ["set-ee"] used the radio telescope at its Arecibo Observatory. Taino petroglyphs on this island can be found in the habitat of the coqui tree frog, the El (*) Yunque ["yoon-kay"] tropical rainforest. The fort of San Felipe del Morro is located in its capital city, and other cities on this island include Bayamon and Ponce. San Juan is the capital of, for 10 points, what U.S. Caribbean island territory, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria?
A: (Commonwealth of) Puerto Rico
Q: Each February, this city hosts a winter festival whose mascot is a snowman with arrows and a multi-colored sash named Bonhomme Carnaval. This city is home to one of its country's five sacred shrines, whose entrance is lined with seven 6-foot Joseph-Emile Brunet sculptures. In addition to the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, this city contains the Terrasse Dufferin, which overlooks this city's Lower Town. This city's skyline is dominated by a "grand railway hotel" known as the (*) Chateau Frontenac. This city's "Breakneck Stairs" are located in the shopping district of Petit Champlain. The Cap-Diamant in this city is home to the only fortified city walls in the Western Hemisphere north of Mexico. This city was home to a set of uniquely snowproof Martello towers on the Plains of Abraham. For 10 points, name this capital of a French-speaking Canadian Province.
A: Quebec City
Q: At the western end of this street is an Empire-Style building whose spire is topped by a golden weather-vane shaped like a warship. A wax museum and a small zoo described in the short story "The Crocodile" were later added to a luxury department store on this street, known as The Passage. At the intersection of this street and a canal is an Art Nouveau structure called the Singer House or the House of the Book, where the social media service VK is headquartered. A set of four large equestrian statues known as The Horse (*) Tamers mark the corners of the Anichkov Bridge, where this street crosses the Fontanka River. In the 1750s, Bartolomeo Rastrelli built a Baroque palace on this street for the Stroganov family. Nikolai Gogol wrote a story about the bustling life of, for 10 points, what main thoroughfare in St. Petersburg, which is named for a 13th century Prince of Novgorod?
A: Nevsky Prospekt [or Nevsky Avenue; the leadin refers to the Admiralty Building]
Q: Around 1900, E. S. Goff planted many of these trees around Sturgeon Bay in Wisconsin's Door County. Tsoureki ("tsoo-REK-ee") bread is flavored with mahleb from a species of these trees that was largely superseded by the Mazzard rootstock in the Pacific Northwest, where these trees are cultivated by the Chukar brand. A Pennsylvania Dark Sky Park is named for these trees, which, like pines, name a popular gay resort on Fire Island. Macon ("MAY-kin"), Georgia, and Traverse City ("TRAV-erse city"), Michigan, host annual festivals celebrating these trees, which are used to produce Kirsch brandy. Hanami parties in Ueno ("oo-eh-noh") Park view these trees, which were gifted to the U.S. in 1912 by Yukio Ozaki and planted by the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. For 10 points, name these trees whose pink blossoms brighten the spring in Washington, D.C.
A: cherry trees [accept cherry blossoms or cherry fruit; accept specific cherries such as tart or dwarf or Montmorency or wild black or chokecherry; accept sakura; accept Cherry Springs State Park or Cherry Grove or National Cherry Blossom Festival; prompt on Prunus by asking "what type of fruit does this tree produce?"]
Q: One of these objects was originally painted red and white before its journey aboard H.M.S. Topaze and features a series of vulvar symbols known as komari. Red pupils were found for some of these objects and were made of scoria, the material also used to create the pukao topknots. The relationship of these objects to the Birdman cult is unclear and these objects were positioned on ahu platforms. In 1958, Henry Moore was interviewed beside one of these objects in the British Museum praising the fact that its creator 'knew instinctively that a sculpture designed for the open air had to be big'. For 10 points, the partial submersion of many of what sculptures at Ranu Raraku has led to people forgetting they have torsos.
A: Moai (accept Easter Island heads, accept Easter Island statues; accept Rapa Nui statues)
Q: Pioneering botanist Eugenius Warming studied the xeric vegetation at this country's Lagoa Santa area as part of the first floristic description of a savanna-like biome unique to this country. In this country, a narrow transitional region called the agreste separates the coastal zona de mata from much drier inland regions. The wood traditionally used for violin bows comes from this country, and carnauba wax comes from a species of endemic palm tree that is a symbol of this country's Ceara state. Major ecoregions of this country include the cerrado and the thorny caatinga scrublands, which form part of its backlands, or sertao. The cities of Salvador and Recife are the largest in the states of Bahia and Pernambuco found in this country's Northeast. For 10 points, name this country that contains most of the Amazon rainforest.
A: Brazil
Q: This resource provides the common nickname for an ankle-length cotton dress known as a habesha kemis. This resource appears in the name of a football club that regularly plays its crosstown rival Saint George S.C. in one country's Premier League. A blessing called a baraka is conferred to participants after the third round of a ceremony centering on this resource, which uses a clay object with a long neck known as a jebena. This resource is sold by Kaldi's, a national chain named after a 9th century (*) goatherd who apocryphally discovered this resource and brought it to a Sufi monastery. A national government's attempt to trademark the names Sidamo, Harar, and Yirgacheffe, which refer to regions where this resource is produced, was impeded in the mid-2000s by a Seattle-based corporation. For 10 points, a plant first grown in the Ethiopian Highlands is the source of what caffeinated beverage?
A: coffee [or coffee dress; or Ethiopian Coffee F.C.; or coffee ceremony; or Coffee Arabica]
Q: An island that is part of this state contains the Montauk Lighthouse on its East End and contains the city of Sag Harbor. Eleven lakes in this American state are known for their wine-particularly for Rieslings. Watkins Glen State Park (*) is also near those lakes. A massif in this state has its highest point at Mount Marcy. This state, the home of the Adirondack Mountains, also contains the Finger Lakes and the Eerie Canal flows primarily through this state's city of Rochester. For 10 points, identify this Northeastern state whose capital is Albany.
A: New York
Q: A one-time mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, this man built the fanciful mansion "Iranistan" in the city. He was a prime benefactor of Tufts University, which honored him with its choice of mascot. In one of the buildings he operated, this man hung the sign "This Way to the Egress," which simply led people to the exit. He paid a $1,000 a night to the "Swedish Nightingale," singer Jenny Lind, to tour across America. After purchasing Scudder's American (*) Museum, this man purchased a creature with the head of a monkey and the tail of a fish. Besides showing off "General Tom Thumb" and the "Feejee mermaid," he is credited with introducing the phrase "There's a sucker born every minute." For 10 points, name this famous hoaxer and circus showman.
A: Phineas Taylor Barnum
Q: People in this country often clean their teeth with a short stick of wood called a mefakia, which serves as a natural toothbrush. A very spicy beef tartare in this country is known as kitfo. A popular honey-based mead called tej is popular in this country. In this country's cuisine, meat is often seasoned with a spice blend called berbere and served upon a plate of injera bread made from the iron-rich teff grain. According to legend, a herder named Kaldi discovered coffee beans in this country. Many components of this country's cuisine date back to its Axumite days. For 10 points, name this landlocked East African country whose capital is Addis Ababa.
A: Ethiopia
Q: A Uni leads a group of the Catholic Chachi people in this country. This country's coat of arms, which appears on its flag, contains a river in front of a large mountain. This country owns the volcano-produced Island of Isabela and is the only country in the world where penguins can be in their natural habitat in the (*) Northern Hemisphere. The inactive volcano Chimborazo in this country lies on the Occidental side of the Andes. The HMS Beagle visited a group of islands of this country where Charles Darwin researched finches. For 10 points, name this South American country found between Colombia and Peru, with capital at Quito.
A: Ecuador
Q: The woodcrafting knowledge of this country's Zafimaniry people is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The missionary James Cameron constructed a heart-shaped artificial lake for hydraulic power in this country's capital named Lake Anosy. Anamalanga is one of this country's twelve sacred hills, where a 1995 fire destroyed the rova palace complex of this country's former monarchs. This country's Ile Sainte-Marie ("eel sant-ma-REE") is supposedly the site of the legendary republic of Libertalia and hosts a cemetery where several pirates are buried. This country is the world's largest producer of Bourbon vanilla beans. For 10 points, name this country dominated by the Merina people, which is also home to lemurs and most species of the baobab ("BAY-oh-bob") tree.
A: Madagascar [or Republic of Madagascar; or Repoblikan'i Madagasikara; or Republique de Madagascar]
Q: In 2011, this city alleged that areas like Clifton-Barea were being "reverse redlined" by a team of Black Wells Fargo employees tasked with offering subprime mortgages. Lawrence Brown coined the term "Black Butterfly" to describe the distribution of this city's Black residents who are segregated from the "White L." The Department of Transportation investigated the cancellation of this city's Red Line in response to complaints that public transport-reliant Black neighborhoods such as (*) Edmondson Village and Rosemont were being ignored to fund largely White-utilized highways. This city's "Highway to Nowhere" has been labeled the "poster child for inequality and systematic racism" by Brandon Scott. The expansion of John Hopkins University contributed to the segregation of, for 10 points, what largest city in Maryland?
A: Baltimore
Q: A blend of juices called "tiger's milk" is a side product of making one dish that originated in this country. Chinese immigrants known as tusan hybridized their cuisine with this country's cuisine to create the chifa cooking style. A type of blackened rotisserie chicken known as pollo a la brasa was first made in this country. Like a northern neighbor, lucuma fruits are cultivated and made into ice cream and milkshakes in this country. A dish from this modern-day country and its northern neighbor that is centered around citrus-cured fish, known as ceviche, may have evolved from an earlier dish prepared by the Moche people. Quinoa was originally discovered in this country, which, like Bolivia, produces large amounts of it. The title of "gastronomic capital of the Americas" is often given to, for 10 points, what country's capital of Lima?
A: Peru
Q: Gavin Prout currently stars for a Colorado NLL team that is inexplicably named for a singular one of these creatures. Kate Walker helps Hans Voralberg achieve his dream of riding these creatures in the adventure game Syberia. An Ice/Ground-type Pokemon that resembles a cross between a boar and one of these animals evolves from Piloswine, while in Skyrim, they are often found being herded by giants. Another fictional animal of this type has a Keke Palmer-voiced daughter named Peaches with the Queen Latifah-voiced Ellie in one movie and, in an earlier movie, rescues the baby Roshan with the help of Diego and Sid. That one, the Ray Romano-voiced Manny, appears in the Ice Age films. For 10 points, identify these now-extinct prehistoric animals noted for their thick fur and huge tusks.
A: woolly mammoths [or Mammuthus primigenius; accept the Colorado Mammoth; prompt on "Mamoswine"]
Q: This mountain range is home to the four deepest known caves in the world, including the first one ever to be explored past a depth of 2000 meters, Krubera Cave. The culture hero Amirani was supposedly chained to a stratovolcano in this mountain range that is home to several surge-prone glaciers, including one that caused a 2014 mudslide in the Darial Gorge. The village of Noratus in the "Lesser" part of this mountain range is home to a field of khachkar gravestones on the shores of Lake Sevan. Mount Kazbek is in this range, which was legendarily the site of the Gates of Alexander. This range runs through such disputed territories as South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Nagorno-Karabakh. For 10 points, Mount Elbrus is the highest point in what mountain range that runs between the Black and Caspian Seas and which, like the Urals, is often used to define the boundary between Europe and Asia?
A: Caucasus Mountains
Q: From May through June, this region's fish-free ponds are the breeding grounds for a namesake green, brown, and yellow tree frog. Much of this region sits atop the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer. The best place to canoe in this region is in the tea-colored cedar water of the Great Egg Harbor River. Jacob Fagan and Lewis Fenton were two of the Loyalist "Robbers" nicknamed for operating out of this region. The history of small iron communities such as Batso Village is discussed in a John McPhee book titled for this region. This is the largest remaining contiguous area of an (*) Atlantic coastal coniferous ecoregion with nutrient-poor, acidic soil. A bipedal creature with bat-like wings and a blood-curdling scream is thought to live in this protected region, whose southern portion is cut through by the Atlantic City Expressway. For 10 points, name this region of New Jersey supposedly home to the Jersey Devil and named for a type of tree.
A: Pine Barrens [or Pinelands; or Pines; prompt on New Jersey; prompt on South Jersey; prompt on Central Jersey]
Q: What is likely the world's only eel processing museum is found in the town of Comacchio on this river's delta. Pliny the Elder blamed inventive poets for a misconception that this river was a source of amber, as it does not in fact flow into the Baltic Sea. The headwaters of this river are found on the northern slopes of Monte Viso, while the Vercelli rice-growing region is found on its banks. Due to the silt created by this river, the ancient port of Ravenna is now 6 miles from the Adriatic Sea. Cremona sits on this river which is connected to Milan through a series of Leonardo-designed channels known as navigli [na-vi-li]. A city on this river is home to Italy's most successful football team, Juventus. For 10 points, identify this river which flows through Turin and Ferrara, and is the longest in Italy.
A: River Po
Q: The English scientist Murray Watson spent much of his later life producing a comprehensive ecological survey of this country before disappearing in 2008. It's not Italy, but cumin and cardamom-spiced pasta is frequently used as a base in this country's cooking. The state of Galmudug has attempted to break away from this country, and divisions between the Hawiye and Darod groups threaten the integrity of this country. Merca and Kismaayo are major ports in this country. The Jubba and Shebelle Rivers flow through this country, which claims the land of the breakaway state of Puntland and another state headquartered at Hargeisa. This country was formed from the union of Italian and British colonies, and its border with the Gulf of Aden has made it an international hub for piracy. For 10 points, name this East African country with its capital at Mogadishu.
A: Somalia [accept Somaliland]
Q: The organization ICARDA received the first authorized transfer from one of these locations to help it recover from the Syrian Civil War. The largest of these locations was established by a Millennium Commission awarded to a royal organization based in Kew. In March 2017, a so-called "World Archive" was opened next to one of these locations that was built into an abandoned coal mine near Longyearbyen. Workers at the Vavilov Institute guarded one of these locations during the siege of Leningrad, refusing to make use of its contents. One of these locations is kept at negative 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which prevented melted permafrost from damaging its stocks in May 2017. For 10 points, identify these storage facilities exemplified by a "global" one in Svalbard that preserves over 400,000 agricultural samples.
A: seed vaults [or seed banks; or gene banks; prompt on vaults, banks, or other storage facilities]
Q: Odon Lechner designed this modern-day country's Art Nouveau "Little Blue Church" of St. Elizabeth. Jakob ("yah-kawb") Bogdani painted exotic birds in this country, where Master Paul of Levoca ("leh-vo-cha") created an altar for Spis ("spish") Castle. Thomas Bell's novel Out of This Furnace chronicles mining in Pennsylvania by the Rusyn diaspora from this country's Presov region. Vlkolinec ("vull-ko-LEE-nets") and Cicmany ("cheech-mah-nih") are open-air folk museums in this home country of the Robin Hood figure Juraj Janosik ("YOO-rye YAH-no-sheek"). Many Hungarian rulers were crowned in Saint Martin's Cathedral in this country's capital, where a treaty in the Primate's Palace ended the War of the Third Coalition. In German, Pressburg is the capital of this country, which was the alphabetically-second created by the "Velvet Divorce." For 10 points, what country's capital is Bratislava?
A: Slovakia [or Slovak Republic; or Slovenska republika; accept Slovak-Americans]
Q: This company selected Robert Holland as its CEO in 1995 after he submitted a 32-line poem to its "Yo! I'm Your CEO!" essay contest for the position. When Pillsbury blocked this company from vending its products in Boston, it started a campaign called "What's the Doughboy Afraid Of?" In 2014, this company's CEO attended governor Peter Shumlin's signing of the United States's first GMO labeling law, which was opposed by their parent company Unilever. In 2016, this company's founders were arrested at the Democracy Awakening protests outside the Capitol, and earlier that year it released a product named for Bernie Sanders. For 10 points, name this Burlington-based ice cream brand that produces novelty flavors like Phish Food and Cherry Garcia.
A: Ben and Jerry's (The flavor is Bernie's Yearning.)
Q: An ocean trench named for this place was the first leg of Victor Vescovo's Five Deeps Expedition aboard the DSV Limiting Factor. A structure in this place designed by William E. Gordon was the filming location for the final fight scene in GoldenEye. The last remaining species of parrot native to this place is a critically endangered amazon named for it. Several species of frog known as coquis ("ko-KEEZ") are a popular symbol of this island, and can be found in its El Yunque ("JOON-kay") National Forest. In December 2020, the second-largest single-aperture telescope in the world collapsed at this island's Arecibo ("ah-reh-SEE-bo") Observatory. For 10 points, name this Spanish-speaking US territory in the Caribbean whose capital is San Juan.
A: Puerto Rico [or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; or Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico; prompt on Arecibo Observatory until read by asking "what island?"]
Q: Some inhabitants of this region who lived near its Queen's Gate were given names by military sergeant Alfred Holmes. This non-German region was where the first adult Neanderthal skull was found, and its Gorham's Cave complex was likely home to some of the last surviving Neanderthals. Many words from the endangered language Haketia have found their way into this region's unique, code switching-heavy dialect Llanito ("yah-NEE-toh"). The most populous city on the bay named for this territory is Algeciras ("al-juh-SEER-us"). Its most prominent feature is a part of the Betic Cordillera that was classically paired with Jebel Musa as one of the Pillars of Hercules. Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht transferred control of this territory, which is home to a European population of Barbary macaques. For 10 points, identify this British territory on the Iberian peninsula, known for its namesake "Rock."
A: Gibraltar (Holmes was an officer responsible for caring for Gibraltar's population of macaques.)
Q: This landmass is home to the breeding grounds of the Gurney's pitta. The Cameron and Genting Highlands are popular tourist destinations on this landmass, which is home to 18 aboriginal tribes called the Orang Asli. The Kinta Valley is a major tin-mining region of this landmass, which is referred to in ancient Greek and Roman sources as the "Golden Chersonese ("KER-suh-NEESE")." In 2017, ten sailors of the USS John S. McCain died after it collided with the Alnic MC off the coast of this peninsula. The Tenasserim Hills run almost the entire length of this peninsula, the narrowest point of which is on the Kra Isthmus. The Andaman Sea is to the west of this peninsula, which is separated by the Strait of Malacca from Sumatra. Singapore is just off the tip of, for 10 points, what Southeast Asian peninsula?
A: Malay Peninsula [or Malaya; or Semenanjung Tanah Melayu; accept Kra Peninsula until "Kra"; prompt on "Southeast Asia" until "peninsula"]
Q: The prefix "Meta" is added to the title of an album by this artist in a Sturgill Simpson album. A song by this artist, whose second part includes a moaning call-and-response, starts with a syncopated 12-bar blues riff on a Wurlitzer electric piano. A song by this artist laments "whoa, woman, oh, woman, don't treat me so mean." A Hoagy Carmichael song popularized by this artist contrasts its title place with "other arms" that "reach out to me" and "other eyes" that "smile tenderly"; that song is now the official song of this man's home state. In Kanye West's song "Gold Digger," this man's voice is mimicked by Jamie Foxx, who played this man in a 2004 biopic ("bio-pick"). For 10 points, name this blind soul and R&B musician whose hits include "What'd I Say" and "Georgia On My Mind."
A: Ray Charles [or Ray Charles Robinson] (Sturgill Simpson's album is titled Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, a reference to Charles's album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.)
Q: Enslaved Africans in this country invented a rice-and-bean pancake called tacu-tacu and made beef heart skewers into a hit street food called anticuchos. In this country, Susana Baca revived black musical traditions like festejo ("fes-TAY-ho") dancing from cities like Acari. In 1655 and 1746, earthquakes in this country's capital failed to destroy a crucifixion painted by an Angolan slave, so it's paraded in the procession of the Lord of Miracles. This country's Lando bands play donkey jawbones called quijadas ("kee-HA-dahs") with the cajon ("ka-HONE"). This country's black activist Maria Elena Moyano was killed by Maoists. Members of this country's African diaspora moved near the geoglyphic Nazca Lines, and into pueblos jovenes ("PWAY-blose HO-ven-ess") bearing the logo of ex-President Alberto Fujimori, to escape the Shining Path. For 10 points, name this country governed from Lima.
A: Peru [or Republic of Peru; or Republica del Peru]
Q: The Split Apple Rock is located in a bay named for this man near a national park due south of the Farewell Spit. Another national park named for this man contains a dolerite sea stack called The Totem Pole. The volcano remnant Ball's Pyramid is located in a sea named for this man known colloquially as "The Ditch." The population of an animal native to a region named for this man has been ravaged by a namesake "Facial Tumor Disease" and is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. This man names the sea that contains Lord Howe Island and the largest glacier on the South Island. An island named for this man contains the Bay of Fires and a rainforest called the Tarkine (tar-KEEN). Hobart (HOH-burt) is the capital of an island named for this man formerly called Van Diemen's ("demon's") Land. For 10 points, what 17th-century Dutch explorer names an island state of Australia?
A: Abel (Janszoon) Tasman [accept Tasman National Park; or Abel Tasman National Park; or Tasmania; or Tasman Sea]
Q: Flash floods in 2015 damaged one structure in this area's Grapevine Canyon. That structure, Scotty's Castle, is named for the man who claimed to have built it with funds from a gold rush in the 1920s in this area. One feature in this area was formed by the evaporation of prehistoric Lake Manly. It's not in the Arctic, but one settlement in this area was known as 'Greenland' due to the alfalfa grown to feed the mule teams used to transport (*) borax out of this place. One salt flat in this area is home to 'sailing stones', which travel on sheets of ice during winter- that feature is Racetrack Playa. One 1913 climatological record has been given to this place since the previous Libyan record was decertified. Home to Badwater Basin and Furnace Creek, for 10 points, name this area, site of a namesake National Park, containing the lowest and hottest points in the United States.
A: Death Valley [prompt on Mojave Desert, Great Basin, Eastern California]
Q: The St. Magnus-the-Martyr church marks the original location of this structure before it was moved in 1831. This structure codenames the series of events that will take place in the United Kingdom after the death of Queen Elizabeth. A chef used a narwhal tusk to fight off a terrorist attack at Fishmongers' Hall to the north of this structure in 2019. This structure's Southwark Gateway Needle apocryphally alludes to spikes on this structure that would display traitors' decapitated heads. Upon the replacement of a version of this structure in 1968, Robert McCulloch purchased that version and relocated it to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. For 10 points, name this bridge spanning the Thames ("temz") River that, in a nursery rhyme, is said to be "falling down."
A: London Bridge
Q: Maize farmers in this country argue that its government should end its ban on the sale of the alcoholic beverage ara. This country's exiled People's Party represents a group of ethnic minorities known collectively as "Southerners," who were expelled in the 1990s. This country's Paro Valley is home to the cliffside Tiger's Nest Monastery as well as its difficult-to-access, single-runway international airport. Archery is the national sport of this country, whose 2003 ban on mountaineering has kept its mountain Gangkhar Puensum the tallest unclimbed peak in the world. This home of dzong architecture is led by the "dragon kings" of the Wangchuck dynasty. For 10 points, name this small Himalayan monarchy ruled from Thimphu ("tim-POO").
A: Bhutan [or Kingdom of Bhutan; or Druk Yul; or Druk Gyal Khap]
Q: Europe's largest indoor aquarium is located in this city, which is home to the art collection of oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian. A secret recipe from the Jeronimos monastery is used to make egg tarts in this city's district of Belem. Districts of this city include Alfama, renowned for its fado music bars, and Baixa [Bye-SHA], which displays many examples of this city's distinctive Pombaline architecture. This city lies at the mouth of the Tagus River, which is spanned by bridges named after the date of the Carnation Revolution and the Vasco da Gama bridge. It was almost completely destroyed in a 1755 earthquake and tsunami. For 10 points, name this capital of Portugal.
A: Lisbon [or Lisboa]
Q: A forty-acre "desert" in this state resulted from overgrazing on the Tuttle family farm. A philanthropist's insistence on rustic designs led the roads of a national park in this state to be lined with stones known as "Rockefeller's Teeth." A "World Traveler Signpost" lists the distance to several towns in this state named after countries. This state's town of Kennebunkport hosts the summer home of the Bush family, while FDR often vacationed on Campobello Island east of this state in the Bay of Fundy. Frederic Church and Marsden Hartley painted this state's highest peak at Mount Katahdin ("kuh-TAH-din"). For 10 points, name this state home to Acadia National Park, as well as the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
A: Maine
Q: A stacked stone sculpture called an Inuksuk was used as a symbol for one event in this city. The Lions Gate Bridge crosses the Burrard Inlet to connect this city's downtown area with its northern suburbs. A famous hiking trail called the Grouse Grind is located just north of this city, which boasts the thousand-acre Stanley Park. A steam-powered clock is the best-known landmark of this city's historic Gastown district. The ski resort of Whistler-Blackcomb, located eighty miles north of this city, was where most of the competitions of the 2010 Winter Olympics took place, hosted by this city. For 10 points, name this city in British Columbia, the largest city on Canada's Pacific coast.
A: Vancouver
Q: Adrian Smith designed the world's largest structure of this type, which is currently located in the United Arab Emirates. Modern ones often use the tube frame design, which superseded the steel frame of earlier structures. Louis Sullivan is known as the father of these structures. For 10 points, name this kind of large building, examples of which include the Burj Khalifa and the Empire State Building.
A: skyscraper [prompt on building; prompt on tower]
Q: One of these entities called Eko Atlantic is being developed to help protect Lagos from the effects of climate change. Durrat al-Bahrain is a series of these structures which are designed to attract foreign investment to the Southern Governorate of Bahrain. The Dutch province of Flevoland consists entirely of these kinds of geographic features, which were created in the 1950s and 60s. China has recently come under international criticism for constructing several of these features on top of reefs in the South China Sea. For 10 points, name these landforms built for the Kansai and Chubu Airports, and include the World and Palm Jumeirah off the coast of Dubai.
A: artificial islands [accept artificial peninsulas; accept any answer involving landmasses made of reclaimed land; prompt on "city" or "cities" since the full name of the location described in the first sentence is "Eko Atlantic City"]
Q: A sport developed in this city that resembles an open-court version of squash is the pelota variant of paleta fronton ("fron-TON"). The term "streets in the sky" refers to this city's tradition of ornate balconies, one of which adorns its Palacio de Torre Tagle ("pah-LASS-ee-oh day TOH-ray TAG-lay"). Each October, hundreds of thousands of people follow a parade in this city of a painting of Christ called the "Lord of Miracles," which survived three massive earthquakes. The oldest continuously-operating university in the Americas is this city's National University of San Marcos. This city was built across the valleys of the Chillon ("shill-ON"), Lurin ("loo-REEN"), and Rimac ("REE-mack") rivers in a coastal desert zone. The nearby port of Callao ("kye-OW") serves this so-called "City of Kings," whose name means "speaker" in Quechua ("KETCH-wa"). Francisco Pizarro founded, for 10 points, what capital city of Peru?
A: Lima
Q: This city contains Benjamin Latrobe's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is America's oldest cathedral. This city is where the Gwynns Falls stream goes past Leakin Park and joins the Patapsco [puh-TAPSS-koh] River. The county surrounding this city includes the census-designated places Catonsville [KAYT-unz-vill] and Towson [TOW-sun]. The Locust Point neighborhood in this city is the site of the fort that inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner", Fort McHenry. This city is the location of Coppin State University and Johns Hopkins University. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Maryland.
A: Baltimore, Maryland
Q: This country's "highlands highway" supplies coffee and gold to its most important port. The river basin of this country's longest river contains the April Salumei Rainforest, which is a pilot project of the UN's R-E-D-D scheme. The largest river in the world without a dam in its catchment is this country's Fly River, although that river was polluted by the collapse of a tailings dam in 1984 at the (*) Ok Tedi mine. One eruption in 1937 prompted the colonial administration to move to this country's city of Lae, the last place Amelia Earhart was seen alive. A major 1994 eruption caused the evacuation of a former provincial capital in this country, when both Vulcan and Tavurvur erupted. That eruption destroyed the city of Rabaul on this country's island of New Britain. For 10 points, name this island country with capital Port Moresby, which shares half of its namesake island with Indonesia.
A: Papua New Guinea
Q: This country's Silvio Pettirossi [pet-tee-ROH-see] International Airport is located in its former capital city, Luque [LOO-kay]. This country contains most of the Pilcomayo [peel-koh-"MY"-oh] River, which is a tributary of the river that shares its name with this country. This country's eastern border is the site of the second-most powerful dam in the world, the Itaipu [ee-"TIE"-poo] Dam, which is very close to this country's second-most populous city, Ciudad del Este [see-yoo-DAHD del ESS-tay]. The western half of this country is part of the Gran Chaco. For 10 points, name this country between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil whose capital is Asuncion [ah-soon-see-OHN].
A: (Republic of) Paraguay or (Republica del) Paraguay
Q: It's not Arkansas, but a mountain range in this state contains the world's largest concentration of mammoth remains in its city of Hot Springs. Narrow tunnels pass through several jagged rock formations on this state's scenic Needles Highway, which ends near its city of Keystone. This state hosts a massive annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis. This state contains the historically preserved town of Deadwood and a massive unfinished sculpture of Crazy Horse. This state's highest peak, Black Elk, is in a mountain range sacred to the Lakota that contains a monument designed by Gutzon Borglum with four carved faces. For 10 points, name this state that contains the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore.
A: South Dakota [or SD]
Q: Elizabeth Thomas described a weekly ritual among some of this ethnic group in which an energy called num gives way to a heightened consciousness called kia. After glycoside was licensed to Phytopharm as an appetite suppressant, this people were awarded royalties due to their traditional knowledge of the Hoodia plant's properties. Ancestors of this people made the "Red Painting" rock artworks in the Tsodilo ("soh-DILL-oh") Hills. The healing "trance dance" is performed by this people, whom genetic studies show is one of, if not, the, oldest ethnic group in Africa. Government land seizure near the Makgadikgadi ("mah-GAD-ee-GAD-ee") salt pans has affected this people, which is often administratively joined with the Khoi ("coy"), who also speak a click language. For 10 points, name this hunter-gatherer people, most of whom now live in Botswana around the Kalahari.
A: San people [or Bushmen; or !Kung; or Ju/'hoansi; accept Khoisan]
Q: This nation's largest lake is in the caldera of Mount Tauhara and is part of a Volcanic Zone that extends to the Bay of Plenty. The Hawke's Bay earthquake devastated this country's town of Napier, which has a large concentration of Art Deco buildings. The largest island in this nation contains the cities of (*) Dunedin and Christchurch. That island in this nation is also home to the Southern Alps and is located south of the Cook Strait from North Island. For 10 points, name this island nation, with a capital at Wellington and whose largest city is Auckland.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: A spaceport in this desert launched the first manned spaceflight outside the U.S. or U.S.S.R. This desert is home to a namesake subspecies of bear and the takhi, a wild horse alternatively named for Nikolay Przhevalsky ("nikolay cheh-VAHL-skee"). This desert's fossil-rich Nemegt ("nem-egg") Basin and Flaming Cliffs were the sites of the first discovered dinosaur eggs. Unlike an alleged "death worm," wild Bactrian camels actually live primarily in this desert. The Taklamakan Desert is separated from this desert's southwest by the Tian Shan. This desert gives way to Manchurian steppes to its east. For 10 points, name this desert in Northern China and Southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert [or Gebi; accept Gobi bear]
Q: One island in this body of water looks like a small boat due to natural rock formations, which led to it being named the Phantom Ship. Another island in this lake is a 230-meter-tall cinder cone with a peak called the Witches Cauldron, and is named Wizard Island. The Old Man of the Lake (*) , which is a thirty-foot-tall tree trunk, has been floating in this this body of water for more than one hundred years. This caldera lake was formed by the collapse of Mount Mazama. For 10 points, name this lake, the deepest in the United States, and the namesake of a national park in central Oregon.
A: Crater Lake
Q: One lake that used to be part of this body of water was created by isostatic rebound and is home to the city of Uppsala. An island in this body of water, which was home to Lake Malaren, is home to the chalk formation King's Chair. The northern arm of this body of water has low enough salinity levels to support freshwater wildlife. In addition to the Gulf of (*) Bothnia, another arm of this sea separates Oland from the mainland and is called Kalmar Strait. For 10 points, name this European Sea that lies between Sweden and Finland, as well as a group of namesake countries including Latvia and Estonia.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: Chinese immigrant workers built the Panamint City in this geographical region in which the twenty mule teams rolled out from. The ancient glacial Lake Manly used to exist on the same spot as this feature and was the end of a chain of lakes that began with (*) Mono Lake. This geographic feature is in the Great Basin east of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Furnace Creek in this feature, known for its borax salt pans, holds the record for the highest recorded air temperature in the world at 134 degrees Fahrenheit. For 10 points name this feature in California, the lowest point in North America.
A: Death Valley
Q: Fishermen in one area of this body of water often suffer from a namesake "itch" caused by the sea chervil. Where one estuary meets this body of water, a raised sandbar called Spurn Point forms the lower extent of the rapidly-eroding Holderness Coast. Prior to the opening of the Akashi Kaikyo bridge, an estuary that meets this body of water was crossed by the longest suspension bridge in the world, built in 1981. A large bay of this body of water called the Wash forms a shared estuary for rivers like the Nene (neen) and Great Ouse (ooze). Fishermen from ports like Grimsby on the Humber Estuary often used a productive fishing ground in this body of water called Dogger Bank. Cities such as Sunderland and Newcastle lie near the coast of this body of water. Britain's eastern coastline faces, for ten points, which sea, which separates Britain from Scandinavia?
A: North Sea [accept Dogger Bank or Humber Estuary/River before mention]
Q: One landmark in this city was designed by Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, and features a large dome supported by four curved beams. That building also contains four iconic structures added more than nine hundred years (*) after its original completion. This city, which was planned around seven hills, contains the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. The Galata Bridge spans a major waterway within this city, the Golden Horn. For 10 points, name this city which spans the Bosphorus Strait, contains the Hagia Sophia, and is in Turkey.
A: Istanbul (prompt on "Constantinople" and "Byzantium")
Q: This state's Fishlake National Forest is home to the world's heaviest organism which is a grove of quaking aspen trees called Pando. One national park in this state is home to sandstone rock formations such as The Organ, and The Three Gossips. One license plate unique to this state says, "The Greatest Snow on Earth," (*) which refers to this state's many ski resorts, such as Solitude and Snowbasin. This state's Temple Square houses a sculpture of the Angel Moroni. A body of water in this state is home to the Spiral Jetty, and surrounds Promontory Point. For 10 points, name this state home to cities such as Ogden, Provo and Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: This city is home to a namesake tower that is based on the Eiffel Tower and is repainted red every 5 years. A suspension bridge in this city connects two waterfronts and is illuminated with multicolored lights. In addition to the Rainbow Bridge, this city is home to the second tallest structure in the world, the (*) Skytree. This city's 23 districts include Minato and Shibuya and this city is home to the Meiji ["may-jee"] Shrine. For 10 points, the Imperial Palace can be found in what largest metropolitan area in the world, the capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo
Q: One site in this country is home to a 10th century observatory known as 'the snail' for its spiral staircase which was used to observe the planet Venus. The room of shrimps is found inside the Balankanche cave system near an archaeological site in this country. The main attraction at another site in this country is a grand pyramid topped by four basalt Atlantean columns in the shape of warriors. The site of El Tajin in this country is home to a flat playing area flanked by two stone aprons and accompanied by stone rings through which a rubber ball would be manipulated as part of the so-called 'ballgame'. For 10 points, name this country, in which the Toltec site of Tula and the ruins at Chichen Itza are found.
A: Mexico
Q: This institution was attacked in pamphlets by William Battie which attacked the 150-year governance of this institution by the Monro family and outlined a new method for use at St. Luke's. Richard Dadd's The Fairy-Feller's Masterstroke was commissioned by a head steward of this institution where Dadd lived while painting it. The original Dog and Duck Pub was demolished when this institution moved to St. George's Field into a building which is now the site of the Imperial War Museum. John Haslam described a resident of this place, James Tilly Matthews, who believed that the 'Middle-man' was using an 'Air-Loom' to torment him. For 10 points, name this institution, the oldest extant psychiatric hospital whose name has become synonymous with chaos.
A: Bedlam (accept Bethlem Royal Hospital)
Q: This country's highest point is named for a saint whose remains were supposedly taken there by angels. In addition to Mount Catherine, this country is also home to the Western Desert, which contains several brackish oases and this country's lowest point, the Qattara ["kuh-tar-uh"] (*) Depression. This country is home to a peninsula that is bordered on the east by the Gulf of Aqaba and contains a mountain sacred to Judaism, Mount Sinai. For 10 points, name this country home to Lake Nasser, whose Pyramids of Giza lie outside Cairo.
A: Arab Republic of Egypt
Q: This mountain range is crossed by the Frejus Road Tunnel, which is also home to the Modane Particle Physics Lab. This mountain range is home to the Chamonix ["sha-mo-nee"] commune and the Brenner Pass goes through this range. The Atlas Mountains are sometimes viewed as an extension of this range, and the city of (*) Innsbruck lies in this range. The Rhone has its headwaters in this range, and Lake Geneva lies on the north of this range. Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn are in, for 10 points, what range which contains much of Switzerland, the highest range in Europe.
A: The Alps
Q: Ernest Giles was the first westerner to discover this formation that was named by William Gosse. This formation shares its namesake national park with Kata Tjuta, and both are partially made up of a substance with a consistency similar to (*) granite. Most visitors to this formation arrive via the town of Alice Springs. The people indigenous to the area near this formation agree that it was created during the Dreamtime. For 10 points name this UNESCO World Heritage Site, that is sacred to the Aborigines and is a red, sandstone megalith located in Australia's Outback.
A: Uluru (or Ayers Rock)
Q: Anand Bodas gave a controversial 2015 presentation on these objects, citing the Vaimanika Sastra. Claude Vorilhon ("vo-ree-YON") adopted the symbol of a swastika inscribed in a six-pointed star after seeing one of these objects in the Puy de Lassolas volcano, and subsequently changed his name to Rael ("ra-EL"). Elijah Muhammad claimed that a giant steel example of these objects was constructed in Japan, and the sarcophagus of Pakal depicts these objects, according to Erich von Daniken. Louis Farrakhan argued that Ezekiel saw one of these objects when he observed a fiery wheel in the sky. The members of Heaven's Gate committed suicide because they believed their souls would be transported onto one of these objects behind Comet Hale-Bopp. For 10 points, name these extraterrestrial spacecraft.
A: UFOs [accept aircraft or equivalents until "Vorilhon" is read; accept Mother Wheel until read; accept Mother Plane or descriptions of a man-made planet; accept flying saucer or unidentified flying objects; accept alien spaceship or spacecraft until "spacecraft" is read]
Q: This river, one of the deepest in the world, is home to the giant tigerfish, which is considered to be one of the most impressive catches in the world. Mbamu Island is located within a particularly wide section of this river known as Malebo Pool, which separates two national capitals. This river's Inga Falls (*) have massive potential for hydroelectric power and are expected to be the location of the world's largest hydroelectric power plant. This river crosses the equator twice, and has no ocean access due to the Livingstone Falls. For 10 points, name this second longest river in Africa-formerly known as the Zaire.
A: Congo River (accept Zaire River before mention)
Q: This river's 4000 Islands are downstream from the city of Pakse, and phosphine gas may be the cause of mysterious Naga fireballs that rise from it. This river drains the Khorat Plateau via the Mun and Chi rivers, and its upper portion is made unnavigable by the Khone ["koh-nay"] Falls. In the Hengduan Mountains of (*) Yunnan Province, this river flows parallel to the Salween and Yangtze ["yant-see"], and it is home to a species of giant catfish. This river flows through Vientiane and Phnom Penh ["fenom pen"]. For 10 points, name this river that empties into the South China Sea in southern Vietnam.
A: Mekong River [or any of the near infinite local names for it if anyone decides to show off]
Q: Passes through this mountain range include the Brenner pass, and the Col de L'Iseran which is the highest paved pass through these mountains, which include the Dolomites. A glacier mummy dated to the Copper Age was found in this mountain range named (*) Otzi ["ootsi"]. The tallest mountain in this range has a perennial ice dome at its peak which gives it its name meaning "White Mountain". Ski resorts in this mountain range include Courmayeur, Kitzbuhel, and St. Anton. For 10 points, name this European mountain range that stretches over countries such as France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland and includes mountains such as the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.
A: The Alps (accept Die Alpen or translations)
Q: Most visitors to this landmark start from a point named for the volunteer Charlie Turner before going through the hunting ground of a mountain lion named P-22 in the Berlin Forest. A once-lost part of this landmark was sold by Dan Bliss on eBay in 2005, after which it was repainted by the artist Bill Mack. Tom LaBonge petitioned Garmin to redirect satnav systems away from this landmark, instead directing some users to the nearby Ovation shopping mall. A 1978 replacement of this landmark with an all-steel structure was partly funded by Hugh Hefner. This Beachwood Canyon landmark stands on land owned by Griffith Park. This landmark located on Mount Lee, high in the Santa Monica hills, originally promoted a housing developed with the suffix "LAND." For 10 points, name this Los Angeles landmark that represents a West Coast film industry.
A: The Hollywood Sign [accept the Hollywoodland Sign; prompt on Griffith Park]
Q: The "Structure and Distribution" of these geographic features title Charles Darwin's first monograph, in which he theorized a subsidence ("sub-SIDE-ence") model of their development. These geographic features can be categorized as "platform" or "fringing" depending on their relation to the continental shelf. One of these features named the "Lighthouse" surrounds Belize's Great Blue Hole. The city of Cairns is an entry point for tourists visiting one of these locations that has been damaged by mass bleaching events. These features outlast the erosion of a central landform to form an atoll ("uh-TOLE"). The largest of these features in the world stretches over 1500 miles along the eastern Australian coast. For 10 points, the "Great Barrier" is an example of what underwater ecosystems?
A: coral reefs [accept atolls until read; accept Great Barrier Reef; accept Lighthouse Reef]
Q: An early interpretation of this text was created by Zhou Gong Dan. Tradition holds that Confucius wrote a commentary on this text called the Ten Wings. This text frequently uses the symbol of a dragon to represent actions taken by great men. The Duke of Kau wrote six paragraphs of commentary on each of the diagrams contained in this text, while King Wan wrote only one for each. Although interpretation of this text was traditionally done at first with straws, more modern interpretations frequently use coins. The arrangement of those diagrams was created by Fu-Hsi, and the first of them, the Khien, describes the proper time for action and waiting. For 10 points, name this ancient religious text often used for divinations, composed of sixty-four hexagrams.
A: I Ching or The Book of Changes
Q: The world's only third-order enclave was ceded to this country following the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement. Though not on the ocean, a 75-mile beach is in this country's city of Cox's Bazar, where many Rohingya Muslims living in the Rakhine State seek refuge. Sylhet and Chittagong are located in this country. It doesn't contain the Siliguri Corridor, but this country is separated by it from (*) Nepal to the north. In 2013, the Rana Plaza garment factory collapsed in this country's capital. East Pakistan was formerly the name of, for 10 points, what country nearly surrounded by India, with capital at Dhaka?
A: People's Republic of Bangladesh [or Gana Prajatantri Bangladesh]
Q: A mountain in this state may be climbed via the West Buttress route. Mount Foraker is in this state's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Katmai National Park is home to a bear species that lives on this state's Kodiak Island. The Prudhoe Bay oil field is located in this state's North Slope, which also contains a town formerly named (*) Barrow. The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in this state. The Yukon River flows through this state, which shares the Diomede Islands with Russia. The tallest mountain in North America, Denali, is located in, for 10 points, what northernmost of the 50 states?
A: Alaska
Q: This island's two highest peaks are home to the El Tucuche golden tree frog, a variety of heart-tongued frog. This island was referred to as Iere, deriving from a word for "hummingbird," by its native Arawak inhabitants. The Lion House, the ancestral home of this island's prominent Capildeo family, is located in its largest settlement, Chaguanas. The banning of African percussion instruments on this island in 1880 led to the development of the steelpan. This island is across the Gulf of Paria from Venezuela, making it the southernmost major island in the Caribbean. Supposedly, Christopher Columbus fulfilled a promise that he had made when he named this island after a religious concept after sighting three hills. The capital city of Port of Spain is on, for 10 points, what island which is much larger than its neighbor, Tobago?
A: Trinidad
Q: This country disputed a border on the Chobe River with its western neighbor until a 1999 ruling from the International Court of Justice favored this country. This country was formed from eight states dominated by the namesake ethnic group, and their populations received the status of "tribe" from the British. Other ethnic groups in this country include the Khalagari, Tswapong, Birwa, and Kalanga. In addition to the Chobe River, it is bordered by the Molopo River to the south and the Limpopo River to the east, and almost all of this country lies within the Kalahari Desert. Bordered by Namibia to the west and north, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the north and east, and South Africa to the south is, for 10 points, this southern African country, formerly known as Bechuanaland, with capital at Gaborone.
A: Republic of Botswana
Q: In this city, drugs have been openly sold in the Freetown Christiania neighborhood. This city is said to be the "palm" of a "Finger Plan" of urbanization. Rene Redzepi runs the Noma restaurant in this city. The Amalienborg Palace in this city serves as the primary residence for a royal family. It's not Rome, but a famous amusement park is located in this city's (*) Tivoli Gardens. This city, which is connected by the Øresund Bridge to Malmo, lies on the islands of Amager and Zealand. A statue of a Little Mermaid is located in, for 10 points, what capital of Denmark?
A: Copenhagen, Denmark
Q: In a Freudian parody article, festivals for this activity involve sun-worship and the appeasement of alligators. It's not singing or washing clothes, but Parke H. Davis traced this activity's origins to Book VI of the Odyssey just before Nausicaa and her companions discover Odysseus. Popular legend claims that a prominent participant in this activity exchanged Shakespearean lines with John Barrymore. Alan Dundes concluded that this activity demonstrates "ritual homosexuality," while another essay cites skintight pants and physique-accentuating gear to argue that this "Great American" ritual is a "male preserve." Johnny Blood, a storied participant in this activity, played for the Milwaukee Badgers and later the Packers and Steelers. For 10 points, name this sport celebrated in rituals like the Super Bowl.
A: American football [accept ballgame; do not accept or prompt on other specific sports; accept gridiron football; do not accept or prompt on "soccer" or other ball games that aren't football] (The first clue refers to Thomas Hornsby Ferril's "Freud and Football," and the unnamed essay mentioned is William Arens's "The Great American Football Ritual.")
Q: In 1973, botulism in a batch of this food led to a public burial in the "Great Michigan Funeral" of it. Former Texas Longhorns player Ike Sewell is often attributed with creating a type of this food unusually prepared with an iron skillet. A large amount of malt is included in a type of this food from the Quad Cities region. The bread crumb-heavy sfincione ("sfin-CHOH-nay") type of this food inspired a version of it native to Detroit originally made in auto part containers. According to legend, garlic was eliminated from one type of this food in order to resemble the national flag before it was delivered to a queen, who now names it. This food was introduced to New York by Gennaro Lombardi, an immigrant from Naples. The Margherita is a type of, for 10 points, what food whose "deep dish" in Chicago may have pepperoni as a topping?
A: pizzas [accept Chicago-style pizzas; or New York style pizzas; or Quad City pizzas; or Detroit style pizzas; or pizza margherita or Great Michigan Pizza Funeral; prompt on margherita before "margherita"]
Q: A planned experiment to test universal basic income in this country headed by the charity GiveDirectly was postponed in 2017. Businessman Nick Hughes co-founded two ventures in this country, including the rent-to-own solar power company M-Kopa and the mobile banking service M-Pesa, the latter of which reached 30 million users in 2017. After China and India, this country is the world's third-largest producer of tea. One of this country's largest investments is a 365-turbine wind farm next to its Lake Turkana. In 2016, this country burned a record-setting 105-ton pile of ivory to deter poachers. This country's tourism industry took a downturn after its Westgate Mall was attacked by a neighboring country's al-Shabaab militants. For 10 points, name this country home to east Africa's largest port, Mombasa, as well as its financial hub of Nairobi.
A: Kenya [or Republic of Kenya]
Q: Orla Ryan wrote that a 1950s boom in this crop inspired a highlife song with lyrics like, "If you want to buy cloth, it is [this crop]." Forcipomyia midges pollinate this crop, which Tetteh Quarshie stole from Spain's colony on Bioko. In 1905, a Birmingham company sent Joseph Burtt to determine if slaves harvested this crop in Sao Tome and Principe. Long rains in Cameroon's Konye region prevent farmers from drying this crop after its fermentation. The Ghanaian Kuapa "fair trade" co-op produces this crop, whose harvest by child slaves in Cote d'Ivoire inspired the Harkin-Engel protocol. This crop of genus Theobroma is alkalized in the Dutch process. The US banned imports from a British firm that uses this crop in its Creme Eggs. For 10 points, Cadbury uses what crop to make chocolate?
A: cocoa beans [or cacao; or Theobroma cacao; prompt on Theobroma or mallows; prompt on chocolate by asking "what crop is used to produce chocolate?"] (The early clues are from Chocolate Islands: Cocoa, Slavery, and Colonial Africa and Chocolate Nations: Living and dying for cocoa in West Africa.)
Q: Several tufa formations line an endorheic ("en-doh-ree-ick") lake in this state that was nearly drained for a project in the nearby Owens Valley. A ruptured irrigation canal near the southern border of this state accidentally created a toxic saline ("say-leen") lake, the Salton Sea. This state and its eastern neighbor share the Truckee River, which flows out of the largest non-Great lake in the U.S. This state's reservoirs, like Lake Oroville, have reached record-low levels due to a drought affecting its Central Valley. The San Joaquin River flows into a large bay in this state that borders Fremont and San Jose. For 10 points, name this state that contains the western half of Lake Tahoe and San Francisco Bay.
A: California [or CA] (The first sentence refers to Mono Lake.)
Q: Aaron Burr's daughter had the first recorded honeymoon at this place. The Hooker Chemical Company dumped toxic waste near the Love Canal neighborhood in a city named for this place. The Prospect Point Observation Tower is for tourists viewing this place, who may travel on the Rainbow Bridge. (*) Goat Island is located in the middle of this place's namesake river, which drains into Lake Erie and flows past the city of Buffalo. The Hornblower and Maid of the Mist are tour boats of, for 10 points, what landmark shared by the US and Canada, which includes the Bridal Veil, Horseshoe, and American Falls?
A: Niagara Falls [accept Niagara River]
Q: This river's delta is home to the town of Astoria and the Cape of Disappointment. A LIGO observatory and plutonium mine are located in Hanford, a town on this river. The Multnomah Falls is located on this river, which is south of Walla Walla. A tributary of this river carves the deepest gorge in the US, Hells Canyon. The (*) Snake River and Willamette River, which passes through Portland, are the main tributaries of this river. For 10 points, name this river that flows through the Pacific Northwest and makes up the border between Washington and Oregon?
A: Columbia River
Q: Tourists may jump off spray-painted rocks in this state's Lake Martin. This state contains the "Peanut Capital of the World," Dothan. The Talladega Superspeedway car racing track is located in this state, where the Tennessee River flows through Decatur. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is located in this state's city of (*) Huntsville. The largest public university in this state is located in its city of Tuscaloosa. John Lewis was beaten on this state's Edmund Pettus Bridge, located in its city of Selma. For 10 points, what southern state is home to Birmingham and Montgomery?
A: Alabama
Q: According to one tale told by the caste of fishermen on this river, the palla fish turns silver as it passes a shrine used by two different religious communities at Odero Lal. Increasing dam construction along this river has harmed the fishing communities known as mohana or mir-behar that live in its lower reaches. A natural dam on one of this river's tributaries formed in 2010, creating the Attabad Lake. Barrages to control the water flow on this river include the British-Built (*) Sukkur Barrage, as part of creating the world's largest irrigation system. The Tarbela Dam was built by one country after this river's namesake 1960 treaty resulted in the diversion of much of the water of the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej tributaries by its eastern neighbour. For 10 points, name this river, whose five tributaries give their name to Punjab, Pakistan's longest.
A: Indus River [accept Darya-i Sindh or Sindhu or Nahar al Sind]
Q: Round seals, often depicting a bull and using the script of a people who did not live on this body of water, were named after this body of water by Mortimer Wheeler. One text which discusses trade with a state on this body of water complains that one individual of a guild has not acted as 'gentlemen should' by treating them with contempt. It's not the Aegean, but a Hellenistic trading post on this body of water has been excavated on one island known to the Greeks as Ikaros, modern (*) Falaika. Alexander's admiral Nearchus finished his journey in this non-riverine body of water, eventually reaching an island the Greeks called Tylos, which Pliny noted for its pearls. Home to the trading power of Dilmun, for 10 points, the trader Ea-Nasir of Ur travelled to buy copper from ancient Bahrain, located on this body of water.
A: Persian Gulf [accept Arabian Gulf]
Q: In this body of water, two countries left alcoholic beverages for each other to peacefully dispute Hans Island. The Ob ("awb") and Yenisei are two of the three major rivers from a vast geographic region that flow into this body of water, where the Lena River enters the Laptev Sea. This body of water names the animal that makes the longest annual migration, a species of tern. The settlement of Alert lies on the tip of Ellesmere Island in this ocean, which contains Baffin Island and the Svalbard Archipelago. John Franklin's expedition was lost in this ocean while seeking the Northwest Passage. For 10 points, name this ocean that surrounds the North Pole.
A: Arctic Ocean [accept Arctic tern; accept Laptev Sea until read; accept Kara Sea; accept Nares Strait or Kennedy Channel; prompt on Polar Sea]
Q: It was illegal to collect macroeconomic statistics in this city under libertarian bureaucrat John Cowperthwaite. A year after Cowperthwaite left office, a fire broke out on a former ocean liner in this city's harbor, ruining plans to turn the RMS Queen Elizabeth into a floating university. This city's transit system was an early adopter of contactless payment cards; those Octopus Cards are now widely accepted in restaurants. A former fort in this city morphed into a slum demolished in the 1990s that once had a population density 20 times that of Manhattan. This city once contained Kowloon Walled City, and its natives have agitated for autonomy in the "localist" movement since an agreement that transferred power away from its last governor, Chris Patten, and promised "one country, two systems." For 10 points, name this city that the British ceded control of in 1997 to China.
A: Hong Kong [or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China]
Q: In 1996, a market next to this river was found to be selling the meat of a "rock rat" whose family was previously unknown to science. The "4,000 islands" archipelago is in this river, which provides the north and east borders of the region of Isan, which includes the Khorat ("CORE-at") Plateau. A giant catfish native to this river is threatened by hydropower development like the Xayaburi ("sah-yah-BOO-ree") Dam. This river's confluence with the Ruak river is the center of a drug-producing region called the Golden Triangle. This river is known as the Lancang in a region where it flows generally south of the other two of the "Three Rivers" of Tibet. The Tonle Sap flows into this major river, which flows through Vientiane ("vee-en-tee-AN") and Phnom Penh ("peh-NOM PEN") before reaching Ho Chi Minh ("min") City. The border between Laos and Thailand follows, for 10 points, what massive river of South-East Asia?
A: Mekong ("MEE-kong") River [or Meigonghe or Megaung Myit or Maenam Khong or Tonle Mekongk or Bassac river]
Q: A namesake "Development Project" on this body of water involves building a Russian Industrial Zone and New Ismailia City. The world's longest swing bridge carries trains above this body of water. The Ballah Bypass expanded this body of water's size in 2015. The Great Bitter Lake is located between a city formerly known as Port (*) Tewfik and Port Said on this body of water. The opening of this waterway was commemorated by the construction of the Khedivial ("kuh-deev-ull") Opera House in Cairo. For 10 points, name this Egyptian canal that connects the Red and Mediterranean Seas.
A: Suez Canal
Q: Before going on this route, people may see the Star Base celestial calendar at the Len Foote Hike Inn, near Amicalola ("uh-mee-kuh-LOW-luh") Falls. An extension of this route prefixed "International" ends at Forillon National Park in the Gaspe ("GAS-puh") Peninsula. This route ends at Springer Mountain and begins in Baxter State Park's (*) Mount Katahdin ("kuh-TAH-din"). The highest point on this route is Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is shared by North Carolina and Tennessee. White blazes on trees indicate, for 10 points, what trail through an eastern United States mountain range?
A: Appalachian Trail [or Appalachian National Scenic Trail; accept Appalaichan Path; accept Appalachian after "trail"; prompt on AT]
Q: The proposed Appoquinimink County would have added a county to this state, which, with three, has the fewest in the US. The Christina River is located in this state, which is completely cut through by a ship canal. A majority of Fortune 500 and publicly traded companies are based in this state due to its lax tax laws. A (*) courthouse in New Castle serves as the center of the Twelve-Mile Circle, which forms this state's northern border. This state's namesake river flows past the capital of New Jersey, Trenton, as well as Philadelphia. For 10 points, name this state with cities like Dover and Wilmington.
A: Delaware [accept Delaware River]
Q: Around Disko Bay, archaeologists in this location have found ruins of the Saqqaq culture, and this place is also home to the ruins of the Dorset and Independence II cultures. Nord, a military outpost and research station, is located at the very northeastern tip of this polity. Queen Elizabeth Island lies to the northwest of this country, and Svalbard Island lies to the northeast. From north to south, this western boundary of this country is bordered by Baffin Bay, the David Strait, and the Labrador Sea. For 10 points, name this least densely populated polity in the world and largest non-continental island, officially part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
A: Greenland
Q: In this country, the world's largest underwater lake and Hoba meteorite are located near its town of Grootfontein. The German Empire targeted this country's Herero people in a genocide. In this country, a Chinese naval base is being built at Walvis Bay. This country's SWAPO party advocated for independence from (*) South Africa. This country owns the Caprivi Strip, which extends north of Botswana. Many shipwrecks are located on this country's Skeleton Coast. For 10 points, name this African country with capital at Windhoek.
A: Namibia [or Republic of Namibia]
Q: This is the northernmost region where nomadic people live in tents called chum. In this region, Birobidzhan ("beer-oh-bee-john") is the capital of an autonomous Jewish subdivision. The Nenet people live on the Yamal Peninsula in this region. In this region, the Lena and Yenisey rivers flow into the Laptev and Kara Seas. The port city of (*) Madagan is in this region, home to the Amur River. Freshwater seals can be found in the world's deepest lake, Lake Baikal, in this region east of the Urals. Cities built on permafrost include Irkutsk and Novosibirsk in, for 10 points, what frigid region of Russia?
A: Siberia [prompt on Russian Far East; prompt on Asian Russia or Asiatic Russia or Northern Asia; prompt on Russia before mention]
Q: A subnational identity in this country is asserted through a 100-kilometer circular walk called the Gordel. The Peeters directive applied to 27 "rim municipalities" in this country. Identity issues in this country led to the 1968 split of one city's Catholic University into two. This country used to lie directly west of the only Esperanto-speaking region in the world, Neutral Moresnet ("MOH-rez-net"). The center of a government-status "language community" in this country is in a region named for Halle ("hal") and Vilvoorde which lies north of Namur ("nah-MUR"). In this country, an oath was taken in three languages when king Philippe succeeded Albert II in 2013. Bilingual signs in this country's capital indicate sights like Manneken Pis and the Atomium. For 10 points, name this country where French, Dutch, and Flemish may be spoken in Brussels.
A: Belgium [or Kingdom of Belgium; or Konigreich Belgien; or Koninkrijk Belgie; or Royaume de Belgique]
Q: The world's second-largest aquarium tank is in this city, where an oblong-shaped bright yellow Ferris wheel depicting a deity holding a penguin was recently renovated by the retail chain Don Quijote. One of this city's mascots is a mechanical drum-playing clown named after this city's culture of "eat till you drop," while others include a giant mechanical crab and a running man on a Glico billboard. A crowd in this city seeking a Randy Bass lookalike chose a Colonel Sanders statue to throw into a river, leading to a curse on the Hanshin Tigers. This city's tourist destinations include the entertainment district Dotonbori and a castle owned by the Toyotomi clan that was besieged by Ieyasu Tokugawa. The Keihanshin metropolitan area is formed by Kobe, Kyoto, and, for 10 points, what city in the Kansai region, which after Tokyo and Yokohama is the third most populous in Japan?
A: Osaka [or Osaka-shi]
Q: Some of the world's largest shrimp beds lie in Disko Bay off the western coast of this islandl. The Nares Strait off the northwest coast of this island stretches from the Smith Sound near Cape Perry to the Robeson Channel and the Lincoln Sea. Scoresby Sund, the world's largest fjord system, is located on the eastern portion of this island, which includes various areas named after Knud Rasmussen, King Frederik the Eighth, and King Christian the Ninth. The Davis Strait and Denmark Strait form other important water boundaries of this island. This island's capital, Nuuk, was previously known as Godthab, and eighty-one percent of this island is covered in ice. For 10 points, name this largest island in the world, which in 2008 voted for autonomy from Denmark.
A: Greenland [or Kalaallit Nunaat]
Q: A nationalist from this region inspired the far-right meme "Europe of 100 Flags." A Basque folktale about a witch who threatens a cute cow inspired the Nazi-sympathizing "Seven Brothers" Arts and Crafts movement in this region, where people go on "pardon" pilgrimages and do "an dro" circle dances at fest-noz gatherings. As in Norfolk, heraldic ermine spots inspired the black-and-white Kroaz Du ("kr'wahz due") flag of this region, famed for its savory buckwheat galette, the kaletez. The ancient seafaring Veneti name this region's city of Vannes ("vahn"). Words for "cake" and "butter" name the pastry kouign-amann ("QUEEN-yah-mahn") in this region's Celtic language. The medieval duchy in this region was led from Rennes ("ren") and Nantes ("nahnt"). For 10 points, name this peninsular region of northwest France west of Normandy.
A: Brittany [or Bretagne; accept Bretoned or Breizhiz; prompt on Armorica; accept the departements Cotes-d'Armor or Finistere or Ille-et-Vilaine or Morbihan; prompt on France or French Republic or Republique francaise] (The first sentence refers to Yann Fouere. The second sentence is about the Seiz Breur; the reason they liked the folktale was that, of the seven brothers who become cows, the Breton cow is loved best by their sister.)
Q: This mountain chain's northernmost section is known as the Shickshocks. Mt. Equinox is the highest point of the Taconics, part of this system. A valley named for this chain contains the Kittatinny River Valley. James Hall formed his geosynclinal theory of mountain building by studying these mountains. In Pangaea it was connected to the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Its largest peak was named for a university professor who fatally fell from it. A large section of this chain consists of alternating ridges and valleys as its name suggests. It was created in the Alleghenian orogeny. Ranges in this mountain system include the Catskills, the Blue Ridge range, and the Great Smoky Mountains. Containing Mount Katahdin and Mount Mitchell, for 10 points, name this mountain chain traversed by a namesake trail that goes along much of the eastern United States.
A: Appalachian Mountains
Q: The gateway to a landmark in this state includes a tunnel through Mount Carmel. The Golden Throne may be found in a "wrinkle in the Earth" called Waterpocket Fold in this state. The most hoodoos in the world can be found in this state's (*) Bryce Canyon National Park. The "Devils Garden" area of a national park in this state, which contains features named "Landscape" and "Delicate," is near its town of Moab. This state is the northwesternmost of states in the "Four Corners" region. For 10 points, name this state which contains Zion and Arches National Parks.
A: Utah
Q: The Abuna River forms the northern border of this country, while the Itenez River forms its northeast. The northern Pando department experiences frequent flooding, while the country's southeast receives virtually no rain. Yungas Road, known as the most dangerous road in the world, connects the country's capital to the city of Chulumani by crossing the Cordillera Real Mountains. This country's highest point is Nevado Sajama, which is part of a plateau that dominates this country. El Alto and Oruro are cities in the Altiplano, whereas Cochabamba is in the plains and Santa Cruz is in the lowlands. For 10 points, name the country that is home to the world's highest navigable lake and has two capitals.
A: Bolivia
Q: On this island, tourists may climb to the top of a castle and lean over backward to kiss a stone for good luck. The Wicklow Mountains can be found on this island. One of this island's four provinces, Munster, is home to the densely forested Killarney National Park. The River Foyle flows through a city on this island, (*) Derry. The area where this island's indigenous language is still widely spoken is known as the Gaeltacht ("gale-talk"). For 10 points, name this island shared by two countries with capitals at Belfast and Dublin.
A: Ireland [or Eire; do NOT accept or prompt on "Republic of Ireland"; do NOT accept or prompt on "Northern Ireland" or "Tuaisceart Eireann" or "Norlin Airlann"]
Q: One man killed in a shootout during this event was a former Denver crime boss known for a swindle in which he wrapped money around certain objects. Soapy Smith was killed during this event, and Sam Steele led law enforcement during it. Residents of Circle City were among the first to respond to this event, which was sparked by actions of the Carmacks and Skookum Jim. The town of Dyea rose to prominence during this event and was connected to Bennet Lake by the Chilkoot Pass. Participants in this event were required to bring one year's worth of provisions by decree of the Royal Mounted Police. This event resulted in the founding of Skagway and Dawson City. For 10 points, name this event in the Yukon, which saw the influx of thousands of prospectors.
A: Klondike Gold Rush [prompt on partial answer; accept "Yukon Gold Rush" before it is read]
Q: A district of this Asian city was settled by African entrepreneurs in the '90s, earning it the nickname "Chocolate City." According to a proverb, in an ideal life you should eat in this city, while being born, marrying, and dying in three other cities written with the same final character. Five immortals saved this city by introducing rice according to a legend shown on the Five Goats Statue on Yuexiu ("y'weh-sh'yoh") Hill. Old people speak the Xiguan ("shee-gwahn") dialect in a district of this city that contains Lychee ("lee-chee") Bay and the 13 Factories, which controlled most western trade before the Opium Wars. Zaha Hadid designed the opera house in this city, which names a language with "nine sounds, six tones" that gave English the loanwords "bok choy" and "dim sum." For 10 points, name this capital of Guangdong, the namesake of Cantonese.
A: Guangzhou [or Guangzhou shi; accept Canton until "Cantonese" is read, but prompt after; or Kwangchow or Gwongzau or Guongciu or Kongchu or Kuaantseu; accept the historic names Nanwucheng or Panyu or Shengcheng or Xingwang or Khanfu]
Q: One action in a battle fought in this present-day country saw the Sixth Corps under Georg Pfeiffer shattered under an enemy offensive, while another saw Mogilev captured and elements of the German Fourth Army pinned down. That offensive, in this country, was one of "Stalin's Ten Blows." The main action here occurred in the second phase of the battle, which also saw the Polotsk offensive, and resulted in the annihilation of German Army Group Center near this country's capital. A masterpiece of "Operational Art," and crushing June 1944 victory for the Soviets was Operation Bagration, which attempted to recapture this country from the Nazis. For 10 points, name this modern country which more recently saw the failure of the Jeans Revolution against Alexander Lukashenko.
A: Republic of Belarus [or Respublika Byelarus]
Q: This area was the namesake of a 1997 poetry collection interspersing tales from the Odyssey and a failed marriage, by Louise Gluck. Planning in this area, whose natural features include William DeKorte Park and Berry's Creek, is handled by a commission founded in 1969 primarily in response to unregulated landfills in this region which features land reclaimed by the Mosquito Control Commission. The remains of Pennsylvania Station were dumped here in 1963, an act which prompted the first historic preservation measures in New York City. Found along the lower reaches of the Hackensack River just north of Newark Bay, for 10 points, name this estuarine wetlands and possible final resting place of Jimmy Hoffa in northeastern New Jersey, also the home of a sports complex containing the Big M and Giants Stadium.
A: New Jersey Meadowlands [or Hackensack Meadowlands before mention]
Q: This prefecture originated the koginzashi embroidery style, which features horizontal rows of diamond patterns. Members of this prefecture's "crow gang" wear all black instead of traditional haneto costumes and try to disrupt a festival that is Japan's largest procession of nebuta floats. This prefecture grows the majority of Japanese redcurrants and apples. According to legend, (*) dead souls cross the Sanzu River at Mount Osore on this prefecture's axeshaped Shimokita Peninsula. For 10 points, the southern end of the Seikan Tunnel is in what prefecture across the Tsugaru Strait from Hokkaido?
A: Aomori
Q: One volcano in this chain, Mount Mazama, was largely destroyed around 7,000 years ago. Lava Beds National Monument lies in this group of peaks. Its southernmost mountain was thought extinct until it erupted in 1914 and is called Lassen Peak. Other peaks in this range include Broken Top, Three Fingered Jack, and the Three Sisters. This mountain range is separated from the Coast Mountains to the north by the Fraser River and was formed from the subduction of the Juan de Fuca Plate. The Columbia River Gorge runs through this chain, which also contains Crater Lake. For 10 points, name this section of North America's Pacific mountain system that extends from northern California up into British Columbia whose peaks include Mount Hood, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens.
A: Cascade Range
Q: This people was broken up into the northern Siling and southern Asding branches. According to one story, this group began raiding by sea after their king was left lame by a fall from a horse and couldn't ride anymore. That leader's son married the daughter of Roman emperor Valentinian III, Eudocia. The last king of this people was defeated after deposing his cousin Hilderic. They migrated upon invitation from Count Boniface to fight Placidia Aetia. That last king was beaten at Tricamarum and Ad Decimum and was named Gelimer. Many Alans joined them when they crossed the Strait of Gilbratar into North Africa, where they set up a kingdom for a century before being destroyed by Belisarius. For 10 points, name this Germanic people which, under their greatest leader, Gaiseric, sacked Rome in 455 with a wanton destruction worthy of their name.
A: Vandals
Q: This event is referenced in the lyrics of the Itsuki and Takeda lullabies invented by burakumin babysitters. A folk dance performed during this event depicts workers at the Miike Coal Mine. "Cucumber horses" and "eggplant cows" are displayed during this event. In the city of Tokushima, people sing "the dancers are fools, the watchers are fools" during this event as part of Awa (*) Odori. The Daimonji symbol is displayed on a Kyoto mountainside during this event in the form of a huge bonfire. For 10 points, paper lanterns are floated down rivers to conclude what event that honors ancestral spirits?
A: Bon [or Obon; or Ghost Festival] {The Pokemon move Fire Blast is called Daimonji in Japanese because its animation is based on the Bon symbol.}
Q: This nation elected the first Jewish president in the Western Hemisphere, Eric Arturo Delvalle, in 1985. Banana farming is prominent here in the area surrounding Portobelo, and shrimp are harvested in the waters between La Palma and Isla del Ray, which is near the Pearl Islands to the south of this country's mainland. Its north is indented by the Gulf of Mosquitos. The damming of the Chagos River here created Lake Gatun just south of Chagos and Fort Sherman. It shares the Darien Gap with its southern neighbor, Colombia. One geographical feature in this country empties near Balboa and was administered by the United States at least in part until 1999. For 10 points, name this Central American nation along an isthmus whose namesake canal links the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
A: Republic of Panama [or Republica de Panama]
Q: In 1977 this facility was the site of Anton Schwarzkopf's first working "shuttle loop" design. This facility began as the twin of a Cincinnati-area location named for an "Island." In 2018 this facility removed Confederate-related names by changing the Rebel Yell to the Racer 75. Seven years earlier, rider blackouts caused a scaling back of this facility's Dale Earnhardt-themed "Giga Coaster," the Intimidator 305. A large Eiffel Tower replica is near the entrance of this facility. For 10 points, name this large theme park in Hanover County.
A: Kings Dominion
Q: The oldest metro line in this country's capital was once known as the Anglo. The salt lake Mar Chiquita is the terminus of the Segundo River in the Cordoba province of this nation. The Ibera wetlands in this country lie within a region consisting of Misiones, Entre Rios, and Corrientes, the Mesopotamia region. The Gulf of San Jorge contains its port city of Comodoro Rivadavia. San Martin island lies in this country's section of a natural landmark, as does the southern part of the Devil's Throat. This country's capital lies on the southwestern shore of a body of water whose northern shore contains another country's capital, Montevideo; that body is the Rio de la Plata. It shares Iguazu Falls with Paraguay and Brazil, and its northern grassland is called the Pampas. For 10 points, name this South American nation with capital at Buenos Aires.
A: Argentine Republic [or Republica Argentina]
Q: This lake is the largest remnant of the Pamlico Sea. This lake is just west of the historic site Big Mound City, which is in the J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area near the DuPuis [doo-pwee] Management Area. Some of the locations near this lake are named for the Mayaca and Belle Glade cultures that lived near it. This lake is fed by the Kissimmee River. One of the attempts to decrease flooding from this lake was the construction of the Saint Lucie Canal, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico. This lake is west of Palm Beach and at the north end of the Everglades. For 10 points, name this large lake in Florida.
A: Lake Okeechobee [oh-kee-CHOH-bee]
Q: The capital of this country contains a statue to the scholar Ibn Khaldoun [kahl-DOON] in addition to the Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul. This country contains a salty lake that is sometimes large called "Chott el Djerid [jeh-REED]", which is near its towns of Kebili [keh-BEE-lee] and Douz [dooz]. This country contains an ancient amphitheatre in the town of El Djem [jam]. The island of Djerba [JER-buh] is off the east coast of this country, in the Gulf of Gabes [GAH-bess]. This country is the closest African country to Italy. For 10 points, name this country at the north end of the border between Algeria and Libya, the former site of Carthage.
A: (Republic of) Tunisia [or (al-Jumhuriyah at-)Tunisiyah]
Q: The Steese Highway terminates at the town of Circle on this river. The town of Bethel is a service center for this river's delta region, which it shares with that of the Kuskokwim River. One of the four permanent road bridges over this river crosses it in the town of Carmacks. The Top of the World Highway's eastern terminus is a car ferry across this river just north of (*) Dawson City. The damming of this river led to the submerging of White Horse Rapids, after which one of the largest cities on this river is named. This river's tributaries include the Tanana River, which flows past Fairbanks, as well as the Klondike River. For 10 points, name this longest river in Alaska, which shares its name with a territory of Canada.
A: Yukon River
Q: This island is the site of the Grasberg Mine, the world's largest gold and second-largest copper mine, which sits within 4 km of this island's highest point, Nemangkawi. The north-western and south-eastern points of this island are formed by the (*) Bird's Head and Bird's Tail Peninsulas, respectively. The shape of this island is often compared to a bird of paradise, one of which appears on the flag of one country on this island. For 10 points, name this second-largest island of the world, split between Indonesia and a namesake country.
A: New Guinea
Q: To improve transportation in its western part, this country recently built the Golmud-Korla railway, which crosses the Taklamakan [tahk-luh-MAH-kun] Desert. The north end of the Karakoram [kar-uh-KOR-um] Highway is at this country's city of Kashgar [KASH-gar], which is in the western part of this country near Kyrgyzstan [KUR-gih-stan] and Tajikistan [tuh-JIK-uh-stan]. Both the third- and sixth-longest rivers in the world are entirely in this country. The south of this country borders Myanmar, Bhutan, and Laos, and its north borders Russia and Mongolia. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Beijing.
A: (People's Republic of) China or PRC or Zhonghua (Renmin Gongheguo)
Q: This country's highest point is either Mowdok Mual or Keokradong. One large city in this country contains Foy's Lake and is the namesake of a region known as its Hill Tracts. It contains the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, and the resort town Cox's Bazar. Its capital and a major city in its neighbor are connected by the Maitree Express. This country is bordered by its neighbor's states of Tripura, Mizoram, and Assam, and its second largest city is Chittagong. Most of the area of this country lies within the broad delta formed by the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers. India contains a state named after the "West" area of this country's namesake, and mostly surrounds this country. For 10 points name this country once known as East Pakistan whose capital is Dhaka.
A: People's Republic of Bangladesh [or Gonoprojatontri Bangladesh]
Q: This country's largest city contains a skyscraper made to look like a diamond at 11 Diagonal Street and is home to soccer teams like Kaizer Chiefs. Another of its cities lies near False Bay, so named because people confused it with Table Bay, and once saw a forced clearing of its District Six. A narrow coastal region in this nation is separated from the interior by the Great Escarpment. A loose analogue of white trash in this country is called zef. Cities in its south include Stellenbosch and Port Elizabeth. This country's Witwatersrand is the source of the Limpopo River. Durban is the largest city in its province of KwaZulu-Natal, and its Gauteng province includes one of its three capitals, Pretoria. For 10 points, name this country where Afrikaans is spoken in cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town.
A: Republic of South Africa [accept RSA or Republike van Suid-Afrika; if someone gives an answer in what sounds like a Bantu language, glare at them and look it up on Wikipedia, which lists the name of the country in all eleven official languages at the top of the sidebar]
Q: This adjective names a valley on Mars which was chosen as the landing site for the Phoenix lander. A subway line of this color has four lettered branches and terminates at Lechmere. This adjective described "Ukraine" in the name of an abortive republic declared by Ukrainian settlers in the Russian Far East following the Russian Revolution. A river named for this adjective flows through Flaming Gorge and meets the (*) Colorado in Canyonlands National Park. The UN buffer zone in Cyprus is also known as a "line" of this color. The 1949 armistice agreements set the borders of Israel at a line known by this color. The International Zone of Baghdad, home to most international presence, is more commonly known by this color. For 10 points, identify this color which formerly made up the entire flag of Libya, and which names a mountain range in Vermont.
A: green [or zelyoniy]
Q: This island's ancient polyphonic singing tradition of cantu a tenore attracted the attention of Peter Gabriel, who produced an album by its Tenores di Bitti. This island's flag depicts a red cross which divides the background into four parts, each of which contains a depiction of a Moor's head. This island is dotted by ancient holy wells which typically contain steps leading down to a conical chamber, as well as by large tombs called "giants' graves." Those structures were built by a civilization best known for constructing circular stone towers called (*) nuraghe. Cagliari is the largest city on this island, which is the southernmost of the two large islands on the west side of the Tyrrhenian Sea. For 10 points, name this Mediterranean island owned by Italy, which lies just south of Corsica.
A: Sardinia
Q: This crop is the main ingredient in the middle of the Italian food arancini [ah-rahn-CHEE-nee]. In Mexico but not in Europe, this crop is used to make a drink called horchata [or-CHAH-tah]. This crop is combined with a variety of different foods to make jambalaya [jum-buh-LY-ah]. The bran layer of this food is often removed, changing its color and making it a worse source of thiamine ["THIGH"-uh-min]. Though this crop is cultivated throughout the world, over 90% of it is grown in Asia. For 10 points, name this brown or white crop that is grown in paddies.
A: rice [or Oryza sativa]
Q: Endemic oligochaete worms and sponges live in this lake's Frolikha hot springs, and it is home to the nerpa, the only freshwater seal. Most of its Academic Range is underwater. The Holy Nose Peninsula juts into its eastern side. A Transneft pipeline was planned to pass by this lake, but was diverted north to prevent environmental damage. Its chief source is the Selenga River, while the Angara River flows out of it. An archipelago in this lake comprises Big, Narrow, Round, and Long Islands and is called the Ushkany Islands. To its south lies the North Mongolian Steppe. This lake's namesake mountain range is the source of the Lena, and it is located near Irkutsk. It contains about one-fifth of the fresh water on the Earth's surface. For 10 points, name this lake in Siberia, the oldest and deepest in the world.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: Air drawn out of this feature was once used to cool and purify the Limair Sanatorium run by Theodore Northcott. Benton Stebbins and the Campbell family attempted to purchase the land including this feature at an auction of Sam Buracker's property but were blocked by legal maneuvers. Brands Cascade and Pluto's Ghost are found within this feature, whose standard tour ends shortly after the Fried Eggs. After hearing the sound produced by a child hitting his head within this feature, Robert Sprinkle was inspired to create its Great Stalacpipe Organ. For 10 points, name this extensive system of speleothem-containing caves in Page County.
A: Luray Caverns
Q: In some East Asian countries, this product is sold inside a J-shaped object called jipangyi, the Korean word for "cane." A type of this product from Ecuador is made by spinning thin metal bowls called paila. A vendor of this product on Penn State's University Park campus claims that Bill Clinton is the only person to have ever been allowed to modify the way it is sold there. Turkish vendors of a stretchy variety of this product made with (*) mastic often whip it out of customer's hands at the last minute. A novelty type of this product from Germany is shaped like spaghetti. Despite containing an incompatible diacritic and digraph, the name of a famous brand of this product was originally chosen to sound Danish. In 2005, a different company changed its logo to highlight the 31 types of this product they sold. For 10 points, name this product sold in varieties like rocky road and cookies 'n cream.
A: ice cream [accept soft serve; accept gelato; accept frozen yogurt or fro-yo; accept dondurma; accept helado de paila; prompt on Spaghettieis; prompt on dairy; prompt on cream; prompt on corn by asking, "what product fills the corn?"] (Bill Clinton is said to be the only person allowed to mix flavors at the Penn State Creamery. The Danish-sounding brand is Haagen-Dazs, and the company with 31 flavors is Baskin-Robbins.)
Q: This city's bathhouses at Orchard Beach are being restored in its largest park, Pelham Bay. A large former landfill in this city will be converted into Freshkills Park. A landmark in this city was built after the razing of the Black neighborhood of Seneca Village. A body of water known simply as "the Lake" and the Ramble are found in a landmark in this city, whose Great Lawn and Turtle Pond are overlooked by Belvedere Castle. Parks Commissioner Robert Moses renovated many parks in this city, including one designed by Calvert Vaux ("vox") and Frederick Law Olmstead. This city's Flushing Meadows contains both Arthur Ashe Stadium and Citi Field. For 10 points, name this city that contains Central Park.
A: New York City [or NYC; accept Manhattan]
Q: The Basilica Cistern is located in this city, which contains the islands of Buyukada ("be-yoo-kah-dah") and Heybeliada ("HEY-bil-yada"). Another landmark in this city, located in the Beyoglu ("bay-uh-loo") district, is the Galata Tower. The Halic ("HALICH") Bridge spans the (*) Golden Horn inlet in this city, which contains Taksim Square. In this city, the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara are connected by the Bosphorus, which also separates Thrace and Anatolia. This city, both in Asia and in Europe, contains the Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia. For 10 points, name this Turkish city.
A: Istanbul, Turkey [accept Constantinople; accept Byzantium]
Q: One of these places was attacked by Chaim ("kah-EEM") Nissim using RPGs provided by the Red Army Faction. The establishment of these places was the main goal of 1974's Messmer Plan. The discovery of impurities in steel components from Le Creusot ("luh croo-SO") led to a widespread inspection of these places. In August 2019, a 730-million euro plan to build one of these places named ASTRID ("astrid") was cancelled. A subsidiary of Areva named Framatome created the EPR, a (*) Generation III ("three") design for these facilities exemplified by one in Flamanville. The potential for a repeat of the 1356 Basel earthquake is frequently used as a rationale to close an aging one of these places in Fessenheim. The defunct Superphenix ("super-fay-NEEKS") was an example of a "fast breeder" one of these places. The EDF manages 58 of these places, including powerful ones at Cattenom ("kat-NON") and Gravelines ("grav-LEEN"). For 10 points, what facilities produce a majority of France's electricity, but are currently being phased out due to the Fukushima disaster?
A: nuclear reactors [or nuclear power plants; prompt on power plants by asking "What kind of energy do they produce?"]
Q: A canal named after this city that fell into disuse was filled in on the orders of political boss Alexander Shepherd. This non-Philadelphia city was home to an impoverished neighborhood named Swampoodle, which was mostly demolished to make room for its busiest train station. Some of Andrew Jackson Downing's ornate landscaping in this city was simplified according to the 1902 McMillan Plan. The construction of the (*) Cairo Hotel in this city led to the passage of an act restricting the heights of its buildings to twenty feet more than the width of the adjacent street. Sandstone from Aquia Creek ("uh-KWY-uh") was used to construct many buildings in this city, including one modeled after Dublin's Leinster ("LEN-ster") House and the Charleston City Courthouse by James Hoban. This is the largest city surrounded by "boundary stones" placed during a survey conducted by Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker. For 10 points, name this city whose layout was planned by Charles L'Enfant ("lahn-FAHN").
A: Washington, D.C.
Q: Emile Oustalet lends his name to a giant species of chameleon named for this country. The alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine were first isolated from a periwinkle found only in this country. The southwest of this country is home to an endemic subfamily of shrubs, Didiereaceae, which comprise its "spiny forests." The central highlands of this country serves as a focus for plague, outbreaks of which hit this country in 2014 and 2017. This country houses the largest (*) tsingy forest on earth, a collection of tall needle-like rock formations. Six of nine baobab species are found here, and some of its biodiversity may have arisen from species "rafting" across the Mozambique channel. For 10 points, name this island home to 33 species of lemur, including the "ring-tailed" variety.
A: Republic of Madagascar
Q: The construction of a railway tunnel under this body of water has led to the indefinite closing of the Sirkeci (seer-kedge-ee) railway station in favor of one at Halkalı (hal-kal-uh). This body of water is lined by 620 waterfront mansions called yalı (yal-uh). In 2016, one crossing over this body of water was renamed the "15th of July Martyrs Bridge". The northern limits of this body of water are delineated by the Rumeli and (*) Anadolu lighthouses, named for the regions on either side of it. The neighborhood of Galata lies in a bend of the Golden Horn, an estuary which flows into this body of water. The Marmaray and Eurasia tunnels run under this body of water, which splits a certain city into European and Asian sides. For 10 points, name this strait which divides Istanbul and connects the Marmara with the Black Sea.
A: the Bosporus [or Bosphorus, or Strait of Istanbul or Istanbul Bogazı before "Istanbul"]
Q: The SS Ollanta is a steamship on a body of water shared by these two countries. It's not in the Middle East, but the "Highway of Death" is a road through the Yungas forest that these two countries share. The Altiplano, which is mainly within these two countries, causes a rain shadow effect that creates the Atacama Desert in Chile. The "highest navigable lake" in the world, Lake (*) Titicaca is on the border between these two countries. Sucre is one of two capitals in one of these countries, and the other country's capital was founded by Fransisco Pizzaro. For 10 points, name these two South American countries with capitals at La Paz and Lima.
A: Peru AND Bolivia [accept answers in either order; do NOT accept or prompt on partial answers; accept Republic of Peru or Republica del Peru in place of Peru; accept or Plurinational State of Bolivia or Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia in place of Bolivia]
Q: Historian William Henry Scott debunked the myth that this modern-day country's first law code was created by Kalantiaw. This modern-day country was home to a 2,000 year old terrace system built by the Ifugao people. This country was the site of trading settlements called bayans, which included the Tondo Kingdom. Antonio Pigafetta's journals claim that a man died in this country upon being impaled by a (*) bamboo spear. Ore mined at Potosi was shipped to a port in this modern-day country, which exported silver coins to Ming China. After the conquest of the Sulu Sultanate, this country's Moro ethnic group resisted colonization in a lengthy guerrilla war. At the Battle of Mactan in this modern-day country, forces led by Chief Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan. For 10 points, name this country where Spanish colonists founded the city of Manila.
A: the Philippines
Q: Barry Higman's history of this country's cuisine describes local comparisons of man to the "two-faced-ness" of a fruit featured in the obsolete dessert "Matrimony." Lorraine Washington created a rhyming fusion dish that mixed Italian cuisine with that of this country. Aphrodisiac qualities are attributed to a goat-filled stew known as Mannish Water in this country, which is also the (emphasize) birthplace of a coconut milk and (*) seafood soup called run down. The cassava flatbread bami is often served alongside the sauteed fruit arils that feature in this country's national dish, ackee and saltfish. Spanish influence in this country led to "pimento" being adopted as a local nickname for allspice, which is mixed with Scotch bonnet peppers to form a mixture essential to this island country's smoky cuisine. For 10 points, name this Caribbean country where jerk cooking originated.
A: Jamaica (The lead-in refers to the star-apple; the Lorraine Washington dish is rasta pasta.)
Q: Towns in this place include Escrow, Hunghung, and Bonk [be-yonk] whilst events that have occurred here include the execution of Lorenzo the Kind and the Borogravian-Zlobenian War. Another event in this place, at Bad Blintz, involved a group of unusual rats and a stupid-looking kid (*) with a pipe. In this place, the compass directions are "turnwise, widdershins, rimwards, and hubwards", the latter referring to the central spire of Cori Celesti [korry selesti]. Stories set in this place include the characters Nanny Ogg, the Wee Free Men, and Rincewind. For 10 points, name this "flat-earth" carried on four elephants, created by Terry Pratchett.
A: Discworld
Q: One group of these people brought their grievances to the attention of the government in a series of documents called the "bark petitions." Since 1972 a group of these people led by Michael Anderson have maintained a "Tent Embassy" in protest. The last uncontacted members of this group were discovered in 1984 and known as the Pintupo Nine. Many of these people were killed in the 1930s in the Caledon Bay crisis, and they later participated in the Pilbara strike. The report "Bringing Them Home" and the establishment of "National Sorry Day" tried to reconcile on atrocity against these people, in which thousands of children were taken away from their parents to be raised by whites. For 10 points, name these people who received an official apology from Kevin Rudd for the Stolen Generations.
A: Australian Aborigines [or Indigenous Australians]
Q: An archaeological expedition to this country's Abanda Caves uncovered an unusual population of dwarf crocodiles whose skin turned orange due to bat guano. This country is currently battling large-scale illegal logging of its sacred kevazingo trees by Chinese companies. With its eastern neighbor, this country shares a sizable manganese deposit in the Bateke ("bah-TEH-keh") Plateau. National Geographic popularized the "surfing hippos" of this country's coastal Loango National Park, which is one of thirteen parks established by its (*) president in 2002. This country, which rejoined OPEC ("O-peck") in 2016 after withdrawing in 1995, bases its lucrative oil industry in Port-Gentil. This country's Oklo region is home to a deposit of uranium that unusually sustains its own nuclear fusion. This country borders two fellow OPEC members: Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of the Congo. For 10 points, name this central African country once led for over four decades by Omar Bongo from Libreville.
A: Gabon [or Gabonese Republic; or Republique Gabonaise]
Q: Many of the native people of this island group practise a form of monotheistic animism that worships Paluga, with Paluga's residence being Saddle Peak, the highest point of this group. The southern extent of these islands is defined by the Ten Degree Channel, and this island group is home to one of the world's last uncontacted tribes, the (*) Sentinelese. These islands continue the Arakan Yoma and their largest settlement and capital is Port Blair. For 10 points, name this island group in the Bay of Bengal, forming a territory of India with the Nicobar Islands.
A: The Andaman Islands
Q: The dialect of an island in this body of water employs words like "snapjacksfirecrackers" and "coferdbent" and a manner of speech called "talking backwards." Holland Island sank into this body of water, whose fishing industry uses boats called skipjacks. This body of water is where roughly 80 percent of the world's striped bass spawn. This is the wider body of water among the two that meet near the town of Havre de Grace ("HAV-er dee grace"). Tourism to a non-New Jersey Ocean City was boosted by this body of water's namesake 18-mile-long bridge-tunnel. Yellow cans dispense a celery salt-based spice blend named for this body of water that is used to season blue crabs fished near the Delmarva Peninsula. For 10 points, the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers empty into what bay off the coast of Virginia and Maryland?
A: Chesapeake Bay [accept Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel; prompt on Old Bay Seasoning] (The island in the first line is Tangier Island.)
Q: The massive Barthelasse Island in this river provides views of a nearby building home to an annual arts festival founded by Jean Vilar. Gardiansuse a distinctive breed of white horses to herd bulls that feature alongside razeteurs("raz-TUR") in a type of bullfight popular in this river's delta. Roman ruins near this river include the Triumphal Arch of Orange and the (*) Pont du Gard aqueduct. According to AOC rules, Hermitage ("air-mee-TAZH") and Condrieu wine grapes must be grown in the delta of this river. The futuristic La Confluence neighborhood in Lyon separates the Saone ("sohn") from this river. The Gacholle lighthouse is located in this river's delta on the Digue ("deeg") a la Mer, a dyke that protects the Camargue from the Mediterranean Sea. For 10 points, name this river that passes through Avignon in southern France.
A: Rhone River
Q: Its gifting to Edward the Confessor by his queen inspired the village name of Edith Weston in this county, whose west is mostly located in the Vale of Catmose. A castle in this county possesses a large collection of horseshoes, given as forfeits by members of royalty passing through its county town. One body of water named for (*) this county was created by damming the Gwash valley in the 1970s, and is the largest artificial reservoir by surface area in the UK. The smallest historic county of England, for 10 points, name this East Midlands county with county town at Oakham.
A: Rutland
Q: A university named for this mountain range is connected to the city of Danyor by a wooden suspension bridge over the Hunza River only usable by pedestrians and motorcycles. A route through this mountain range was blocked for five years after a landslide caused the formation of Attabad Lake in 2010. A visit to this range is described in the book Three Cups of Tea and inspired its author Greg Mortenson to establish several schools in the area. The incredibly steep Trango Towers are part of a subgroup of this range called the Baltoro Muztagh. A survey by Thomas Montgomerie gave many of this range's peaks their (*) short names. Much of the province of Gilgit-Baltistan is covered by this range, where Operation Meghdoot allowed one country to claim the Siachen ("s'YAH-chen") Glacier. Kashgar and Hasan Abdal are connected by a high-altitude highway named for this range. For 10 points, what range in northern Pakistan contains the world's second-tallest mountain, K2?
A: Karakoram Range
Q: The moot mound of the Sigelai Hundred is located in this town, behind its Central Library. This town's central railway station and plaza were used as a substitute for the United Nations headquarters in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. An artwork created by Liz Leyh when she was artist-in-residence of this town inspires the nickname of this town's football team's ground. That artwork is (*) Concrete Cows. Red Bull Racing is based in this town, as is the largest university in the UK by undergraduate population. The Roman road of Watling Street is labelled V4 in this town's grid system, in which the major horizontal roads are 'ways' and the major vertical roads 'streets'. For 10 points, name this largest town in Buckinghamshire, home of the Open University and many roundabouts.
A: Milton Keynes [accept MK]
Q: The muddy upper portion of this river is joined with a smaller blackwater river at the Meeting of Waters. The Maranon ("mah-rah-nee-AWN") was the main candidate in a 20th-century dispute over the source of this river, which has no bridge crossings or dams. This river contains the largest population of a species of pink river dolphin known as the boto. This river provides access to the largest city unreachable by road, Iquitos. The capital of a state named for this river is Manaus ("mah-NOWSE"). A disputed claim ranks this river, rather than one in Africa, as the longest river in the world due to its source in the Peruvian Andes. For 10 points, name this South American river that runs through a vast rainforest.
A: Amazon River [or Rio Amazonas]
Q: The host of the International Festival of Animated Objects, this city located east of Banff National Park benefits during the winter from the warming effect of the Chinook winds. A recent issue in this city is the delay of highway construction due to concerns about the Tsuu T'ina. An oil boom peaking in the late 1980s led to the development of a downtown area that features the Plus 15 Skyway network and the Stephen Avenue pedestrian mall. Home to a Chinese Cultural Center that is the largest of its kind in North America as well as the Eau Claire Market, this city also runs a namesake Stampede that is the largest outdoor rodeo show in the world. The third largest city in Canada and home to the National Hockey League's Flames, for 10 points, name this host of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games located south of Edmonton in Alberta Province.
A: Calgary
Q: It's not the UK, but this country has a tradition that if the first person to enter a house on a certain day was healthy, the house would be blessed. That day in this country is the feast day of St Ignatius. Around the new year, individuals are tapped with a decorated tree branch for good luck by participants called survakar in this country. In the west of this country, Surva is celebrated by masked wearing men called Kukeri who dance to ward off evil. This country's Liberation Day is memorialised at a monument at the (*) Shipka pass, recalling the efforts of both Russians and this country's Opalchentsi volunteers. The International Folk Festival is held in the Roman Theatre of this country's city of Plovdiv. For 10 points, name this country, where the Monument to the Tsar Liberator stands in Sofia.
A: Bulgaria
Q: A national park in this state features a giant limestone chamber called the "Big Room." Virgin Galactic spacecraft is launched from Spaceport America in this state's city of Truth or Consequences. White Sands National Park is located in this state, whose nearby missile range of the same name was the site of the first (*) nuclear test. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in this state. The towns of Gallup and Taos are located in this state, whose city of Roswell is the target of UFO conspiracy theories. For 10 points, name this state with cities such as Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
A: New Mexico
Q: CAN BE READ TO ANY TEAM A portion of this state's coast that is marketed as the "Quiet Resorts" includes Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island. This state's northern border is an arc of the Twelve-Mile Circle, which is centered in its town of New Castle. It's not New Jersey, but this state's flagship university is in its city of Newark ("NEW-ark"). This state lies directly east of the vertical portion of the Mason-Dixon line. This state's three counties are the fewest of any state. This is the first state in the portmanteau name of a "Peninsula" made up of parts of three states on the Mid-Atlantic coast. For 10 points, name this state whose capital is Dover.
A: Delaware [or DE] (The peninsula is the Delmarva Peninsula.)
Q: Several islands in this group are divided by the Kadovu Passage, while Lakemba is separated from Tuvuca by the Lakeba Passage. The core group's northernmost point, Nambouono, is found on an island defined by the Loa Peninsula and Natewa and Savusavu Bays, while that island is separated from this chain's only international airport by the Bligh Water. That airport is located at Nadi, on the island featuring the Sigatoka Sand Dunes and the widest river, the Rewa. This country is found 1100 miles north of New Zealand, in the Koro Sea. Seventy percent of its population lives on the island Viti Levu, whose large population of Indian origin is a source of political instability. For 10 points, name this Melanesian archipelago state near the International Date Line, whose capital is Suva.
A: Fiji [or Fijiian Islands]
Q: The Justice of the Peace of this town owns a restaurant called Bad Hombres and, although this town lacks a mechanic, it does have a public radio station, KRTS. The Paisano Hotel in this town features pictures of James Dean from when he was there filming the movie Giant. A converted military hospital in this town is now "a machine to track how the sun moves" called Dawn to Dusk, a large artwork by Robert Irwin. The Amazon series I Love Dick is set in this city. Artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset got an Italian company to donate merchandise for a fake (*) Prada store some 37 miles outside of this town. Large box-like structures such as 15 Untitled Works in Concrete and 100 Untitled Works in Mill Aluminum were constructed in this town by the museum-hating minimalist artist Donald Judd. For 10 points, name this artist colony in west Texas.
A: Marfa, Texas
Q: Submarine groundwater discharge through springs known as vrulja [ver-oo-lee-ah] is responsible for 20% of the inflow into this body of water. In winter, this body of water is subject to the jugo [yoo-go] and bora winds, the latter of which can cause sea ice to form in this body of water's northern parts; and the coast of this body of water includes the port of (*) Neum [nay-oom], the only access to the sea for one country. The southern limit of this body of water are the Straits of Otranto, which lead into the Ionian Sea. For 10 points, name this sea of the Mediterranean that divides Italy from the Balkans.
A: The Adriatic Sea
Q: The only river dolphin that also lives in saltwater environments is named after this body of water. This body of water's mouth is marked by Samborombon Bay and the Barra del Indio divides this body of water into an inner freshwater portion and an outer, brackish portion. This body of water was where three (*) Royal Navy cruisers defeated the Admiral Graf Spee and is formed by the confluence of the Parana and Uruguay rivers. For 10 points, name this major estuary of South America, which separates Uruguay from Argentina.
A: Rio de la Plata [accept River Plate or La Plata River]
Q: The best book published in either English or French in this polity is awarded the annual Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize. Just like a nearby province, which hosts Ogopogo, this place is home to a lake monster, that is named after this province. This province's highest point, Mount Baldy, is found in its Duck Mountain Provincial Park. Here, the Assiniboine River meets the Red River system, which also includes the Nelson River. Tourists come to its city of Churchill to see polar bears migrate inland toward the shore of Hudson Bay, which borders the northeastern tip of this province. This easternmost of the "Prairie Provinces" borders Nunavut to the north, North Dakota and Minnesota to the south, and Saskatchewan to the west. For 10 points, name this home of Winnipeg.
A: Manitoba
Q: In 1902, occultist Aleister Crowley and colleague Oscar Eckenstein unsuccessfully tried to climb this mountain and came down with malaria. Most ascents of this peak occur on the Abruzzi Spur, which contains the Black Pyramid and the Bottleneck. Count Ardito Desio led the first expedition to successfully ascend it, but a more famous expedition occurred in 1953, was led by Charles Houston, and saw the participants create a makeshift stretcher to aid member Art Gilkey. This peak received its name from surveyor Thomas George Montgomerie who could not find a local name for it. Known as the "Savage Mountain" for its high fatality rate, it is sometimes named after Henry Godwin-Austen. For 10 points, name this peak in the Karakorum Range, the second-highest mountain on Earth.
A: K2 [accept Mount Godwin-Austen until mentioned, accept Chogori or Qogir, prompt on "Savage Mountain" until mentioned]
Q: Artifacts found near this river often depict unicorns, tigers, or rhinoceroses and were written in an unknown script studied by Asko Parpola. Near the north end of this river, the trading colony of Shortugai provided access to lapis lazuli mines. John Marshall led early excavations of cities on this river, and later excavations were overseen by Mortimer Wheeler. Mound F of a city on this river contains the so-called "Great Granary." The earliest known (*) flush toilets and remarkable drainage systems were found in cities on this river. Cities on this river connected to the sea through ports like Meluhha and Lothal. The "Dancing Girl" sculpture was found in a city on this river that is also home to the "Great Bath." Soapstone stamp seals were found in cities like Mohenjo Daro on this river. For 10 points, name this river whose valley names the Harappan civilization of India.
A: Indus river [or Sindhu; Abasin]
Q: The island of Kadavu (pronounced "Kandavu") is one of the least developed portions of this country, and, along with Ono Island and Galoa Island, it is surrounded by the Great Astrolabe Reef. Mount Tomanivi lies to the east of the city of Nadi ("Nandi") in this nation. Ueans and other Rotumans form an ethnic minority in this nation, although they have more in common with the Polynesians of nearby Samoa and Tonga than the native Melanesians of this nation. Nearly 40% of the population of this nation is made up of Indian immigrants who were brought to this nation by the British in the 19th century. For 10 points, name this Pacific island nation whose two major islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, and which has its capital at Suva.
A: Fiji
Q: Slums in this city are known as ciudades perdidas, or "lost cities". Modern buildings here include the Museo Soumaya, named after a magnate's late wife. Milpa Alta and Magdalena Contreras are among its 16 boroughs, or delegaciones. The Torre Latinoamerica stands near this city's Plaza de la Constitucion, a large public square also called the Zocalo. This city's main thoroughfares include Insurgentes Avenue and Paseo de la Reforma. The main campus of its National Autonomous University is in Coyoacan. The Ninos Heroes died trying to defend this city's Chapultepec hill. This city was originally on an island in Lake Texcoco and was founded on the site of Tenochtitlan. For 10 points, name this metropolis that forms its nation's Federal District, the capital of a North American nation.
A: Mexico City or Ciudad de Mexico [accept Federal District or Distrito Federal until mentioned]
Q: Nancy Wexler traced the high level of Huntington's Disease in the villages that surround this lake to a single woman who migrated there in the 1800s in an example of the founder effect. This lake's basin contains a namesake city, the capital of Zulia State, and Cabimas lies on its shore. The decision to allow tankers bringing oil from the Tomoporo region into this lake has caused increased salinity, which may have helped fuel an outbreak of lemna, a type of duckweed coving up to 18% of it. The Catatumbo River flows into this lake, which is spanned by the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge. This lake has an outlet to a gulf named for the nation that contains it, an arm of the Caribbean Sea. For 10 points, name this lake in northern Venezuela, the largest in South America.
A: Lake Maracaibo
Q: In this country in 2002, a French stuntman cycled at a world-record 107 miles per hour down the gravel slopes of the active volcano of Cerro Negro. This country contains the Western Hemisphere's second-largest rainforest, the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve. This country's citizens use the term "mar dulce," meaning "sweet sea," to refer to a body of water upon which the Concepcion and Maderas volcanoes formed the island of Ometepe ("OM-ay-TEP-ay"). A Dutch pirate names this country's city of Bluefields. A waterfall on the Tipitapa River prevents the migration of bull sharks out of this country's primary lake. This is the southernmost of the two countries whose eastern shores were called the "Mosquito Coast." For 10 points, what country contains Central America's largest lake and Lake Managua?
A: Nicaragua [or Republic of Nicaragua or Republica de Nicaragua; accept Lake Nicaragua or Lago de Nicaragua] (The other Mosquito Coast country is Honduras.)
Q: Trott Lott's attempt to exempt one of these groups from the Leahy Provision is detailed in a chapter of Generation Kill, and that group was at center of conflict in Plan Colombia. Due to involvement with one of these groups, Julius Chan was ousted as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. In addition to that example of these groups named Sandline, another of these groups was founded by Eric Prince and was investigated after the death of Scott Helvenston. After killing seventeen civilians in Nisoor Square, that group changed their name to Xe Services, and some of their employees were notably ambushed in Fallujah. For 10 points, name these companies that are often used to escort VIP's in war zones, and whose most famous example was known as Blackwater Worldwide.
A: Private Military Companies [prompt on "mercenaries" or equivalents]
Q: One natural monument in this state can be viewed through a modern sculpture by Junkyu Moto called the Wind Circle. This state's Lake Gosiute contains Green River Formation fossils. The eastern part of this state is known as the High Plains. The Lower Basin of one area in this state contains the Fountain Paint Pot. Its highest point, Gannett Peak, lies in the Wind River Range. The Medicine Bow Mountains lie near its city of Laramie. This state was the first to grant women's suffrage, for which it is called the Equality State. Franklin Roosevelt declared Jackson Hole a National Monument in this state, which includes Devil's Tower. One geyser here erupts about once an hour and is called Old Faithful. For 10 points, name this state which contains the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.
A: Wyoming
Q: A dam at this river's Three Gate Gorge was basically a failure, but contributed to the erosion of its delta. A massive Water Transfer Project is being undertaken to divert water towards the western end of this river. This river passes through Lake Gyaring after rising in the Bayan Har Mountains. This river makes a long loop around the Ordos Desert. It flows into the Bo Hai, which is bordered by the Liaodong and Shandong Peninsulas and is part of a sea that shares its name with this river. It flows through the Loess Plateau, whose cities include Xi'an. This river flooded in 1887 and 1931; that fact, along with its frequent, unpredictable changes of course, leads to its nickname of "China's sorrow". For 10 points, identify the second longest river in China, named for the color of its sediment.
A: Yellow River [or Huang He]
Q: In this city, soil from sites across its country were used to build four corkscrew-shaped mounds honoring political leaders. A pile of bones that hang from a chain in a cathedral in this city legendarily derive from a fearsome dragon, but actually come from a whale or mammoth. The Lord's Ark Church, built to resemble Noah's Ark, can be found in this city's centrally-planned Nowa Huta district. This city's tradition of colorfully decorating models of local buildings to make (*) nativity scenes have been recognized by UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This city's Jordan ("YOR-dahn") Park is home to a statue honoring Wojtek ("VOY-tek") the Soldier Bear. This non-capital city's landmarks include Wawel ("VAH-vel") Castle and Jagiellonian ("yag-yeh-LOH-nee-an") University. For 10 points, name this second most populous city in Poland after Warsaw.
A: Krakow, Poland (The dragon is the Wawel Dragon.)
Q: In this region, gradually riskier "acceptances" are pursued by members of an internet-centered meet-up culture that is the subject of a 2016 novel titled "A Stroll to [this place]." University of Portsmouth professor Jim Smith has led an endeavour to produce a specialty moonshine made entirely from ingredients found in this region. A statue of a trumpeting angel made of steel rebar can be found in this region, which titles the 2019 debut book by Adam (*) Higginbotham. Tours to this region visit the "Azure" indoor swimming pool, as well as a set of bumper cars and an iconic yellow Ferris wheel. The New Shelter, the world's largest movable metal structure, surrounds an older "sarcophagus" in this region whose construction followed the evacuation of Pripyat. For 10 points, name this European region designated as hazardous following a 1986 nuclear disaster.
A: Chernobyl Exclusion Zone [accept any answers mentioning Chernobyl or Pripyat; accept 30 Kilometer Zone; accept Chernobyl Zone of Alienation; prompt on The Zone; prompt on northern Ukraine or southern Belarus] (The subculture in the leadin is the Chernobyl "stalkers," and the referenced author is Markiyan Kamysh.)
Q: In 2018, eighty wooden dragons were restored to this facility's "Great Pagoda," which had earlier provided research space for the dropping of inert bombs during World War II. A triangular prism-based building here is home to Lord Blechnum, one member of this facility's famed population of Chinese water dragons. A namesake gallery hosts the 832 paintings that Marianne North bequeathed to this facility, whose early growth was spurred by the informal directorship of (*) Joseph Banks. This non-Norwegian facility co-runs the Millenium Seed Bank Partnership with nearby Wakehurst. Following the Great Storm of 1987, a "Tree Gang" was established to protect the lush arboretum at this facility, whose Princess of Wales Conservatory houses the Sumatran corpse flower among its millions of plants. For 10 points, name this massive botanical nursery in southwest London.
A: Kew Gardens [accept Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; accept the Royal Gardens at Kew; accept Kew Botanical Gardens]
Q: A statue in this city depicts a man in a suit whose upper torso and head have been replaced by a chunk of rock. That statue, the "Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat", stands next to this city's municipal government building. A hydroelectric plant in this city's suburb of Kopavogur dams the Elliðaar (ell-ee-thuh-our) river. This city's Lækjartorg (lye-kyar-torg) square lies at the western end of Laugavegur (loog-uh-vay-gurr), a major shopping street. Many parks, sporting venues, and swimming pools can be found in this city's Laugardalur, or (*) Hot Spring Valley. This city's harbor is home to the Harpa concert hall, which was at one point the only active construction project in its country. This city's Ingolfur Square is named for the historical figure said to have been its country's first inhabitant. This city is home to the world's oldest parliament, the Alþing (all-thing), as well as a museum detailing its settlement by the Norse. For 10 points, name this northernmost national capital, the most populous city in Iceland.
A: Reykjavik
Q: H. Roy Cullen and Clint Murchison are among the "big four" businessmen that dominated one of this US state's industries in the 1920s and 30s. Exploration of salt domes near the coast of this state led to the opening of facilities at Goose Creek and Sour Lake. In this state, wildcatters like Glenn McCarthy and Columbus Marion Joiner were largely responsible for the expansion of a certain industry here. A 1900 (*) hurricane that struck this state is still the deadliest natural disaster in US history. A discovery by Anthony Lucas at Spindletop near this state's city of Beaumont led to an oil boom here that led to rapid industrialization. For 10 points, name this state where hundreds of oil refineries and petrochemical companies can be found in and around the city of Houston.
A: Texas
Q: Calle [KAH-yeh] 24 is an example of official "cultural districts" designated to preserve the heritage of unique neighborhoods in this city. Other examples in this city include Soma Pilipinas, celebrating Filipino culture, and one commemorating the Compton's Cafeteria riot and recognizing (*) transgender history in this city. The amusingly named Tendernob area in this city lies between its "gritty" Tenderloin district and upscale Nob Hill neighborhood. This city's Chinatown is the oldest of its kind in North America. For 10 points, the Bay Bridge separates Oakland from what city in California?
A: San Francisco
Q: One dessert from this country consists of a thick caramel manjar base topped with port-infused meringue. That dish is named after the "sigh of a lady" from this country's capital. A sticky sweet anise cookie nougat is eaten during this country's "purple month" that culminates in the Lord of Miracles celebration. A crispy pancake of leftover rice, stew, beans, and aji amarillo sauce called tacu-tacu developed among this country's African slaves and their descendents. The (+) tusan community of this country influenced a stir-fry dish called lomo saltado that is the most popular of its Chifa fusion cuisine. The Nikkei-style tiradito was adapted from this country's national dish following a 19th century wave of Japanese immigration. For 10 points, pisco and ceviche are from what country, whose cuisine is a blend of (*) Spanish, Creole, East Asian, and Incan traditions?
A: Peru
Q: One World Heritage Site in this country is the Sigiriya fortress, which has been inhabited by monks since the fifth century. Satellite images have found a land bridge submerged underwater connecting this nation to the mainland, which is named Adam's Bridge. Its highest point is Pidurutalagala, which serves as a military base, and the longest river in this country is the Mahaweli. It is separated from the mainland by the Palk Strait, which is close to the Jaffna Peninsula, and this country saw the defeat of the extremist Tamil Tigers in 2009. Formerly known as Ceylon, For 10 points, name this island nation south of India with capital at Colombo.
A: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka [accept Shri Lamka or Ilankai; prompt on Ceylon]
Q: In the 1820s, a struggle that occurred between native inhabitants of this place and British settlers was called the Black War. The land bridge connecting this island to its much larger northern neighbor was submerged around 10,000 years ago. Matthew Flinders confirmed this place was an island when he sailed through a strait he named for his ship's surgeon, George (*) Bass. The Dutch explorer for whom this island is named visited it in 1642. For 10 points, Van Diemen's Land was the former name of what island state of Australia known for its indigenous namesake "Devil"?
A: Tasmania [prompt on "Van Diemen's Land" before read; prompt on "Australia" until "Dutch explorer"]
Q: The trufis, a fleet of collective taxis, link the center of this city to smaller suburbs such as Obrajes ("oh-BRA-hays") and Barrio Rosasani. Neil Armstrong named a valley of aroused sandstone mountains south of this city after the barren landscape of the moon. An elevated transportation system constructed by Doppelmayr in this city provides a free travelling stage for emerging musicians called "Do Re Mi Teleferico." Yatiri aid clients in constructing cha'llas ("CHA-yass"), sometimes out of dried llama fetuses, in this city's (*) Witches' Market. The Plaza Murillo is located in this city, which is linked to the Yungas region by a namesake "Road of Death." The longest and highest cable car system in the world connects this city to the predominantly Aymaran city of El Alto. For 10 points, name this city that houses the seat of the Bolivian government along with Sucre.
A: La Paz [prompt on El Alto until "witches" is read]
Q: A river in this country names a type of rock with high magnesium content that displays a characteristic spinifex texture: komatiite. In this country, multiple rings surround a 'dome' of hills in the largest confirmed impact crater on Earth, the Vredefort crater. An area in this country names the (*) Karoo supergroup. A rock discovered in this non-Australian country is often formed as carrot-shaped intrusions known as 'pipes'; that rock, kimberlite, contains much of this country's diamond deposits. For 10 points, name this country where orogeny formed Table Mountain.
A: South Africa [NB: do read the first line carefully]
Q: A letter A, a bottom segment of the globe, and a pair of hands appear on a background of this colour in Whitney Smith's proposed flag of Antarctica. A flag which contains a background of yellow and this colour depicts Druk holding four (*) jewels. A river named for this colour is known as the Senqu for part of its reach. Water from that river is diverted from the Gariep Dam to the Fish River by a tunnel. For 10 points, name this colour that links a river whose tributaries include the Vaal, and the ruling house of the Netherlands.
A: Orange
Q: Red sandstone cliff formations called the Cathedrals stretch along this state's Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island. The lead and silver ore mining industry in this state's interior grew out of the Mount Isa shantytown. This state's sugarcane agriculture has been damaged by an invasive species that was introduced to eliminate the native beetle population, and is centered around Bundaberg. The Kuranda Scenic Railway reaches this state's Atherton Tableland after crossing the (*) Great Dividing Range from Cairns. The Q1 skyscraper in Gold Coast, this state's surfing mecca, is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. The Whitsunday Islands off this state's coast are common attractions for tourists visiting the largest structure in the world created by lifeforms. For 10 points, name this Australian state governed from Brisbane that is home to the Great Barrier Reef.
A: Queensland
Q: This river's namesake estuary contains the wreckage of the SS Richard Montgomery, which hasn't been lifted out due to many unexploded devices still on board. This river hosts a competition every year in which two universities compete for the Grand Challenge Cup outside (*) Henley. The cities of Reading ["redding"] and Windsor are situated on this river whose source is in Gloucestershire. This river empties into the North Sea. For 10 points, name this river that flows through London and is the longest in England.
A: River Thames
Q: A 1993 book by Gillian Rose pairs this field of study with feminism. Torsten Hagerstrand applied the concept of time to this field, and he also worked on theories of cultural diffusion within it. A 1973 work which argues that this field cannot be objective in the face of the urban poor was written by David Harvey, the foremost practitioner of the Marxist approach to this field. The general (*) systems approach to this field considers open or closed systems which are linked by input, output, and flow-through mechanisms, while the spatialist approach to this field is concerned with the physical placement of entities with respect to each other. For 10 points, name this field of social science, whose "human" form may study population densities and whose "physical" form might study the locations of mountains and rivers on maps.
A: geography [accept human, physical, feminist, or Marxist geography; accept Explanation in Geography; accept Feminism and Geography; accept spatialist or systems geography]
Q: The offices and residence of this country's President are found in Urugwiro Village, from where this country's Vision 2020 plan, which aims to make it a middle-income country by 2020, was launched. This country contains the Nyabarongo River, which is claimed as the furthest source of the (*) Nile and has the highest proportion of female parliamentarians in the world. A constitutional referendum in this country in 2015 could allow Paul Kagame to stay in power until 2034. For 10 points, name this small Rift Valley country of Africa with capital Kigali.
A: Rwanda
Q: This mountain range runs through the middle of the Flathead River valley and the Uinta Mountains are one of its subranges. Nature preserves in this mountain range include the Kootenay National Park and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The highest peak in this mountain range is Mt. Elbert, and the northern terminus of this range is the Liard River in Canada. The Owen-Spalding route is used to summit one mountain in this range; that mountain in this range is the namesake of the Grand Teton National Park. For 10 points, name this mountain range which contains landmarks such as Pike's Peak, the longest in North America.
A: Rocky Mountains
Q: This city is sometimes referred to as the Ninth Island of Hawaii, and is home to a monthly arts festival called 'First Friday'. This city's Symphony Park is the site of the Smith Center For the Performing Arts and this city is the location of the Mob Museum and the Neon Museum. Some of this city's most notable buildings are located along the (*) Fremont Street Experience, and this city's population grew by 85.2% between 1990 and 2000. For 10 points, name this Entertainment Capital of the World, renowned for its Strip and casinos.
A: Las Vegas
Q: Ada Lovelace and Phyllis Pearsall provided the inspiration for names of machines used in this project. During this project, the nickname "the eye of the needle" was given to a location where a tunnel had to be bored between two existing tunnels with less than a metre clearance on each side. The British (*) Rail Class 345 began service in 2017 on the first part of this project, which opened under the name "TfL Rail" . Eventually running from Reading to Shenfield, for 10 points, name this project which will fully open in 2019 as the Elizabeth Line.
A: Crossrail (accept the Elizabeth Line before mention)
Q: The British professional body for this subject awarded Neil Armstrong a Special Gold Medal in 1970; previous recipients include Vivian Fuchs. The headquarters of that same body was where David Livingstone lay in state before burial in Westminster Abbey. The term "manpower" was coined by a man who formulated (*) "heartland theory" and introduced the academic study of this subject at Oxford University, Halford Mackinder. For 10 points, name this subject that deals with the spatial distribution, change and origins of things in the world.
A: geography
Q: The idea that people from this city are polite but standoffish to visitors and newcomers is known as this city's namesake "freeze." A sculpture titled "If 6 Was 9," comprising 500 electric guitars in the shape of a tornado, stands in a museum in this city which has a (*) monorail running through it; that museum was formerly known as the Experience Music Project, and its facade was designed by Frank Gehry. Tourist attractions in this city on Puget Sound include Pike's Place Market and the Space Needle. For 10 points, what city in the Pacific Northwest is home to the first Starbucks location and is the most populous in Washington?
A: Seattle
Q: This word replaced a name that was coined by the gold prospector William Dickey. The use of this word was opposed by Ralph Regula, who repeatedly proposed legislation to exploit a loophole preventing the official adoption of this word. In an announcement about the adoption of this word, Sally Jewell said that "40 years is an unreasonable amount of time" to debate the use of this word. This name comes from a (*) Koyukon word meaning "the high one." In 2015, the Secretary of the Interior announced the adoption of this name, a move which was opposed by many Ohio Republicans but supported by Lisa Murkowski. For 10 points, give this name of North America's highest mountain, formerly called Mount McKinley.
A: Denali [reject "Mount McKinley"]
Q: This country controls the controversial Kings Romans Casino, which lies next to its border with two other nations and is likely the site of wide spread heroin and exotic animal trade. It is illegal to climb this nation's highest peak of Phou Bia due to the large amount of unexploded ordinance that is scattered across it. Citizens of this country often line up along its longest river to watch the unexplained Naga Fireballs, which may be caused by phosphine gas buildup underwater. The (*) Plain of Jars is an unusual collection of rock formations in this country. This country makes up the Golden Triangle zone of drug trafficking along with Burma and Thailand. For 10 points, name this landlocked southeast Asian country west of Vietnam whose capital is Vientiane.
A: Laos [or the Lao People's Democratic Republic]
Q: Many listicles dubiously claim that a language from this island uses the word tingo [TEENG-goh] to mean "to borrow items from a neighbor one by one until they have nothing left." A local language's name for this island indicates that it is bigger than a similarly-named member of the Bass Islands. Two crescent-shaped reimiro [ray-MEE-roh] ornaments are among the two dozen wooden items from this island that display a reversed boustrophedon [BOOST-ruh-FEE-dun] script. This island is home to the (*) undeciphered Rongorongo [RONG-goh-RONG-goh] script. Jacob Roggeveen [YAK-ohb ROH-huh-ven] gave this island its English name, which references the fact that it was discovered on April 5, 1722. For 10 points, name this Polynesian island home to many moai [MOH-eye], which are monolithic statues of human figures.
A: Easter Island [or Rapa Nui; or Isla de Pascua] ("Rapa Nui" means "big Rapa," which distinguishes it from the smaller Rapa Island.)
Q: Waterfalls flow into the Korana River in this country's Plitvice ("plit-VEE-tseh") Lakes region. A submerged range that ran parallel to this country's Velebit Mountains forms the Zadar Archipelago, whose southern portion makes up Kornati National Park. A prominent mountain range takes its name from Dinara, a peak found in this country. A hard sheep milk cheese originated from this country's Pag Island, which is south of a port city on the (*) Kvarner Gulf called Rijeka ("REE-yeh-kah"). A city developed by Roman refugees who fled this modern-day country's town of Salona was built around the Palace of Diocletian; that city in this country, Split, lies in the Dalmatia region along the Adriatic Sea. For 10 points, name this Balkan country which contains Dubrovnik and Zagreb.
A: Croatia [or Republic of Croatia; or Republika Hrvatska]
Q: This country is where the musical form known as "fado," characterized by longing and a resignation to fate, developed, partly in its city of Coimbra. A slightly lighter form of espresso served in this country is nicknamed "bica," after the coffee machine's spout. This country's southernmost region, which has beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, is the (*) Algarve. A fortified wine grown in this country's Douro district is named for this country's largest city, Porto. For 10 points, what western neighbor of Spain has capital at Lisbon?
A: Portugal
Q: A bistro in this non-Japanese city has been simmering a massive pot of beef stew for nearly 50 years. A museum in this city houses the art collection of American silk magnate Jim Thompson, who disappeared in 1967. A sculpture in this city's airport depicts the churning of the ocean of milk from Hindu myth. The blue line of this non-Canadian city's Skytrain metro takes tourists to the world's busiest market near Chatuchak ("jah-too-JACK") Park. Western tourists flock to the nightlife on this city's Soi Cowboy street and Khao San Road after arriving at Suvarnabhumi ("soo-wun-uh-POOM") airport. The porcelain spire of the Wat Arun and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha are visible from ferries on the Chao Phraya ("jow pruh-YAH") River through this city, whose native name is Krung Thep. For 10 points, Chakri kings named Rama resided in a Grand Palace in what capital of Thailand?
A: Bangkok [accept Krung Thep or Krung Thep Maha Nakhon until read]
Q: The introduction of the invasive water hyacinth to this body of water has interfered with attempts by the city of Qena [kay-nah] to convert its grid to hydroelectricity. The Naqadda II site depicts that the earliest boats on this body of water were the first to have cabins. One part of this body of water ends at Lake (*) Tana, while the other flows past the city of Juba to reach Lake Albert and Victoria. This body of water splits into Blue and White sections when it enters Sudan. For 10 points, name this longest river in the world, which flows through Egypt.
A: Nile River [Accept also Blue Nile or White Nile]
Q: The north of this country contains a gulf named after Joseph Bonaparte and, in this country, the Spinifex people still practise a hunter-gatherer lifestyle on the largest expanse of limestone bedrock in the world. The world's longest straight piece of railway crosses that arid area, the (*) Nullarbor plain. A quarter of this country is underlain by the Great Artesian Basin, an important water source in this predominantly arid country that includes the Sturt Stony and Simpson deserts. For 10 points, name this large country, the world's smallest continent, with capital Canberra.
A: Australia
Q: This state's Mount Desert Island is home to Cadillac Mountain, which is the tallest mountain on the North American seaboard. This state's Quoddy Head peninsula is the closest point in the United States to Africa. This state's Mount (*) Katahdin [kuh-TAH-din] is the most northern point in the Appalachian Trail. This state, home to Acadia National Park, is the only one to border only one other state, New Hampshire. For 10 points, name this northeasternmost state, whose cities include Bangor and Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: One of this country's colonies was acquired despite its defeat by the Black Flag Army at the Battle of Paper Bridge. This country's empire acquired another territory after the Lambert Charter granted it the lands of the Merina rulers of Antananarivo. Tensions with Britain climaxed in the Fashoda Incident between this country's colonies of Djibouti and Congo-Brazzaville. Mauretania and Senegal are some of this country's former West African colonies, and Guiana and Martinique remain its overseas departments. For 10 points, name this European country that colonized Algeria and Quebec.
A: France [accept "French Empire"]
Q: This region's Kapuas River is the longest river in its country, and this region also contains Mount Kinabalu, which is this region's highest point. This location is home to Clearwater Cave, as well as the incredibly biodiverse Deer Cave, which was once believed to be the largest cave system in the world. It is separated from the island of Sulawesi by the Makassar Strait, and one country administers the territory of Labuan, as well as the states of Sabah and Sarawak, on this island. For 10 points, name this third-largest island in the world, shared between Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
A: Borneo
Q: Maleem Mahmoud Guinia was a Gnawa singer from this country, whose other types of folk music include Malhun and Chaabi music. The Sand Child is a novel from this country, written by its most acclaimed contemporary author Tahar Ben Jelloun. The dialect of Arabic spoken in this country is called Darija. In Islam Observed, Clifford Geertz compared how religion was practiced in (*) Indonesia and this country. The Rif Mountains lie north of the Middle Atlas Mountains in this country, which claims the territory of Western Sahara as its Southern province. The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain from-for 10 points-what North African country governed from Rabat?
A: Morocco
Q: Oxidation of a shale portion of this mountain range produced a red-green color scheme that earned it the nickname "Candy Cane Mountains." People of this mountain range may have drawn on Greek tales for their Nart sagas. The Atesgah ("ah-tesh-GAH") and Yanar Dag ("yah-NAR dah") were among the eternal flames that led a country in this mountain range to brand itself as the "land of fire." Artificial drainage of this mountain range's largest lake turned an island into the Sevan Peninsula. A mountain in this range is named for Shota Rustaveli ("SHOH-tah roose-tah-VEH-lee"), a medieval poet in one of its Kartvelian languages. Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in this mountain range, which contains the disputed territories of Abkhazia ("ab-KAH-zee-uh") and Nagorno-Karabakh ("nah-GOR-noh kah-ruh-BAHK"). For 10 points, what mountain range between the Black and Caspian Seas spans countries like Georgia and Azerbaijan?
A: Caucasus Mountains [or Qafqaz or Kavkaz; or Kavkasioni; accept Greater Caucasus; accept Lesser Caucasus or Caucasus Minor]
Q: During a religious festival in this country, idols are paraded on a golden barge named after the mythical karaweik ("kuh-ruh-wake") bird. During the full moon in the traditional month of Tazaungmon, a fierce fireworks competition takes place in this country's city of Taunggyi ("town-jee"). To worship mahagiri nature spirits, pilgrims visit this country's volcanic Mount Popa. Tourist attractions in this country include ballooning over a dry zone in the rain shadow of the (*) Rakhine ("ruh-kyne") Mountains. Lots of drugs are smuggled into China from this country along its border with China's Yunnan province. Villages in this country's Kachin State were moved in preparation for the planned Myitsone ("m'yits-own") Dam, which threatens the endemic Irrawaddy River dolphin. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian country whose capital is Naypyidaw ("nape-yee-DAW").
A: Myanmar [or Burma]
Q: A bread-making process originally developed in this city relies on high-milled grain and envelops the dough in steam during baking. A boulangerie named after this city was August Zang's first entrepreneurial success and introduced the steam-oven to France. A hotel in this city offers a dessert made in 34 individual steps with three specially-made imported chocolates for the icing. That item from this city is a chocolate cake with an (+) apricot jam filling. This city exhibited a sweet tasting roll at the 1867 Paris Exposition that used beer press-yeast instead of a sourdough starter. French brioche and croissants belong to a class of rich breads named after this city. According to legend, an iconic dish named after this city was brought back from Milan by a victorious Marshal. For 10 points, name this city home to the Sachertorte, the (*) Kaiser roll and a certain breaded veal schnitzel.
A: Vienna [or Wien]
Q: This island is home to a supposed chimpanzee-bat hybrid with a 28-foot wingspan called the Ahool. The most polluted body of water in the world, the Citarum River, which contains 4 times the normal amount of manganese, is on this island. This island is home to the Borobudur Temple as well as over fifty percent of its nation's population. An early example of (*) Homo Erectus was discovered on and named for this Pacific Ocean island. For 10 points, name this most populous island in the world which is home to Jakarta and names a variety of coffee.
A: Java [Generously prompt on Indonesia]
Q: In this region, to "pank" something means to make it compact by patting it down, such as snow. A 1959 film shot in this region was one of the first Hollywood films to use words like "sperm," "rape," and "climax" in the sexual sense. That film, which was partly shot in this region's city of Ishpeming, is Anatomy of a Murder. This region's distinctive vocabulary, including the exclamation "Holy (*) wah," is showcased in the Jeff Daniels movie Escanaba in da Moonlight. Residents of this region refer to people to their south as "trolls," because those people live below the Mackinac [MAK-in-aw] Bridge. People from this region are known as "Yoopers." For 10 points, name this northern portion of Michigan.
A: Upper Peninsula of Michigan [or the U.P.; prompt on Upper Michigan; prompt on Northern Michigan; prompt on Michigan or the American Midwest before "trolls"]
Q: This mountain range was explored in 1856-7 by Semyonov, who took the name of this range as an epithet, and Tomur [tuhr-mooer], is the highest point of this range. To the north of this mountain range lies the Junggar Basin and to the south is the (*) Tarim Basin, containing the Taklamakan Desert, which separates this range from the Tibetan Plateau. Part of the Greater Himalaya, this mountain range connects to the Pamirs in the south, and the Altai in the east. For 10 points, name this range in the Xinjiang [shin-jee-ang] Autonomous Region of China, whose name means 'Heavenly Mountain'.
A: Tian Shan (accept Heavenly Mountain (s) until mentioned)
Q: In November 2018, this country's fried chicken fast food chain Albaik was brought to its capital as a "healthy" alternative to KFC. The mudbrick Jawatha Mosque sits in the center of this country's Al-Hasa Oasis, which is near the lucrative Ghawar Field. This country's port city of Dammam is served by the largest airport in the world based on land area, which is named after (*) King Fahd. The oil company Aramco is headquartered in this country, home to most of a desert whose name means "the empty quarter," the Rub al Khali. For 10 points, what country's capital is Riyadh?
A: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Q: The western portion of this country contains the Kakamega forest and the Nandi Escarpment, and its north contains Lake Rudolf. A Marine National Park and the Silversands Beach are located near this country's city of Malindi. An impala sanctuary is located near this country's city of Kisumu, located on the shore of Lake (*) Victoria, and the Ewaso Ng'iro flows into this country's arid northern region. Important cities in this country include a large slum called Kibera, found outside of the country's capital, and the port of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean. Located east of Uganda, south of Ethiopia, and north of Tanzania, this is, for 10 points, which country which shares its name with the second highest mountain in Africa and which has its capital at Nairobi?
A: Kenya
Q: One natural area in this state contains an escalating series of different-colored cliffs, including the Chocolate Cliffs, Vermilion Cliffs, Gray Cliffs, and Pink Cliffs. A region of this state nicknamed "Dixie" is the namesake of a national forest in this state. This state's Newspaper Rock is one of the United States' largest collections of petroglyphs. Many of this state's national parks are famed for their "hoodoo" rock formations. The (*) Wasatch Range is located East of most of this state's population centers, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is located south of this state's city of Moab. This For 10 points, name this state home to Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Zion National Parks, most of which are located south of the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: This body of water is home to Juan de Nova Island, in whose surrounding reefs lies the wreck of the SS Tottenham, and to the Glorioso Islands, which contains Ile du Lys. Its horseshoe-shaped Banc du Geyser is found near the sunken Banc du Levee. Dzaoudzi and Mamoudzou have served as capital of the island of Mayotte, which is located in this body of water; Mayotte is sometimes grouped with Moheli and Anjouan as part of an island nation that lies within it. It reaches its narrowest point of about (*) 460 kilometers between Angoche and Tambohorano, and the Agulhas current is fed by waters flowing south through it. The town of Moroni, which serves as the capital of the Comoros Islands, is located in, for 10 points, which body of water that separates Madagascar from a namesake African nation to the east?
A: Mozambique Channel
Q: Near this city is the Ilha [ee-ya] de Paqueta, home to twenty baobab trees brought from Africa; that island is in Guanabara Bay. Jorge Selaron's mosaics decorate the 215-step staircase in this city called the Escanderia Selaron. The best-known beach in this city is Ipanema, (*) made famous by its mention in the title of a Bossa Nova song. The best-known landmark in this city is in the Tijuca Forest National Park at the top of Corcovado Mountain, and is made from concrete and soapstone. The Christ the Redeemer statue overlooks, for 10 points, what city, the second-most populous after Sao Paulo in Brazil?
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: A settlement on the shores of this body of water is named after a misspelled version of the name of Daniel Greysolon, the first French explorer in the area. It's sadly not near Philly, but the Magpie River empties into this body near the town of Wawa; about 40 miles southwest of Wawa is an island where the mishipeshu panther is said to live. The romanization of the (*) Ojibwe ("oh-JIB-way") name for this body that Longfellow used in The Song of Hiawatha is also used in a song about how this body of water "never gives up her dead" in November by Gordon Lightfoot. The indigenous name of this lake, Gichigami, means "Great Sea." While the original French name for this lake means "Upper Lake," a similar-sounding English translation refers to its size. For 10 points, name this largest Great Lake.
A: Lake Superior [accept Gichigami or Gitche Gumee before "Gichigami"]
Q: Slang terms from this country include acere [ah-SAY-ray], meaning "dude," and que bola [kay boh-LAH], meaning "what's up." This country's double-humped tractor-trailer buses are nicknamed camellos [kah-MAY-zhohss] because of their resemblance to camels. A poet from this country is known for his use of rhythmic onomatopoeia like songoro cosongo [SOHN-goh-roh koh-SOHN-goh] and (*) mayombe-bombe [mah-YOHM-bay BOHM-bay]. This country's version of rice and beans is called moros y cristianos [MOH-rohss ee crease-TYAH-nohss], meaning "Moors and Christians." People who left this country on Freedom Flights were derogatorily called "worms," or gusanos [goo-SAH-nohss], by a leader of this country. In a classic hyperforeignism, a tilde is added to the name of a hot pepper named for this country's capital. For 10 points, the habanero [hah-bah-NAY-roh] pepper is named for what country's capital?
A: Republic of Cuba [or Republica de Cuba]
Q: This man's five wives included Wan Rong, Wen Xiu, Tan Yuling, Li Yuqin, and Li Shuxian. His upbringing owed more to his wet-nurse Wen-Chao Wang and his tutor Reginald Fleming Johnston and less to his mother Youlan, and (*) regents during his term included the second Prince Chun and the Dowager Empress Longyu. He was briefly reinstated in his highest post by Zhang Xun, but he was expelled within the course of two weeks by Duan Qirui. Chosen by the Dowager Empress Cixi on her deathbed as a reward for his family's loyalty to her, he later ruled the State of Manchukuo as a Japanese puppet, attempting to flee to Japan in 1945. For 10 points name this "Last Emperor" of Qing China, who died a common citizen in Maoist China in 1967.
A: Henry Puyi (accept Xuantong Emperor, prompt on Kangde Emperor [of Manchukuo])
Q: This river's Csepel (chep-pull) island is a former industrial center and used to be a royal vacation retreat. The Bystroye (bee-stroy-eh) canal was built through this river's delta despite opposition from environmental groups. The Kalemegdan fortress overlooks the confluence of the Sava and this river. This river passes through a valley known as the Devin Gate. The Inn and Ilz rivers flow into this river at Passau, while other tributaries of this river include the Isar and the (*) Tisza (tee-suh). Ada Kaleh, a former island in this river, was an Ottoman Turkish exclave until 1920. That island was submerged in 1970 following the construction of a hydroelectric dam across the Iron Gates gorge in this river. The border between Romania and Bulgaria largely lies along, for 10 points, what Eastern European river which flows through Bratislava and Vienna?
A: Danube [accept any of Donau, or Dunaj, or Duna, or Dunav, or Dunarea, or Doana]
Q: This location's inhabitants were persuaded to move by a figure appointed by its governor as "Great Conciliator". George Robinson negotiated the deportation of this island's natives after a campaign of genocide of which Wooraddy and Truganini were the only survivors. In one atrocity on this island, settlers formed a human chain that advanced across this island killing anyone it encountered.This island's governor, George Arthur, fought the "Black (*) War" on this island and deported its survivors to Flinders Island. This island's country implemented strict gun laws after a mass shooting in this island's city of Port Arthur. This island's original inhabitants reached it by crossing the Bass Strait. This island was known as Van Diemen's Land under British rule. For 10 points, name this island named for a Dutch explorer who was one of the first to visit Australia.
A: Tasmania
Q: This city is home to the extremely generically named Asia Building, a former office of Royal Dutch Shell that is located along its historical waterfront. It's not Atlanta, but plant seeds were placed in 60,000 acrylic rods in this city's temporary Seed Cathedral, which is adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Arena. This city's People's Square, which is built on the site of a former race course, is south of a shopping center in the (*) Puxi ("poo-shee") District. The Ming-era Yuyuan Garden is adjacent to this city's Temple of the City Gods. A namesake World Financial Center and Oriental Pearl Tower are in this city's Pudong New Area, which is connected by the long Donghai Bridge to the Yangshan Islands, part of the world's busiest container port. The historic Peace Hotel is in this city's Bund ("bunned") district, which overlooks the Huangpu River. For 10 points, name this most populous city in China.
A: Shanghai
Q: This substance is the subject of an annual Las Vegas event created by businessman Mahesh Patel called the Nth Show. Due to a phylloxera epidemic in the late nineteenth century, the French changed the primary ingredient of the absinthe-laced Sazerac to this substance. Immigrants from the North Frisian island of Fohr helped popularize a cocktail in which this primary ingredient is mixed with bitters and (*) vermouth. Charcoal chips are used in the Lincoln County Process to produce this substance, which is the primary ingredient in both a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned. This product is manufactured on a namesake "trail" in Kentucky by Jim Beam. Jack Daniel's manufactures-for 10 points-what cask-aged liquor whose subtypes include bourbon and scotch?
A: whiskey [accept more specific types of whiskey such as bourbon or scotch; accept the Kentucky Bourbon Trail or the American Whiskey Trail]
Q: In 1854, a small dispute over the price of some rice in this city escalated into the racially charged Five Catties of Rice Riots. After a carpenter in this city tried to kill its first "Protector" with an ax, an ordinance cracked down on so-called "Secret Societies." Many of this city's ethnic neighborhoods date to its gridded Jackson Plan, which also mandated uniform "five-foot way" shopfronts now used by many (+) hawkers. A shrine to Mazu in this city called Thian Hock Keng was built by Hokkien-speaking immigrants, who also established coffee shops called kopitiams. Tengku Hussein ceded the land that became this city in return for recognition as the Sultan of Johor. After 1867, this city was grouped with Penang and (*) Malacca in the Straits Settlements. For 10 points, name this city built up by Stamford Raffles at the tip of the Malay Peninsula.
A: Singapore
Q: In this country, one common way to offer good wishes to someone who has sneezed is to say in its language "rice and salt." A rectangular meatball filled with vermicelli called Nem Nguoi [hn-gwoy] is popular in this country. That snack and a salad made of shrimp and green papaya is associated with this country's city of (*) Hue [HWEY]. French colonial influence can be seen in the use of a baguette for sandwiches commonly called banh mi [BAHN mee] in this country's cuisine. For 10 points, pho [fuh] is a soup that originated around what country's city of Hanoi?
A: Vietnam
Q: During a ritual dance from this ethnic group, young women wear color-coded beadwork denoting their relationship status while carrying reeds, the breakage of which is believed to indicate the loss of virginity. Unmarried members of this ethnic group may perform high kicks during the ritual ingoma dance, where women sing a shrill while the men dance and men play rawhide and tin drums called (+) Isigubhu during the women's turn. Women of this ethnic group may undergo the Umemulo coming of age ritual, which involves gift giving and the use of spears during the ukusina dance. According to legend, a king of this ethnic group hardened his soldiers' feet by having them dance on (*) thorns. War dances from this ethnic group, such as indlamu, were performed by men in war bands called impi. For 10 points, name this South African ethnic group whose soldiers were trained in the Buffalo Horn formation through war dances by their king Shaka.
A: Zulu [or Amazulu; prompt on Nguni]
Q: This city displays arches of lights donated by Italy during an annual memorial festival called the Luminarie. The outskirts of this city are home to the abandoned Maya Hotel, named after a mountain that provides a so-called "ten million-dollar" night view of this city. A natural event commonly named for this non-English speaking city is often linked to the collapse of the London-based Barings Bank. In 1975, the U.S. military largely abandoned this city after it passed an ordinance banning ships carrying (*) nuclear weapons from entering its harbor. The Takatori Catholic Church in this city was temporarily replaced by a "Paper Dome" designed by Shigeru Ban. The world's longest-spanning suspension bridge, the Akashi Kaikyo ("KYE-k'yo") Bridge, links Awaji Island to this city. This city was Japan's busiest port until it was struck by the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. For 10 points, name this city immediately west of Osaka that lends its name to an expensive type of Wagyu ("WAH-g'yoo") beef.
A: Kobe, Japan
Q: In this mountain range, eight glaciers can be found on Tronador, which is an extinct stratovolcano, and Alpamayo is notable for being a near-perfect ice pyramid. Hotspots in this region include the forests of El Choco and its hypersaline lakes, which are inhabited by grebes and flamingos. This region, which includes Lake Titicaca, possesses rich deposits of salt in its south, and in its north are silver mines located at Potosi. For 10 points, name this mountain chain, the longest in the world, which contains Mt. Chimborazo and Mt. Aconcagua.
A: Andes Mountains
Q: In 2009, it was announced that this city's Clover Bar Landfill had reached full capacity. That structure is located on Meridian Street within this city's Waste Management Centre, which also contains the largest composting facility in North America. 2009 saw plans to expand this city's Light Rail System north to Gorman station, east to the community of Mill Woods, and south across the North (*) Saskatchewan River and through this city's loop highway, Anthony Henday Drive. This city also contains the Citadel Theatre in Churchill Square and the Royal Alberta Museum as well as a famous complex whose World Waterpark and Ice Palace skating rink were flooded by thunderstorms in 2004. For 10 points, identify this Alberta city whose west side contains North America's largest shopping mall and that is notably not Calgary.
A: Edmonton
Q: Maggie, a girl from this state, recalls having an affair with her high school English teacher Aaron in a section of Lisa Taddeo's book Three Women. In this state's small town of Ross, a group of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants built the oldest still-extant mosque in the United States. In 1988, a shorthanded college basketball team from a technical college in this state remarkably beat a full team from a state university, as related in the Chuck (*) Klosterman Grantland article "Three Man Weave." The International United Tribes Powwow is held annually in this state, which contains the southeastern portion of the geologically-valuable Bakken Formation. The Northern Pacific Railroad weirdly attempted to attract German immigrants to this state by renaming its capital after a German statesman. For 10 points, what state contains the cities of Bismarck and Fargo?
A: North Dakota
Q: After being moved from a castle to this island, physical trainer Joseph Pilates ("puh-la-teez") developed his namesake exercise method. For a time, Kurt Schwitters lived on this island in a Hutchinson Square location that became known as "the artist's camp." Geoff Duke set several world records on a racetrack on this island that passes through Ramsey. During Midsummer Court, people assemble in this island's village of St. John's to listen to new acts passed by the (*) Tynwald, this island's parliament. A smaller island off this island's southern coast is known as its "calf." Hundreds have died in this island's ultra-dangerous motorcycle race, the Tourist Trophy. A red background appears on the idiosyncratic flag of this island, which features a triskelion made up of three joined legs. Douglas is the capital of, for 10 points, what small island in the Irish Sea that names a breed of short tailed cats?
A: Isle of Man [or Ellan Vannin; accept Manx or Manx cats]
Q: This country's city of Sarh lies on the Chari (shar-ee) river, which meets the Logone at its capital. A volcanic caldera in this country called the Doon Orei, or Big Hole, is mostly lined with a crust of natron called a "soda lake". Over a hundred elephants were killed in a series of 2006 poachings in this country's Zakouma National Park. The Guelta d'Archei is a major gathering place for wildlife in this country's Ennedi Plateau. Emi Koussi is the largest of the volcanoes which make up this country's (*) Tibesti Mountains. This country's flag was obtained by replacing the white stripe in the French flag to yellow for the desert, and is therefore identical to that of Romania. This country disputed the Aouzou Strip with its northern neighbor Libya, and it has been destabilized by refugees coming from Darfur to the east. This country gets its name from a large lake it shares with neighbors Cameroon, Niger (nee-zhair), and Nigeria. For 10 points, name this north African country with capital at N'Djamena.
A: Republic of Chad [or Republique du Tchad, or Jumhuriyat Tashad]
Q: A rock formation called Camel Rock is found in the Tesuque Reservation north of this state's capital. That capital of this state contains the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the Institute of American Indian Arts. Walter De Maria's destination art piece The Lightning Field is located in this state, which also contains the Very Large Area radio telescope facility. (*) Carlsbad Caverns are in the southeastern corner of this state, and this state also contains the town of Truth or Consequences, named after a game show. The atomic bomb was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in this state. It's not Colorado, but this state's capital has the highest elevation of any state capital. For 10, points, name this southwestern state whose capital is Santa Fe.
A: New Mexico [or NM]
Q: A 1963 election in one of these places was rigged against Victor Poto, leading to two decades of authoritarian rule by Kaiser Matanzima. The Contralesa organization was formed by leaders of these places. These places were established on territory designated by the 1936 Land Act, and one of these places contained a massive resort and entertainment complex at Sun City, since gambling was legal in these places. (*) Pass-book laws were not enforced in these places, and the Inkatha Freedom Party was founded by a leader of one of these places. Deportations to these places accelerated under the leadership of B.J. Vorster and P.W. Botha. These regions included Transkei and Ciskei, both of which were governed by the Xhosa people. For 10 points, name these quasi-independent "native homelands" established as part of apartheid.
A: bantustans [prompt on "homelands" before mention]
Q: The AUL is used to transport people around this island, which contains the Isua supracrustal belt. Cape Farewell is the southernmost point on this island, while Cape Morris Jesup is its northernmost point. Peter Freuchen ("FROY-ken") lived in this island's settlement of Qaanaaq ("kah-nahk"), which was then known as (*) Thule ("TOO-lee"). The world's largest national park is on this island, which is east of Baffin Bay. This island with capital Nuuk was given its name by Eric the Red to make it sound more hospitable than Iceland. For 10 points, name this Danish island which contains the only permanent ice cap outside Antarctica and is the largest island in the world.
A: Greenland [accept Kaallalit Nunaat or Grønland]
Q: It's not Tennessee, but this state's city of Paris constructed a replica Eiffel Tower topped with a hat. This state's Hill Country is located east of the Big Bend. This state's panhandle region and that of its northern neighbor border each other and much of the border between that state and this one is formed by the (*) Red River. The Galveston seawall protected major oil facilities around this state's largest city until Hurricane Ike in 2008. Enron was once headquartered in, for 10 points, what Lone Star State, home to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area?
A: Texas
Q: This state, which is not in the Northeast, is home to a tomato-based beef stew called the "chowder," which is served at gatherings also called "chowders." Motorists in this state get their vehicles blessed at the 198-foot-tall Cross at the Crossroads, the tallest cross in the United States. The Underground Railroad made use of many rock formations now located in the Shawnee National Forest, which covers much of the southern part of this state. Settlers traveling to the southern part of this state to buy grain in the 1830s likened themselves to Israelites and popularized its nickname of "Little Egypt," which may explain why towns in this state have names such as Karnak, Thebes, and Cairo [KAY-roh]. The college town of Carbondale is a major metropolitan area in the culturally distinct bottom third of, for 10 points, what Midwestern state home to the cities of Peoria, Champaign, and Chicago?
A: Illinois
Q: Pilgrims flock to this body of water as part of Kumbh Mela. This body of water's wildlife includes the Gharial crocodile and the Rhesus Macaque. High pollution levels in this body of water have occurred partially because of the dumping of ashes at sites such as Haridwar and Rishikesh. Visitors to the city of (*) Varanasi often "cleanse" themselves by bathing in this body of water. This river meets with the Brahmaputra River to form the largest mangrove forest in the world, known as The Sundarbans. For 10 points, name this holiest river in India which empties into the Bay of Bengal.
A: Ganges River [accept Ganga]
Q: Men from these islands ignite oil-soaked machetes while performing the "fire knife dance." Near a stream on these islands in which a woman legendarily cupped her hands to save her husband from dying of thirst, Robert Louis Stevenson built a villa where he spent the last four years of his life. This island group names an unusually monogamous species of flying fox whose populations were devastated by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake in 2009. Individuals who are assigned male at birth but present as feminine later in life belong to a third gender known as the Fa'afafine, who constitute upwards of 5% of the population of these islands. Men from these islands are painfully inked from the waist to below the knee with a tattoo called the pe'a, a custom documented in Robert Flaherty's 1926 documentary Moana. For 10 points, name this Polynesian archipelago split by the International Date Line, whose eastern portion is a territory of the United States with its capital at Pago Pago.
A: Samoan Islands [or Motu o Samoa; prompt on Polynesia before "names"; accept American Samoa or Amerika Samoa]
Q: A 2019 biography titled for an Obsession with these objects details how the Englishman Collingwood Ingram reintroduced a variety of them back to its native country. These objects are mentioned in the first line of a folk song that beholds them "as far as the eye can see," asking "Is it mist, or clouds?" The craft of kabazaiku relies on the material from which these objects spring and is said to have originated in Kakunodate, a town whose tourism made these things famous. The largest variety of radish in the world grows in the ash soil of an island named for these objects in Kagoshima Bay. Each day from mid-March to the start of May, meteorological forecasts announce the advance of a northward-moving "front" of these objects. These objects and ume are observed during viewing parties called hanami, which often take place at Osaka Castle and Ueno Park in Tokyo. For 10 points, name these pale pink flowers, also known as sakura, that are a national symbol of Japan.
A: cherry blossoms [or cherry trees; accept sakura before it is mentioned]
Q: Two operations codenamed "Provide Comfort" sought to defend people of this ethnicity. The Soviet-sponsored Republic of Mahabad was a short-lived state for people of this ethnicity. Some people of this ethnicity practice a syncretic religion that worships the Peacock Angel, Melek Taus. Political leaders from this ethnicity include Mustafa and Masoud Barzani. A rebel group that supports a state for these people is the PKK. These people were massacred with chemical weapons at Halabja by the regime of Saddam Hussein. People of this ethnicity formed the peshmerga army, which still fights ISIS forces at cities such as Kirkuk. For 10 points, name this oft-oppressed ethnic group that lives in eastern Turkey and northern Iraq.
A: Kurds [or Kurdish; anti-prompt on Yazidis]
Q: This city banned the sale of alcohol in response to a riot that erupted over the death of a construction worker in Little India. A man known as "the Messiah" hacked the webpages of a community foundation in this city, as well as a blog post published by its Straits Times. A complex in this city was constructed to look like a left hand from above, with the Fountain of Wealth making up its palm. People leaving this city via causeway arrive at the Sultan Iskandar Building, a checkpoint in Johor Bahru. This city still uses caning as a method of corporal punishment. Concerns over subway door sensors led this city to ban the sale of chewing gum. For 10 points, name this city-state found at the tip of the Malay peninsula.
A: Singapore [or Republic of Singapore; or Republik Singapura]
Q: This state controls Dirk Hartog Island, which was named for an explorer who visited it in 1616 and left behind an inscribed dinner plate. A location in this state was ironically nicknamed "North Pole" and is home to stromatolites that may be 3.5 billion years old. The residents of this state's capital lit up their streetlights specifically for John Glenn's space flybys. This state still benefits from the Super Pit gold mine in Kalgoorlie. This state's primary river is named for the many black swans that inhabit its shores. This state, home to Shark Bay, shares the Nullarbor Plain with its eastern neighbor, which is home to Adelaide. For 10 points, name this largest Australian state by area, whose capital is Perth.
A: Western Australia
Q: Many nautical oddities can be found in the Shipwreck Museum on this state's Fenwick Island, which it shares with a southern neighbor. The Twelve-Mile Circle, the only circular border in the United States, separates this state from its northern neighbor. The Christina River, named after a queen of Sweden, flows through this state's largest city. The Winterthur Museum, a premier collection of 17th to 19th century American decorative art, was founded in this state by members of the (*) Du Pont family. 1209 Orange Street in this state's largest city is the official address of hundreds of thousands of companies to take advantage of this state's low corporate tax rate and lax financial regulations. Wilmington is the largest city in, for 10 points, what U.S. state whose capital is Dover.
A: Delaware
Q: An observatory initially built to stop shipwrecks off this geographical feature made the earliest calculation of the stellar parallax of Alpha Centauri. The peninsula named for this feature houses a statue honoring Just Nuisance, the only dog to ever be enlisted in the Royal Navy, in Simon's Town. This geographical feature lends its name to the smallest of the world's six floral kingdoms, comprising 6,200 endemic plant species growing in the fynbos biome. Bright, pastel-colored houses line a neighborhood on the slopes of Signal Hill which was a once a historical center of the namesake "Muslims" or "Malays" of this feature. The Chacma baboons are a protected species within the section of the Table Mountain National Park that houses this feature. King Joao II [zhu-ow "the second"] gave this cape its current name after Bartolomeu Dias sighted it in 1488. For 10 points, name this "Great Cape" in South Africa.
A: Cape of Good Hope [or Kaap die Goeie Hoop; or Kaap de Goede Hoop; prompt on the Cape or Kaap; do not accept or prompt on "Cape Town"]
Q: The 2017 documentary Meteors focuses on individuals of this ethnicity. The former "Red Prison" in Sulaymaniyah is now a museum that documents persecution of members of this ethnicity. Dialects of the language of this ethnicity include Sorani and Palewani. This is the majority ethnic group that populates the settlements around Lake Van and the plateau-top settlement of Amedi. The flag of these people features a golden (*) sun symbol known as the Roj. The cities of Diyarbakir and Erbil have majority populations of this ethnic group. This is the largest ethnic group without a nation, with up to 40 million individuals living throughout the Middle East. For 10 points, name this non-Arab Middle Eastern ethnic group concentrated in Iraq, Iran and Turkey.
A: Kurds [accept Kurdish people]
Q: This river's farthest tributary, the Kagera River, forms the boundary between Tanzania and Rwanda. Another tributary, the Gazelle River, is its chief western tributary forming the wetlands of the Sudd. The Gezira scheme uses this river's eastern branch for irrigation, which begins at Lake Tana. The creation of the Aswan High Dam attempted to control this river, forming Lake Nasser, and this river's western source arises out of Lake Victoria. For 10 points, name this river with White and Blue tributaries, the longest in the world, that flows through Egypt.
A: Nile River
Q: After the closure of the Betic Corridor, this body of water experienced the Zanclean flood, which ended a period of extremely high salinity. The Calypso Deep is this body's deepest point, and to the southwest of this body of water lie the Rif mountains. Cities located on the shores of this body of water include Gaza, Alexandria, and Benghazi, while islands such as Corsica, Cyprus, and Crete are located here. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar. For 10 points, name this body of water located between Europe and Africa.
A: Mediterranean Sea
Q: A film center in this city is rumored to be haunted, since over a hundred workers were supposedly buried alive in cement during its construction. A seaside park in this city now contains the Noli Me Tangere Garden in honor of the park's namesake. The abaca plant was made into a type of durable hemp nicknamed for this city. Like Baguio (BAHG-yo) to its north, this city was redesigned by Daniel Burnham. Spanish ships that traveled between this city and Acapulco were known as its namesake "galleons." One of this capital city's major roads is named for a former Governor-General, William Howard Taft. Quezon City is grouped into this city's metropolitan area. For 10 points, name this capital of the Philippines.
A: Manila
Q: This river's namesake tidal bore, also called le mascaret, was eliminated by the early 70s due to dredging. Rising on the Langres plateau, and repeatedly used by Viking conquerors, this river's many (*) bridges include the cable-stayed Pont de Normandie and the Pont Neuf. An intellectual hotbed along this river, which empties at Le Havre in the north, was the Left Bank, and it originates in the Burgundy Alps. For 10 points, name this second-longest river in France, which flows through Paris.
A: Seine River [SR/MJ]
Q: This country's Antarctic claim is known as the Ross Dependency, which was the home of the World Park Base. Lake Taupo was formed as a caldera following a supervolcanic eruption in this country, and its city of Christchurch was rocked by multiple earthquakes in 2010. The highest point in this country, Aoraki, lies in its Southern Alps, and it is divided into two parts by the Cook Strait. For 10 points, name this country divided into North and South Islands, whose cities include Auckland and Wellington.
A: New Zealand
Q: Malpeque Bay is a wetland region found in the northwest portion of this province, commonly nicknamed the "Garden of the Gulf". This province, whose capital was named after the consort of George III, is the primary setting for Lucy Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables and was named for the Duke of Kent who fathered Queen Victoria. This province lies north of Northumberland Strait and east of Cape Breton Island. Charlottetown is the capital of, for 10 points, what smallest Canadian province north of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia that consists primarily of one island?
A: Prince Edward Island (do not accept just "Prince Edward", since the province name is being asked for, the full name is needed)
Q: In this country, the term zud refers to an extremely harsh winter that is difficult for livestock. Its northern Tuul River is considered sacred while its central portion is dominated by the Khangai mountains. The southeastern portion of this country is bordered by a region known as the "Inner" portion of this country; the southwestern portion of this country is bordered by the Xinjiang province. The northern and western portion of this nation is spanned by the Altai Mountains while its southern portion is dominated by the Gobi desert. For 10 points, name this sparsely populated Asian nation sandwiched between China and Russia.
A: Mongolia
Q: This river begins as the Apurimac River and the western portion of it is known as the Solimoes River. At the mouth of this river, formerly called the Mar Dulce by European explorers, lies the large Marajo island. The Xingu is a long southern tributary of this river, whose western portion flows through Iquitos. The Rio Negro, one of the largest tributaries of this river, flows into the Casiquiare canal, thereby connecting this river to the more northern Orinoco River, and large cities on this river include the rubber producing center of Manaus and Belem. For 10 points, name this longest river in South America.
A: Amazon River
Q: A reservoir in this state, which flooded the former villages of Ashland and Kent, supplies sixty percent of its drinking water. In 2011, its city of Central Falls declared bankruptcy and has contemplated merging with its southern neighbor, whose namesake "Falls" mark the boundary between the estuarine Seekonk and the Blackstone River. This home of Scituate Reservoir is also home to a city which was the epicenter of the colonial slave trade and whose "cottages" include Land's End and The Breakers. Pawtucket is found in this state, whose Aquidneck Island is home to Newport and is situated in Narragansett Bay. For 10 points, what Ocean State is the smallest by area in the U.S., and has its capital at Providence?
A: Rhode Island [or Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]
Q: Movia buses are used for this city's public transportation. In 1947, the "Finger Plan" was developed to provide an urban plan for this city. Amalienborg Palace is in this city, and Freetown Christiania is an international commune located in this city. This city's metro connects to (*) Frederiksburg and Tarnby ("TSAHN-puh"). The Tycho Brahe Planetarium is located in this city, which contains the Tivoli Gardens. Edvard Eriksen's statue The Little Mermaid is located in this city's harbor. The Øresund [UH-re-sund] Link connects Malmo ("MAHL-muh") and this city. For 10 points, name this capital and largest city of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [accept København]
Q: One city in this state hosts a "Days of '47" Parade each year to celebrate this state's holiday of Pioneer Day. This state is home to an annual festival founded by Sterling van Wangenen that hosts events at the Mary Steiner Egyptian Theater. A transport building boom was prompted by an event that was promoted with badges depicting this state's mayonnaise-ketchup "fry sauce." That boom led to this state's (*) FrontRunner light rail system, which connected its cities of Orem and Ogden. This state's Valley of the Gods was the subject of a 2019 Polish film that drew on Navajo mythology. This state shares a natural area with its Southern neighbor in which John Ford shot Westerns including Stagecoach. For 10 points, name this state home to the Sundance Film Festival and where Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Olympics.
A: Utah
Q: The use of the drug diclofenac in livestock has led to a massive drop in the population of the nine species of the Gyps genus native to this country, in an ongoing event known as this country's "vulture crisis." This country's group of "Big Four" snakes includes the common krait and the saw-scaled viper. The greater one-horned (*) rhinoceros is found exclusively in the jungles of this country and is sometimes named for it. The goat-like Nilgiri tahr and the lion-tailed macaque are native to this nation's Ghat Mountains, and several species of birds are endemic to this country's Nicobar Islands. For 10 points, name this South Asian Nation whose namesake species of elephant is smaller than the African elephant.
A: Republic of India
Q: These features are "grafted" into new places in a traditional agricultural practice from the Baltistan region. One of these features adjoins a lagoon, thus creating the "Diamond Beach" area. One of these features in New Zealand was named for Emperor Franz Josef of Austria by its German discoverer. "A letter to the future" written by Andri Snaer Magnusson was appended to a grave for one of (*) these features in an August 2019 "funeral." Paternoster and kettle lakes form in regions where these features have been active. Features of this type like Vatnajokull and Langjokull make up 11% of the surface area of Iceland. For 10 points, name these features that produce landforms like drumlins and moraines and name a national park on the Montana-Canada border.
A: glaciers
Q: Two neighboring counties in the southeast of this state are Greenlee and Graham, whose county seats are Clifton and Safford, respectively. The highest point in this state is Humphrey's Peak, and its second most populous county is Pima County. (*) Notable features of this state include Petrified Forest, Monument Valley, the Painted Desert, and the Sonoran Desert, while its longest river is the Gila [HEE-lah] and its second-most populous city is Tucson. For 10 points, name this state that includes Grand Canyon National Park, with capital at Phoenix.
A: Arizona [JaC]
Q: In 2018, a resident of this country claimed that a visit to his dying friend John McCain caused a breach of contract with the Big3 basketball league, leading Ice Cube to sue that resident of this country. This country's government owns the football club Paris Saint-Germain. This country organized the transport of thousands of Sunni Syrians to Idlib province in exchange for the release of 28 hostages captured on a (*) falconry trip to Iraq. During a 2017 diplomatic crisis, a neighboring country threatened to build the Salwa Canal, which would have made this country an island. That crisis saw this country ostracized from the Gulf Cooperation Council. The news agency Al Jazeera is funded by the government of-for 10 points-what country where the 2022 World Cup will be played in cities like Doha?
A: State of Qatar
Q: Two historic neighborhoods in this city are linked by the "neck-breaking steps." A natural feature on the border of this city's northeastern borough of Beauport is one-and-a-half times taller than Niagara Falls. This city is connected to its largest suburb of Levis by the Pierre Laporte Bridge. Its Dufferin Terrace overlooks Lower Town from near a patina-roofed luxury hotel designed by Bruce Price. Parliament Hill is found west of Upper Town in this home of Montmorency Falls and the Chateau Frontenac, whose Cap-Diamant is home to the only remaining fortified city walls north of Mexico. General James Wolfe was killed at the Plains of Abraham within this city. For 10 points, name this Francophone provincial capital.
A: Quebec City, Quebec
Q: This figure is asked by a similar figure named Diana why she speaks with "a City Hall brogue ("BROHG")" in a short story by O. Henry. Betty Smith's Maggie-Now ends with Maggie spreading her husband's ashes from the top of this figure. In one poem, this figure cries, "'Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!'"; that poem begins "Not like the brazen giant of (*) Greek fame." In Franz Kafka's Amerika, an object this statue holds is replaced with a sword. A poem depicts this figure saying, "'Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses." For 10 points, name this statue described in Emma Lazarus' "The New Colossus" and which stands in New York Harbor.
A: Statue of Liberty [accept Liberty Enlightening the World or La Liberte eclairant le monde]
Q: The largest city in this country contains a monument with 9 interconnected metal spheres representing an iron crystal called the Atomium, built for this country's 1958 world fair. The longtime industrial belt in this country's center is home to the city of Liege. The southern part of this country is called the Walloon region. A major port in this country was the ultimate German goal during the Battle of the Bulge; another city in this country saw the signing of a treaty ending the War of 1812. Those two cities are Ghent and Antwerp. For 10 points, name this nation that is part of the Low Countries with capital at Brussels.
A: Kingdom of Belgium
Q: Mount Livermore is the highest point on an island named for one of these things, which is separated from Belvedere by the Racoon Strait. One of these things named for independence tops a column on the Paseo de la Reforma in downtown Mexico City. Gateshead in Northern England is home to an enormous statue of one of these things by Andrew Gormley. One of these things names the largest Russian port on the (*) White Sea. An island named for one of these things is located directly north of downtown San Francisco and contains a center that processed over a million immigrants. For 10 points, name these celestial beings that share a name with a Venezuelan waterfall that is the tallest in the world.
A: angels [accept archangels]
Q: This city's Newton Food Center is one its "hawker centers," the only zones where popular street food can be sold. This city's neo-gothic Chijmes ("chimes") Convent has been converted into a popular tourist destination. This city is the eastern terminus of the Eastern and Oriental Express train line. This city's Sentosa Island is home to a Universal Studios theme park. This city's namesake strait separates it from (*) Batam Island to the south, and this city is just south of the Johor State of another country. Joseph Conrad patronized the Writer's Bar in this city's Raffles Hotel. Moshe Safdie designed the three towers of this city's iconic Marina Bay Sands Resort, which appears in Crazy Rich Asians. For 10 points, name this autonomous city-state located at the end of the Malay peninsula.
A: Singapore City
Q: Floods of this body of water devastated crops in 1927 and 1993. A bridge across this body of water at St. Anthony Falls collapsed in 2007, killing thirteen. During the New Madrid Earthquake, this river flowed in reverse. (*) Two bridges across this river are named for Huey P. Long in the state that houses this river's delta. For 10 points, what North American River drains much of the United States and travels from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana?
A: Mississippi River [accept Missouri River until "St. Anthony Falls"]
Q: In this region, patriarchs of four generations were able to legitimize bastard sons and daughters in the cenedl[ken-edle]system of partible inheritance. The French bastide model of town planning was adapted to build a string of fortified cities in this region in the thirteenth century. Much of what we know about this region's religious hierarchy is recorded in its namesake Triads, which include the White Book of Rhydderch [ruth-erch]. The Savoyard architect (*) James of St. George was hired to build a string of castles to consolidate control of this region. People in this region's namesake Marches were conscripted to build an earthwork separating it from Mercia by the Mercian king Offa. For 10 points, identify this region ruled by Prince Llwelyn the Last before it became an English territory.
A: Wales [or Cymru [CUM-ree]; anti-pprompt on things like Kingdom of Gwynedd until read and County of Powys]
Q: In late 2013, this city introduced two robots built by Therese Izay (teh-REEZ ee-ZAY) in an attempt to control its traffic problem. A 2014 report by the University of Oxford concluded that this city was the origin of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This city, which is connected by rail to the port of Matadi (mah-TAH-dee), replaced Boma as a colonial capital. After Paris, this is the second most populous French-speaking city in the world. This city, the site of the "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match, had its name changed from Leopoldville by Mobutu Sese Seko. It lies across the Malebo Pool from Brazzaville. For 10 points, name this capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A: Kinshasa
Q: Seekers of these objects established a type of music known as fijri. One of these objects was nicknamed "La Peregrina" because it frequently changed hands for nearly five hundred years. The momme, the Japanese unit of mass, is often used outside of Japan to measure the weight of these objects, which are retrieved by the ama of Okinawa. These objects have historically been a mainstay of Bahrain's economy. The delta region of a river named for these objects is home to Hong Kong. The production of these objects at Sri Lanka's Gulf of Mannar inspired an opera by Georges Bizet. These objects are often composed of nacre. For 10 points, name these valuable objects produced inside oysters.
A: pearls
Q: The wheel spider, which is named for its tendency to rapidly cartwheel down sand dunes, is native to this desert. This desert includes a salt pan named "Dead Marsh," named for the dead acacia trees that litter its landscape. The Welwitschia plant, known for its long lifespan, is native to this desert. With the nearby Naukluft Mountains, this desert is part of the largest game reserve in Africa. The whaling hub of Walvis Bay sits on the edge of this desert. The meeting of a Hadley cell and the Benguela current envelops this desert in fog. A collection of shipwrecks and whalebones lies on the aptly-named Skeleton Coast along this desert. For 10 points, name this desert that runs along the coast of southwestern Africa.
A: Namib Desert
Q: A recent event in this city was headed by Manuel Pulgar-Vidal. This city's slums, known as "young towns," are concentrated in this city's Hill of Amancias. A wealthy district in this city, home to the adobe Pucllana Temple and the seaside park of El Malecon, is given the designation "heroic city" for being the site of a defeat in the War of the Pacific. This city was the site of the 2014 United Nations Climate Conference and is home to the Miraflores District. This city, along with its seaport of Callao, obtains its drinking water from the Rimac River. Beans cultivated by the Moche culture eventually became known by this city's name. For 10 points, name this city founded by Francisco Pizarro, the capital of Peru.
A: Lima
Q: This state contains the well-preserved medieval town of Nordlingen, which rests in a 15 million year old meteorite crater. This state names a dessert consisting of milk thickened with eggs into which whipped cream is folded. Tourists often travel along the Romantic Road, which runs between this state's cities of Fussen and Wurzburg. Wagner operas are performed annually at this state's (*) Bayreuth festival. This state's district of Swabia borders Lake Constance and contains Neuschwanstein Castle. This state, home to Nuremberg and Augsburg, also contains Theresa's Meadow, the site of Oktoberfest. For 10 points, name this large German state that occupies the country's southwest corner, whose capital is Munich.
A: Bavaria [accept Bayern]
Q: In this mountain range, cave diver Gennadiy Samokhin set successive world records for depth into the earth reached by a human by descending into the extremely deep Krubera Cave. One branch of this mountain range separates the Nakhchivan exclave from the mainland of its country. The disputed region of (*) Nagorno-Karabakh lies within this mountain range. The breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are both found within this mountain range. The highest peak in Europe, Mount Elbrus, lies in this range. For 10 points, name this mountain range that stretches from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, which is found in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, and Russia.
A: Caucasus Mountains [accept The Caucasus; accept Gagra Range; accept Greater or Lesser Caucasus]
Q: In 2013, NASA studied microbes on Mars by examining the Kobuk Sand Dunes in the northern part of this state. Wasilla and Homer are two cities in this state, and Mount Chamberlin in located this state's Brooks Range. This state owns St. Lawrence Island, one of the last exposed regions of (*) Beringia, as well as Kodiak Island located off the coast of the Katmai peninsula. Denali National Park is home to this state's largest mountain, Mt. McKinley, which can be seen from it's largest city, Anchorage. For 10 points, name this largest state in the US.
A: Alaska <SM>
Q: One of these features that was introduced as part of the Growth Acceleration Program was deeply unpopular with residents of the Complexo de Alemao [AH-lay-mawn] and was shut down in 2017. A series of urban murals titled The Street is Yours was painted in response to the 2016 introduction of one of these systems to Ecatepec, the largest suburb of Mexico City. Many underdeveloped barrios surrounding the Aburra Valley benefited from the 2004 introduction of one of these systems to Medellin, whose success sparked a Latin and South American boom in their construction. The longest network of this kind, known as Mi Teleferico, is a major thoroughfare in the metro areas of El Alto and La Paz. Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro can be accessed via, for 10 points, what type of public transit system whose passengers are suspended in midair?
A: cable cars [or gondola lifts; or aerial tramways; or sky tram; or ropeways; prompt on tram; prompt on public transit; prompt on mass transit]
Q: Its indigenous people include the Yaghan, whose language has one native speaker, and Robert Fitzroy brought four natives of this location back to England. Though not New York, one segment is sometimes called Staten Island, and its highest point is Monte (*) Darwin. Its west end, Isla Desolacion, can receive 800% more rain than the east end, and Ushuaia, its largest city, is generally considered the southernmost city in the world. Containing the Beagle Channel, for 10 points, name this archipelago, bordered to the north by the Strait of Magellan, that is divided between Chile and Argentina and whose name means "Land of Fire."
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: This island is home to a series of prehistoric menhirs found at Filitosa and Palaghju, while other notable sites are the gorges formed by the Spelunca River. One trail on this island, notable for traversing the Cirque de la Solitude, has its midpoint at Vizzavona and is known as Fra li Monte or the GR 20. Home to a hospital operating since Roman times at Ospedale, the lighthouse of Pecorella is located in the harbor of nearby (*) Porto-Vecchio, which is itself located to the northwest of the Cerbacale Islands. Its second most populous city, Bastia, lies at the base of a peninsula named after this island and partially called the Cap, which extends 25 miles northwards from its main portion, while its largest city, also its capital, lies on the Gravona River and is called Ajaccio. For 10 points, name this island lying to north of the Strait of Bonifacio, which separates it from Sardinia.
A: Corsica
Q: A river flowing from this lake includes tributaries like the Biryusa and the Chuna rivers, which merge to form the Taseyeva. On the northwest coast of this lake lies Cape Ryty, occupied solely by the indigenous Buryat and Evenks people. A namesake mountain group surrounds this lake, and it contains the island of Olkhon. This lake is fed by up to 330 rivers like the Selenga, but is only drained by one, the Angara, a tributary of the Yenisei. This lake contains exclusively freshwater seals. For 10 points, identify this Russian lake known for containing the most freshwater and being the deepest of any in the world.
A: Lake Baikal [accept "Ozero Baykal" or "Baygal nuur"]
Q: This body of water is known to the Chorotega people as Cocibolca and the Solentiname Islands are located in its south. A city whose name means "place of mosquitos," Moyogalpa, is the main port on this lake's largest island, Ometepe; that island is home to two volcanoes, Maderas and Concepcion. Located twelve miles from the (*) Pacific Ocean, this lake also contains a population of bull sharks, which were once thought to be its own species. It drains into the Caribbean Sea via the San Juan River, which Cornelius Vanderbilt used along with this lake to create an ocean-to-ocean route before the Panama Canal was built. For 10 points, identify this lake, the largest in Central America, which is named after a country with its capital at Managua.
A: Lake Nicaragua [accept Lake Colcibolca before it is read]
Q: Animals endemic to this chain of islands include three shrews and a namesake horseshoe bat. In The Sign of Four, the father of Watson's future wife learns the location of a great treasure while working on one of these islands. The term Kala Pani, meaning "black water," was used by the natives to describe the Cellular Jail that was built here in the wake of a native uprising in 1857. Representing the continuation of the Arakan Yoma Mountains, they are separated to the south by the Ten Degree Channel from the (*) Nicobar Islands. The closest major city on the mainland is at Chennai, and their administrative capital is at Port Blair. For 10 points, give the collective name of these Bengalese islands whose inhabitants were studied in a work of Alfred Radcliffe-Brown.
A: Andaman Islands
Q: The name of this country's town of Richard Toll comes from the Pulaar language of the Toucouleur people. The Cangin ("TSHAHNG-in") languages are spoken near this country's city of Thies by its Serer people. Ndiadiane Ndiaye ruled the Jolof Empire of this country's (*) Wolof people. It's not Ghana, but this country contains the North Korea-built African Renaissance Monument. The Door of No Return is in the House of Slaves on this country's Goree Island. This country contains the westernmost capital in Africa, and it almost completely surrounds The Gambia. For 10 points, what African country has capital Dakar?
A: Senegal
Q: A floodplain of this waterway is the Lobau, located near the confluence of its namesake canal and the Wien [VEEN] river. The Buda Castle overlooks this river. This river is joined by the Tisza after flowing through Novi Sad, and then by the Sava at the largest city in (*) Serbia. Flowing through Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, this river was first spanned at Budapest. For 10 points, name this second longest river in Europe that starts in the Black Forest of Germany and flows through four European capital cities including Belgrade and Vienna.
A: Danube
Q: In 2000, Spain returned the remains of a man thought to have been born in this country that had been stuffed for taxidermy display in Banyoles until 1991. Tourists to this country are often taken across water bodies in canoe-like boats called mokoro. Translations of names associated with this country include "rain" for its currency, the pula, and "place of small stones" for Jwaneng, a city home to the world's richest (*) diamond mine. A literary character operates the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency in this country. Englishwoman Ruth Williams's marriage to this country's first president may have influenced the choice of its national animal, the zebra. That leader, Seretse Khama, oversaw a rapid rise in literacy in this country, which contains the delta of the Okavango River. For 10 points, what country's border with South Africa is 15 kilometers from its capital Gaborone?
A: Botswana [or Republic of Botswana]
Q: The Eridanos was a freshwater river system that flowed millions of years ago where this now brackish body of water is located. In 2011, treasure hunters searching this body of water produced a sonar image of a supposed UFO called this body's "anomaly," though that image likely just showed a rock formation. The Gutasaga describes the history of an island in this body of water which contains Visby; that island is (*) Gotland. The Aland islands separate this sea from the Gulf of Bothnia, while the Gulfs of Finland and Riga are both offshoots of this body of water. Tallinn lies on the shores of, for 10 point, what sea that names the grouping of states that includes Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia?
A: Baltic Sea [prompt on Gulf of Riga before "Riga"; prompt on Gulf of Bothnia before "Bothnia"]
Q: Many climbers of this mountain use the West Buttress Route. William Dickey discovered this mountain, which is surrounded by the "Churchill Peaks," while digging for gold near the Susitna River. While going on an expedition led by (*) Hudson Stuck and Harry Karstens, Walter Harper became the first man to summit this mountain. This mountain's name in Athabaskan means "the High One." For 10 points, name this tallest mountain in North America that until recently was known as Mount McKinley.
A: Denali [accept Mount McKinley before mentioned]
Q: This archipelago was the home of the now extinct moa-nalo, a type of giant duck. The 800 species of Drosophila spread across the islands of this archipelago are oft-cited evidence of adaptive radiation, and include the "picture wing" variety. The nene goose species is native to this archipelago. The W.M. (*) Keck Observatory is located on this archipelago. The ahi tuna-based dish poke ("po-KAY") is from this archipelago, whose largest city, the second most populous in Polynesia, includes sites like Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach. For 10 points, name this archipelago that includes the islands Oahu and Maui.
A: Hawaiian Islands [accept Hawaii; accept Hawaiian Archipelago]
Q: John Ashbery and James Schuyler [skyler] ended their novel A Nest of Ninnies with an obscure word for one of these things so that readers would have to open a dictionary upon closing the novel. In The English Patient, Almasy's [ALL-mah-shee's] copy of Herodotus lists words for these phenomena such as africo [AH-free-koh], khamsin [hahm-SEEN], and (*) ghibli [GEE-blee]. Other terms for local examples of these things are "Fremantle Doctor" in Australia, foehn [fain] in the Alps, and simoom [see-MOOM] in much of the Arab world. One of these things whose name means "masterly" in Languedoc [long-DOCK] is called "mistral" [mis-TRAWL]. Some Greeks distinguished eight principal examples of these things with names like Eurus [YOO-riss], Notos [NOH-tohss], and Zephyrus [ZEF-uh-riss]. For 10 points, name these weather phenomena, one of which in California is called "Santa Ana."
A: winds [prompt on weather phenomena before "weather"]
Q: The one Eschate or "the furthest" is now Khujand, Tajikistan. One was located on the confluence of the Kokcha River and a river now known as the Amu Darya but then known as the Oxus. The second and third largest cities in Afghanistan are both modern locations of two of these sites. The best-known one began as a small fishing village called (*) Rhacotis. The one in Aria is now Herat, and the one in Arachosia is now Kandahar, a corruption of its original name. Two were on the Hydaspes River, one of which was partially named for a horse. The most notable one featured three harbours- the Western, Lake, and Great Harbours; it also contained the Pharos and Great Library. For 10 points, the western end of the Nile River delta had the most famous of which cities founded by and named after the son of King Phillip II, a noted Macedonian conqueror.
A: Alexandria (s) [accept settlements founded by Alexander the Great or reasonable alternatives]
Q: The Tarkine is a region on this island that contains its Savage River National Park. Mount Ossa is the tallest mountain on this island. This island's North and South Esk Rivers combine to form the Tamar River in this island's city of Launceston. PortArthur is a settlement on this island that formerly hosted (*) convicts. This island was known as Van Diemen's Land until 1856. The Bass Strait separates this island from Victoria in Australia. With capital at Hobart, for 10 points, name this island located south of Australia that is home to a namesake "devil."
A: Tasmania [accept Van Diemen's Land until mention]
Q: The Emerald Coast is located at the northern end of this body of water, which contains the Sigsbee Deep. The Bay of Campeche is located south of this body of water, whose Santa Rosa Island separates it from one of its inlets, Pensacola Bay. The Dry Tortugas extend into this body of water, which the Yucatan Channel connects to the Caribbean Sea. The states of Tamaulipas, Quintana Roo, and Veracruz surround this body of water, which is home to the Florida Keys. For 10 points, name this gulf bordered by a namesake country, whose warm water feeds hurricanes.
A: Gulf of Mexico
Q: Tours to this location often start with boatrides down the Carrao and Churun Rivers, though it is also visible from a distance on Raton Island. One of the primary attractions of the Canaima National Park, explorers associated with it include Aleksandrs Laime and Ernesto Sancho de la Cruz. It was the (*) pilot of the El Rio Caroni, though, who crash landed his plane and then had to make an eleven day long descent near their path, who is their namesake to the western world. Their name in the native Pemon language, Kerepakupai Meru, was advocated by Hugo Chavez. Located on the face of Auyan-tepui, they directly feed the Kerep River, though much of the water is vaporized upon contact with the rocks over 3,000 feet below their summit. For 10 points, name this Venezuelan waterfall, the tallest in the world.
A: Angel Falls
Q: The northernmost point of this island is the Shimokita Peninsula, where the mythical Sanzu River is believed to be located. This island is bordered to the southwest by the Kanmon Straits, and most of its industry and population is located in the Tokaido corridor. The Seikan Tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in the world, connects this island with Hokkaido. Much of this island's population lives within the Kanto Plain, where Mt. Fuji and Tokyo are located. For 10 points, name this island, the largest and most populous in Japan.
A: Honshu
Q: An active stratovolcano in this mountain range is the Tungurahua, which means "throat of fire" in an indigenous language of this range. A retreating ice sheet that covered this mountain range in the Llanquihue glaciation contains a mountain near El Chalten village, known as Fitz Roy. A mountain in this range contains large deposits of salt that in its lagoons, which appear like eyes and contribute to its name, Ojos del Salado. Lithium deposits are found in the Atacama Desert of this range, which contains Lake Titicaca and Chimborazo. For 10 points, name this South American mountain range.
A: Andes Mountains
Q: The Barisan Mountains run along the Western portion of this island, whose largest city is Medan. One region on this island is noted for its GAM separatist movement which was formed after the intervention of foreign oil companies. At this island's southern lies the Sunda Strait and on this island one can find a rare endangered breed of tigers. At the northern tip of this island lies the region of Aceh and to its northeast lies the Malay Peninsula, which is separated from this island via the Strait of Malacca. For 10 points, name this large island of Indonesia that lies north of Java.
A: Sumatra
Q: In this country, many of the Aeta people were displaced after a volcanic eruption. The cities of Cotabato and Cagayan de Oro are located on this country's second largest island, which is bordered by the Sulu Sea and is home to this country's highest point, Mt. Apo. In this country's Visayas region, an explorer of this nation was killed on the island of Mactan and near Clark Air Force Base on the island of Luzon, Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991. For 10 points, identify this Southeast Asian nation with a capital at Manila.
A: Republic of the Philippines
Q: This state's far western area includes the manmade Candlewood Lake, whose northern end juts into Litchfield County. In 2008, a large LEGO factory closed in this state's town of Enfield. Sun-Myung Moon's Unification Movement runs a university near the Housatonic River in this state's populous coastal city of (*) Bridgeport, and the town of Old Saybrook lies by the delta of its namesake river. Mayor John deStefano was sued by firefighters in this state's city of New Haven, home to Yale University. For 10 points, name this New England state with capital at Hartford.
A: Connecticut
Q: Before 1869, it was named Yezo, and William Clark led a 19th-century Christian movement in this location. Mount Meakan is a volcano in this island's Akan National Park, and cities on this island include Nemuro and (*) Hakodate. The Seikan Tunnel, the world's longest underwater tunnel, connects this island to the rest of its country. The Ainu is a major ethnic group on this island, with capital at Sapporo. For 10 points, name this northernmost island of Japan.
A: Hokkaido [do not prompt "Japan" at any point]
Q: This region's Bluefish Caves may be a site of early human settlement in North America; they are located southwest of this region's settlement of Old Crow, built on the Porcupine River. The Saint Elias Mountains are located in this territory's Kluane National Park, home to the second tallest mountain in North America, Mount Logan. Dawson City was founded after a discovery on the banks of this territory's namesake river led to the Klondike Gold Rush. For 10 points, name this smallest Canadian territory, whose capital is Whitehorse.
A: Yukon
Q: The Ister is an alternate name for this river, home to a gorge and hydroelectric station at a section known as the Iron Gate. This river is formed by the confluence of the Brigach and Breg rivers, both of which originate in the Black Forest; later this river passes through the cities of Ulm and Passau, both found in the state of Bavaria. This river empties into the Black Sea in a delta in northern Romania and Southern Ukraine and the blue color of this river inspired a waltz by Johann Strauss II. For 10 points, name this Eastern European River that flows through Belgrade, Vienna and Budapest.
A: Danube River
Q: It's not Palm Beach or Kirkcudbright, but the St. Ignatius Cathedral in this city was designed by William Doyle. The art deco Sassoon house in this city is now the Peace Hotel. Other notable buildings, such as the Development Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower, lie on the western bank of the (*) Huangpu River. This city's main airport, served by the world's first commercial Maglev train system, is called Pudong International Airport. Including neighborhoods like the Bund, for 10 points, name this city that lies between Hangzhou Bay and the Yangtze River Delta, China's most populous urban area.
A: Shanghai [JaC]
Q: Home to the Wallula Gap, this river's geologic history included a mudslide called the "Bridge of the Gods," for which a modern cantilever bridge over it is named. Two of its major hydroelectric dams, equipped with 'fish-ladders' to help salmon climb, are the John Jay and (*) Bonneville Dams. It forms its infamous 'bar' of shoals near Astoria, its confluence with the Willamette River is in the city of Portland, and its largest tributary is the Snake River. For 10 points, name this Pacific Northwest river which forms the border between Oregon and Washington State.
A: Columbia River
Q: One national park in this state contains the "Waterpocket Fold," and another national park in this state contains the "Fiery Furnace" and the "Devil's Garden." This state that contains Capitol Reef National Park also owns a huge expanse of canyons and plateaus in its Canyonlands National Park. One of this state's national parks contains over two thousand of its namesake structures. Bryce Canyon National Park and Arches National Park are in this state, and its oldest and most-visited national park is Zion National Park. For 10 points, name this state which contains the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: Decken and Kersten Glaciers flow from Rebmann Glacier on this feature's south face, and climbers of this mountain's Machame route must scramble up the Barranco Wall. The Garden of Senecios here is named for endemic giant groundsels, and Gilman's Point is on the way to the crater first reached by Hans Meyer and named for Richard Reusch. Mawenzi and Shira are two of the three cones of this stratovolcano, but the highest is home to the Furtwangler Glacier and is called Kibo. For 10 points, name this Tanzanian mountain called Uhuru in Swahili, the tallest in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: Although this nation is not Israel, a Six Day War was fought in its city of Kisangani, and its capital city was the site of the first known infection of HIV-1 in humans. The Commission of Repression of Economic Crimes was established by this nation's President Joseph Kabila to repair damage caused by the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko, and this country's Makombo Massacre was cause by the LRA. Once a colony owned by Leopold II of Belgium, For 10 points, name this Central African nation with capital at Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [accept Republique Democratique du Congo; accept Congo-Kinshasa before "Kinshasa" is read; prompt on Congo; prompt on Zaire until "President"; do not accept "Republic of the Congo" or "People's Republic of the Congo"]
Q: Blue tiles on the roof of one building in this place symbolically protect a library from flames; that is the Hall of Literary Glory. Twenty-five seals are contained here in the Hall of Union, as are clocks that were a gift from the Macartney Mission to a man who built the Palace of Tranquil Longevity after announcing his retirement. The caisson in this location's largest palace suspends a silver mirror that was said to fall on any non-emperor who dared to sit on the Dragon Throne. That building, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, is across the Golden River from the Meridian Gate. For 10 points, name this palace complex behind Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
A: Forbidden City [accept "Gugong"]
Q: A plan to build the Yuma Desalting Plant might prevent damage from salty water originating from this river. Valley of Fire State Park leads to one of this river's famous locations into which the Virgin River empties. The Gila River is a major tributary of this river, which is also joined by the Green River. This river, which serves as the source of water for irrigation of the Imperial Valley, contains the Hoover Dam, which creates Lake Mead. For 10 points, name this river which empties into the Gulf of California and flows through the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: About every four years at this geographic location, most recently in 2009, space observations find three-mile-wide dark circles on its surface ice. In this body, golomyanka fish are fed on by its namesake seals, which are also known as Nerpa. Also containing the Ushkani Islands and (*) Olkhon Island, the Selenga River flows into this body of water, while the Angara River, on which the town of Irkutsk is located, flows out of it. Containing about 20 percent of the world's surface freshwater, for 10 points, name this eastern Russian lake, the oldest and deepest in the world.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: Prudence Island and Aquidneck Island are located in one of these bodies of water, and Rio de Janeiro is located on one of these bodies of water dubbed "Guanabara". Though not a sea, the Andaman Islands border one of these bodies of water, into which the Brahmaputra River empties. Bordeaux and La Rochelle border the (*) Biscay one of these bodies of water. The Potomac River empties into one of these bodies of water, and the entrance to another is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge. For 10 points, name this type of body of water exemplified by the Narragansett, Bengal, San Francisco, and Chesapeake varieties.
A: Bays [accept Narragansett Bay, Bay of Bengal, and other specific answers]
Q: One leader in this modern-day country who won the Battle of Annual [ah-nu-AHL] for the Republic of the Rif was Abd el-Krim. This country's Istiqlal, or Independence Party was suppressed after riots that led to Mohammed V being replaced by Mohammed Ben Aarafa. Currently opposed by the (*) Polisario movement in a separatist region, this country was the subject of debate during the Algeciras Conference, and was further the site of tension after the battleship Panther appeared off this country's coast. Along with Mauritania, this country was originally supposed to administer the Western Sahara. For 10 points, name this country that was the site of the Casablanca Conference.
A: Kingdom of Morocco or al-Maghrib
Q: One island in this river, known as Luna Island, is divided by the Bridal Veil from the larger Goat Island. Class 6 rapids in one section of this river lead to a namesake whirlpool created by erosion of this river's namesake "Escarpment". The namesake fort at the mouth of this river was used during the Revolutionary War as the base of the loyalist unit Butler's Rangers. The (*) Rainbow Bridge spans this river, whose most famous feature can be toured aboard the Maid of the Mist. For 10 points, name this river that divides the U.S and Canada after starting from Lake Erie and includes Horseshoe Falls near its namesake falls.
A: Niagara River [Grudgingly accept Niagara Falls, I guess] <SM>
Q: One of these entities named El Teide is located on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Another one of these entities created the horseshoe-shaped Sciara del Fuego and names a process which involves short explosions with no defined ejection column. That one of these entities is called (*) Stromboli. Fallout from another one of these entities inWashington state sparked largest debris flow in history and created a caldera. A notable one of these entities poses a major threat to the city of Naples. For 10 points, name these structures exemplified by Mount St. Helens and Mt. Vesuvius.
A: Volcanoes
Q: One peak in this mountain range is Bihor Massif, part of the Apuseni sub-range. Crossed by Prislop Pass and Predeal Pass and ending near the town of Orsova, this mountain range also includes the Beskid sub-range. Bounded to the south by the Iron Gates gorge, its highest peak, located in its (*) Tatras sub-range, is Mount Gerlach. This range serves as the source of the Dneister river, and the city of Krakow lies at the foot of these mountains. Circling around the region of Transylvania, for 10 points, name this mountain range that goes through Romania and Slovakia in Eastern Europe.
A: Carpathian Mountains
Q: The Tenere is a region within one of these regions, which is the major concern of the Great Green Wall project. The two regions between the Murghab river, the Amu Darya, and the Syr Darya correspond to two of these geographical entities, the Kyzylkum and the Karakum. The (*) Rub' al-Khali is one of these entities. Meerkats are endemic to these regions in southern Africa, and the saguaro is found in the Sonoran one of these geographical regions. For 10 points, name this geographical feature exemplified by the Kalahari and the Sahara.
A: Desert [accept specific answers such as "Sahara Desert", "Kalahari Desert", etc.]
Q: This city is home to the world's oldest velodrome and Magnus Volk's "daddy long-legs", the world's oldest operating electric railway. In this city, William Porden created Steine House as a residence for Maria Fitzherbert, and it contains the UK's oldest purpose-built cinema, topped by 20ft legs in black-and-white stockings. Frederick Crace decorated the interior of a house in this city whose stables became the theatre where ABBA won (*) Eurovision with Waterloo; that house's architect was John Nash. In 2016 British Airways opened the i360 tower in this city, with the aim of funding the restoration of the UK's first Grade I listed pier, which faces this city's famous Lanes shopping district. For 10 points, name this seaside city home to the West Pier and the Royal Pavilion.
A: Brighton
Q: Among the many alternate names that have been used for this island are the Evangelist Island, Grapefruit Island, and Island of 500 Murders. Most of the Southern part of this island is taken up by a National Park known as Lanier Swamp, while a cave on its eastern point contains some well-preserved Ciboney pictographs. The United States gave up claims to this largest island in the Canarreos Archipelago in the Hay-Quesada Treaty, while its capital and largest city Nueva Gerona [hey RO nah] (*) was founded in 1830 by colonial governor Francisco Dionisio Vives. Other attractions include the estate where Jose Marti spent 9 weeks before being shipped off to exile in Spain and the Panopticon-style prison that held the perpetrators of the Moncada Barracks attack. Renamed in 1978 for the Communist training camps for high-schoolers established here by Fidel Castro, for 10 points, name this Cuban island known for its coniferous forests.
A: or Isle of Youth or Isle of Pines or Isla de la Juventud [Prompt on "Cuba", I guess]
Q: A well-known saying about this mountain is that a wise person will climb it once but a fool would climb it twice. The last known eruption of this volcano started in 1707 and created a second peak on its southeastern side. It is located on the triple junction of the Amurian Plate, Okhotsk Plate, and (*) Philippine Sea Plate. A forest located at its base has been the site of many disappearances and is known as Aokigahara. It is known as one of the "Three Holy Mountains," along with Mount Tate and Mount Haku. For 10 points, name this tallest mountain in Japan, known for its symmetry.
A: Mount Fuji [do NOT prompt on or accept Fiji]
Q: One building designed by this man sits on a platform above railroad tracks and features banks of LEDs behind its silver glass curtain walls, while its northeast and southwest corners are removed. That building, which sits across from the Thirtieth Street station in Philadelphia, is the Cira Centre. This man designed a mall that features a five-story atrium topped by a blue-patterned barrel vault and has an illuminated glass-block staircase in the entryway. That mall is located near a library designed by this man, which features both a roof garden and a common area connecting its two sections that is topped by a metal "wing" that cantilevers out on both sides of the building. Those two buildings, the former of which is Gaviidae Common, are located on Nicollet Avenue, much like his largest contribution to downtown Minneapolis, the modernized art deco Wells Fargo Center. His other well-known works include LA's 777 Tower and a building that features a two-story skybridge nearly 560 feet in the air. For 10 points, identify this Argentinean architect of Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers.
A: Cesar Pelli
Q: This island was the site of the death of English explorer William Baffin, who was killed while surveying a Portuguese fort. Hengam Island is located off the coast of this larger island, which is a nesting site for Hawksbill sea turtles. This island, a UNESCO Geopark, features the Chahkuh Canyon, Valley of Stars, and Namakdan Salt Cave. This island is northeast of the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, and the Clarence Strait separates it from the mainland. Its extensive mangrove forests are known locally as "hara." Along with nearby (*) Kish Island, this island is on a seismically active part of the Zagros fold and thrust belt. This island, south of the port of Bandar Abbas, is the largest in the Persian Gulf. For 10 points, name this Iranian island located in the Strait of Hormuz.
A: Qeshm
Q: Harbor Hill and Ronkonkoma are moraines which create the "spine" of this island. Riverhead is the seat of the county that dominates its eastern two-thirds, Suffolk. Another county, Nassau, lies immediately east of the two boroughs that provide over 90% of this island's population. Rockaway Beach sits on this island's southern shore, while Oyster Bay sits on its northern shore. Separated from Manhattan and the Bronx by the East River is, For 10 points, what island, home to Queens and Brooklyn.
A: Long Island
Q: The western portion of this country includes the Turan Lowlands. The Kyzyl Kum desert is primarily located in this country, which is also home to the mouth of the Amu Darya river. Along with Liechtenstein, this nation is one of only two countries that are "doubly landlocked." The current president of this country is Islam Karimov, and its largest cities include Andijan and Samarkand. It also shares the rapidly shrinking Aral Sea with its neighbor Kazakhstan. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Tashkent located north of Turkmenistan.
A: Uzbekistan
Q: Villages in this national park include Lower Elkstone and Stoney Middleton. Eight of the fourteen known varieties of Blue John stone are mined in this national park, as well as copper at its Ecton Mines. This national park has a close connection with millstone production. Hardwick Hall is just outside this national park. A (*) dessert containing layers of jam, frangipane and flaked almonds takes its name from a town in this national park. Titan, the deepest known cave shaft in Britain, is connected to the Speedwell Cavern in this national park. As well as Bakewell, this national park contains Chatsworth House. For 10 points, name this Derbyshire national park, named for the White and Dark mountains it contains.
A: Peak District
Q: In the northeast corner of this body of water, the Yam Islands lie in the Gulf of Shelikov. The city of Monbetsu, which lies on it, is chiefly a crabbing port, while the economy of its port of Magadan once mostly relied on forced-labor gold mining. This body of water is shallow because of the Tinro Rise, although it has a deep point in the Kuril Basin. It is located north of the Strait of Tartary, which separates the mainland from Sakhalin. For 10 points, name this sea in the northwest Pacific between Hokkaido and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.
A: Sea of Okhotsk
Q: One character in this work is Berit, who constantly criticizes her husband's Catholic background. Along with Marianne, the protagonist of this film visits his aged mother, who shows him a pocket-watch without hands. That watch also appears to the protagonist in a nightmare at the beginning of this film. Two characters who get into an argument about the existence of God hitch a ride with the protagonist, and the protagonist dreams of a scene where his dead wife is cheating on him while accusing him of being callous. The protagonist's memories of his first love, Sara, are triggered when he sits by a shrub to eat the title objects of this film. The protagonist travels to Lund to receive an honorary degree in this work, which saw Bibi Andersson played the two Saras in this film and the last appearance of Victor Sjostrom as an actor. Dr. Ivar Borg ultimately softens his heart in, for 10 points, what film by Ingmar Bergmann whose title refers to some undomesticated fruit?
A: Wild Strawberries [or Smultronstallet]
Q: In this country, the Ralco Hydroelectric Plant has been opposed by the indigenous Mapuche people. Among the fishing ports in the extreme north of this country are Arica and Iquique, and tourists to this country enjoy the rugged Torres del Paine National Park here. Mining is the major source of wealth for its city of Antofagasta, which relies on copper mines. This country's chief port is Valparaiso, and it is home to the Atacama Desert. For 10 points, name this South American country whose capital is Santiago.
A: Chile
Q: The large delta of the Karnaphuli River marks the northern end of this body of water and is the site of one of its busiest ports, Chittagong. The cities of Tuticorin and Pondicherry sit on this body of water's western shore, and the Mergui and Nicobar island groups lie in it. Rivers feeding into it include the Irrawaddy and Brahmaputra. Calcutta lies on its northwest shore. For 10 points what is this large indention of the Indian Ocean bordering Myanmar and India?
A: Bay of Bengal
Q: A bridge over this waterway featured a red pod for handicapped access that was slow and prone to overheating. Lorenzo Quinn sculpted two hands emerging out of this waterway to highlight the devastation of climate change. Several Fondaco buildings can be found along this waterway, which follows an ancient branch of the Brenta river. It's crossed by the Bridge of the Barefoot Monks and the Santiago Calatrava designed Constitution Bridge. Traghetto and (*) vaporetto boats can be found on this waterway. It passes by the Santa Maria della Salute and Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and is crossed by the Rialto Bridge. This waterway runs from the Saint Lucia train station to the San Marco sestiere. For 10 points, name this large waterway that flows through the center of Venice.
A: Venice's Grand Canal
Q: Abras are traditionally used to ferry people across this city's namesake creek. This city beat out Sao Paulo, Izmir, and Yekaterinburg to host the Expo 2020. Terminal 3 of this city's international airport is the largest airport terminal in the world. This city, which forms a metropolitan area with Sharjah and Ajman, contains a (*) hotel that is considered to be the "world's only seven-star" hotel. It's not in the Bahamas, but an Atlantis Resort in this city is situated on a manmade island shaped like a palm tree. Containing the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, is, for 10 points, what city in the United Arab Emirates?
A: Dubai
Q: After being attacked by vandals, the statue of Queen Victoria in Georgetown, Guyana notably lacks this object. A sculpture of this object is used to demarcate the surf and safety zones of the Brava beach in the town of Punta del Este. Remnants of bolas were found alongside depictions of these objects in the Pinturas Canyon. The Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal created a sculpture of one of these objects in the (*) Atacama Desert. After losing the Battle of Lagunillas, the Mapuche warrior Galvarino replaced these body parts with knives. Thieves stole these body parts from the corpse of Juan Peron. A cave that features artwork of these body parts can be found in the Argentine Patagonia region. For 10 points, name these body parts that one of the Nazca lines depicts with five fingers.
A: Hands [accept fingers before mentioned]
Q: In 2007, the actor Isaiah Washington donated $25,000 to a virtual reconstruction of an island fortress in this city. This city was the site of the first western-style university in Subsaharan Africa, Fourah Bay College, leading it to be named the "Athens of Africa." Thomas Peters led settlers from Nova Scotia to this city, and its neighborhood of Cline Town was formerly named after Granville Sharp. Queen Elizabeth II Quay, the largest natural harbor in Africa, is in this city, which is located on a peninsula downstream of (*) Bunce Island. The collapse of this non-Brazilian city's Sugar Loaf Mountain resulted in landslides in 2017. This city, founded by the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor, is home to many Krio people. For 10 points, name this capital of Sierra Leone.
A: Freetown
Q: Instead of horses, these animals are used in sarlagan polo. These animals are involved in an annual blood drinking festival in one country's Mustang region. This is the largest animal that the Dwarf Lulu breed can trace its ancestry to, and females of this animal are known as "dri." This animal's name has origins from Gyalrongic languages, and one product from this animal is used to make torma figurines. This animal is used to make chhurpi, a fermented cheese, as well as po cha (*) butter tea. Its scientific name, Bos grunniens, translates to "grunting bull." Due to the lack of trees in its habitat, this animal's dried dung is often used as fuel for cooking. For 10 points, name these long haired, domesticated bovids native to the Tibetan Plateau.
A: Domesticated Yak
Q: In these mountains, mysterious isolated megaliths can be found on Vera Island. Huge "fighting" dolomite rocks dot gorges formed by the Chusovaya River in this range, near which the city of Ufa lies. This range is rich in alexandrite that switches from green to red color, which was used by Peter Carl (*) Faberge. The Bashkirs live on both sides of this range, where industrial production is concentrated in Perm. The Ob and Volga river basins are divided by - for 10 points - what Russian mountains that divide Europe from Asia?
A: Ural mountains [or Urals]
Q: This country's Agulhas [uh-GUHL-us] Bank is the area of the continental shelf under its southernmost point, Cape Agulhas. After flowing through the province of Northern Cape, this country's major river empties into Alexander Bay. That river's major tributary is the (*) Vaal river, which flows through the province of Gauteng. This country is partially bounded to the north by the Limpopo river, and another river that rises in the Drakensberg Mountains of this country is the Orange River. For 10 points, name this country with capitals at Bloemfontein, Pretoria, and Cape Town.
A: South Africa
Q: This man had Abraham Bogardus fabricate a picture showing the ghost image of Abraham Lincoln behind him in order to expose the "spirit photographer" William Mumler. He built the Moorish revival mansion Iranistan, and employed workers like Nellie Keeler and Isaac W. Sprague. This one-time mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut wrote the self-help book The Art of Money-Getting, and arranged Jenny Lind's tour of America. He staged a series of popular "national baby shows," which offered fifty dollars for the fattest baby, at his namesake (*) "American Museum" in New York City. At that museum, he exhibited William Henry Johnson as the "missing link" "Zip the Pinhead," alongside other "freaks" like General Tom Thumb, the "Feejee mermaid," and the Siamese twins Chang and Eng. For 10 points, name this promoter who allegedly said "there's a sucker born every minute," and founded a popular circus with James Bailey.
A: Phineas Taylor (P. T.) Barnum
Q: One character in this work constantly runs for local elections but always receives only three votes, and spells the word "School" with his cane in an encounter with the narrator. Another character refuses to admit to being beaten by his father George. Yet another character in this work aspires to be like a namesake American actor, but ends up impregnating a Caroni girl and is named Bogart. When the narrator of this work attempts to find a house in the title location, he meets Mr. Titus Hoyt, and another character in this work is the untalented poet B. Wordsworth. It also features Man-Man, Mr. Popo, and Elias, and the protagonist plays cricket at the title location with Boyee and Errol. The protagonist leaves the titular slum in Port of Spain to pursue a higher education. For 10 points, identify this semi-autobiographical novel about people who live on the title roadway, written by V. S. Naipaul.
A: Miguel Street
Q: This country contains a minority religion called Winti, which worships four separate pantheons and a group of anthropomorphic forest spirits called Ampuku. This country's emancipation day is celebrated with a festival called Keti Koti, meaning "the chain is broken". This independent country is the origin of the musical genres Kaseko and Kawina. The creole language Sranan Tongo is spoken by the vast majority of this country's population. The New River Triangle dispute has created controversy over this country's Western border with (*) Guyana. This is the only UN member state outside Europe with Dutch as an official language. For 10 points, name this smallest independent country by population in South America, with capital at Paramaribo.
A: Republic of Suriname
Q: The remains of the SS Yongala are located near this landmark. This landmark, which is south of the Torres Strait, is near Hamilton Island. Visitors to this feature often travel through Cairns. The first European contact with this landmark occurred when James (*) Cook's ship was damaged by it. This formation, the largest structure in the world made by organisms, has recently experienced significant problems with bleaching. Ten percent of the world's fish species are estimated to live in this feature. For 10 points, name this coral system located off the coast of Queensland, Australia, the largest in the world.
A: Great Barrier Reef [prompt on partial answer]
Q: This island is part of an archipelago including the Bailique archipelago, and is bound by the Arama River and Jacare Grande River. Research on this island's Teso Dos Bichos mound has challenged Betty Meggers theory that this island was located in a "counterfeit paradise." Anna Curtenius Roosevelt has led that investigation. A phenomenon off the coast of this island has a name translating to "great roar." Terra (*) preta soils have allowed civilizations to thrive on this island, and it's downstream of the confluence of the Xingu and a larger river. The pororoca tidal bore can be found off the coast of this island, and to its south is the city of Belem. For 10 points, name this large island in Brazil's Para state, located in the Amazon delta.
A: Marajo
Q: Chechen Island sits in this body of water, which the Greeks called the Hyrcanian Sea and which is saline because it is a remnant of the Tethys Sea. Along with Lake Baikal, it is home to one of only two species of freshwater dolphin. In its north it receives both the Ural and Volga Rivers, and Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan comprise its eastern shoreline. The largest city on this body of water is on the Absheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan. Baku lies on, For 10 points, what inland "sea," sometimes described as the largest lake in the world?
A: Caspian Sea
Q: Cape Sable, separated from the mainland by Whitewater Bay, marks the southwestern end of this national park. The area known as Ten Thousand Islands sits off its western shore, and the Harney and Shark Rivers run west to east through it. Fed by the Kissimmee River, it acts as a watershed for the Biscayne Aquifer. Home to the endangered Florida Panther, For 10 points name this large "river of grass," a national park in South Florida.
A: Everglades National Park
Q: The nomadic Toubou [too-boo] people populate the Tibesti Mountains in this larger region. The Ayir Massif of this region includes a recent tourist destination of hills featuring cipollino marble outcroppings called the Blue Mountains. Much of the central region of this area is dominated by the Grand Erg Oriental, a massive sand sea. The Qattara Depression lies east of the Siwa Oasis in this large arid location. Bordered on the south by a transitional zone called the Sahel is, for 10 points, what massive hot desert comprising much of North Africa?
A: Sahara Desert
Q: It's not the equator, but in 1960, the USS Triton completed the first underwater circumnavigation by starting and ending near this feature in Operation Sandblast. A group of islets named after the caravels Saint Peter and Saint Paul are located near this feature. This feature is cut through by the Charlie Gibbs-Fracture Zone and the Romanche Gap. The existence of this feature was first hypothesized by Matthew Fontaine Maury, and later confirmed by a team lead by Charles Wyville Thomson. Gough, (*) Tristan da Cunha, and Jan Mayen are all islands located on this feature, whose discovery helped prove the theory of seafloor spreading. For 10 points, name this longest mountain range in the world, which runs through an ocean located between Europe and the Americas.
A: Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Q: Lake Gatun provides over a billion gallons of water each day to this geographical feature, on the eastern side of which is Soberiana National Park. An update to the namesake max vessel using this waterway will allow more than double the current twenty-foot equivalent unit capacity through it in 2014. The work of Dr. Walter Reed to eradicate Yellow Fever greatly impacted the construction of this feature. Utilizing three locks to account for changes in sea level is, For 10 points, what man-made waterway connecting the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific through a namesake country?
A: Panama Canal
Q: Much of this state's southeastern area is dominated by the Tongass National Forest. Just off its shore is Endicott Island, an artificial island where BP is in the process of drilling a two mile deep well. That island which lies in the Beaufort Sea is part of the Prudhoe Bay oil field, the largest in the United States. This state's capital is larger than Rhode Island and Delaware; that city lies west of British Colombia. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Juneau, the northernmost and largest state in the United States.
A: Alaska
Q: This country contains the eastern half of a salt lake where Planet of the Apes was filmed, Lake Abbe. A rail line connects this country's capital to the city of Dire Dawa. The Gulf of Tadjoura indents this country, which is located at the junction of three tectonic plates. Formerly known as the Territory of the Afars and Issas, it is home to the Dikhil Region, which contains Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa. It is located across the Bab-al-Mandab from Yemen. For 10 points, name this small country bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
A: Djibouti
Q: This mountain's volcanic activity is caused by its location at a junction between three tectonic plates: the Amurian, Okhotsk, and Filipino. The Osawa Collapse of about one thousand years ago created a namesake valley on this peak's western slope. Water run-off from this mountain feeds the Kakita River. This mountain's Hitoana Cave is flanked by monuments to this peak's namesake Kami. Located on Honshu, For 10 points what mountain is the tallest in Japan?
A: Mount Fuji
Q: This site can be entered from the west by going up Old Priest Grade Road and through the Stanislaus National Forest. The main river systems that flow through this location are the Merced and Tuolomne Rivers. This site's Bridalveil Valley was the location of a campfire at which John Muir convinced Teddy Roosevelt to make this place a national park. Some of the formations at this location include Half Dome and El Capitan. For 10 points, name this national park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: The Huallata is a duck-like creature known as the "goose" of this mountain range. Another animal common to this mountain range is the camelid called the vicuna [vi-KOO-nyuh]. The highest known crater lake is found on top of the stratovolcano called Ojos del Salado in this range. The range's southern portions were created by the subduction of the Nazca plate, resulting in its tallest peak, Aconcagua. For 10 points what is this range running down the western edge of South America?
A: Andes Mountains
Q: This polity's flag is a setting sun below a union jack with a crown in the center. This polity contains the most prominent peak in the Rocky Mountains, Mount Robson. Suburbs of its largest city include Burnaby and Coquitlam and other cities in this province include Kamloops and Kelowna. This province's capital is home to the Abkhazi Gardens and (*) Butchart Gardens, and its largest city is home to Stanley Park. This province is home to the largest and most visited ski resort in the world, Whistler-Blackcomb. For 10 points, name this province in western Canada, with cities Victoria and Vancouver.
A: British Columbia
Q: In this present-day country, the archaeologist W.E. Wendt discovered an animal drawn in charcoal on the Apollo 11 stones. This country, which is home to the Fish River Canyon, gained its independence in 1990 and was much earlier the site of the Battle of Waterberg, where many Herero people died. Walvis Bay was formerly an exclave of South Africa on the coast of this country. The colony of German South-West Africa is now this country, which is bordered by Angola to the north and Botswana to the east. For 10 points, name this African country that has its capital at Windhoek [VINT-hook] and is named for the Namib Desert.
A: Namibia Delta Burke 2016 Round 3
Q: This region's Bunker Hill smelting complex is responsible for polluting several waterways in the Silver Valley. One river in this region flows through the Rathdrum Prairie before reaching Post Falls. A lake in this region features a golf course with a floating 14th hole. The "highest navigable river," the Saint Joe river, feeds a lake in this region that is located in the glacially formed Purcell Trench. The Farragut Naval Training Station and the city of Sandpoint can be found on the shores of another lake in this region. (*) Ear pendants of the Kalispel tribe inspired the name of a lake in this region, while another lake has a name that translates to "heart of an awl" in French and is drained by the Spokane River. For 10 points, name this region home to Lake Coeur d'Alene and Lake Pend Oreille.
A: Idaho Panhandle [accept equivalents]
Q: This province is home to a type of bear nicknamed the "spirit bear," and its Lake Okanagan is home to the mythical Ogobogo monster. This province is separated from the Haida Gwaii by the Strait of Hecate, while its Kootenay [KOOT-n-ey] National Park contains a series of mineral springs known as the Paint Pots. The longest river in this province, the Fraser, rises near Mount Robson and drains into the Georgia Strait. This province's largest island is separated from the mainland by the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from the US by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For 10 points, name this Canadian province with capital Victoria, whose largest city is Vancouver.
A: British Columbia [or BC]
Q: Controversy in this country concerns sculptures and artifacts pillaged from El Cano by American archeologists. Many of its most important pre-Columbian sites are found on the Azuero Peninsula. This country still has many Kuna people living on the San Blas Islands, and it has protected waters for humpback whales in the Chiriqui Gulf. Many tourists to this country visit the Darien region, but its most famous tourist site is a manmade project making use of Gatun Lake. For 10 points, name this country that borders Costa Rica and Colombia.
A: Republic of Panama [or Republica de Panama]
Q: In this mountain range, the British airliner Star Dust disappeared over its Mount Tupungato in 1947. That peak is connected to another more famous peak by the Uspallata Pass, which, though not in Rio, features a notable statue of Christ the Redeemer of this mountain range. Due to the Earth's equatorial bulge, a dormant volcano in this range is the spot in the world farthest from the center of the Earth. In addition to Chimborazo, this mountain range features the tallest peak in the western hemisphere, Mount Aconcagua. Running from Venezuela to Chile, for 10 points, name this longest continental mountain range in the world which extends for most of the western coast of South America.
A: Andes
Q: John Man's book about this location, subtitled "Tracking the Desert," includes chapters on snow leopards and the "Three Beauties" national park. The explorer Roy Chapman Andrews discovered dinosaur eggs at the Flaming Cliffs in this desert, where the fossils of a velociraptor and protoceratops locked in combat were also discovered. This cold desert, which is home to some wild Bactrian camels, is located south of Ulan Bator and southeast of the Tian Shan and Altai mountains. For 10 points, name this large Asian desert located in China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: The Arbol de Piedro is a tree-shaped stone formation in this nation's Eduardo Avaroa Fauna National Reserve. A proposed highway in this nation has been protested by the indigenous people of Isiboro Secure National Park. The Salar de Uyuni in this nation contains most of the world's reserves of lithium. Most of the Spanish empire's silver came from this nation's mine at Potosi. This nation shares Lake Titicaca with Peru. For 10 points, name this South American nation whose largest city is Santa Cruz de la Sierra and whose seat of government is La Paz.
A: Plurinational State of Bolivia [or Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia]
Q: This region is governed by the lehendakari, whose current holder is Inigo Urkullu. Jai-alai [hi lie] is a sport that originated in this region where the player uses a cesta to hurl a ball at a wall. The Campo Volantin Bridge spans the Nervion River in this region's largest city; that city contains a Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry and is (*) Bilbao. Members of the ETA carried out various bombings and protests in order to gain independence for this region. For 10 points, name this autonomous region of northwestern Spain that had its town of Guernica bombed by the Condor Legion.
A: Autonomous Community of the Basque Country [accept Euskadi or Pais Vasco]
Q: Two-thirds of Russia's coast on this body of water is on the shore of Dagestan. The US has supported the transformation of the Kuma-Manych Canal on this body of water into the Eurasian Canal to increase oil shipping possibilities by linking this body of water to the Black Sea. The Volga and Ural Rivers drain fresh water into this body of water, but it remains primarily salty. Azerbaijan's capital Baku is the major port on this body of water. For 10 points, what so-called "Sea" is actually fully enclosed by land, making it the world's largest lake?
A: Caspian Sea
Q: Daniel Everett used the isolate Piraha language of a tribe living in this country as a counterexample to Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar. This country is home to a group called "the fierce people" by anthropologist Napoleon Chagnon, the Yanomami tribe. The Marajo culture flourished on an island in this country's most prominent (*) river. Cinta Larga villagers in country were attacked by cultivators of Para rubber tree, which later fueled the economy of the city of Manaus. This country provides 20% of the world's natural oxygen production. For 10 points, name this country home to the Amazon Rainforest.
A: Brazil <FK/TC>
Q: A group of red-coloured rocks on the side of The Minch strait provides evidence of one of these things. One of these things in Saaremaa, Estonia was walled up in the Iron Age and used as a sacred site for animal sacrifice until the 1600s. In June 2019, it was argued that one of these things can be found 15km off the coast of Scotland. The town of Noerdlingen [NERD-lin-gen] in Germany was entirely built in one of these. Unexpectedly, there is not one of these sites at the location of the (*) Tunguska Event. One of these sites at Chicxulub ["chick"-SHU-loob] in Mexico is believed to provide evidence of the dinosaurs' extinction. For 10 points, name these geographical sites created when rocks from space hit the Earth.
A: impact craters [or meteor (ite) craters; accept description equivalent to craters caused by something hitting the Earth; prompt on just craters with "caused by what kind of event?"]
Q: The Native American name for this river was "Tomichi," and its current name comes from a U.S. Army Captain who was killed by Pahvant Utes. This river flows through Curecanti National Recreation Area, which contains this river's Morrow Point, Crystal, and Blue Mesa reservoirs. This river is formed by the confluence of the Taylor and East rivers, and its waters are transported five miles through a tunnel to irrigate the Uncompahgre valley. Streaks of pegmatite can be seen on the Painted Wall in a (*) canyon carved by this river near Montrose. This river merges with a larger river at Grand Junction. For 10 points, name this tributary of the Colorado River that flows through a national park named after its Black Canyon.
A: Gunnison River
Q: This city's administrative centre is located on Iddo Island, formerly joined to the mainland by the Denton Bridge. London restaurant Ikoyi is named for an affluent region of this city, home to a cemetery where Herbert Macaulay and Orlando Martins are buried. Other districts of this city include Ikoyi, which was separated from the island by a British-dug canal and later rejoined, and Victoria Island, whose Bar Beach is currently being replaced by the planned (*) Eko Atlantic City. This city was its country's capital from 1914 to 1991, when it was replaced by Abuja. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Africa, located in the state of the same name in south-western Nigeria.
A: Lagos [accept Eko until said]
Q: Description Acceptable In 1992, Copa Airlines Flight 201 entered a steep dive and crashed, failing to perform this task. The books The Rucksack Man and The Cloud Garden both document performing this task. In the 1990s, the Crucero Express bypassed having to perform this task, which was done by John Blashford-Snell in a pair of Range Rovers. A structure that would help complete this task has been opposed by the (*) Guna people. Due to the difficulty of performing this task, foot-and-mouth disease has not been spread to North America. The Baudo Mountains and the Atrato river delta are notable obstacles that prevent this task. For 10 points, name this difficult task that involves traversing a section missing in the Pan-American highway, located between Colombia and Panama.
A: Crossing the Darien Gap [accept similar wordings, prompt on completing the Pan-Am Highway before mentioned]
Q: This country's Nyanga National Park is home to Mutarazi Falls, and rock formations in its Matopos Hills are known as the Balancing Rocks. The chemicals released by the Marange mines have poisoned the Save River in this country. This country's northern border is home to Lake Kariba, while its highest point is Mt. Nyangani. This country's southern border is formed by the Limpopo River, while its border with Zambia is formed by the Zambezi River. Victoria Falls lies in this country's northwest. For 10 points, name this African country with capital Harare [huh-RAHR-ey].
A: Zimbabwe
Q: [Note: "fjard" is not a typo] Somes Sound in this state's only national park is home to the only fjard on the East coast. Donn Fendler wrote a best seller titled Lost on a Mountain in [this state]. Fendler was lost for four days in 1939 on Mount Katahdin [kuh-TAH-din], the tallest in this state, and one terminus of the Appalachian Trail. It borders only one other U.S. state, while on its east it borders New Brunswick. For 10 points, name this eastern state comprising the cities of Bangor and its capital, Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: The Big Paradana Ice Cave is found at one end of this mountain range and is located in the Trnovo Forest Plateau. Endemic species of this mountain range include the Leptodirus beetle as well as the olm. This mountain range's eponymous mountain has a peak named Sinjal. The Josephina is a historic road crossing the Vratnik Pass of this mountain range, while this range's Postojna Gate was part of the Amber Route. The (*) Velebit mountains is one subchain of this range, and its highest region has a name translating to "the Cursed Mountains" or Prokletije. This range ends to the north at the Julian Alps, located near the Gulf of Trieste. Maja Jezerce is the highest peak of, for 10 points, what mountain range that stretches along the western Balkan Peninsula?
A: Dinaric Alps [accept Prokletije before mentioned; do NOT accept or prompt on "Alps"]
Q: This city's ceremonial Oba ruler comes from the Edo ethnic group. The artificial Banana Island in this city an expansion of the affluent Ikoyi neighborhood, which is shielded from storms by Victoria Island. This city's Bar Beach is the site of a planned city called Eko Atlantic. A film industry called "Nollywood" is centered in this city, whose name is derived from the (*) Portuguese for the surrounding bodies of water. Abuja replaced this city as the capital of its country. For 10 points, name this Nigerian city, the most populous in Africa.
A: Lagos
Q: Within this body of water are the islands of Mancarroncito and La Venada. The historic city of Granada is located on its northwestern shore, and it is the drainage site of more than forty rivers including the Tipitapa. The active volcanoes of Concepcion and Maderas are located on its largest island of Ometepe. The San Juan River provides access for this body of water to the Caribbean Sea, and it is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Rivas Isthmus. Home to a namesake species of freshwater shark, For 10 points, what is this Central American lake, the largest in an eponymous country with capital at Managua?
A: Lake Nicaragua [also accept Lake Cocibolca]
Q: The Samina River originates in this country and flows into this country's only eastern neighbor. This country is split into two electoral districts called Oberland and Unterland, the latter containing the largest city of Schaan. Outside of Asia, this is the only doubly (*) landlocked country. The Rhine River forms its entire western border and Grauspitz, its tallest mountain, sits on its border with Switzerland. For 10 points, name this tiny municipality located in the Alps, with capital Vaduz.
A: Liechtenstein
Q: The western coast of a body of water with this name is known as the Seabird Coast. The Waihou River flows into that same body of water, which is bound by the Hunua Ranges and the Coromandel Peninsula. Overcrowding led to the capsizing of the steamboat Victoria on another body of water with this name, which is known as Deshkan Ziibi in the Ojibwe language. A firth with this name is at southern end of the Hauraki Gulf on New Zealand's North Island, while a river with this name flows through a city home to the US Coast Guard Academy. The Battle of (*) Moraviantown is also named after a river with this name, which was where Tecumseh was killed. For 10 points, give this name shared by a Canadian and English river that both run through a city named London.
A: Thames [accept Firth of Thames or Thames River or River Thames]
Q: The town of Wallace, located in this state, proclaims itself to be the center of the universe, since no one can prove it's not. Lava flows are found in Craters of the Moon National Monument in this state, which also contains a part of a national park in which, because of a legal loophole, one could technically get away with murder. This state, whose eastern border is the Bitterroot Mountains, has a northern (*) panhandle in a different time zone from the rest of the state. This state is also home to cities such as Coeur d'Alene and Pocatello, which is located near the state's Potato Museum. For 10 points, name this western U.S. state with capital at Boise.
A: Idaho
Q: The Gidikwe Ridge is located west of this location. Based on mitochondrial DNA evidence, Professor Vanessa Hayes has hypothesized that Homo sapiens originated near this location. Thomas Baines painted several trees at this location, including a baobab named after James Chapman that served as a post office. The Nata River ends at this location, which includes the granite Kubu Island. This location was formerly covered by a lake that was fed by the Boteti and (*) Okavango rivers. South of this location is the Orapa Diamond Mine, and tourists visiting this location often travel southeast from the town of Maun. This location has features named Nxai, Sua, and Nwetwe. For 10 points, name these salt pans in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana.
A: Makgadikgadi Pans
Q: The main physical attractions of this national park were created as part of the Capitan Reef, limestone remnants of an inland sea that disappeared 250 million years ago. Location of sites like Chocolate High and Chocolate Drop, this park features the underground Lake Chandalar, home to extremophile microbes that feast on hydrogen sulfide in the underground lake. Located in the Guadaloupe Mountains inside the Chihuahua Desert, most tourists visit its Hall of the White Giants and The Big Room, home to dozens of species of bats. For 10 points what New Mexico national park features an extensive cave system?
A: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Q: The order of semiaquatic diapsid reptiles Choristodera went extinct during this period, which was named in 1853 by Moritz Hornes. The Chile Triple Junction formed during this period, which also saw the Great American Interchange occur as a result of the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. The Zanclean flood ended the Messinian salinity crisis during this period, which saw the (*) Mediterranean dry up. This period ran from around 23 to 2.6 million years ago, and is subdivided into the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. For 10 points, name this geologic period, the second of the Cenozoic epoch, after the Palaeogene and before the Quaternary, whose name begins with a Greek prefix meaning 'new'.
A: Neogene period [prompt on Cenozoic before 'period' is read; antiprompt on Miocene before 'period' is read]
Q: On this non-island landmass, the Batek negritos and the Senoi are three of the Orang Asli indigenous groups. Most registered pirate attacks take place near the southern tip of this landmass. The Tenasserim mountains run the entire length of this peninsula, whose narrowest part is at the (*) Kra Isthmus, through which the Phuket mountains pass. Thailand controls most of this peninsula, which is separated by the Straits of Malacca from Sumatra. For 10 points, name this peninsula which shares its name with the majority ethnicity in Kuala Lumpur.
A: Malay peninsula [or Malaya; or Semenanjung Tanah Melayu; or Kra Peninsula before "Kra" is read; prompt on Southeast Asia or less specific answers]
Q: In this country, a site at Chan Chan is found near the city of Trujillo. Despite the city's population of nearly half a million, flying is practically the only way to get to this country's city of Iquitos. The world's second deepest canyon, found in this country, is formed by the Colca River and can be accessed from (*) Arequipa. In this country, a "trail" up the Sacred Valley of the Urubamba River leads to a ruined city visited by Hiram Bingham. For 10 points, name this country where tourists visit ruins at Machu Picchu.
A: Republic of Peru [or Republica del Peru]
Q: The Sudd, in South Sudan, is a large example of one of these areas. Brazil's Pantanal becomes one of these for many weeks in June. George Washington surveyed one of these areas in 1763, forming a company with others to reclaim it. That Great Dismal one of these areas is in North Carolina and Virginia, while another example of one of these areas straddles the Florida-Georgia border and is called Okeefenokee. For 10 points what are these land areas suffused or submerged under water, featuring woody plants?
A: swamps (prompt on "flood plain"-not really right but understandable)
Q: This fish is served alongside scrunchions and brewis [brews] in a traditional Newfoundland meal. The Puerto Rican dish bacalaito is comprised of pancake-like fritters made from this fish, which derives its name from the Portuguese word for this fish, bacalhau. When salted, this fish is one of the two main ingredients of the (*) Jamaican national dish, alongside the ackee fruit. A dietary supplement that contains vitamins A and D and various omega-3 fatty acids is derived from the liver of this fish. For 10 points, name this fish, the subject of various territorial disputes between Iceland and the United Kingdom, known as this fish's eponymous Wars.
A: Cod
Q: A collection of late-19th-century photographs taken in this state prompted Michael Lesy to publish a book titled for this state's "Death Trip." 150 Sauk and Fox people, including women and children, were slaughtered at the Bad Axe Massacre in this state, ending the Black Hawk War. This state's largest city elected Emil Seidel in 1910 as the first Socialist mayor of a major US city. Robert LaFollette was a progressive senator from this state, where Ron Johnson recently defeated Russ Feingold to remain in the US Senate. Netflix aired the documentary "Making a Murderer" about the conviction of Steven Avery in this state's Manitowoc County. For 10 points what Midwestern state is governed by the wretched Scott Walker from its capital, Madison?
A: Wisconsin
Q: Maya Lin's Confluence Project is a series of art installations located along this river. Navigation on this river was once impeded by Celilo Falls before it was flooded by The Dalles Dam, located near the entrance to this river's namesake gorge. The city of Pasco is located at the junction of this river and its longest tributary, the Snake. Also located on this river is Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, a reservoir formed by the Grand Coulee Dam. For 10 points, the border between Oregon and Washington is partly formed by what largest river of the Pacific Northwest?
A: Columbia River
Q: Gold mining in this country's Zaamar area has badly polluted its Tuul River, which is lined with willow forests. Its second most populous city, Erdenet, has experienced rapid population growth as people move to the valley between the Orkhon and Selenge Rivers. The Choijin Lama Monastery is a major site in the capital city of this predominantly Buddhist country. It is the world's second largest landlocked country by area, but some of it is uninhabitable because of the Gobi Desert. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Ulan Bator.
A: Mongolia
Q: Deforestation near this country's city of Puerto Maldonado, the capital of its Madre de Dios Region, has facilitated a major highway project but devastated the ecology around the Urubamba and Ucayali Rivers. This country's northernmost Loreto Region is home to the river port of Iquitos, the largest city in its disappearing rainforest. The most populous city in its eastern part is Cuzco, and this country's capital is served by the Pacific port of Callao. For 10 points, name this country home to the Incan city of Macchu Picchu as well as Lima.
A: Republic of Peru [or Republica del Peru]
Q: In November 2011, this country's president launched the "Bring Back the Book" literacy campaign. This country has been having strikes and fraud investigations since the January 1, 2012 decision to end a fuel subsidy, which has sparked anti-Christian violence not seen since the attempted imposition of Shari'a in its cities of Kano and Kaduna. This country has also seen kidnappings of oil workers in its southeast. Goodluck Jonathan succeeded Umaru Yar'Adua to the presidency of, for 10 points, what African country governed in Abuja?
A: Nigeria
Q: A message sent in 1974 from this island included depictions of numbers, DNA, a human, and the solar system. The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean is located in a trench named for this island. Home of the Arecibo [ahr-uh-SEE-boh] Observatory, this island is also home to the coqui [ko-KEE] frog, which can be found in its El Yunque [yun-KAY] rainforest. San Cristobal and San Felipe del Morro provide protection to this island's capital. Its city of Mayaguez [mah-yah-GWES] is located on the Mona Passage, which separates Hispaniola from this island. For 10 points, name this Caribbean island that is located west of the Virgin Islands, and whose capital is San Juan.
A: Puerto Rico
Q: Description acceptable. One building with this characteristic was the first to have a cast iron cupola in the world and had a lightning rod 28 years before Benjamin Franklin's experiments. That building is located in Nevyansk. Due to the method of furniture transportation in the city, buildings with cantilevered hooks and this characteristic were once mandated in Amsterdam. Modern buildings with this characteristic include the KIO Towers and one adjacent to the "Big O" stadium. Dubai's (*) Capital Gate tower holds a world record for having this characteristic. It's not in Japan, but one building with this characteristic survived four earthquakes due to its soft soil. Galileo legendarily dropped two cannonballs off of, for 10 points, what type of buildings exemplified by the bell tower of Pisa?
A: buildings that tilt [or buildings that lean, accept reasonable equivalents]
Q: This country sometimes experiences "hungry seasons" in which families must resort to eating akar, or dried palm tree bark. Paintings that date back 6000 years can be found in this country's Lene Hara cave, which is located in its Nino Konis Santana National Park. The Atoni people live in this country, as well as the Kemak, who hold funerals where souls of the dead are guided to this country's highest point. A statue of Cristo Rei atop a globe can be found in this country's capital, which is also located across from (*) Atauro Island. Pante Macassar is the capital of this country's Oecusse exclave, which is surrounded by a country that this country won independence from in 2002. For 10 points, name this country located on the easternmost Lesser Sunda island with the capital at Dili.
A: Timor-Leste [or East Timor]
Q: This ingredient is central to the Senegalese dish chebu jen, in which it is served with tomatoes and fish. In Madagascar, this ingredient is known as "vary" [var] and often served in a "ro" broth with a "laoka" [lo-kuh] side dish, while in Ghana, this ingredient can be braised in onion-fried oil in angwa moo, or served with sorghum leaves and black eyed peas in waakye [waa-chay]. Nigerians eat an "ofada" version of this ingredient, which may also be served (*) stuffed inside a goat or soaked in coconut milk. Jamie Oliver once butchered a pan-West African dish in which tomato, onion and peppers are fried with this ingredient, for which Ghanaians prefer its jasmine variety. For 10 points, name this grain used in jollof.
A: rice
Q: In this city, despite regular crackdowns, drugs are openly sold on Pusher Street. In 1957, Robert Shaplen wrote a letter to the New Yorker from this city, and suggested that its country was an almost perfect welfare state. In 2017, a landmark in this city was defaced with the words "Free Abdulle", although it is unclear what this referred to. The Harbour Baths are a public bathing facility located on this city's waterfront. Since 1971, this city has contained a self-governing community called (*) Freetown Christiania. A statue by Edvard Eriksen in this city looks out across the Øresund strait. Most famously containing the Little Mermaid statue, for 10 points, name this capital city of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [or København]
Q: This region's driest season is known as the Jilal, and its rainy season is known as the Gu. Lighthouse Francesco Crispi is located in this region, as well as the ancient trading city of Opone. Since the early 2000s, there have been considerable efforts for oil exploration in the Dharoor and Nugaal valleys of this region. Bender Qassim International Airport serves Bosaso, the main port of this region, while the city of Garoowe serves as its administrative capital. This region includes Cape Guardafui and (*) Ras Hafun, and the island of Socotra is located off its coast. This region derives its name from an ancient kingdom that was a source for ebony, gold, and ivory, the subject of many of Hatshepsut's trading voyages. For 10 points, name this autonomous region in northeast Somalia.
A: Puntland [prompt on "Somalia" before mention, do not accept or prompt on Somaliland]
Q: In a city with this name, Charles Alphonse Laveran discovered that malaria was caused by a protozoan. That city, formerly known as Cirta, is often referred to as the "City of Bridges" due to having several bridges spanning the gorge of the Rhumel River. A person with this name was born in the Moesian city of Naissus, which is now the Serbian city of Nis. The 3rd largest city in Algeria has this name, which is also alphabetically first in the name of the largest building of the (*) Roman Forum. An emperor with this name built an arch beside the Colosseum, completed the Basilica of Maxentius, and moved his capital to a city with the Theodosian Walls and Hagia Sophia. For 10 points, give the name of the first Christian emperor.
A: Constantine
Q: During the 1800s, this route was known as the "Devil's Backbone" due to its rough conditions and frequent robberies. The ghost town of Rocky Springs was a popular rest stop along this route, whose namesake town is the site of Devil's Punchbowl, where Union soldiers purportedly held freed slaves in concentration camp-like conditions. The Plaquemine culture built the Fatherland Site and Emerald Mound Site found along this route, and it was frequently used by (*) "Kaintuck" boatmen. The Loveless Cafe is at the northern terminus of this route, which features a deeply eroded "sunken" section. At this route's Grinder's Stand, Meriwether Lewis committed suicide. For 10 points, name this route that connects Nashville to a namesake town in Mississippi.
A: Natchez Trace [accept Natchez Trace Parkway, accept Sunken Trace before mentioned]
Q: Monks having love affairs and toes being exposed year round are some of this province's "Eighteen Oddities". Writing systems in this province include the Nakhi Dongba script and the Yi script, though the Tai Tham alphabet is used by this province's "model" Dai group. Tourist hotspots in this province include the Hani rice terraces, tropical Xishuangbanna [shee-shwang-ban-ah] and Tiger Leaping Gorge at (*) Shangri-La. This province is home to the Six Great Tea Mountains that yield maocha for fermentation, as well as the Three Parallel Rivers region named for the Salween, Mekong and Yangtze. Bordering Sichuan and Tibet as well as Myanmar and Vietnam, for 10 points, name this diverse Chinese province with capital at Kunming.
A: Yunnan
Q: The Rat Islands are named for the pests that traveled on boats across the Tanaga Pass in this larger island chain. Before heading to Hawaii on his third voyage, James Cook described this chain as a peninsula. US forces used Adak in this chain as a base for a World War II attack on Japanese forces which had taken this chain's island of Attu. Lying east of Kamchatka and forming the southern boundary of the Bering Sea is, for 10 points, what island chain drawing an upward arc from the southwest coast of Alaska?
A: Aleutian Islands
Q: The Fountain of Wealth is located in this city's Suntec City mall, and the Marina Bay Sands resort in this city is the most expensive building in the world. This city is home to the first nocturnal zoo, the Night Safari. Many of this city's petrochemical companies are based on its artificial island of Jurong. The Kallang River flows through this city's biodiverse Bishan Park. Stamford Raffles founded this city, which is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor. For 10 points, name this small city-state in Southeast Asia.
A: Republic of Singapore [or Xinjiapo Gongheguo; or Republik Singapura; or Cingkappur Kudiyarasu]
Q: A large effigy called Zozobra is burned during an annual festival in this state's capital city. Virgin Galactic is headquartered at the Spaceport America near this state's town of Truth or Consequences. Archeological sites along this state's Trails of the Ancients Byway include Aztec Ruins National Monument and Chaco Cultural Historical Park, as well as the city of Farmington. This state's White Sands Missile Range was the site of the 1945 Trinity nuclear test. For 10 points, name this southwestern U.S. state with a capital at Santa Fe.
A: New Mexico [accept Santa Fe or Fiestas de Santa Fe until "this state's"]
Q: This island's name comes from that of the Arab sultan who controlled it at the time of first European contact in the 15th century. This island is connected to the mainland by a namesake 3.4km long single lane concrete bridge which is actually longer than the island is, and most of its residents live in Makuti Town. It's not Zanzibar, but this island's Stone Town is home to the Chapel of Our Lady of Baluarte, which is the oldest extant European building in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as the oldest complete fort still standing in sub-Saharan Africa, Sao Sebastiao. Originally a major stopover on the way to India and depot for slaves, spices, and gold, the completion of the Suez Canal led to administrators moving to Lourenco Marques, and harbour facilities being transferred to the new harbour at Nacala on the mainland. Until 1898 this city was the capital of Portuguese East Africa. For 10 points, what is this island city in a namesake body of water which the Portuguese took to be the name of the mainland region which they controlled from it for over 300 years?
A: Island of Mozambique [accept: Ilha de Mocambique]
Q: The first expedition to see this landmass was led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. From February 1898 to March 1899, the crew of the ship Belgica stayed on this landmass against their will. The crew of the Terra Nova expedition died here in January 1912, only a month after the Fram crew reached a point on this landmass. Robert Falcon Scott attempted to use horses to reach a point on this landmass that Roald Amundsen reached using sled dogs. For 10 points, name this continent on which the South Pole is located.
A: Antarctica
Q: In 2014, Dutch students Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon were found dead in this country after hiking the "Pianist" trail near Boquete. That trail is located in Chiriqui province, which contains this nation's highest point, Baru Volcano. Thomas Drummond attempted to found the colony of (*) Caledonia in a region of this country which is navigated using piragua boats and has prevented the spread of foot-and-mouth disease to this country. The Chagres river flows into this country's manmade Lake Gatun, which is utilised by a structure that connects Balboa on the Pacific and Colon on the Caribbean Sea. Sharing the Darien Gap with Colombia, for 10 points, name this Central American nation which has a namesake Canal.
A: Panama
Q: To be sold in North America, this substance must have a density of 66° on the Brix scale and be filtered to remove calcium malate crystals, and imitation forms of this substance are generally made using sotolon. In the USA, the highest grade of this substance was previously designated 'Fancy', but is now 'Class A Golden Colour and Delicate Taste'. In 2011-12, nearly 3,000 tons of this substance were (*) stolen from the International Strategic Reserve in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford. The production of this substance is monitored by the FPAQ in Quebec, and facilities for the production of this substance are generally known as sugar shacks. For 10 points, name this sweet foodstuff, refined from the sap of trees of the genus Acer and produced predominantly in Canada.
A: maple syrup [prompt on partial, prompt on 'maple sap' until 'sotolon']
Q: The four-unit VLT or "Very Large Telescope" of the Paranal Observatory is located in this region. It is the location of the abandoned Escondida copper mine as well as 170 abandoned nitrate mining towns. National Geographic and the World Wildlife Fund disagree on this region's boundaries with National Geographic arguing it extends further into Peru. The town of Yungay in this region receives less than a millimeter of rain a year. For 10 points, name this primarily Chilean desert near the Andes that is widely considered the driest place in the world.
A: Atacama Desert
Q: The Terai [tuh-RAHY] plains that are located in the southern portion of this nation were partially formed by the Kosi River, and those plains are south of the Parbat and Pahad. Kali Gandaki Gorge, the deepest gorge on earth, separates two peaks, the Dhaulaguri and Annapurna, in this mountainous country also home to the city of Biratnagar [bih-RAHY-nuhg-er]. The Siliguri Corner, also known as the Chicken's Neck, is a narrow strip of land between this country and Bangladesh. Located in the Himalayas and only bordering China and India, For 10 points, name this Asian nation with capital at Kathmandu that is home to eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest.
A: The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Q: One structure in this city features distinctive X-braces on its exterior, which highlight its tubular system designed by Bruce Graham, who worked with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to design this city's Inland Steel Building. This city contains a neo-Gothic skyscraper whose facade contains gargoyles and Aesop's screen. The Carson, Pirie, & Scott Building is found in this city that houses the John Hancock Center, Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and a skyscraper now called Willis Tower. For 10 points, name this home of the Tribune Tower and the Sears Tower.
A: Chicago
Q: Thomas Tizard wrote an account of a journey of a ship with this name which was captained first by George Nares and then by Charles Wyville Thomson. A corvette of this name was the first steamship to cross the Antarctic Circle during a four-year voyage which surveyed the depth and composition of the ocean floor and catalogued over 4000 new species. According to a commission whose members included Richard (*) Feynman and Neil Armstrong, an accident involving a craft of this name killed the teacher Christa McAuliffe and occurred due to the failure of O-rings at low temperatures. The deepest point in the Marianas Trench shares its name with, for 10 points, which Space Shuttle that exploded in 1986?
A: Challenger (accept HMS Challenger)
Q: You can enter it on the Bright Angel Trail, which allows access to springs at Indian Garden. To its north is the Kaibab national forest, named after a Native American tribe which has a nearby reservation. Reservations that are adjacent to it are for Hualapai and Havasupai tribes, and a million years ago it had volcanic action (*) block its western end. Its immense strata formed mostly below sea level and its Vishnu Schist is on its inner gorge. It is believed to have been formed 5 million years ago, with most downcutting by its river in the last 2. For 10 points what is this immense valley beginning in Utah which was formed by erosion from the Colorado River?
A: the Grand Canyon
Q: This river creates the Mana Pools, a flood plain that serves as a wildlife conservation area. The Cuando River flows into this river, whose namesake coastal flooded savanna has been damaged by the destruction of waterbuck and buffalo by FRELIMO and RENAMO forces. This river, which generates hydroelectric power at the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams, contains a feature that includes the Devil's Cataract and six gorges over which water plunges. For 10 points, name this African river that flows through Zambia and Zimbabwe and over Victoria Falls.
A: Zambezi River
Q: One country on this island employs Tok Pisin as its official language. It lies north of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Torres Strait separates this island from Cape York Peninsula. The highest point on this island is Puncak Jaya, also known as Carstensz Pyramid, which is the highest island peak in the world. It is divided in two at the 141st meridian east. Its eastern half is a former Australian colony with a capital at Port Moresby, and its western half is a province of Indonesia. For 10 points, name this large island, which along with "Papua" names an Indian Ocean nation.
A: New Guinea [do not accept "Papua New Guinea"]
Q: This river was almost a thousand miles longer until the Miocene era expansion of the Virunga volcanoes blocked its extreme upper course. This river has an Albert branch and passes through the Sudd swamp. One of its sources contains Rusumo Falls, and another is at Lake Tana. A southward bend in this river includes the fourth of a series of six rapids, its "cataracts." This river, whose Blue and White tributaries join at Khartoum, is overlooked by the city of Cairo along its banks. For 10 points, name this northeastern African river, the longest in the world.
A: Nile River
Q: Early maps of this body of water identified it as Lac Frontenac. The largest island in this body of water, Wolfe Island, is part of an archipelago that spans its northeast corner, the Thousand Islands. The primary outlet of this body of water is the widest river in the world, and drains into the Atlantic Ocean. This body, which is drained by the St. Lawrence River, receives its water from the Niagara River via the Niagara Falls. For 10 points, name this body of water that is east of Huron and Erie, a Great Lake that shares its name with Canada's most populous province.
A: Lake Ontario
Q: Richards Island lies largely within the bounds of this river. Locals may refer to this river as "Deh Cho" which translates simply as "big river". The Great Slave lake is drained by this river, whose namesake followed it to Lake Athabasca. This river's discoverer named it the Disappointment river, as he expected it to drain into the (*) Pacific Ocean. The melting of the Laurentide Ice Sheet led to a large influx of fresh water into the beaufort sea in the Arctic Ocean through this river, the majority of which lies within the Northwest Territories. For 10 points, name this longest river in Canada.
A: Mackenzie River
Q: Just off the north-central coast of this island nation is the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago. The Nicholas Channel borders the north of this nation, which also contains the Isla de la Juventud. Narciso Lopez once attempted to filibuster this nation, which is home to the celebrated sports team Industriales. The Windward Passage separates Hispaniola from this island, which is a mere ninety-mile journey across the Strait of Florida from Key West. For 10 points, name this island nation that houses many 1950s automobiles and fine cigars in its capital of Havana.
A: Republic of Cuba
Q: Chira Island is located in this country's province of Puntarenas near where its Tempisque River empties into its Gulf of Nicoya. This country's Cordillera Central range includes the Poas and Irazu volcanoes. Tourism to national parks, which cover about 25% of this country's land, has overtaken coffee and bananas in driving this country's economy. The San Juan River lies on this country's border with Nicaragua to the north. For 10 points, name this northern neighbor of Panama, a Central American country with no standing army and its capital at San Jose.
A: [Republic of/Republica de] Costa Rica
Q: A standoff over the Scarborough Shoal in this body of water has been ongoing since 2012. The Macclesfield Bank is administered under the Sansha prefecture in this body of water, which bounds the island of Palawan along with the Sulu Sea. Brunei and Malaysia both have territorial claims in the Spratly Islands in this sea. For 10 points, name this marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean that is bounded by Vietnam to the west, the Philippines to the east, Indonesia to the south, and a namesake People's Republic to the north.
A: South China Sea
Q: An island inhabited by these people is linked to the mainland by a narrow gauge railway for which every household on the island has its own wagon. The pomplebled is a stylised image of a water lily leaf which appears on these people's flag. A traditional sport of these people involves using a long pole to jump as far as possible over a body of water, and is either called Polsstokspringen or (*) Fierljeppen. People of this ethnicity are the native inhabitants of an island which was blown in half by British explosives in 1947. The language of these natives of Heligoland is the one most closely related to English. For 10 points, name these inhabitants of a series of islands just off the coast of the Netherlands and Germany.
A: Frisians (prompt on Germans or Dutch or Heligolanders)
Q: One national park in this state contains the historic Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and is accessible via the city of Estes Park. This state contains a park with the highest sand dunes in North America and Medano Creek, which flows in punctuated bursts instead of a constant flow. The Black Ridge Canyon Wilderness lies on the namesake plateau of this state, which contains 53 "fourteeners," including Long's Peak, Mount Evans, and Mount Elbert, the tallest of the Rocky Mountains. For 10 points, name this state, home to Pike's Peak and Denver.
A: Colorado
Q: Lessening traffic in this body of water is one reason for a proposed canal in the Isthmus of Kra. Bush fires to the south of this body of water regularly cause low visibility, and its shallowest point is 25 meters deep, defining its namesake naval architecture. Its westernmost extent is the island of Phuket ("poo-kay"), and nearby cities include Kedah and Kalentan. Along with the Sunda, it is one of the two major straits of Southeast Asia. For 10 points, name this strait bordering Singapore, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
A: Strait of Malacca
Q: A company named after this mountain range was paid to stop producing their T97 model, which was incredibly similar to the Volkswagen Beetle. A lake nicknamed "Eye of the Sea" since it was believed to connect to the ocean, Morskie Oso, is in this mountain range. The seizure of the Podhale region in this mountain range by the Habsburgs was upheld at a 1772 partition. This mountain range, which includes the ski resort town of Zakopane, is home to the Goral people, whose most famous member may be (*) Pope John Paul II. This range receives pollution from nearby cities such as Ostrava and Krakow. For 10 points, name this highest section of the Carpathians, which forms the border between Slovakia and Poland.
A: Tatra Mountains [prompt on Carpathians until it is read]
Q: A bullet flying through this place whistles "All flesh is grass" in the first stanza of the poem "Arithmetic on the Frontier." Although it's over 2,000 miles away from Israel, this place's name may come from the Hebrew word for "fort." Reversed N's and L's in the name "ENFIELD" are some of the many defining features of copies of British rifles named after this place. A so-called "train safari" through this place stops at Jamrud and (*) Landi Kotal. This place in the Spin Ghar Mountains was part of the Grand Trunk Road and was compared to "a sword cut through the mountains" by Rudyard Kipling. The city of Peshawar lies at its eastern end. For 10 points, name this strategically important mountain pass on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A: Khyber Pass
Q: The three parts of one of these places are named "bestower of bounty," "bestower of delight,"and "bestower of life." That example of these places was designed by Ali Mardan Khan, a defector from the Safavids to the Mughals. UNESCO grouped together nine Persian examples of these places as one World Heritage Site, including Shazdeh in Kerman and one centered on the "forty-column" Chehel Sotoun pavilion. Fourteen (*) terraces lead up to the tomb of Babur in one of these places. A common layout for these places, sometimes called charbagh, dictates they be divided into four sections that correspond to four areas of Paradise as mentioned in the Qur'an. For 10 points, name these places which include Lahore's Shalimar, which often incorporate several exotic plants.
A: gardens
Q: With the journalist Simcha Jacobovici, this man theorized that the plagues of Egypt were caused by a limnic eruption in the Nile Delta as well as the Thera eruption, and documented the discovery of the Talpiot Tomb in their work The Lost Tomb of Jesus. This man was inspired by the story of thirteen cave divers trapped beneath the Nullarbor Plain to create his most recent work. One of his characters disarms a nuclear warhead (*) submerged near the Cayman Trough before aliens save him from drowning. This director of Sanctum and The Abyss visited Challenger Deep alone in 2012, and used footage of a wreck discovered by Robert Ballard in his most famous film. For 10 points, name this underwater-obsessed director of Titanic.
A: James Cameron
Q: The United States paid $300 million to Brazil as part of a 2000s WTO dispute over subsidies on this crop. The city of Enterprise erected a statue of a common pest of this crop, since it forced the area's farmers to diversify by growing peanuts. A valuable form of this commodity was introduced to the Sea Islands by the trader Francis Levett, and is now named after the (*) Pima Indians. In England, a shortage of this crop caused a so-called "famine" in Lancashire that was exacerbated by a massive 1860s blockade. This crop's yields were devastated by the spread of the boll weevil. For 10 points, name this crop that provided much of the wealth of the antebellum South, which earned it the nickname "king."
A: cotton
Q: Land was reclaimed from Penny's Bay to begin the construction of one of these places. A metaphorical example of these places is home to people who "all have 'the policeman inside'" of them, and is an "Asian version of Zurich." Lang Lang performed at the opening of one of these places in 2016, which was attended by Bob (*) Iger [EYE-ger]. In a 1993 article in Wired, William Gibson compared Singapore to one of these places "with the Death Penalty." A World Bazaar at one of these places in Tokyo is really just a differently-named copy of Main Street, U.S.A. The newest one of these places in Shanghai includes sections like Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. For 10 points, name these theme parks whose attractions are based on characters like Mickey Mouse.
A: Disneylands [prompt on amusement parks or theme parks; do not accept "Walt Disney World"]
Q: Two answers required. A design that combined these two types of objects with a knobkierie ["knob"-"kerry"] was replaced by a blue, white, and green tricolor with a black mokorotlo, or straw hat, in 2006. A flag designed by Sobhuza II includes blue and red tassels made of feathers amongst these two kinds of objects. These two kinds of objects lie atop the black, red, and green stripes of a national flag, and in the presidential standards of Daniel (*) Arap Moi and Jomo Kenyatta. These are the two main kinds of items visible on Swaziland's flag. The traditional Maasai designs for these two objects appear on Kenya's flag. One of these two objects was usually made from cowhide, while the other is called an assegai. For 10 points, name this pair of offensive and defensive objects often wielded by Zulu warriors.
A: spears and shields [accept obvious equivalents]
Q: People studying this system use a constant named for Goodman, Martinez, and Thompson, sometimes called GMT. Five unnamed components of this system are grouped together as the Wayeb. Like a group to its west, the group that used this system assigned nine "Lords of the Night" to its different components. This system is sometimes called (*) tzolk'in [ZOLL-kin], even though its original users did not use that name. A numbering scheme in this system uses shells, dots, and bars, which represent zero, one, and five, respectively. In accordance with the k'atun [kah-TOON] component of this system, twin-pyramid complexes were erected every twenty years in Tikal. For 10 points, name this system that was interpreted by many to have predicted the world's end in 2012.
A: Mayan calendar [or Long Count calendar; or tzolk'in until it is read; prompt on Mesoamerican calendar]
Q: A quote about this landmark states how men display signs indicating their respective trades, such as "shoemakers hanging out a gigantic shoe," before claiming that this landmark is God's sign. Special areas along Interstate 93 were created to view this landmark in Franconia Notch State Park. This landmark on Cannon Mountain was located directly above (*) Profile Lake, giving that lake its name. Ernest holds a sermon with this feature visible under the sunset at the end of a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. On a state quarter, this landmark appears next to nine stars and the motto "LIVE FREE OR DIE." For 10 points, name this now-collapsed rock formation in New Hampshire that resembles a face.
A: Old Man of the Mountain
Q: In a 2015 Daily Beast article about Carly Fiorina, Fiorina's statement about finding a certain head of state "very charming, actually" is compared to this other statement. This statement was adapted into its most well-known formulation from an interview with Charles Gibson. This assertion would be true of someone who lives at the Tin City Air Force Base on Cape Prince of Wales, or on Little (*) Diomede Island. This statement was made after a character played by Amy Poehler asserts her belief that "diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy," but was never given in a non-fictional setting. For 10 points, give this statement by a Tina Fey-portrayed character on Saturday Night Live about a country headed by Vladimir Putin.
A: Sarah Palin being able to see Russia from her house [or "I can see Russia from my house"]
Q: A painted hill called Salvation Mountain lies seven miles east of this body of water in Slab City, which is almost exclusively inhabited by squatters. This body of water, like Laguna Salada to its south, is one of the few habitats for the desert pupfish. The north shore of this body of water is home to a non-Arabian town called Mecca and a national wildlife refuge named after Sonny Bono. The Alamo and New Rivers that flow into this body of water formed as a result of silt blockages in the (*) Imperial Canal. Increasing salinity and massive piles of dead fish effectively killed the tourism industry at this lake, which is partly located in the Coachella Valley. For 10 points, name this shrinking lake in southern California.
A: Salton Sea
Q: Jadav Payeng has diligently performed this action since 1979 in an area now named "Molai" after his nickname. Participant countries in the AFR100 program, established after a 2015 conference, pledged to perform this action, which has led to the frequent arrest of Wangari Maathai. Large-scale performance of this action is how the GGWSSI in the (*) Sahel would be created. Over a million volunteers in Uttar Pradesh smashed a world record by performing this action 66 million times in 12 hours in July 2017. Another large-scale program that does this action aims to halt the expansion of the Gobi Desert and is nicknamed the "Green Great Wall." For 10 points, name this action that anyone, even Chris Ray, can do by burying acorns or saplings.
A: planting trees [or planting forests; or reforesting]
Q: The pyrethrum type of these plants are ground into a pesticide called Persian powder. In the autumn season, dolls made of these plants are displayed at Nihonmatsu Castle. These plants represent September in a set of playing cards called hanafuda. In Korea, gukhwaju [goo-KWA-jew] is a wine flavored with this plant, whose morifolium species is used in a tea called juhua cha. Along with the orchid, plum blossom and bamboo, this plant is one of the (*) "Four Gentlemen" of China. Four symbols representing this plant are displayed at the entrance to the Yasukuni Shrine, and that symbol has been used as an imperial seal since the reign of Emperor Go-Daigo. For 10 points, name this yellow national flower of Japan.
A: chrysanthemums
Q: The Bahr el Zaraf, or Sea of Giraffes, is part of one of these locales in Sudan called the Sudd. The Vasyugan is an example of this type of site found east of the Ob River in Siberia. The largest example in the US is the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana, while a "blackwater" one of these locations, defined by its accumulation of peat, straddles the Florida-Georgia border. For 10 points what are these marshy areas including the Okefenokee and Great Dismal?
A: swamps
Q: Linguistic oddities in this city's English include unusually heavier "L" s and the use of the phrase "Get down from the car" instead of "Get out of the car." A neighborhood of this city holds a year-end parade satirizing the year's political issues, called the King Mango Strut. This city 8th Street was where the Versailles Restaurant, popular with exiles from a nearby country, was founded. The so-called "Hearst Castle of the East," Villa (*) Vizcaya, is in this city's Coconut Grove neighborhood, east of its suburb of Coral Gables. The record for the world's longest conga line was set during a festival in this city along its street of Calle [KAH-yay] Ocho. For 10 points, the largest Haitian and Cuban populations in the United States are found in what city's metro area, which includes West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale?
A: Miami
Q: This territory's border was briefly closed after the arrival of the MV Aurora, which was afflicted by a massive norovirus outbreak. The runway of this territory's chief airport dangerously intersects with its chief thoroughfare. Street food in this territory includes a pancake-like dish called the calentita. In May 2017, Paddy Power Betfair closed their office in this territory, 40% of whose GDP depends on financial and gambling sectors. Some tourists are attracted to this territory by an isolated population of (*) Barbary macaques. Several Genoese words appear in this territory's Llanito [yah-NEE-tow] dialect. A landmark in this territory forms the northern part of the Pillars of Hercules, whose southern part lies in Morocco. For 10 points, name this territory on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula, home to a massive "rock."
A: Gibraltar
Q: Sydney Cohen became known as "the king of" this island after a garrison surrendered to him while he was merely stopping for fuel. This largest of the Pelagie [pel-LAG-ee-ay] Islands is part of a territorial division with nearby Linosa and was briefly ruled by princes of the Tommasi family. In 2016, each head of state in the European Union received a copy of the documentary Fire at Sea, which was filmed entirely on this island. After the deaths of over three hundred people traveling to this island, Operation (*) Mare Nostrum was launched. An author whose name includes this island wrote about the prince Fabrizio losing political power during the Risorgimento in his only novel, The Leopard. For 10 points, name this Italian island that serves as an entry point for north African migrants.
A: Lampedusa
Q: The presence of butternuts at this place indicated that its inhabitants may have traveled south to obtain their resources, since it lies beyond the northernmost extent of the butternut's range. Possible origins of this place's name include a corruption of "Jellyfish Cove," or a ship named after Medea, since it is faced by Medee [meh-DAY] Bay. Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad became the first explorers of this place based on a hypothesis that (*) grapes were grown nearby. This site on the Strait of Belle Isle contains sod-roofed houses that resemble similar houses found in Greenland and Iceland. For 10 points, name this site at the northern tip of Newfoundland, a notable example of a North American Viking settlement.
A: L'Anse aux Meadows
Q: Massive scroll paintings called thongdrels are unveiled during this country's tshechu [SHET-chew] festivals, which are held on different dates in different cities. In this country, scarves called kabney [KAB-nay] come in different colors to represent social classes, with the saffron variety reserved for a head of state and a chief abbot. The Dordenma statue in this country houses 100,000 smaller copies of itself. This country's ruling class often lived in white-walled fortresses called (*) dzongs [ZONGS]. This country, which has frequently deported thousands of Lhotshampa [loht-SHAM-pa] people, uses police booths instead of traffic lights to direct traffic. In 2010, it became the first country to prohibit tobacco, and in 1999, it unbanned television. For 10 points, name this Himalayan country ruled by a "Dragon King," which notably uses Gross National Happiness.
A: Bhutan
Q: This event is held alongside another event that honors a man so loyal that he cut off parts of his own body to serve to his prince. That concurrent event's largely-ignored prohibition on lighting fire lends it the name "Cold Food." Tea leaves picked before the day of this event usually sell higher than those picked after it. A green dumpling filled with bean paste is usually only made for this event. During this event, participants (*) burn pieces of joss paper nicknamed "hell banknotes" as offerings and visit graveyards to sweep their ancestors' tombs. A 17-foot-long artwork shows this event being held in Kaifeng [kai-FUNG], along the Yellow River. For 10 points, name this April festival in China that was depicted in a massive Song Dynasty scroll.
A: Qingming [CHING-ming]Festival
Q: A climate change-focused cover of this song from 2009 is performed by Kofi Annan, Desmond Tutu, and tens of other musicians. During an Olympic closing ceremony, this song's artists performed it in clothing that read "Sorry" on it, criticizing John Howard's failure to apologize. This song depicts a landscape "from Kintore East to Yuendemu [YAWN-duh-moo]" that "lives and breathes in forty-five degrees," and opens by describing "the (*) bloodwood and the desert oak."The Pintupi people, who were forcibly moved from their homes in the Gibson Desert, are the subject of this song's line "It belongs to them / Let's give it back." For 10 points, name this pro-Aboriginal song by Australian band Midnight Oil, which asks "How do we sleep" while the title events occur.
A: "Beds Are Burning"
Q: The perpetrators of an atrocity against people from this country were revealed after bullets from Danish Krag rifles were found at the scene. For her efforts to end discrimination against natives of this country, Sonia Pierre was awarded a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. The fact that Jose Francisco Pena had ancestors from this country was once used as a talking point against him by rival politician Joaquin Balaguer. Many residents of this country moved east to its neighbor's (*) bateyes [bah-TAY-yez], or towns established around sugar mills. This country's natives use the term "kouto-a," meaning "the stabbing," to describe an incident in which they were killed for being unable to pronounce a word for "parsley" correctly. For 10 points, name this country, many of whose residents fled to the Dominican Republic after a 2010 earthquake.
A: Haiti
Q: This country is the site of the N2 Gateway housing project, which promises to build 25,000 houses when completed. Many neighborhoods in this country are home to so-called "matchbox houses." The book No Land! No House! No Vote! was written by the displaced Symphony Way "pavement dwellers" from this country. Xenophobia against migrants led to a wave of violence in this country that began in the suburb of Alexandra. In this country, the (*) divisions of neighborhoods were planned by the Group Areas Act, which led to the destruction of many properties in District Six. Poorer suburbs in this country are designated "townships," including Soweto, the site of a 1976 uprising against the mandatory teaching of Afrikaans. For 10 points, name this country where urban planning was influenced by the apartheid policy.
A: South Africa
Q: The Irish soldier John King was the only survivor of a group that sought to complete this task. That group was doomed when they were forced back to Cooper Creek after failing to reach the appropriately named Mount Hopeless. A north-south service that performs this action is nicknamed "The Ghan" in honor of camel-riding Afghan traders who began operating in the 1860s. Bad weather at the (*) Flinders River prevented a full completion of this action by the Burke and Wills expedition. Patrick White's character Voss disappears while attempting this exploratory feat. A route that makes this action possible contains the longest stretch of straight railroad in the Nullarbor Plain. For 10 points, identify this action that can be accomplished by traveling from Perth to Sydney across the Outback.
A: crossing Australia [anti-prompt on crossing the Outback before the tossup ends]
Q: Calendar systems native to this island include the pawukon, which has ten weeks with lengths that vary from one to ten days, and the more conventional saka. Nationalist scuffles occurred after an outside country mistakenly claimed this island's traditional pendet dance as its own in a 2009 advertisement. David Bowie requested that his ashes be scattered on this island according to Buddhist customs. Visitors to a temple complex at this island's town of (*) Ubud are surrounded by free-roaming macaque monkeys. This island's residents believe that its highest point, Mount Agung, is a replica of Mount Meru. Unlike the rest of its country, this island is not majority Muslim, but majority Hindu. Denpasar is the capital of, for 10 points, what Indonesian island directly east of Java?
A: Bali
Q: In a 2015 film adaptation, the residents of these places work menial jobs for a man who runs a factory that turns miscellaneous items into paperclips. A geographer at one of these places is incapable of saying whether any oceans exist nearby, since he is not an explorer. Inhabitants of these places include a king who considers himself the most admirable person in his realm, which contains (*) no subjects, and a businessman who endlessly counts the stars in the universe. Seeds at one of these places have to be shoveled out to prevent them from growing into baobabs. Before leaving that place, a character places a protective dome over a rose. For 10 points, name these celestial bodies that include B-612 in Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince.
A: asteroids from The Little Prince [or planets from The Little Prince]
Q: In 1982, Margaret Thatcher's son Mark went missing for six days during one of these events. The ashes of this event's founder, Thierry Sabine, were spread around a "Lost Tree" after he died during one. These events have been misleadingly named since 2009, the year when it was moved to Argentina. Omar bin Laden suggested using (*) horses in this event after an attack on five French tourists in Aleg by the AQIM led to the cancellation of its 2008 incarnation. A less restrictive alternative to this event travels from Budapest to Bamako. Fears of terrorism in Mauritania hindered the organization of this event, which was won twelve times using a Mitsubishi Pajero [pah-JARE-row]. For 10 points, name this event in which off-road vehicles race between the capitals of France and Senegal.
A: Paris-Dakar Rally
Q: Like a nearby cemetery, this place's construction was briefly halted after a heavy loss at the Battle of Meloria. Seven objects kept in this place, including ones named "the Assumption," "the Crucifixion," and the eponymous Dal Pozzo, correspond to a musical scale. The similarities between this structure and a portion of the Church of San Nicola lead some historians to attribute it to Diotisalvi. A soldier named Leon Weckstein saved this place by refusing to order it (*) shelled. This structure in the Square of Miracles once housed a bell called "The Justice" that rang to signal the execution of traitors like Ugolino. A biography by Vincenzo Viviani is the only source that an experiment at this place involving two cannonballs actually happened. For 10 points, name this structure in the hometown of Galileo, known for tilting 4 degrees off-center.
A: Leaning Tower of Pisa [accept bell tower or campanile of the Pisa Cathedral]
Q: Description acceptable. Three members of this group, including Panther Bior, were chronicled in the documentary God Grew Tired of Us. In a 60 Minutes episode, a member of this group recounted how two thousand of his fellow men drowned in the Gilo [GHEE-low] River. Former motorcycle gang member Sam Childers became known as the "Machine Gun Preacher" during his role in assisting these people. This group took a long southward journey to (*) Kakuma, a camp in Kenya from which many were taken to America with the help of the United Nations. For 10 points, name this large group of Nuer and Dinka children who were displaced by a civil war in an East African country.
A: Lost Boys of Sudan [or Sudanese refugees; or Nuer refugees or Dinka refugees before the giveaway; prompt on partial answer]
Q: Hermann Lea created a 1913 guide to this region with the help of its creator. Stories set in this region inspired real-life tourism to Cerne Abbas [SERN AB-buss] and the Roman-era Maumbury Rings. Establishments like Talbothays Dairy provide employment in this region, where Henry Knight experienced an ordeal that inspired the term "cliffhanger." To the north of this region, which roughly corresponds to the real-life county of (*) Dorset, lies the university town of Christminster, where Jude Fawley moves to further his education. Michael Henchard becomes the mayor of this county's town of Casterbridge. For 10 points, name this fictional county from the works of Thomas Hardy, which shares its name with a kingdom ruled by Alfred the Great.
A: Wessex [prompt on real-life locations, particularly Dorset]
Q: Two hollow heads that face this area make up the sculpture Search for Enlightenment, which stands outside a residential building jointly funded by Christian Candy and a former Qatari prime minister called "One [this area]." Some of the earliest streetlights were installed in this area's Rotten Row to deter highwaymen. This place is where prominent architects build pavilions only displayed for a year next to a lake called The (*) Serpentine. Cities like Sydney and Singapore set aside areas for the specific purpose of holding debates, in imitation of the Speakers' Corner at this park's northeast. The Crystal Palace was the centerpiece of the Great Exhibition held in this park, while lies east of Kensington Gardens. The neighborhood home to the University of Chicago is named after, for 10 points, what park of London?
A: Hyde Park [prompt on London]
Q: The only species of fish that inhabits this body of water is the pearl mullet, or tarek. Ancient residents around this lake obtained obsidian from the Nemrut volcano, which may have blocked its outflow. This body of water is overlooked by the ruins of Tushpa, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Urartu. This lake lends its name to a recently developed cat breed characterized by white fur and eyes of (*) different colors. After a 1071 battle, the Shah-Armens ruled the area surrounding this lake. Cities west of this lake include Batman and Diyarbakir. This lake is west of Lake Urmia and south of the site where Alp Arslan led the Seljuks to victory over the Byzantines at Manzikert. For 10 points, name this saline lake in eastern Turkey.
A: Lake Van
Q: It's not Tbilisi, but this city is home to the massive Beit Rachel Synagogue. A building in this city resembling the Louvre Pyramid hosts a yearly congress of religious leaders and is called the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. That building, along with a building topped by a transparent tent and home to the world's largest marquee, was designed by Norman Foster. The Sunsphere from the 1982 Knoxville World's Fair inspired the design of this city's (*) Bayterek [BYE-tair-reck] Tower, which represents a tree topped by an egg. This city, which is currently hosting Expo 2017, is home to many buildings designed by its resident head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev. For 10 points, name this city home to a district called Almaty, after the city that it replaced as capital of Kazakhstan.
A: Astana
Q: The world's longest porch is owned by a historic hotel on an island of this name, where the movie Somewhere in Time was filmed. The M-185 highway, which loops around an island of this name, is only traversable by foot, bike, or horse-drawn carriage. A massive Labor Day walk across a bridge of this name has been led by people like George Romney and (*) Rick Snyder. An island of this name, known for its fudge, serves as the endpoint for yacht races that start in Port Huron and Chicago. By total length, a bridge of this name surpasses the Golden Gate Bridge as the longest suspension bridge in the United States. All motor vehicles are banned from an island of this name at the western end of Lake Huron. For 10 points, name the strait that separates the two peninsulas of Michigan.
A: Mackinac [MACK-in-aw]
Q: The U.S. Department of Defense hypothesized that a coating that covered a poppy emblem on a 2007 model of these objects was a form of nanotechnology. Another variety of these objects earned its unusual shape during the World War II-era, when they were made from tombac. Some of these objects were nicknamed "godless" for omitting the words "DEI GRA" from a depiction of George V. The Dynamic Earth museum in Sudbury includes a replica of one of these objects that represents its (*) nickel industry. The 1988 Winter Olympics were partially funded by profits from phasing out the "voyageur" design for these objects in favor of a design that shows a bird on a lake. The "loonie" and the "toonie" are examples of, for 10 points, what metal objects used as currency in Toronto?
A: Canadian dollar coins [accept specific amounts of currency; accept loonies; accept toonies; prompt on Canadian dollars, Canadian currency, and partial answers]
Q: Description acceptable. These people are shown in the most famous works of U.S. Marine photographer Joe O'Donnell. A man considered to be a "double" one of these people first became one after delaying part of his business trip to retrieve a stamp, and was controversially referred to as "the unluckiest man in the world" on the show QI. The penultimate section of Studs Terkel's "The Good War" chronicles the discrimination against these people, also depicted in the book (*) Barefoot Gen [GHEN]. One of the twenty-five "maidens" who belonged to this group was made famous by a book by John Hersey. One of the most well-known of these people contracted leukemia and folded a thousand paper cranes while confined to her hospital bed. For 10 points, describe or give the term that refers to people affected by "black rain" after two devastating August 1945 disasters.
A: hibakusha [or survivors of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki bombings; prompt on any answers that only mention being affected by atomic bombs or radiation; prompt on Japanese people; do not accept "casualties of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki bombings"]
Q: A member of this group of animals received its scientific name Cicinnurus respublica from Charles Lucien Bonaparte to honor a short-lived 19th century Roman Republic. A massive attachment to the crown worn by Nepalese kings was obtained from this group of animals. The manucodes are some of the few monogamous species of these animals. A rugby team gets its nickname "Kumuls" from the name for this group of animals in the (*) Tok Pisin language. Alfred Russel Wallace's book on the Malay Archipelago frequently depicts natives of the Moluccas shooting down these animals. One of these animals called a raggiana appears as a yellow silhouette on a flag flown at cities like Port Moresby. For 10 points, name this group of 42 species of birds, which natives of New Guinea believed were from a divine land.
A: birds-of-paradise [or Paradisaeidae; prompt on birds or Aves]
Q: An economic downturn in this geographic region is centered around a site at Forcados [for-SAH-dohs], a former Portuguese trading post. The Odi massacre was perpetrated against the Ijaw [EE-jow] people of this geographic region. The group MOSOP was founded in this geographic region by an activist whose detention diaries were posthumously published under the title A Month and a Day. The attacks of the group MEND off the coast of this geographic region have often targeted tankers and (*) pipelines. A group of nine executed men from the Ogoni people fought against the expansion of Royal Dutch Shell into this region and included Ken Saro-Wiwa. For 10 points, name this oil-rich region in southern Nigeria, where a major West African river meets the sea.
A: Niger River Delta [prompt on Nigeria until it is read]
Q: An "Iron Palace" in this city allegedly designed by Gustave Eiffel was erected after the ship carrying it was blown off-course from Madagascar. A gallon of milk costs nearly ten dollars in this city, which Hong Kong displaced in 2016 as the city with the world's highest cost of living. A suburb of this city, built for $3.5 billion by China in 2012, is the former "ghost town" of Kilamba. The richest woman in (*) Africa lives in this city and is the daughter of a man who rules from it. This city near the mouth of the Cuanza River is served by Agostinho Neto International Airport and is the current seat of power for Jose Eduardo dos Santos. For 10 points, name this most populous Portuguese-speaking city outside of Brazil, which serves as the capital of Angola.
A: Luanda
Q: An additive to this substance is made from the tagasaste tree of the Canary Islands, which is now an invasive species in New Zealand. Another common additive to this substance is abbreviated RCW, where the "R" stands for "ramial." Slavic immigrants to a region in Orange County, New York brought with them a prized variety of this substance called chernozem. Other additives to this substance were the subject of the (*) Chincha Islands War and supported the economy of Chile until the development of the Haber-Bosch process. The presence of black carbon and charcoal explains the effectiveness of this material's terra preta variety used in the Amazon Basin. For 10 points, name this material enhanced by nitrates like saltpeter, in which foods like carrots and potatoes are grown.
A: soil [or earth; or dirt; do not accept "silt," "sand," or "gravel"]
Q: In the early 20th century, William Nelson Cromwell sent stamps bearing the image of one of these events to every member of Congress. Jules Tavernier led a group of migrant artists best known for painting these events. Joseph Wright of Derby relied on imagination to create thirty paintings of these events, including one seen from Portici [POR-teet-chee]. J.M.W. Turner painted one of these events at (*) Soufriere on Saint Vincent, and the orange skies in many of his paintings may have been a consequence of one of them in 1815. One of these events provides a light source at the center of John Martin's The Great Day of His Wrath, and many paintings of the Bay of Naples depict them. For 10 points, what kind of event is depicted in Frederic Edwin Church's Cotopaxi?
A: volcanic eruptions
Q: The seven pillar groups at Namoratunga may have influenced the development of a stellar calendar among this ethnic group's Borana subgroup. In 2016, hundreds of people of this Historically, this ethnicity was stratified under the Gadaa political system. Despite not being an official national language, this ethnic group's language is the most widely spoken in the (*) Cushitic family. An athlete of this ethnicity, Feyisa Lilesa, crossed his arms at the 2016 Olympics to protest the violent encroachment into this people's namesake region by the government in Addis Ababa. For 10 points, name this majority ethnic group often in conflict with the Amhara people in Ethiopia.
A: Oromo people
Q: A baobab tree legendarily sprouted from the grave of the man who built the Larabanga one of these places. Columns of different colors from ancient sites like Hadrumetum, Chemtou, and Sufetula were repurposed for a 7th century one of these places in Kairouan. In 2012, the Ansar Dine [DEE-nay] group broke down the gates at one of these places, which were intended to remain (*) closed until the end times. In the Sahel, these structures were built in either the Sudanic style or a style that mimicked a "great" one in Djenne [jen-NAY]. Bundles of wood jut out from the adobe exteriors of a trio of these buildings that constituted the Sankore Madrasah in Timbuktu. For 10 points, mihrabs and minarets are parts of what Islamic places of worship?
A: mosques [or masjid]
Q: Five months after this event, the UNMISS mission failed to prevent a "White Army" from committing the Pibor massacre against the Murle people. Lingering tensions after this event sparked an invasion of the Heglig oil fields that coincided with a conflict involving the SPLM in South Kordofan. This event did not resolve a territorial dispute over the region surrounding the city of Abyei. This event effectively cut off funding between the Lord's Resistance Army and the sympathetic government of (*) Omar al-Bashir. Salva Kiir became a head of state after this event, but his feud with former deputy Riek Machar sparked an ongoing civil war between the Nuer and Dinka ethnic groups. For 10 points, name this 2011 event that formed the newest member of the United Nations from land once ruled from Khartoum.
A: independence of South Sudan [accept stuff like Sudan splitting in two and other equivalents]
Q: A subnational area of this name is home to the city of Dallol, which was abandoned due to having an average high temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The habitat of the African wild ass is largely limited to that "regional state" of this name, which is drained by the Awash River. The area where the Nubian, Somalian, and Arabian plates meet is known by this name. French Somaliland was renamed "French Territory" of this people and the Issas for ten years. The Danakil Desert, which sits on a (*) "triple junction" of this name, was where the Lucy skeleton was discovered. For 10 points, give this name of a depression in the Great Rift Valley that encompasses Djibouti and northeastern Ethiopia.
A: Afars
Q: Competitions in this genre are often held throughout a country's summer-length Crop Over festival. Its name may originate from an interjection in the Efik and Ibibio languages spoken in the Cross River basin. Awesomely-named hitmakers in this genre include Lord Invader, Wilmoth Houdini, and Mighty Sparrow. Winners of "Carnival road marches" are crowned as "kings" of this genre. The originators of this genre of music were called (*) chantwells, who descended from the griots of West Africa. A hybrid of this genre and cadence-rampa is popular in Dominica. A band sponsored by Esso showcased instruments in this style of music converted from empty oil drums. For 10 points, name this musical style that incorporates steel drums, which originated from Trinidad and Tobago and spread throughout the Caribbean.
A: calypso
Q: An entrance route into this system, the Cabin John Parkway, connects the Clara Barton Parkway to it. A bridge in the south of this system was unwisely constructed with six lanes instead of the normal eight, causing daily traffic jams for residents of Prince George's County. One of the few drawbridges on an interstate highway, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, is part of this system, and is also the only bridge in the U.S. that passes through three different jurisdictions. A blue Chevrolet Caprice was used to (*) perpetrate various murders along this system by Lee Boyd Malvo and John Allen Muhammad. At Tysons Corner, passengers can exit this system to access Dulles International Airport. Congressional issues are sometimes described as being "inside," for 10 points, what highway system, also called I-495, that surrounds the nation's capital?
A: Capital Beltway [or Washington, D.C. Beltway; or I-495 until it is read; accept Beltway by itself after the tossup is finished, but prompt beforehand by asking "around what city?"]
Q: This country's Rose Valley produces the vast majority of the world's rose oil. Many examples of so-called "stone rivers" are found on Vitosha, the mountain that overlooks this country's capital. The European Environment Agency called a series of three coal-based power plants along the Maritsa River in this country the most polluting facility in Europe. Many of Europe's bats and birds of prey live in the south of this country in the (*) Rhodope [RAH-duh-pee] Mountains. Along with two southern neighbors, this country contains the ancient region of Thrace. For 10 points, name this country whose northern border with Romania is formed by the Danube.
A: Bulgaria
Q: An ornament named after these objects is called the hti and tops the Shwedagon and other Burmese pagodas. Five trees whose leaves are replaced by these objects are found along Hindoo Road in Singapore's Little India neighborhood. Nine different directions are represented by the nine tiers of one of these objects that symbolizes the monarchy of Thailand. A million elephants and these items are referenced in the full name of the Lan Xang [CHANG] kingdom that preceded the country of (*) Laos. The Chinese character san represents these objects and resembles them in shape. Many Indian religions consider one of these objects, the chhatra, as a symbol of good luck. Protesters against the National People's Congress used these objects to protect against police tear gas. For 10 points, what expandable objects nickname a series of 2014 protests in Hong Kong?
A: umbrellas [or parasols]
Q: Four surnames among this ethnic group were supposedly created by dividing the name of the governor Nasruddin. Merchants from this ethnic group were taken as slaves by the forces of Jahangir Khoja, and were the ancestors of the Dungan people of the former Soviet Union. This ethnic group produced several generals with the surname Ma. This ethnic group's religious authorities are called ahong, and many of its members are part of the Yihewani sect. This ethnic group is the majority in the autonomous region of (*) Ningxia. Restaurants operated by this ethnic group often serve lamian noodles and avoid using pork in their dishes. For 10 points, name this group that, unlike the Turkic Uighurs, are not prosecuted for their practice of Islam because they are Chinese.
A: Hui people [prompt on Chinese Muslims; prompt on Han]
Q: In this language's oldest script, the only letter written with acute angles is jani, possibly equivalent to the Greek chi and the Latin X. Obsolete letters from this language are used in the scripts of the closely related Laz and Mingrelian languages. All 33 letters of its alphabet are arranged within a double helix structure in the dilapidated Alphabetic Tower in Batumi. This language, used to write the 12th century epic The (*) Knight in the Panther's Skin, is the most widely-spoken Kartvelian language. This language's notoriously curvy scripts, such as the asomtavruli and the currently-used nuskhuri, have been found on coins from the reign of Queen Tamar. For 10 points, Iosif Dzhugashvili [JEW-gush-vee-lee]is Joseph Stalin's name in what language spoken in Tbilisi?
A: Georgian language
Q: This region is home to a village named New Karki, since the original Karki at this region's northwest was invaded and renamed. This region's mausoleum of Mu'mine Khatun, in its namesake capital, differs in style from the rest of its country's Shirvani architecture. The khachkar [KOTCH-car] tombstones at a cemetery in this region's city of Julfa were systematically destroyed from 1998 to 2006. Another country's Syunik region (*) separates this region from the rest of its country. This region contains the Araz Dam, whose electrical output is shared by Iran. The two Nagorno-Karabakh. For 10 points, name this exclave to the southwest of the rest of Azerbaijan.
A: Nakhchivan [prompt on Armenia or Azerbaijan]
Q: This state is where 12-year-old Todd Dombowski miraculously survived falling down a carbon monoxide-emitting sinkhole that opened under him without warning. The father of baseball player Stan Musial was among the 70 casualties of extremely toxic smog that enveloped this state's town of Donora in 1948. Edward Teller facetiously claimed to be the only casualty of an incident at this state. The release of (*) The China Syndrome coincided with that event in this state, convincing its star Jane Fonda to lobby against a certain technology. A raging coal mine fire that began in 1962 rendered this state's city of Centralia uninhabitable. For 10 points, name this state whose most famous environmental disaster took place at a nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island.
A: Pennsylvania
Q: Bridgeport, Connecticut is home to a Gutzon Borglum-designed example of these structures named for Nathaniel Wheeler. The dentist Henry D. Cogswell designed many frequently vandalized examples of these structures, which, like similar, larger structures, often incorporated statues of the mythological figure Hebe. Sixty-seven of them scattered around Paris are named after Richard Wallace and each feature four caryatids, one of which exemplifies sobriety. These structures, once called (*) "bubblers," proliferated in the United States through the efforts of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. One in Washington, D.C. incorporates figures of dolphins, which produce a certain product once meant as an easy-access alternative to alcohol. For 10 points, name these structures that dispense water for human consumption.
A: drinking fountains
Q: Some commuters in this country travel to its southern neighbor on LF-Routes. Special streets across this country called woonerf [WHOA-nairf] restrict the speed of cars to a mere walking pace. Drivers in this country learn to use their right arm to open car doors in a namesake "reach" that avoids injuries. A vehicle designed for women in this country is called the (*) Omafiets [OH-ma-fitch], whose name literally means "grandma's bike." This country is home to a roundabout called the Hovenring, which connects three cities whose names all end in "-hoven." Over a million bicycles are found in this country's capital, thousands of which are discovered in its canals every year. For 10 points, name this country where enormous bike racks can be found in cities like Groningen and Amsterdam.
A: Netherlands [or Nederland; reluctantly accept Holland]
Q: Before the completion of the Nord Stream, the previous longest underwater pipeline transported natural gas between these two countries. One of these two countries established the Troll research station in a territory named after the daughter of a king from the other. Glider forces from one of these two countries undertook Operation Gunnerside to sabotage factories in the other that produced (*) heavy water for the German nuclear program. The Antarctic territorial claim of one of these two countries is named after Queen Maud, who was from the other. Every year, a Christmas tree is transported between these two countries across the North Sea. For 10 points, name these two countries headed from Oslo and London.
A: Norway and the United Kingdom [or Great Britain in place of "United Kingdom"; or Norge in place of "Norway"; anti-prompt if someone says Wales on the Queen Maud clues]
Q: The physician Giovanni Giacomo Penni wrote about one of these animals named Ganda in a manuscript that was purchased by Christopher Columbus's son. The royal emblem of Alessandro de Medici depicted one of these animals. The painter Pietro Longhi depicted a crowd wearing Venetian masks watching one of these animals named Clara, who was toured around Europe by the (*) Dutch East India Company. Along with Hanno the elephant, one of these animals was gifted to Pope Leo X by Manuel I of Portugal. A description of this animal from Pliny's Natural History accompanies an artwork of this animal from 1515 that depicts it with armor-like breastplates. For 10 points, name this exotic animal, the subject of an inaccurate woodcut by Albrecht Durer.
A: rhinoceroses
Q: Residents of this city created a type of extremely long truck called the trio eletrico. An abrupt escarpment in this city necessitated the construction of the Lacerda Elevator in 1873. Long colorful strands of tape are attached to a cathedral in this city by celebrants of the Feast of Bonfim. Charles Darwin witnessed the Male [mah-LAY] Revolt in this city, which was the only Muslim-led uprising in the New World. The percussion ensemble Olodum, made famous by Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us," originates from this city's historic district of (*) Pelourinho [pel-low-REEN-yo]. This city on the Bay of All Saints is the origin of the syncretic religion Candomble and the martial art of capoeira ["capo"-AIR-ah]. For 10 points, name this capital of the state of Bahia, the center of Brazil's African culture.
A: Salvador
Q: The popular 18thcentury cabinetmakers Goddard and Townsend were based in this city; one of their products sold for a record $12.1 million at auction. A massive residence in this city called Ochre Court was converted into its Salve [SAHL-vay] Regina University. Aaron Lopez convinced forty Portuguese Jewish families to settle in this city and established its Touro Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the United States. Many of Richard Morris (*) Hunt's designs lie along this city's Bellevue Avenue, including the Marble House and the Breakers, both owned by the Vanderbilt family. This city on Aquidneck Island was home to the "Summer White Houses" of Eisenhower and JFK. A massive jazz festival is held in, for 10 points, what seaside city of Rhode Island home to many mansions?
A: Newport
Q: A 2012 study found that these objects had high concentrations of BMAA, a toxin linked to neurodegenerative disorders. Common substitutes for these objects include the squash Cucurbita ficifolia, the gel of the konjac plant, and vermicelli. While filming a program about the rampant trade of these objects in Costa Rica, Gordon Ramsay and his crew were doused in gasoline. The United States government's interception of the King Diamond II led to a notable case of in rem jurisdiction in which (*) "approximately 64,695 pounds" of these objects served as the defendant. Toxic amounts of methylmercury in facsimiles of these food items sold in Zhejiang and an environmental campaign led by Yao Ming helped exacerbate the decline in their popularity. For 10 points, name these ingredients in a controversial Chinese soup, which are obtained by mutilating large cartilaginous fish.
A: shark fins
Q: Many of these objects incorporated a newly-discovered material called demantoid. One of these objects commemorates a trip during which the Otsu Incident took place. A recent 2015 work inspired by the design of these objects incorporates 139 white pearls and was specifically made for Qatar. The message "The Great Iron Way by 1900" appears on one of these objects made in response to an infrastructural achievement by (*) Sergei Witte [VITT-uh]. The largest of these objects is topped with a golden dome inspired by the Dormition Cathedral and rests on a platform inspired by the Spassky Tower. Most of these inedible objects have miniature "surprises" inside of them, including a replica of the Gatchina Palace in Saint Petersburg. For 10 points, name these pieces of jewelry made as Easter presents to the Romanov family.
A: Faberge eggs
Q: A "dwarf" species of this animal has decoy markings shaped like eyes on its rear and is native to the cerrado biome of central Brazil. A species of this non-bird animal named after Charles Darwin keeps its young in its mouth and may now be more prevalent on Chiloe Island than on mainland Chile. The Monteverde Reserve was home to harlequin and golden varieties of this animal, whose populations (*) dropped precipitously in the 1980s. El Yunque National Forest is home to several species of this animal named "coqui" after its mating call. Many species of this animal became extinct after fungal outbreaks of chytridiomycosis. Many Colombian hunters use blow darts tipped with poison obtained from the skin of these animals. For 10 points, name these croaking amphibians.
A: frogs [accept toads, even though they're not quite the same thing; prompt on amphibians]
Q: In Laos and eastern Thailand, these objects are called bang fai and are central to a springtime festival that represents a war between a Toad King and a naga. Groups called cushoons were instructed to use these objects through the guidebook Fathul Mujahidin. Examples of these objects include the bo hiya in Japan, and multiple of them were required to operate a hwacha in Korea. These objects were used to seal a victory at the Battle of (*) Pollilur by the army of Tipu Sultan. The use of these weapons by the Kingdom of Mysore influenced William Congreve to create a variety of them used in the War of 1812. For 10 points, what gunpowder-fueled objects did Wan Hu legendarily strap to his chair in an attempt to travel to space?
A: rockets [orfirearrows; prompt on just arrows]
Q: Description acceptable. The collapse of a company named Intra led to Beirut, Lebanon losing this status. Michael Oliver led an organization that attempted to force this non-ideological status onto various territories, and was assisted in that goal by Jimmy Stevens, a Vanuatu politician. A persistent urban legend claims a territory received this status in recognition of its residents'assistance in the aftermath of the Wreck of the Ten Sail. This status is why a (*) single building at 1209 Orange Street in Wilmington, Delaware is where tens of thousands of businesses are incorporated. For 10 points, identify this status held by many Caribbean islands, most notably the Cayman Islands, making them attractive as sites for offshore banks.
A: tax havens [or tax-exempt status; accept anything similar to "having low or nonexistent taxes"]
Q: This archipelago is the primary habitat of the Glanville fritillary butterfly, and it is governed by the hembygdsratt policy. Its Bomarsund castle was the site of a naval battle during a namesake war that was part of the Crimean War. One country gave up control of this archipelago in the Treaty of Fredrikshamn. An island in this archipelago is a popular destination for radio amateurs, and features an unusual S-shaped border due to the presence of a lighthouse. It includes the world's smallest sea island divided between two countries, (*) Market, and its largest island is Fasta. Russian empress Maria Alexandrovna names this archipelago's capital, Mariehamn. The Turku Archipelago is to the east of, for 10 points, what Finnish-owned archipelago at the entrance of the Gulf of Bothnia?
A: Aland Islands
Q: In March 2005, Didier Delsalle became the first person to land a helicopter atop this location. This location features geologic formations like the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur. This mountain is separated from Lhotse by the South Col, which can be accessed by traversing the Valley of Silence and the Khumbu Icefall. The discovery of George Mallory's body on this mountain did not reveal whether he had beaten Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary to its summit. For 10 points, the Himalayas are home to what highest mountain on Earth?
A: Mount Everest [or Sagarmatha or Chomolungma]
Q: Description acceptable. This expedition was the subject of a play by TV director Misha Williams. This expedition pursued a lead found in a document known as Manuscript 512. The leader of this expedition previously surveyed an area after a conflict over the territory of Acre, and was the most likely inspiration for the novel The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is theorized that this expedition's desired endpoint may have been the Kuhikugu [koo-hee-KOO-goo] complex along the Xingu [sheeng-GOO] River. The (*) Kalapalo Indians' oral history about this expedition was documented by David Grann in a 2009 book subtitled "A Tale of Deadly Obsession."Robert Pattinson plays a corporal who declines participating in this expedition headed by Percy Harrison Fawcett. For 10 points, identify this expedition to find an El Dorado-like settlement in the Amazon Rainforest,portrayedina2016film.
A: Lost City of Z expedition [or Percy Harrison Fawcett's expedition; prompt on answers that only mention Brazil or the Amazon Rainforest by asking "What specific location?"]
Q: This policy led to the resignation of Daniel Streich and was first pursued by the Egerkingen Committee. Popular support for this policy grew in response to a community center winning a Supreme Court case against the commune of Wangen bei Olten. The implementation of this policy worsened relations that first became strained after the arrest of Hannibal (*) Gaddafi in the country it affects. A quote by Recep Tayyip Erdogan that compares the locations affected by this policy to "bayonets" was used to justify it by the right-wing SVP party. A building in Frauenfeld, Thurgau somewhat bypassed this policy by placing a crescent on top of a ventilation shaft. For 10 points, identify this policy that prevents Muslims from adding to mosques in cities like Geneva.
A: the minaret ban in Switzerland [accept obvious equivalents; do not accept answers that suggest Switzerland banning mosques or Islam in general]
Q: Located on the Xiangkhoang Plateau at the northern end of the Annamese Cordillera, what is this megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos notable for its large number of stone containers clustered across 90 different sites?
A: Plain of Jars
Q: Members of this ethnic group continue to produce porcelain in the town of Herend. A legendary progenitor of this ethnic group dreamed of the turul bird during her pregnancy, leading to that bird becoming a national symbol. Armies of this ethnic group organized recruitment parades where the verbunkos dance was performed. This is the most populous ethnic group that speaks a (*) Uralic language, surpassing the Finns. This is the only major ethnic group in Europe that places their surnames before their given names. A population of this ethnic group living outside its native country, the Szekelys [SEE-kays], were displaced after the signing of the Treaty of Trianon. For 10 points, name this ethnic group whose cuisine incorporates paprika into dishes like goulash.
A: Hungarians [or Magyars]
Q: The Red Lands in the south of this country supported its steel industry, which was dominated by the Arbed company. Astra satellites, which broadcast television channels throughout Europe, are made by a company based in this country called SES. The world's largest steel producer, ArcelorMittal, is headquartered in this country. This was the smallest of the six member states of the European (*) Coal and Steel Community. This country's three main rivers include the Moselle, along which its village of Schengen is located. A fortress in this country's namesake capital became known as the "Gibraltar of the North" and was the focus of an 1866 "crisis" between its two largest neighbors, France and Germany. For 10 points, name this smallest of the three "Benelux" countries.
A: Luxembourg
Q: Description acceptable. The Norwegian company Norid owns three of these entities, two of which are largely unused. A business partnership over one of these entities between Kevin Ham and the country of Cameroon generates millions of dollars. Those who take advantage of a free example of these things can join a group called TiKinet. After a 2006 event, the "cs" one of these entities fell out of use in favor of ones named (*) "rs" and "me." Verisign currently manages one of the most lucrative examples of these things, which is owned by Tuvalu and is used by companies like Blip and Twitch. For 10 points, identify these entities, examples of which include the "uk" in the address "bbc.co.uk."
A: ccTLDs [or country code top level domains; or Internet country codes; accept any answer that indicates it's a component at the end of a web address or URL specific to a country]
Q: This occupation was rendered somewhat obsolete by an innovation by Meiji-era entrepreneur Kokichi Mikimoto. The Paravar people of southern India also gathered chanks, or Turbinella, while doing this activity. People in this occupation created a genre of music called fijri. Members of this profession were typically female in Japan, where they were known as ama. Historically, this profession brought in much of the wealth for the areas around the (*) Persian Gulf, particularly in Bahrain. Many people around the Gulf of Mannar held this occupation, which was dramatized in an opera about Nadir and Zurga by Georges Bizet. For 10 points, name this occupation that gathers valuable nacreous products from oysters in the ocean.
A: pearl fishing [or anything that mentions the gathering of pearls; prompt on diving]
Q: The Golden Legend is referenced to conflate this man with an Alexandrian boy named Adeodatus. In 2015, the department store chain Bijenkorf displayed golden statues of this man, who is less sinister than the similar Swiss figure Schmutzli. This man traditionally hands out cookies called "spice nuts" and "pepper nuts." Many people dressed as this man accompany another man who receives a welcome parade after arriving by (*) steamboat from Madrid. Jan Schenkman, a schoolteacher, introduced this character as a Renaissance-era Moor, a depiction opposed by Surinamese migrants and defended by Geert Wilders [VILL-ders]. For 10 points, name this character that appears in Dutch Christmas celebrations, who is controversially depicted in blackface.
A: Zwarte Piet [or Black Pete]
Q: Description acceptable. Goodale's Cutoff was a shortcut around one of these geologic areas that many travelers took to avoid Shoshone ambushes at the nearby Massacre Rocks. The followers of a chief named Captain Jack, or Kintpuash, used the many small caves of one of these areas to evade capture for two months. The Tule Lake internment camp lies near a national monument named for one of these areas, where the (*) Modoc [MOW-dock] War took place in the 1870s. In Idaho, examples of these areas are nicknamed Craters of the Moon and Hell's Half Acre. Several vents and buttes characterize one of these areas named after Boring, a town near Portland, Oregon. For 10 points, name these areas that are abnormally flat, despite being made of cooled volcanic flows.
A: lava beds [or lava fields; accept any answers that indicate the ground is made of cooled lava]
Q: A city on this river, Hama, is home to seventeen ancient water wheels called norias, which have unfortunately stopped turning. According to Strabo, this river was formed after Zeus's thunderbolt struck Typhon to the ground. This river flows away from the Litani River, which, like this river, starts in the Beqaa [BECK-ah] Valley. A large dam dating back to the time of Diocletian forms a reservoir on this river near the city of (*) Homs. The Iron Bridge that spans this river was where Khalid ibn al-Walid vanquished Byzantine forces to take Antioch. Another battle that took place near this river led to the signing of the world's oldest peace treaty between Muwatalli II and Ramesses II. For 10 points, name this river of the Levant, where the Battle of Kadesh was fought.
A: Orontes River
Q: Members of this ethnicity are tattooed on the legs with patterns known as malu and pe'a, which are given to women and men, respectively. The first head of state to convert to Baha'i was part of this ethnicity. A third-gender community of this ethnicity is called the fa'a-fafine. The patriarchs of the Malietoa and Tupua families, who both belonged to this ethnicity, jointly ruled under the title (*) "O le Ao o le Malo" ["olay"-ow-"olay"-mah-low]. An effort led by John F. Kennedy introduced American football to members of this ethnicity, which produced players like Troy Polamalu. Derek Freeman studied this ethnicity and claimed that its women "hoaxed" a fellow anthropologist who studied them on the island of Ta'u. For 10 points, name this ethnicity whose adolescents were researched by Margaret Mead.
A: Samoans
Q: The Fifth Brigade, which was trained by an army from this country, began a period compared to "the rain that washes away the chaff." A monument produced by this country stands on the Collines des Mamelles and depicts a muscle-bound man embracing a woman with one arm and holding a baby in the other, facing west. The Gukurahundi was perpetrated by an army trained by this country after Robert Mugabe met with its leader. Namibia's Heroes' Acre, Ethiopia's Tiglachin Monument, and the gigantic (*) African Renaissance Monument in Dakar were all built in a sprawling art studio in this country called Mansudae. This country, along with much larger allies, were opposed by Ethiopia's Kagnew Battalion at battles like Pork Chop Hill. For 10 points, name this country that Namibia cut ties with to comply with U.N. sanctions over missile tests.
A: North Korea [or Democratic People's Republic of Korea]
Q: Description acceptable. The origins of this process were pinpointed by noting similarities between the names describing its progenitors to words in the Barito languages. This process brought along a woodwind instrument called the suling, whose name would eventually evolve into sodina. To test a hypothesis about this process, Philip Beale designed a replica of a ship depicted in a bas-relief at Borobudur to sail west to the island where it occurred. The Vazimba people emerged shortly after the beginning of this process, which was undertaken by the Ntaolo, whose name comes from an early (*) Malay word. This process led to the genesis of the westernmost population of Austronesians, who intermingled with Bantu migrants. For 10 points, identify this process through which an island off the east coast of Africa was populated.
A: trade/seafaring/migration by Austronesians, Indonesians, Malay, Sailendra, or Srivijaya by asking "to where?"]
Q: Proficiency in producing these things is indicated by the word erilaz. Metal objects called bracteates [BRACK-tee-ates] are often used as vessels for these things. Erik Brate studied these things, including one that was first found on the side of the Piraeus Lion in Venice. The largest stone ship ever found was buried beneath a place best known for housing these things. Examples of these things contained within the Hagia Sophia include one that simply reads (*) "Halfdan was here." One of these things honors both a ruler's conversion of his realm to Christianity and that ruler's father, Gorm the Old. Symbols used in these texts are called futhark, are found on the Jelling ["yelling"] Stones, and were combined to create the Bluetooth logo. For 10 points, what texts often carved into stones retell the history and mythology of the Norse?
A: runic inscriptions [or runes; or runestones; prompt on stones or medals by asking "what was special about them?"]
Q: This country's capital contains a tower crowned by a golden orb, which represents an egg laid in a poplar tree by Samruk. This country is home to the Bayterek monument, as well Lake Balkhash, into which the Ili River flows. The southern portion of this country contains the Kyzyl Kum desert and the Aral Sea, which are located between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. Nursultan Nazarbayev has been the one and only president of this country, which is located east of the Caspian Sea. For 10 points, name this large central Asian country, with capital at Astana.
A: Kazakhstan
Q: It's not in North America, but this natural region has the second highest frequency of tornadoes in the world in its so-called "tornado hall" or pasillo de los tornados. This region is home to most of the large estates called estancias. The province of Entre Rios in this region, which also includes the state of (*) Rio Grande do Sul, is named for the Parana and Uruguay rivers. The Gran Chaco and Patagonia bound - for 10 points - what region of fertile grasslands in Brazil and northern Argentina, frequented by gauchos and home to Buenos Aires?
A: Pampas [the tossup says "natural region" so don't accept anything else]
Q: What limestone plateau surrounded by the Vipava Valley, Brkini Hills, northern Istria, and the Gulf of Trieste gives its name to a type of topography popular in Quizbowl?
A: Karst
Q: An artistic tradition in this ethnic group is kept alive by workers in the town of Bonwire [bone-WEE-ray]. This ethnicity makes calabash stamps that produce symbols called adinkra, some of which are also found on goldweights called mrammou. Slaves of this ethnicity mainly taken to Jamaica were known as Coromantees. An artifact revered by this ethnic group was sought by Frederick Hodgson, who had one of its queens imprisoned in the (*) Seychelles. Like the nearby Ewe [ay-WAY], members of this ethnicity weave colorful kente [KEN-tay] cloths. The name of the trickster Anansi originates from the language of this people, whose monarchs sat on the Golden Stool in Kumasi. For 10 points, name this ethnic group in the Gold Coast region, which populated a prominent empire in Ghana.
A: Akan people [or Asante; or Ashanti]
Q: Description acceptable. One of these actions would be accompanied by the establishment of a free trade zone around the city of Tali, and seeks to fulfill the wishes of the late John Garang. James Rossant assisted in one of these actions at a site whose name means "it has sunk" in the Gogo language. The world's largest church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, was built after one of these actions, which benefited the birthplace of Felix Houphouet-Boigny [hoo-foo-AY boyn-YEE]. Target locations of this type of action include (*) Oyala and Ramciel in Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan, respectively. Julius Nyerere justified one of these actions by citing the legacy of the slave trade in Dar es Salaam. For 10 points, name this action by which Abuja replaced Lagos as the seat of government ofNigeria.
A: moving a country's capital [or planning a new capital city; accept any specific cases; prompt on constructing or planning a city by asking "What's significant about the city?"]
Q: A house named after this figure included the Fireplace of States, constructed by the Works Progress Administration from stones from across North America. Fiberglass statues across the United States called "muffler men" originally depicted this person. A statue of this person was created for the centennial of Oregon's statehood. This person employs some Swedes in an operetta by Benjamin Britten named for him. A trail named for this person runs from Brainerd to (*) Bemidji, the latter of which is home to a giant statue of him. A trophy shaped like a tool owned by this person is awarded to the winner of the Minnesota-Wisconsin college football rivalry. For 10 points, name this gigantic folk hero often accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox on his exploits as a lumberjack.
A: Paul Bunyan [prompt on Paul]
Q: In one of these places, a so-called Egyptian Avenue leads to the Circle of Lebanon, inside which a large cedar stands. Many of these places are home to replicas of a William Wetmore Story statue of a slouching angel, whose original copy was made for a "Protestant" one of them in Rome. In London, the "Magnificent Seven" is a group of these places that includes Highgate and (*) Abney Park, the latter of which Robert Southey once called "the Campo Santo of the Dissenters" in homage to a "monumental" one in Pisa. The Communards' Wall in one of these places is where 147 members of the Paris Commune were executed. Ronald Reagan controversially visited one of these places in Bitburg that memorialized Waffen-SS members. For 10 points, name these places exemplified by Pere Lachaise in Paris, home to the tomb of Oscar Wilde.
A: cemeteries [or graveyards; or obvious equivalents]
Q: A facade at this site is topped by a row of twenty-two baboons with their hands raised. Madrid, Spain was gifted the Temple of Debod [day-"BODE"] for their participation in preserving this site. It's not in Ireland, but a structure at this site was designed so that its back wall is illuminated only twice a year, in February and October. Giovanni Battista Belzoni cleared the sand from an entrance at this site, which is flanked by (*) four seated statues, one of which has its entire upper body missing. The smaller of this site's two temples is dedicated to Nefertari, while the larger depicts scenes from the Battle of Kadesh. UNESCO headed the effort to relocate the entirety of this site away from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. For 10 points, name this temple complex in southern Egypt built byRamessesII.
A: Abu Simbel
Q: Richard Atkinson used the locations of telephone boxes in his explanation against the significance of these entities, which are the subject of a magazine once edited by Paul Devereux. In the book The Old Straight Track, the term "dodmen" described those who surveyed these entities. That book was written by Alfred Watkins, who hypothesized about these entities after his son described a "chain of fairy lights" on a (*) map. The author John Michell, whose books The View Over Atlantis and The Flying Saucer Vision revived modern interest in these entities, influenced the planning of the second Glastonbury Festival by choosing a site at the intersection of many of them. For 10 points, name these paths with supposed spiritual significance, along which many ancient English monuments are aligned.
A: ley lines
Q: 140 merchant ships stationed at an estuary in this body of water were burned during an incident known as "Holmes' Bonfire." Two countries with coasts on this body of water fought the Battle of the Gabbard on it. A storm in this body of water convinced a king to hold a series of trials that used the Old Tolbooth as an interrogation center. The borough of (*) Dunwich was mostly engulfed by this sea, but continued to enjoy government representation. Unlicensed radio stations operate from the Maunsell forts in this body of water, one of which became the Principality of Sealand. A 793 raid on an island in this sea destroyed the Abbey of Lindisfarne. For 10 points, name this sea crossed by Vikings raiding the east coast of Britain.
A: North Sea
Q: Jacqueline Tyrwhitt compiled a series of reports written by this person during his time in India. This person developed on ideas first put forth by Frederic Le Play, including his triad of "place, work, and folk" and a representation of the inhabitants of a "valley section." A tower designed by this person to demonstrate his ideas has levels that represent more specific geographical areas, topped by a camera obscura that displays the (*) Royal Mile. Ebenezer Howard's influence on this man shows in his master plan for Tel Aviv. This man originated the maxim "Think globally, act locally" in his 1915 book Cities in Evolution, and first applied his theories in his hometown of Edinburgh. For 10 points, name this pioneering Scottish urban planner.
A: Patrick Geddes [GED-dees]
Q: One of the oldest of these places in Chilpik is now topped by a telecom tower and appears on the coat of arms of Karakalpakstan ["care"-a-call-"PACK"-stan], an autonomous region of Uzbekistan. The opening of the Dar ul-Funun University led many to break into these places to obtain supplies. These places are usually divided into three separate rings: the outermost for men, the middle for women, and the innermost for children. In the 1970s, many of these places, including one in the city of Yazd, finally fell into disuse. In India, these places are called doongerwadis, including one on (*) Malabar Hill whose function is disrupted by the lack of vultures in the area. Ossuary pits are built at the middle of these structures, which are called dakhma in Farsi. For 10 points, name these structures by which Zoroastrians dispose of their dead through "sky burial."
A: Towers of Silence [or dakhma until it is read]
Q: Jardines del Rey is part of this country's Sabana-Camaguey archipelago, and this country lies across the Gulf of Batabano from the Isla de Juventud. This country's Sierra Maestra range contains its highest point, Pico Turquino, and its provinces include Matanzas and Pinar del Rio. This country's longest river, the Cauto, flows past this country's city of Bayamos before emptying into the Caribbean. Hispaniola is separated from this country by the Windward Passage, while the Cayman Trench is between this country and Jamaica. This country lies south of the Straits of Florida. For 10 points, name this Caribbean island with capital Havana.
A: Cuba
Q: Tourists to this island can hand feed kingfish at Ned's Beach, and the Erskine Valley separates its two highest peaks. The grounding of the SS Makambo introduced rats to this island, resulting in an insect once endemic to this island becoming locally extinct. The Kentia palm originated from this island, which is home to the world's southernmost coral reef. This island was first sighted on a voyage to start a penal colony on Norfolk Island. The discoverer of this island named its Mount Lidgbird after himself, as well as a nearby volcanic sea stack that is the tallest in the world. That sea stack, (*) Ball's Pyramid, is the only location where the tree lobster, this island's namesake stick insect, can be found. For 10 points, name this island in the Tasman Sea, administered by New South Wales.
A: Lord Howe Island
Q: One of the best examples of a Georgian rotunda in England can be found at Ickworth House in this county. An excavated Anglo-Saxon village is displayed at West Stow in this county where the town of Lavenham [LAV-un-um] was built with wool money. This county is home to a large American population due to major air bases at (*) Lakenheath and Mildenhall. This county's River Gipping is known as the Orwell in its tidal reach. The Scallop is a sculpture dedicated to Benjamin Britten in Aldeburgh in this county where the Stour Valley is known as "Constable Country". For 10 points, name this East Anglian county that includes Ipswich.
A: Suffolk
Q: A species of painted frog long thought extinct was rediscovered in 2011 in this nation's Lake Hula. One source of controversy in this nation is over the pollution of the Kishon River. This nation's southernmost city, which is on the Gulf of Aqaba, is Eilat. The National Water Carrier distributes water to cities from this nation's largest freshwater lake, the Sea of Galilee. The south of this nation is dominated by the Negev Desert, and this nation shares the Dead Sea with Jordan. For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern nation with capital at Jerusalem.
A: State of Israel [or Medinat Yisra'el]
Q: Supposed alcohol and drug trafficking routes flow through the small town of Mintabie, which otherwise depends on the sale of this substance. It's not salt, but a group of Serbian prospectors for this substance have built underground cathedrals. Many dinosaur fossils were discovered around deposits of this substance at Lightning Ridge. Residents of a town supported by the sale of this substance live in "dugouts" to escape the summer heat; that town's name may derive from the phrase "white man's waterhole" in an (*) Aboriginal language. The most precious "black" varieties of this substance are mined at Coober Pedy [PEE-dee] and other small settlements in Australia, which is responsible for producing 95% of the world's supply. For 10 points, name this silicate birthstone of October that can shine in colors across the visible spectrum.
A: opal [prompt on silica]
Q: In December 2016, this company announced the opening of a theme park alongside Warner Bros. and Ferrari theme parks on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island. Many of this company's resources were obtained from a facility at South Oak Bay in British Columbia that closed in 1992. This company's Ohio location was sold in 2001 when it was still under the ownership of Anheuser-Busch. The Canary Islands' Loro Parque, mainly known for its parrots, has received six (*) non-parrot animals from this company. This company employed Dawn Brancheau, who was killed in 2010 by a show animal named Tilikum. This company's income nosedived after the release of the documentary Blackfish. For 10 points, name this company that puts on shows featuring killer whales named Shamu.
A: SeaWorld Entertainment
Q: This country's Kamuzu Academy, named after the middle name of one of its leaders, has often been called "the Eton of Africa." Key exports of this country include chambo, the local variety of tilapia, and the similarly named chamba, a prized strain of cannabis sometimes called this country's "gold." This country's flag briefly included a white sun in its center during the unpopular presidency of Bingu wa Mutharika. The film I Am Because We Are brought Western attention to this country and was produced by (*) Madonna, who adopted an orphan from it. Unlike its neighbors, this country uses the name Chichewa instead of Chinyanja for its majority language, upon the insistence of Hastings Banda. For 10 points, name this small African country that was once called Nyasaland, which borders a lake that shares its name.
A: Malawi
Q: Along with a smaller neighbor, this country is the only habitat of the saola, a bovine that was discovered in 1992. Soldiers from this country were arrested after they posted Facebook pictures of them torturing endangered gray-shanked langurs. Pearls the size of baseballs were discovered in the world's largest cave, which is in this country. This country's bauxite mining industry is centered on its Central Highlands, which are also the home of the (*) Degar people. Reforms made by this country in the 1980s led to it becoming the largest exporter of black pepper and the second largest exporter of coffee. This country is home to a collection of small limestone islands in Ha Long Bay. Operation Ranch Hand ruined thousands of acres of this country's forests and crops using Agent Orange. For 10 points, name this thin Southeast Asian country that contains the Mekong Delta.
A: Vietnam
Q: This city lends its name to a meatball dish coated in white sauce and served with capers, which were sarcastically called "revanchist meatballs" during the Cold War. It's not in Germany, but this city includes a Brandenburg Gate along its Bagration [bug-rat-tee-AHN] Street. This city was built on the site of a Teutonic fortress whose name honored Ottokar II. To commemorate the 750th anniversary of this city's founding, its main university was renamed for its hometown hero (*) Immanuel Kant in 2005. A set of landmarks along this city's Pregel River inspired a classic problem in graph theory proposed by Leonhard Euler. For 10 points, identify this city that was called Konigsberg under Prussian ownership,and is now the namesake city of an oblast separated from the rest of Russia.
A: Kaliningrad [orKonigsberg until it is read]
Q: This ethnic group tipped their hunting spears using toxins from the Diamphidia beetle. Elizabeth Marshall Thomas's The Harmless People observed the healing dances of a subgroup of this ethnic group called the Kung [KOONG]. The pharmaceutical industry once sought after the hoodia plant important to this ethnic group, who used it as an appetite suppressant. A 70,000-year-old artifact depicting a python's head as well as several examples of rock art were made by this ethnic group in the (*) Tsodilo Hills. This ethnic group has often been evicted from their traditional homelands by the Tswana people. This ethnic group, who are closely related to the more agricultural Khoi people, are depicted in the film The Gods Must Be Crazy. For 10 points, name this hunter-gatherer ethnic group who inhabit southern Africa, particularly Botswana.
A: San Bushmen [accept either; accept Basarwa; prompt on Khoisan]
Q: A phonetic alphabet created by Isaac Pitman was the basis for an alphabet of this name popularized by George D. Watt. A 300,000-acre ranch that encompasses three counties in central Florida is known by this name. The constitution of Iowa was used as a model in an area of this name which deliberately avoided encompassing the Willamette [will-LAM-met] Valley and areas settled during the California Gold Rush. The professor Hugh Nibley suggested that this term evolved from the name of the Red Crown of Lower Egypt. A (*) proposed state of this name included much of modern-day Nevada and Arizona, but was dissolved after the Compromise of 1850, leading to the governorship of Brigham Young. For 10 points, give this name of the territory that eventually became the state of Utah, which originates from a word meaning "honeybee" in the Book of Mormon.
A: Deseret
Q: In what is now this country, Robert Whitehead established the first torpedo factory. This country's Stadion Kantrida is bounded by the sea on one side and a series of cliffs on the other. A neighboring country's city of Neum creates a small gap in this country's coastline. An "organ" played by water waves attracts tourists to this country's city of (*) Zadar. Landmarks in this country, such as Diocletian's palace and a set of fortifications used by the Republic of Ragusa, have recently served as filming sites for Game of Thrones. A port currently owned by this country was named the Free City of Fiume ["FUME"-may] by disgruntled Italian nationalists. For 10 points, name this country home to Rijeka, Dubrovnik, and most of the Dalmatian Coast.
A: Croatia [or Hrvatska]
Q: A valley named for these creatures in Paraiba is located within a xeric shrubland and thorn forest biome known as Caatinga. One of the nicknames of the city of Zhucheng in Shandong refers to its prominence in the trade in a commodity produced from these creatures, which traditional medicine heralds as being an effective treatment for muscle cramps. The island of Rugen is home to an amusement park centered on these creatures that was constructed on a former East German National People's Army base. The first new sculptures to be added to the Crystal Palace after it moved from Hyde Park in 1852 were of these creatures, and were the first of their kind in the world. In 1966, the town of Artesia in Colorado changed its name to that of this type of creature to capitalize on its proximity to a nearby National Monument in the Uinta Mountains, established in 1915 to protect fossil beds discovered in 1909. For 10 points, what are these prehistoric creatures which name a provincial park in Alberta which is famous for its fossil beds which contain numerous specimens of creatures such as parasaurolophus?
A: Places named after Dinosaurs
Q: An area named for having this appearance acquired it from glacial melts in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. Two areas with this visual property unusually border the Spanish city of Torrevieja, and two others can be found in the Goldfields-Esperance region on the south coast of Western Australia. The presence of potassium permanganate briefly caused the water supply of Onoway, (*) Alberta to take on this appearance. The Dakar Rally sometimes ended at Lake Retba, which has this visual property. Most areas with this unusual property are also hypersaline, allowing the species of algae that causes it, Dunaliella salina, to thrive and produce carotenoids, the same compounds consumed by flamingos. For 10 points, identify this unusual property that makes Australia's Lake Hillier look like Pepto-Bismol.
A: being pink [accept any colors close to pink, like rose or even red]
Q: Disease-free bees are often imported from this state's Kenswick Island, part of the Whitsunday Islands once inhabited by the Ngaro people. In this state, the Surfers Paradise district brings tourists to the city of Gold Coast. Tin Can bay lies south of this state's Great Sandy Strait, which separates the mainland from (*) Fraser Island. The Torres Strait lies north of this state's Cape York Peninsula, which is east of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The Great Barrier reef brings revenue to - for 10 points - what northwestern state of Australia with capital Brisbane?
A: Queensland [prompt on Australia]
Q: Armenian art often used a dye of this color called vordan karmir. A 33,000-year-old skeleton was buried in a dye of this color at Paviland in the oldest-known ceremonial burial in Western Europe. A tree that produces a dye of this color is commonly harvested in the state of Pernambuco, and is the origin of the name "Brazil." The development of alizarin from (*) madder root made most historical dyes of this color obsolete. During the Middle Ages, the chief dye of this color was harvested throughout the Mediterranean from the Kermes [ker-MEZZ] oak. A bug that feeds on the prickly pear cactus, the cochineal ["coach"-in-NEEL], is the source of a dye of this color called carmine. For 10 points, name this usual color of the fezzes worn in the Ottoman Empire.
A: red
Q: The Oquirrh (oh-quer) Mountain Range runs beneath this body of water at its southeastern shore, and submerged peaks create its Fremont and Antelope Islands. The Cache (ca-shay) National Forest runs near the eastern shore of this lake, while Interstate 80 runs along its southern shore. A few miles inland from its northeastern shore is the city of Ogden. A remnant of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which produced the namesake salt flats northwest of this body of water, For 10 points what is this large lake in which Robert Smithson built a spiral jetty, the largest lake in Utah?
A: Great Salt Lake
Q: Abel Tasman was the first European to sight this island in 1643, but Western settlement did not happen here until the wreck of the American schooner Argo led its survivors to discover valuable sandalwood groves here, giving it its former English name of Sandalwood Island. The antimeridian passes through this island in the Koro Sea, which is divided amongst the three provinces of Bua, Cakadrove, and Macuata. This island's city of Labasa is the capital of its country's Northern Division and it is located at the delta of three rivers, the Wailevu, Qawa, and Labasa, and its highest point is Mt. Batini. This island's Natewa/Tunuloa Peninsula is home to a namesake Important Bird Area that supports a population of Shy Ground-dove, and politically this island along with the Lau Islands forms the Tovata Confederacy, one of its nation's three traditional alliances of chiefs. In 2012, Kiribati bought 5,000 acres of this island to house its population in anticipation of their nation being submerged by the rising ocean. For 10 points, what is this 2nd largest island of the Fijian Archipelago after Viti Levu?
A: Vanua Levu
Q: What strait whose ports include Uddevalla, Stromstad, Kristiansand, and Oslo, connects the Kattegat to the North Sea and has a name derived from that of a city on the far northern cape of Denmark?
A: Skagerrak
Q: This region is conventionally divided into Great and Little subregions by the Swartberg Mountains, with the Great part further divided into Upper and Lower subregions by the Great Escarpment. A geological sequence of sedimentary and igneous rocks found here is known as this region's Supergroup, and it was in such rocks that Andrew Geddes Bain discovered the remains of ancient reptiles, amphibians, and mammals near the city of Fort Beaufort. This region is where Europeans first encountered the quagga, which were more easily domesticable than those found further east in Bantu-occupied lands, and this region is where the Eureka diamond was found. This region's name likely comes from the Khoikhoi word for "desert", and Voortrekkers headed to the Highveld described this place as unforgiving as much for its heat and droughts as for its frosts and floods. For 10 points, what is this large semi-desert region of South Africa between the Cederberg-Skurweberg Mountains and the Kalahari, currently supporting sheep herding to the north-east of Cape Town?
A: Karoo Desert
Q: Traditionally used for making knife handles and walking sticks by natives of the region in which this commodity originates, this commodity was first discovered by English trader John Tradescant in 1656, who named it "Mazer wood". The cane used by Preston Brooks to attack Charles Sumner in Congress was made of this commodity. Dr. William Montgomerie was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Society for his application of this commodity in medicine in 1843 after noticing its utility while serving as a medical officer in the East Indies, and even today this commodity is most commonly used in various endodontic surgical devices, and as a filling for root canal therapy. By 1845, this commodity was being used to insulate telegraph wires, and it was used in the first transatlantic cable for its bioinertness. Other uses for this commodity included furniture, pistol hand grips, and the mysterious "Tjipetir" blocks washing up on European shores in 2013-14. For 10 points, what is this commodity, a form of latex produced from the sap of trees of genus Palaquium with a name coming from Malay, and which is perhaps most notable for its use in golf balls until the mid-20th century?
A: Gutta-Percha
Q: What mountain range runs from Lake Egirdir to the upper reaches of Mesopotamia is home to important ancient mountain passes such as the Cilician Gates and the Amanian Gate, and seems to be named after the animal often associated with ancient Near Eastern storm gods?
A: Taurus Mountains
Q: In a building this man owned, he hung a sign reading "This Way to the Egress," which actually meant "this way to the exit." This man brought the "Swedish Nightingale" Jenny Lind to America and also advertised a monkey's head sewn onto the back half of a fish. After purchasing Scudder's American Museum in New York, this man displayed such curiosities as the Feejee Mermaid and a midget named General Tom Thumb. For 10 points, name this showman and circus founder who is credited with the quote "there's a sucker born every minute."
A: Phineas Taylor Barnum
Q: The walls of this park's Lanner Gorge include several dinosaur fossils. The Makuleke people lived in this park's northern portion and were forcefully moved to make way for it. This is the largest component of a "transfrontier park" that also includes a neighboring country's Gonarezhou [GO-nah-resh-oo] National Park. The Crocodile River forms this park's southern border, while the (*) Limpopo River passes through its north. This park cracks down heavily on rhinoceros poachers, and once attempted to employ contraception to limit its elephant population. This park's namesake was a governor of the Transvaal who was targeted by the Jameson Raid. For 10 points, name this large game reserve in the northeastern portion of South Africa.
A: Kruger National Park
Q: The open-source Android app Aikuma was designed to assist with this process, which the Long Now Foundation aims to achieve by engraving a two-inch nickel disk. A heavily Christianity-influenced method for performing this process in Mexico led to the founding of the Summer Institute, which now compiles a web database dedicated to it. The student Guillaume Leduey began to carry out this process through social media posts after learning about the death of (*) Marie Smith Jones, a member of the Eyak people. This process attempts to save facets of small cultures endangered by globalism and the favorability of Mandarin, Spanish, or English. National Geographic's Enduring Voices project carries out, for 10 points, what process that can prevent constructs likeYaghan,Ainu,orCherokeefromgoingextinct?
A: language preservation [accept obvious equivalents; prompt on anything that suggests preservingcultures,suchassalvageethnography,byasking "Whatspecificaspect?"]
Q: Also known as Masuku, this city was established as a settlement for former slaves by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza in 1880. A vanadate mineral named after this city is a strongly radioactive orange or yellow rock that can form crystals first discovered at this city's Mounana uranium mine in 1957. For forty years this city served as a major producer of uranium for its former colonial administrators, and in 1972 the predictions of nuclear physicist Paul Kuroda were proven by the discovery of a discrepancy in the amount of uranium-235 in UF6 samples from mines at nearby Oklo. This city is home to a primate medical research centre, is served by a hydroelectric plant at its scenic Poubara Falls, and it was the birthplace of Omar Bongo. This city is the capital of both Mpassa Department and Haut-Ogooue Province, and is the 4th-largest city in its country with around 110,000 people. For 10 points, what is this city in Gabon famous for the discovery of nearby subterranean natural nuclear fission reactors in the 1970's, and named after the country from which Gabon gained its independence in 1960?
A: Franceville
Q: The palo santo or "holy wood" tree that inhabits this region produces oil of guaiac, an ingredient in soap and perfumes. The tanning industry under Ernesto Tornquist led to the mass deforestation of the quebracho forests in this region. This region's Ayoreo people have interacted with its prominent Mennonite colony near Fortin Toledo. This region's Kaa-lya [KAHL-yah] National Park is administered by ethnic groups like the Chiquitano and the (*) Guarani. In this region south of the Pantanal, territory north of the Pilcomayo River became the focus of a proxy war whose sides were backed by Royal Dutch Shell and Standard Oil. For 10 points, name this semi-arid region that encompasses northern Argentina and parts of Bolivia and Paraguay.
A: Gran Chaco
Q: This company's headquarters also doubles as a place for pilgrims en route to Santiago de Compostela to get their passports stamped. It was the largest company that moved its headquarters as a result of the Control of Manufactures Act of 1932. Beginning in 2009, a worldwide concert series called Arthur's Day was held in honor of this company's founder. A director of this company began a project after witnessing an argument about whether the golden plover or the red grouse was the (*) fastest game bird in Europe. This company distributed its products, colloquially called "the black stuff," from St. James Gate using a fleet that was based along the River Liffey. Its most enduring symbol is based on an instrument kept at Trinity College. For 10 points, what beer company uses an Irish harp as its logo and sponsors a Book of World Records?
A: Guinness
Q: This feature was first discovered by an illegal logger in 1991, and despite recognition by UNESCO for its significance, the government of the country this feature is located in is currently discussing plans to construct a 10.6km cable car system through it, which if completed would be the world's longest. A 2009 survey of this feature by a British research team calculated its volume to be 38.4 x 106 cubic meters, approximately double that of the 2nd largest feature of its kind, which is located in Malaysia. This feature possesses two large dolines which have facilitated the growth of two separate rainforests within it, and it is home to one of the world's largest subterranean rivers. This feature contains stalagmites that are up to 70m tall, baseball-sized cave pearls, and a feature known as the Great Wall of Vietnam. Formed in Permo-Carboniferous karst, this feature is accessible via 2 entrances found within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. For 10 points, what is this largest known cave in the world, approximately 150m deep and 9km long, and located in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam?
A: Son Đoong Cave
Q: In 2013, a mayor named Hennadiy Kernes promised to "break the arms and legs" of anyone who defaced a monument of this kind. A monument of this kind was replaced by a golden arch, under which a statue of Ismail Samani stands. One of these monuments marks the Antarctic Pole of Inaccessibility. The second-tallest monument of this kind stands in (*) Dubna at one end of a canal, whose other end sported a counterpart that was demolished in 1961. One of these monuments still stands in front of a parliament building in Tiraspol, the capital of the unrecognized state of Transnistria. These monuments were taken down en masse during the 2013 Euromaidan protests, and in cities like Sofia, Yerevan and Vilnius in 1991. For 10 points, identify these monuments honoring the first leader of the Soviet Union.
A: statues of Vladimir Lenin [or statues of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov; prompt on Soviet or Communist statues]
Q: At the suggestion of Giovanni Maria Lancisi, the physician to Pope Clement XI, anyone afflicted with this non-malaria disease was put to death. An 1890s outbreak of this disease originated from the port of Massawa, eventually causing the deaths of over half of the Maasai people, among others. To combat this non-pox disease, Dutch farmers soaked cloth in a diseased individual's mucus and sewed it into a healthy individual. For developing a vaccine against this disease, Walter Plowright was awarded the 1999 World (*) Food Prize. A campaign against this disease was hindered by civil war in Sri Lanka and by religious barriers in India. That campaign made this the second disease to be eradicated from Earth, after smallpox. For 10 points, name this disease that often spelled doom for European cattle herds.
A: rinderpest [or cattle plague; prompt on murrain]
Q: In 2006, a smaller lake next to this body of water was simply named "90 Degrees East." An unsubstantiated claim by the scientist and supposed defector Anton Padalka states that this body of water is home to an octopus-like Organism 46-B with hypnotic and poisonous powers. This body of water is named for a ship that circumnavigated the globe under the command of Faddey Bellingshausen ["BELLINGS"-how-zen]. The ERS-1 satellite confirmed Andrey Kapitsa's discovery of this lake, which used (*) seismic waves. Boreholes drilled in this body of water have yielded cores with lifeforms over 400,000 years old, in conditions similar to those on Europa and Enceladus. This lake lies under a namesake research station named for the Russian word for "east." For 10 points, name this largest of Antarctica's lakes, which is sealed under about 13,000 feet of ice.
A: Lake Vostok
Q: The narrator of a book travels to this region after finding skin from the extinct Mylodon sloth, which he mistook for a "piece of brontosaurus," in a curiosity cabinet. A railway nicknamed La Trochita runs through this region and was chronicled in a namesake book by Paul Theroux. Bruce Chatwin became famous for a book about this region, which describes its Tehuelche people. A cyclone downs the plane of the pilot Fabian, who works for a mail company operating in this region, in (*) Antoine de Saint-Exupery's Night Flight. This region received its name from Antonio Pigafetta during the Magellan expedition, who claimed to have seen "giants" inhabit this region. For 10 points, name this wide, sparsely populated region of southern Chile and Argentina.
A: Patagonia
Q: Features in this park include the Wollaston Foreland, home to Mt. Zackenberg, which itself hosts a namesake research station, and the world's largest population of musk ox. This park is the location of the former Eismitte Station, where the originator of the continental drift theory, Alfred Wegener, died in 1930. This park is home to a research station known as Summit Camp, where a team of American researchers set up the GISP2 drilling project in 1989. Mestersvig in this park is a military outpost on the southern shore of the King Oscar Fjord near the Stauning Alps that was home to a namesake 2015 mission that involved participants of the Guard Hussar Regiment, Hunter Corps, and the Frogman Corps. Security in this park is provided by the elite Sirius Patrol, based in Daneborg. This park was established in 1974, and expanded in 1988 to border the municipalities of Sermersooq and Qaasuitsup. For 10 points, what is this national park, consisting of the entire namesake part of its island, the first to be created in the Kingdom of Denmark, and the largest in the world, at 972,000km2?
A: Northeast Greenland National Park [prompt on: Greenland; Kalaalit Nunaat]
Q: A small Free Republic of Rehoboth was established in this country by a mixed-race ethnic group who, like a similar group in a country to its south, took their name from a European word for "bastard." A still-ongoing trial in this country concerns members of the CLA, who seek to form a separate state for the Lozi people. This country is the only non-European country that is majority Lutheran, owing to missionary work by the Finnish among its majority Ovambo people. Four years after its independence, this country regained control of the port of (*) Walvis Bay. This country is the primary home of the Herero people, who were targeted by policies that may have served as the basis for the Holocaust. For 10 points,name this country once known as German South-West Africa.
A: Namibia
Q: This feature is known as Sahtu in the predominant native language of its region, and is home to the Saoyu-Ɂehdacho National Historic Site, which is the largest of its kind by area. Jules Verne's The Fur Country features the settlement of Fort Confidence at the mouth of the Dease River, which flows into this body, of which currently only 4 chimneys remain. Located between its country's Interior Plains and Kazan Uplands, this lake's McTavish Arm is bounded by Precambrian rock exposed by glacial erosion from former Glacial Lake McConnell. The largest lake trout ever caught by angling was caught in this body of water, and in 2016 a fuel tanker truck fell through the ice road crossing this lake to Deline. The mining area of Port Radium on this lake was home to the Eldorado and Echo Bay Mines where Gilbert LaBine discovered high-grade pitchblende and silver deposits, though this site was abandoned in 1982. For 10 points, what is this 8th-largest lake in the world and largest lake entirely within Canada, located in the Northwest Territories?
A: Great Bear Lake
Q: Description acceptable Cartographic historian Carlo Zaccagnini argues that this map may ultimately have influenced the development of the T and O maps of medieval Europe, most commonly attributed to Beatus of Liebana. The lands on this map seem to be bounded by mountains to the north and northeast, and marshes to the south, through which a canal connects the sea and a major river. Though not describing the Far East, three islands are descriptively named on this map including: "place of the rising sun", and "the sun is hidden and nothing can be seen", but the location of these islands has yet to be determined. The seven cities on this map, including Habban and Bit Yakin, are represented by small labelled circles, which are all encircled by a ring labelled maratum, or "salt water", which itself seems to have the names of various mythological objects projecting from it. For 10 points, what is this ancient cuneiform tablet discovered at Sippar which labels and depicts various locations scattered around the known world attributed to ancient Akkadian-speakers at one point ruled by Nabopolassar?
A: Babylonian Map of the World
Q: An island group with this noun in its name is serviced by the Yankee Freedom III and is home to the Garden Key Light. The remnants of Fort de Rocher, which was destroyed by a Spanish siege, are on an island of this name. Christopher Columbus originally named the Cayman Islands after this word. An island group named after this word is home to the massive Fort Jefferson, where Samuel Mudd was held prisoner after the Lincoln assassination. Along with (*) Port Royal in Jamaica, an island of this name north of Hispaniola served as a historic base for Henry Morgan's pirates. The westernmost of the Florida Keys are known by this foreign-language term, prefixed by the adjective "Dry."For10points,givetheSpanishwordfor "turtle."
A: tortuga [prompt on turtle until "Spanish" is read; prompt on keys during the first sentence]
Q: Controversy has surrounded recent attempts to develop geothermal power generation in the El Tatio geyser field in this desert. The oldest examples of artificially mummified human remains were found in this desert and were made by the Chinchorro culture. The Humberstone and Santa Laura (*) Saltpeter Works is a preserved example of one of this desert's "nitrate towns". The high altitude and virtually non-existent cloud cover have resulted in the construction of astronomical facilities such as the Very Large Telescope and a namesake Large Millimeter Array in this desert. The cities of Antofagasta and Arica are situated in this desert, which is the driest non-polar desert in the world. For 10 points, name this desert of northern Chile.
A: Atacama Desert [or Desierto de Atacama, accept Chile before "this desert"]
Q: In 2015, Xinyu Zhang and Hong Liang organized a UNESCO-approved holographic reproduction staged at this non-Chinese site. Candidates for the world's earliest oil paintings were found in some of the fifty caves discovered at this site in the 2000s. The protagonists of the memoir A Fort of Nine Towers briefly live under two structures at this site, which were called Salsal and Shamama by the Hazara people. Those structures at this site, the largest examples of (*) Gandhara art, were carved directly from sandstone cliffs and were once painted red. An act at this site was carried out in response to American interventions, on the orders of Mullah Omar. For 10 points, name this site where two giant Buddha statues were dynamited by the Taliban in 2001.
A: Bamiyan Valley
Q: One tributary of this river meets the Sobat in Malakal. Ernest Hemingway was involved in a plane crash while attempting to photograph this river's Murchison Falls. The building of the Merowe Dam on this body of water forced the relocation of members of the Manasir and Amri tribes. Distributaries of this river, the Damietta and Rosetta, flow into its namesake delta. The Aswan High Dam was built on this river, whose tributaries include its namesake White and Blue rivers. For 10 points, name this river that runs north through Egypt.
A: Nile River
Q: Oyster farming is undertaken at Willapa Bay in this state. Approximately three-quarters of all the hops grown in the US are from the Yakima Valley in this state. Deception Pass is an extremely narrow strait separating this state's Fidalgo and Whidbey Islands. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake was created by the construction of the (*) Grand Coulee Dam in this state and the Olympic Mountains can be found on their namesake peninsula in this state. The active stratovolcano of Mount Rainier is situated in this state, which is heavily indented by Puget Sound. For 10 points, name this most northwesterly of the contiguous United States, home to the city of Seattle.
A: Washington
Q: Inhabitants of these islands make traditional kites with geometric designs which are flown at Easter. Two road cuttings in this island group are called the "Khyber Pass" and these islands are where John Rolfe's first wife and child are buried. These islands name a type of sailing rig consisting of a single triangular sail set behind the mast. These islands are the only place name in the (*) New World specifically mentioned in the works of Shakespeare and support the most northerly coral reefs in the Atlantic as they are warmed by eddies spinning off the Gulf Stream. For 10 points, name this British Overseas Territory, an island group in the North Atlantic with capital Hamilton, and the northernmost point of a namesake "Triangle".
A: Bermuda
Q: Although it isn't headquartered in this country, the environmental group Adeso was founded by a native of this country named Fatima Jibrell. A Mediterranean ecosystem is mirrored in the Cal Madow Mountains in the north of this country. Toxic waste deposits brought into this country from European parties by its president Ali Mahdi Mohamed were disturbed following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. It's not South Sudan, but the south of this country is home to the (*) Jubba River, which supports the few areas of its fertile land. The vast majority of the world's frankincense comes from this country, particularly in a region that takes its name from the legendary Land of Punt. Mangroves can be found on the coast of this country's south, near its border with Kenya. For 10 points, name this country on the coast of the Horn of Africa.
A: Somalia
Q: Andree Clair was a French ethnographer who dedicated her children's book Bemba to the people of this country, under whose president she served on a cultural mission. Aissata Patengouh provided a survey of this country's literature from 1977-93 in his work Literary Production in "this place": The Case of the Novel, claiming that rural spaces inform a collective identity for writers from here, while Abdoul-Aziz Daouda argued that rather than focus on political satire, writers in this country tend to focus on drought, famine, and the rural exodus to cities like Maradi and Agadez. Hawad is a prominent Tuareg proponent of the method of furigraphy, wherein he writes poetry in a modified form of Tifinagh script in which characters are changed to lose meaning and instead be used to physically alter the spacing in his poetry. Perhaps the most important modern poet from here is Adamou Ide, who was his country's first National Poetry Prize winner. For 10 points, what is this country featured in the literature of such writers as Djibo Bakary, a politician whose cousin Hamani Diori led this country to independence in 1960 from Niamey?
A: Niger (Lit)
Q: Off the southern tip of this country is Stewart Island. The Bay of Plenty indents the northern end of this country, which is also surrounded by the Kermadec Islands and the Chatham Islands. Its highest point, Aoraki, is located in the Southern Alps. This country, whose native name is Aotearoa, houses three-fourths of its population on its North Island, which is separated from the South Island by the Cook Strait. Its native people are known as the Maori. For 10 points, name this island nation that contains the cities of Wellington and Auckland.
A: New Zealand
Q: Passes through this mountain range tend to lie over 1800m above sea level, at places such as Muztagh and Obo-sarym, which has made it an effective barrier to north-south migration. This mountain range has been under state protection since 1944, and is home to a namesake Solar Observatory that takes advantage of the generally cool, dry climate. The ethnographer Sev'yan Vainshtein has argued that this mountain range was the site of the earliest domestication of reindeer, with reindeer herding remaining the main activity practiced by natives of this area. Bodies of water fed by this mountain range include Lake Khovsgol, the Lake of the Mountain Spirits, and the Ulug-Khem River. Monkh Saridag is this range's highest peak, and its western portion, also known as the Ergaki Mountains, is home to a precariously-perched boulder known as the "Hanging Rock". This mountain range is the source of the Yenisei River, and borders the Selenga-Orkhon Valley. For 10 points, what is this mountain range adjacent to the Altais in southern Siberia, forming the border between Mongolia and Russia just to the west of Lake Baikal?
A: Sayan Mountains [accept: Ergaki Mountains before mention; anti-prompt on Usinsk, Oya, Tunka, or Kitoi ranges; prompt ]
Q: This state's name, first attested in the 8th century, may derive from that of a Slavic tribe mentioned in the Ravenna Cosmography, or it may come from a Celtic word for "friend or ally". 30,000 year old stone artifacts have been found in a cave near this state's town of Griffen, while prehistoric stilt houses were discovered at Lake Keutschach. Illyrian and Celtic tribes established a kingdom based in this state centered at Noreia which eventually became the Roman province of Noricum, while in the 7th century this state formed part of Samo's Empire until it was eventually incorporated into the Carolingian Empire. Dukes of this state were traditionally proclaimed at the Prince's Stone near Karnburg. This state is separated from Friuli-Venezia Giulia by the Karawank mountains, and from its northern neighbour by the High Tauern range, whose highest peak is Grossglockner. For 10 points, what is this southernmost Austrian state with capital at Klagenfurt?
A: Carinthia (also accept: Karnten; Koroska; Koruska; Carinzia; Karintia; Korutany)
Q: A similar feature to this one extends from the Gillikin Country. The real-life inspiration for this location may have been in Ithaca, where its creator premiered the play The Maid of Arran, or in Peekskill, where its creator attended school. Along with a settlement, this location was built by Oscar Diggs, who was worshiped after emerging from a (*) hot air balloon. According to an interpretation that also represents a lion as William Jennings Bryan, this place represents the gold standard. This place is "where the dogs of society howl," according to an Elton John song that bids it "goodbye." For 10 points, name this pathway leading to the Emerald City that the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman and Dorothy walk down in The Wizard of Oz.
A: Yellow Brick Road
Q: A structure at the entrance of this state's largest city includes seven circles each enclosing individual letters, which its creator Betty Willis used to represent dollars. In this state, construction on a massive earthen structure the size of the National Mall, simply called City, has been ongoing since 1972. The world's strongest beam of light is emitted by a structure in this state. Michael Heizer created the work Double Negative in this state by having thousands of tons of rock removed from a (*) mesa. This state is also home to the tallest structure west of the Mississippi, the Stratosphere Tower. A hotel in this state is named after a town on Lake Como and displays elaborate fountain displays choreographed to music. For 10 points, name this state where replicas of the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty can be seen along the Las Vegas Strip.
A: Nevada
Q: The Phoenix Zoo co-administered an ambitious breeding program that brought back the population of an animal described by this adjective from only nine individuals. Groups of an animal described by this adjective were brought to Crabbet Park from the Nejd plateau. A preserve established for an animal described by this adjective was pulled from the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, since government officials opened most of it up to (*) oil companies. This demonym, which describes an oryx that came close to extinction, also describes an equine whose domesticators fed it dates and camel milk in the absence of water. For 10 points, give this adjective that describes a popular breed of horse first bred by the Bedouins.
A: Arabian
Q: This location's namesake bear is the only one of its family which lives in a desert. The tourist attraction of Khongoryn Els, or Singing Dunes, are rare sand dunes found in this desert. The One Hundred Trees Oasis is a rare site of water in this desert's northern section, which is east of the Altai Range. The town of Baotau sits at this desert's southern end in the Yin Mountains, just north of the banks of the Hwang Ho, or Yellow River. Bordered on the north by the Khangai Mountains, For 10 points what is this desert at the northern end of which is Ulan Bator, a mostly rocky desert of Mongolia?
A: Gobi Desert
Q: During World War II, members of this ethnic group were funded by Britain to fight Axis sympathizers in the Arakan region. Operation King Dragon sought to expel this ethnic group from cities like Sittwe [SIT-way]. This ethnic group's language belongs to the same family as Chittagonian, which is spoken to the northwest of this ethnic group's homeland. The presence of this ethnic group is advocated (*) against by the leader of the 969 Movement, Ashin Wirathu. Members of this ethnic group have moved west from their homeland to the city of Cox's Bazar. A 2014 census referred to this ethnic group as Bengali, and not by their current name. "Boat people" of this ethnicity attempted to seek asylum in Malaysia and Indonesia during a 2015 crisis. For 10 points, name this primarily Muslim ethnic group persecuted by Buddhists in Burma.
A: Rohingya [prompt on Bengali]
Q: This product includes a small portion called the "foreshot" that is usually discarded. An early form of this product, called uisce beatha [ISS-ka BA-huh], was introduced by Scots-Irish immigrants. This product was infamously distributed in Maggie Valley by Popcorn Sutton. Makers of this product performed a flame test that was positive when it burned blue, and used the mnemonic (*) "Lead burns red and makes you dead." Folk songs refer to this product as "mountain dew," for which the modern-day soda is named. Low-quality examples of this product are made with radiators repurposed into largely illegal stills, and often contain fatal quantities of methanol. For 10 points, name this variety of whiskey made throughout the Appalachian Mountains.
A: moonshine [prompt on whiskey before it is read]
Q: This political region's Badia and Gherdeina [gurr-DIE-nah] valleys are home to speakers of the Ladin [lah-DEEN] language, not to be confused with the Ladino language spoken by Spanish Jews. A mineral named for this region and discovered in its city of Schwaz lends its name to a division of Swarovski, which is headquartered in one of its market towns. To celebrate the Pact of Steel, Hitler and Mussolini met at a village in this region named after its (*) Brenner Pass, which connects Bolzano to a city named for a bridge on the Inn River. After a lengthy territorial dispute, the southern portion of this region, sometimes called Alto Adige, was handed to Italy. For 10 points, name this region in western Austria home to the city of Innsbruck.
A: Tyrol [or South Tyrol; or Alto Adige until it is read; prompt on Italy; prompt on Austria]
Q: The Chinese terms "shengfan" and "shufan," which translate as these two terms in English, were eventually replaced with terms meaning "mountain" and "plains" in classifying Taiwanese aborigines. The presence of air distinguishes between these two terms, while the presence of water distinguishes one of them from a third term in a so-called "triangle." A (*) text named for these two terms is divided into musically-named sections, one of which analyzes the legends of the Ge, the Tupi, and the Bororo, three native peoples of Brazil. That text is the first of a collection of four volumes that also includes "The Origin of Table Manners." A For 10 points, give these opposites that title a study of indigenous American mythologies by Claude Levi-Strauss.
A: raw and cooked
Q: Plans to construct a high-rise building near this location led it to become the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the developed world to be considered endangered. A window at this location consists of multicolored glass panes arranged randomly by Gerhard Richter. This location houses a life-size crucifix from the first millennium that was commissioned by Gero, an archbishop. The completion of this building's two (*) tallest spires made it the tallest building in the world for four years; ten years later, a similar building in Ulm built a taller spire. This building was built to house relics of the Magi obtained by Frederick Barbarossa, and later withstood Allied bombing during World War II. For 10 points, name this Gothic cathedral overlooking the Rhine, the most visited landmark in Germany.
A: Cologne Cathedral
Q: In 1974, an unsuccessful two-door electric car produced by Gurgel was named after this structure. A Philip Glass cantata honoring this structure has a first movement titled "Mato Grosso." The Santa Maria Ecological Corridor links the area around this place to national parks centered on a large set of waterfalls. The building of this structure allowed many species formerly restricted to one side of the Guaira Falls to invade the other side after the falls' disappearance. In 2009, storms disrupted the (*) output of this structure, plunging an entire country of nearly seven million into darkness for fifteen minutes. This structure, whose name means "the sounding stone" in the Guarani language, intersects the Parana River. For 10 points, name this dam shared by Brazil and Paraguay, which produces the most electricity of any dam in the world.
A: Itaipu Dam
Q: The Outer Trial Bank, built in 1975, is one vestige of an attempt to create a freshwater reservoir from this body of water. The need for concrete runways during the Second World War saw gravel pits excavated on the shore of this body of water at Snettisham. An area of salt marsh and sand dunes is located at Gibraltar Point at the entrance to this body of water. The (*) Hunstanton Formation is a layer of red chalk named for a town on this body of water. The Haven is a navigable river that provides access between Boston and this body of water, which is fed by the estuaries of the Witham, Welland, Nene and Great Ouse rivers. For 10 points, name this large bay and estuary located between Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
A: The Wash
Q: Kepier Hospital was a medieval hospital located adjacent to this river. A former cement works near the village of Eastgate in this river's valley was used as the main outdoor set for the ITV series Beowulf. Vinovia was a Roman fort constructed where Dere Street crossed this river. Medieval masonry arch bridges that cross this river include (*) Framwellgate and Elvet. Chester-le-Street is home to the Riverside Ground, a cricket venue named for its proximity to this river, and a peninsula created by a sharp meander in this river is home to the historic centre of Durham. For 10 points, name this river which enters the North Sea at Sunderland.
A: River Wear
Q: This waterway splits into two dis-tributaries called the "Rosetta" and the "Damietta" at its delta. The Nyabarongo River that runs near Kigali and the Ruvyironza eventually merge into the Kagera River, which is thought to be the source of this river. The Kagera flows into Lake Victoria which-along with Lake Tana and Lake Nasser-is a stop on this river's course. The "Great Bend" of this river crosses through six different cataracts spanning from Aswan to Khartoum. For 10 points, name this longest river in the world which ends near Cairo.
A: Nile River
Q: In 2014, a Facebook campaign sarcastically applied a term for this action to Berlin due to major differences in the cost of the pudding brand Milky. The rise in people undergoing this action in the 1920s necessitated the draining of the Jezreel Valley. Robert Soblen was prevented from doing this action after being charged with espionage. The White Paper of 1939 set limits for this action that the Ha'apala movement attempted to bypass. Large-scale operations that allowed (*) Ethiopians to do this action include 1991's Operation Solomon. Most performers of this action are automatically granted citizenship via a certain country's Law of Return. For 10 points, what action is properly called aliyah and is exemplified by a Russian or American resettling in Haifa or Tel Aviv?
A: immigration to Israel [accept obvious equivalents for "immigration"; accept aliyah or any word form of ascent]
Q: A 2007 expedition by Ian Woodall aimed to retrieve objects of this kind, which are common in an area called Rainbow Valley. Notable examples of these objects include ones nicknamed "Green Boots" and "Sleeping Beauty," the latter of which belonged to Francys Arsentiev. Eighteen of these objects were found in the aftermath of a 2015 phenomenon that moved through the (*) Khumbu Icefall into a base camp. It took seventy-five years for researchers to find one of these objects made from George Mallory, who in the 1920s famously replied to a reporter, "Because it's there." For 10 points, identify these objects used as landmarks by climbers of Mount Everest, which also serve as a morbid reminder of its danger.
A: corpses of Mount Everest climbers [accept obvious equivalents; prompt on any articles of clothing by asking "What are they attached to?"]
Q: This city in the Kinta Valley developed from the former village of Palau in the 1880's, and is well-known regionally for its namesake "white coffee", in which the coffee beans are roasted with palm oil margarine and then the beverage is served with condensed milk. The limestone hills surrounding this city are home to many cave temples, including the Kek Lok Tong, or "Cavern of Utmost Happiness", and Sam Poh Tong, the "Cavern of Three Precious". Tourist attractions in this city include the Gua Tempurung Limestone Caves, its Edwardian Baroque railway station which has been nicknamed the "Taj Mahal" of this city, and St. Michael's Institution, which is a school that served as the base for the local Japanese Civil Administration during WWII. This city's nickname of "City of Millionaires" comes from its time at the centre of the tin-mining industry. For 10 points, what is this capital of Perak, roughly halfway between George Town and Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway, the 3rd-largest city in Malaysia by population?
A: Ipoh
Q: A possible site for observing this activity is a formation adjacent to Sotra Patera with the name "Doom." Evidence for this activity can be seen in the area around the Baghdad and Damascus Sulci [SULK-eye], which form so-called "tiger stripes." The newly discovered Ahuna formation was most likely formed by this activity, lending credence to the theory that two (*) "bright spots" in the Occator region were also formed by it. One of the first observations of this phenomenon was recorded during a flyby of Enceladus, which appeared to eject a mix of methane, carbon dioxide and water vapor that later became part of the E Ring of Saturn. For 10 points, name this phenomenon often seen on far away moons in which frozen gases are expelled instead of lava.
A: cryovolcanism [or ice volcanism; accept word forms; do not accept just "volcanism"]
Q: The Iranian Dasht-e-Kavir Desert is so-named because of the presence of a number of these features, which in Latin American are often surrounded by features known as bajadas. The Chott el Djerid in Tunisia, located just north of the Grand Erg Oriental, is one of these features which served as a filming location for a number of Star Wars movies, and according to some legends is where the goddess Athena was born. One of these features in the Altiplano is a major breeding ground for several flamingo species, and is believed to possess up to 70% of the world's known lithium reserves. Some of these features, such as Little Bonnie Claire in Nevada, are home to so-called sailing stones. Perhaps the most famous of these features include The Devil's Golf Course in Death Valley National Park, and the world's largest, the Salar de Uyuni. For 10 points, what are these geological features known in some areas as Hardpans, which are characterized by flat, white areas covered with sodium chloride?
A: Salt Flat (accept: Salt Pan, Pan, Hardpan before mention)
Q: This is the largest island inhabited by a "Copper" or "Blonde" subgroup of an indigenous people; that group was visited for two years by the anthropologist Diamond Jenness. This island's Coronation Gulf was named in honor of George IV's coronation by John Franklin, an explorer whose entire party on the ships Erebus and Terror went missing in the islands immediately to its east. During a search for that expedition, the HMS Investigator was abandoned on (*) Banks Island, to the northwest of this island. Caribou often visit this island when the Dolphin and Union Strait is frozen over. This island, vaguely shaped like a maple leaf, contains many features named after Prince Albert. For 10 points, name this second-largest Canadian island, which is named for a British queen.
A: Victoria Island
Q: A city named after James Broadwood Lyall was renamed after one of these people in 1977. The Martyrs Bridge and a bridge named after one of these people are the two main crossings of the Niger River in Bamako, Mali. A building named after one of these people was designed by one-time mayor of Ankara, Vedat Dalokay, in the shape of a Bedouin tent. The construction of a route named after one of these people led to a (*) switch from driving on the left to driving on the right in cities like Manama. One of these people names both the third most populous city in Pakistan as well as the primary mosque of Islamabad. An airport serving a tri-city area that includes Dhahran and Khobar, and a causeway that links that area to Bahrain, are both named after this kind of person. For 10 points, Fahd and Faisal held what ruling position from Riyadh?
A: king of Saudi Arabia
Q: In native myths, this mountain is often paired with Tungurahua [toon-goo-RAH-wuh] to its direct east. Debris from a landslide on this mountain 35,000 years ago constitutes the land on which the city of Riobamba sits. To prove a hypothesis, the French Geodesic Mission sent missions to both Lapland and this mountain. In 1802, the expedition of Aime Bonpland and (*) Alexander von Humboldt achieved a then-record altitude of over 19,000 feet on this mountain, but failed to reach its summit. Explorers finding a new climbing route on this mountain found the 26-year-old remains of a passenger plane that crashed on a path from Quito to Cuenca. For 10 points, what Ecuadorian volcano's summit is the farthest point from the Earth's center?
A: Chimborazo
Q: A variety of this food from Suriname named Madame Jeanette was rumored to have been named after a Brazilian prostitute. The presence of this food gives aji sauces their name. In the state of Puebla, this food is served with a walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds in a dish meant to resemble the colors of the Mexican flag. The "Butch T" and "7-Pot" varieties of this food are closely related to an awesomely named variety called the (*) Trinidad scorpion. Like vanilla, these plants were often used as additives to chocolate drinks in many Mesoamerican cultures. A type of this plant called the Scotch bonnet is often incorporated into Jamaican jerk seasoning. Varieties of this wrinkly-skinned plant were named after the capitals of Cuba and French Guiana. For 10 points, Scoville units measure the intensity of what plants, whose varieties include habanero and cayenne?
A: peppers [or Capsicum; accept specific types, such as chilis]
Q: This city's name, which means "wooden shelter", is derived from a 16th century temple located in Durbar Square that was legendarily built using timber from a single tree. Attractions in this city include the Garden of Dreams and the Lion Palace, both constructed by the Rana, and major parks include Ratna and Tudikhel. Known to the indigenous Newar people as Yen Desa, this mahanagar is often referred to by locals as the "Tri-City" due to its proximity to the other cities of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. This city at approximately 4600ft above sea level is located in the Deciduous Monsoon Forest Zone, home to trees such as oak and maple that are watered by the 8 rivers which dissect the valley in which this city is located. This city's economic output is over one third of its country's GDP, and is home to many major national and international corporations based in hubs such as Ason and New Road. Located on the Bagmati River and only connected by road to India in 1956, For 10 points, what is this largest city in Nepal?
A: Kathmandu
Q: This nation and its northern neighbor dispute the sovereignty of the uninhabited Perejil Island. This nation borders the Spanish exclaves Ceuta and Melilla. The Kasbah of the Udayas is located along the Bou Regreg River in this nation's capital city. This nation is the only one in Africa that is not a member of the African Union. The only home of the Dipper bird is in this nation's Atlas Mountains, and this nation has claimed Western Sahara since 1975. For 10 points, Casablanca is the largest city in which African nation with a capital at Rabat?
A: Kingdom of Morocco [or Al-Mamlakah al-Maghribiyyah]
Q: An area of montane grassland and cloud forest in this country is protected in the Horton Plains National Park. The towns of Puttalam and Hambantota are centres of the salt industry in this country. This country's Matale district is home to the Dambulla cave temple and an ancient rock fortress at Sigiriya. The Koneswaram temple is situated in the port of (*) Trincomalee on this county's east coast. This country's northern city of Jaffna suffered during the civil war between government forces and the Tamil Tigers. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte replaced Colombo in 1978 as the administrative capital of, for 10 points, which island nation southeast of India?
A: (Democratic Socialist Republic of) Sri Lanka
Q: An administrative division named after this river has a capital at Coushatta, the site of an 1874 massacre led by the supremacist White League. Greer County, an area once claimed by both state and federal governments, is home to the confluence of this river's two headwaters, the North Fork and the Prairie Dog Town Fork. The Freeman-Custis expedition was hindered by a massive blockage on this river nicknamed the "Great Raft," which was cleared by Henry Miller (*) Shreve, the namesake of its city of Shreveport. A so-called "shootout" named after this river is an annual football game whose trophy is shaped like a gold ten-gallon hat. For 10 points, name this river that forms the Oklahoma-Texas border.
A: Red River of the South
Q: An attempt to reintroduce the red wolf into this park did not achieve the success of a previous attempt at the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The thirty-one species of salamander found in this park include the red-cheeked and the imitator, the latter of which also lives in the nearby Plott Balsams. The presence of maples around this park's Mount LeConte led settlers to call the immediate area "The (*) Sugarlands." This park's Chimney Tops trail was closed in late 2016 after a series of wildfires that impacted the town of Gatlinburg. This park, whose fog earned it its name, is the most-visited national park in the United States. For 10 points, name this park named for a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina.
A: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Q: Barghash bin Said's luxury yacht was named after a city in this country, and faced a much larger ship of the same name during an 1896 war. The St. Michael and All Angels Church, one of the oldest surviving churches in southern Africa, was built in a city east of the Shire [SHEE-ray] River that took its name from a town in this country. A book titled after this country was inspired by the story of the physician Bob Astles and was written by Giles Foden. The financial capital of (*) Malawi is named after a town in this country, which also produced the first Western explorer of the Niger River. In a film whose title mentions this country, Nicholas Garrigan witnesses the Entebbe Raid. A bronze statue of a man from this country overlooks Victoria Falls. For 10 points, Idi Amin claimed to be "the last king of" what European country, the birthplace of David Livingstone?
A: Scotland [prompt on the United Kingdom or Great Britain; do not accept "England"]
Q: An alternate name for a people of this region is Tekenica, which according to its resident author Lucas Bridges, means "I do not understand" in their language. A native of this region became a celebrity in England after adopting the name Jemmy Button. A 10,000-year-old megalithic site is found next to Wulaia Bay on this non-Greek region's Navarino Island. This region's natives were interned on Dawson Island during a genocide in which Julius Popper, as well as its foreign gold miners and (*) sheep farmers, participated. Lathering in animal fat and resting in a squatting position were adaptations used by this region's Yaghan people to survive its harsh climate. Europeans named this region after observing smoke from fires made by its native Selk'nam people. For 10 points, name this region at the southern tip of South America.
A: Tierra del Fuego [prompt on Patagonia; prompt on Argentina; prompt on Chile]
Q: Description acceptable. Clive Palmer owns a nickel refinery in Yabulu that has been implicated in accelerating this process. The owners of the Shen Neng 1 were questioned by government agents in Gladstone over an accident that contributed to this process. A protected zone was established around a third of the area impacted by this process to prevent the removal of the giant triton, which targets the crown-of-thorns (*) starfish, one of the largest natural contributors to this process. Tourism to cities like Cairns and Townsville may be negatively impacted by this process, whose other contributors include a disease called skeletal eroding band and global warming-induced bleaching. For 10 points, identify this process by which a large landmark off the coast of Queensland, Australia is slowly becoming no more.
A: destruction of the Great Barrier Reef [accept obvious equivalents; prompt on partial answer]
Q: A former Miss USA renovated this city's Rose Hall, which was said to be haunted by a "White Witch" named Annie Palmer. The osteopath Sir Herbert Barker helped develop this city's tourist industry around the site of a former sanatorium. Samuel Sharpe, a Baptist preacher from this city, led a failed Christmas rebellion that may have convinced British lawmakers to abolish slavery. This city's airport, the busiest in its country, is named after Donald Sangster, the successor of Alexander (*) Bustamante. This city is home to the headquarters of Sandals Resorts and is mentioned after "Key Largo" in the Beach Boys song "Kokomo." In 1992, the railway that traveled southeast from this city to Kingston was closed. For 10 points, name this fourth most populous city in Jamaica and its largest tourist hub.
A: Montego [mahn-TEE-go]Bay
Q: The husband and wife team Kenneth C. Brugger and Catalina Trail kept track of the most visited areas during these events. Vico Gutierrez used a glider named Papalotzin, after a native word for this event's participants, to film it from above. Asclepius curassavica plants are set aside for participants in these events, which tourists visit Pacific Grove, California to observe. The sacred fir, sometimes called the (*) oyamel, is preferred by participants in these events, which typically end in a "volcanic belt" in the state of Michoacan [mee-cho-ah-KAHN]. A sanctuary for this event's participants is called the Mariposa Biosphere Reserve. For 10 points, identify these events in which several orange-and-black insects move south to swarm Mexico during the wintertime.
A: migrations of monarch butterflies
Q: The Catholic bishop John T. Mullock advocated for the building of these non-religious structures. At the suggestion of Jonathan Nash Hearder, these structures were protected by coatings of gutta-percha. It took the Great Eastern weeks to recover a broken section of one of these structures using a grappling hook. The first one of these structures had its western end at a town called Heart's Content, as chosen by (*) Cyrus West Field. Twelve of them broke after a 1929 earthquake that also caused a tsunami to hit Saint Pierre and Miquelon. These structures allowed James Buchanan to receive a congratulatory message from Queen Victoria. For 10 points, name these structures that allowed Britain and the United States to send and receive telegrams.
A: transatlantic cables [prompt on partial answer; do not accept "transcontinental cables"]
Q: Many groups in West Africa hunt the gigantic Achatina achatina one of these animals. The addition of Macrobrachium prawns at the Diama Dam in Senegal serves as a model for controlling the population of these animals. Ocean acidification endangers one of these animals called the sea butterfly, which has often been mistaken for fiberglass by beachgoers. These animals can survive the digestive systems of (*) birds in an unorthodox method of migration. These animals are the primary vector for parasitic flatworms that cause schistosomiasis. The Murex genus of these animals was the source of a purple dye first produced by the Phoenicians. For 10 points, name these gastropods that constitute the dish escargot.
A: snails
Q: The namesake sandwich of this state's capital includes an omelette with ham, onion, and green pepper and may have been derived from egg foo young. A restaurant in this state produces a sandwich called "Fool's Gold," filled with peanut butter, jelly, and bacon, that Elvis Presley once made a midnight flight to obtain. Its wine-producing regions include the Grand Valley, through which the (*) Gunnison River flows. A Major League Baseball stadium in this state sells a dish made of fried bull testicles, misleadingly named "oysters." That stadium is named after the company whose aluminum beer cans were nicknamed "silver bullet." For 10 points, name this home state of Coors, which uses images of the Rocky Mountains in its advertisements.
A: Colorado
Q: A roller coaster formerly called the Zambezi Zinger was moved to an agricultural theme park near this country's cities of Montenegro and Armenia. An organization from this country sued a company named Britt, which claimed that an Aguadeno hat-wearing character from this country consumed a Costa Rican product. This country's Quindio and Antioquia departments encompass an informal region named (*) "Paisa," whose residents inspired a mascot often depicted alongside a mule named Conchita. The group Fedecafe is based in this country and runs coffee shops named after the character Juan Valdez. For 10 points, name this country whose position at the northern end of the Andes makes it ideal for coffee growing.
A: Colombia
Q: In this country, examples of exposed ophiolite can be found on the Lizard Peninsula. A historic region in this country is represented by a white on black cross named for Saint Piran. The Jurassic Coast is found in a region in this country that was named for the Dumnones and contains (*) Dartmoor and Exmoor. The area that is now this country was nicknamed for tin deposits in ancient times, during which it was crossed by Watling Street. The Devonian period is named for a region in - for 10 points - what country, home to Cornwall and Shropshire?
A: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [or Great Britain; or Albion; accept England since all the clues apply specifically to England; don't accept or prompt on "Scotland" or "Wales"]
Q: A major civilisation which developed in the area around of this body of water is the Sao civilisation. Reed boats known as kadei are traditionally used on this body of water. The long term drying of this lake created the Bodele Depression to its north. A proposed scheme to replenish this lake involves the construction of a canal from the (*) Ubangi River. Over 90% of this lake's water is provided by the Chari River and it once drained to the Atlantic Ocean via the Benue and Niger rivers. Now endorheic, for 10 points, name this large, shallow lake of the south Sahara, which shares its name with a country with capital N'Djamena.
A: Lake Chad or Lac Tchad
Q: In Morocco, smen is a form of this substance that is buried in the ground for a few months. In Tibet, tea containing this substance, known as po cha or cha suma, is a popular drink. Biochemically, its production involves changing a fat-in-water emulsion to a water-in-fat by (*) rupturing lipoprotein membranes surrounding fat globules. Hollandaise contains egg yolk, lemon juice and this ingredient. A clarified form of this food is known in India as ghee. For 10 points, name this dairy product you can spread on toast.
A: butter or ghee [prompt on "fat"]
Q: A recent boom in oil extraction in the western part of this state has created a massive need for workers and a housing shortage in its town of Williston, where the NBA's Phil Jackson played high school basketball before playing for the University of [this state]. The plains of the Red River Valley dominate the eastern portion of the state, while White Butte, located north of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, is this state's highest point. Its largest city abuts this state's eastern border, across from Moorhead, in neighboring Minnesota. For 10 points Fargo is the largest city in what state with capital at Bismarck?
A: North Dakota
Q: Description acceptable. Monks at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Meteora hung their laundry outside their windows to protest the monastery's use as this type of location. An island nicknamed "Battleship Island," which employed dense crowds of forced laborers at a Mitsubishi factory, was repurposed as one of these locations in 2012. A "mushroom-shaped rock" in Phang Nga Bay acted as one of these locations, greatly boosting the tourism industry in southern Thailand. Tropical examples of these places include (*) Palmyra in the Bahamas and a bauxite mine on Crab Key in Jamaica. A revolving restaurant in the Swiss Alps, Piz Gloria, was built specifically to serve as one of these locations in a 1969 film adaptation, in which it is used by Blofeld. For 10 points, identify these residences of men like Scaramanga and Dr. No, who attempt to thwart 007.
A: hideouts of James Bond villains [accept obvious equivalents for "hideouts," like lairs, houses, or secret bases; accept answers that mention specific villains; prompt on filming sites of any James Bond movie]
Q: This country may be forced to end a program of gifting silver cups to certain residents, since the number of necessary cups has grown from 150 to 29,000 in fifty years. 53 of this country's 122 rural towns canceled mayoral elections in 2015 because only one candidate registered to run. So-called "corpse hotels" have recently been established across this country, which serve those unable to afford a (*) crematorium. Terms used to describe demographics in this country include "parasite singles" and "freeters." Programs to establish a "robotic revolution" and a new policy called "womenomics" were passed in this country in response to a growing shortage of workers. For 10 points, name this country where measures to alleviate its population decline have been passed by Shinzo Abe.
A: Japan [or Nippon]
Q: This landmark was discovered by a party that nearly starved to death before reaching Kamarata. It is located in the western part of Canaima National Park in the Gran Sabana region, along the Kerep River. This geographical feature begins atop the Auyantepui, a flat top mountain, and ends in the Devil's Canyon. Its current name honors the American aviator who discovered it when he crash-landed his plane nearby, but it was nearly renamed in 2009 by Hugo Chavez. For 10 points, name this waterfall located in Venezuela, the highest in the world.
A: Angel Falls [accept just Angel after "waterfall"]
Q: They're not set in North Korea, but a series of these events was organized by Norwegian director Morten Traavik in countries strafed with landmines. A song by U2 was dedicated to the winner of one of these events, whose participants carried a banner reading "Don't let them kill us" while stranded in a basement in Sarajevo. Vida Samadzai's appearance at one of these events was heavily condemned by the (*) Afghan government. In 2015, a Canadian participant in one of these events was refused entry by Chinese authorities for decrying China's persecution of the Falun Gong. During another 2015 example of these events, a crown was taken away from Ariadna Gutierrez and given to Pia Wurtzbach, who represented Colombia and the Philippines, respectively. For 10 points, name these often politically charged events, which include the formerly Donald Trump-owned Miss Universe.
A: beauty pageants [or beauty contests]
Q: Members of this ethnic group blow through conch shells as others add rice to a pot of boiling milk during the harvest festival of Pongal. A landmark built by this ethnic group depicts a lion-elephant hybrid called a yali in its Thousand Pillar Hall. Widespread protests broke out after this ethnic group's bullfighting tradition of Jallikattu was banned in January 2017. An absurdly colorful temple dedicated to (*) Meenakshi was built by this ethnic group in the city of Madurai. The earliest literature produced by this ethnic group originates from the Sangam period, although those are less important than their Five Great Epics, which were written in a Dravidian language. For 10 points, name this ethnic group of southern India that constituted the Pallava and Chola dynasties.
A: Tamilpeople
Q: This state's town of Monson is the beginning of a difficult section of trail called the "Hundred Mile Wilderness." Many painters traveled to this state to paint views of a mountain in its Baxter State Park. It's not near Lake Erie, but a federally recognized Micmac band is based in this state's town of Presque Isle. The (*) Penobscot people from this state believe that Mount Katahdin is sacred. Millions of tourists visit this state's Mount Desert Island, which is in Acadia National Park. For 10 points, which state contains the northern end of I-95?
A: Maine
Q: Albert Stiger profited from an invention that he claimed would accomplish this task, which is currently sold by the New Zealand company Eggers and once annoyed residents near a Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi. Operation Popeye successfully used a form of this task in an attempt to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Many vineyards still keep "cannons" that supposedly accomplish this task. Influenced by his theories of (*) orgone energy, Wilhelm Reich created a device consisting of several tubes that sought to accomplish this task. A form of this task was advanced by the research of Bernard Vonnegut, who discovered the ability of silver iodide to form ice crystals. For 10 points, identify this task accomplished by cloud seeding.
A: changing the weather [accept any answers that involve stopping or starting rain, hail, or any type of weather]
Q: Over half of this country's students receive private tuition, resulting in a billion-dollar private tuition industry. Reforms in this country's education system were sparked by the popularity of the film I Not Stupid. It's not in the UK, but this is the smallest country that requires its students to take GCE O-levels and A-levels. The word "kiasu," describing competitiveness, appears in this country's Hokkien-influenced dialect of (*) English, as does the filler word "lah." This country's schools, which require taking "mother tongue" courses taught in Tamil, Malay, or Mandarin, still employ caning as a disciplinary action. For 10 points, name this country whose oldest school is named after Stamford Raffles and produced its first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
A: Singapore
Q: A city named after this animal was the closest city affected by the 1902 eruption of the Santa Maria Volcano, one of the strongest eruptions of the 20th century. Legendarily, one of these animals served as a spiritual assistant to Tecun Uman, who resisted the forces of Pedro de Alvarado. On a national flag, one of these animals sits on top of a scroll that reads "LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821." Banknotes of a currency named after this animal are adorned with images of a university building in (*) Antigua and the ancient ruins of Tikal. This animal, whose green feathers decorated the headdresses of Mesoamerican rulers, takes its name from the Nahuatl word for "tail feather." For 10 points, identify this national bird of Guatemala, whose name resembles that of an Aztec "feathered serpent" god.
A: quetzal [or Pharomachrus]
Q: Ypoa National Park in this country is named after the lake and wetlands it protects, and it is associated with the eco-region of Neembucu. This country's San Rafael National Park is planned to be a part of a proposed Trinational Biodiversity Corridor which seems to be threatened by farming activity continuing largely unchecked by the government, and between its creation in 1992 and 2007 it had already lost 22% of its original forests. This country's Cerro Cora National Park, located in Amambay Department, is notable for its petroglyphs, and historical monuments dedicated to the war whose last battle was fought here by the Aquidaban River. This country's Nacunday National Park is home to a 110m wide namesake waterfall, and is located about 90km from Ciudad del Este. For 10 points, what country's national parks include "Defenders of the Chaco" National Park, which is its largest and which commemorates its country's nationals who served in a namesake 1932-5 war over this territory against Bolivia?
A: Paraguay (national parks)
Q: First established as the Roman town of Partanum in the 1st century CE, its main street still follows the original Roman road between what were then Concordia and Augusta Vindelicorum. Due in part to the swampy terrain on which this city was established, the 16th century saw a number of outbreaks of bubonic plague as well as a series of witch trials that saw over 60 people executed at Werdenfels Castle, which led to it developing a reputation of being cursed. The second of the eponymous Four Hills Tournament in ski jumping takes place in this city each year on New Year's Day, and Richard Strauss purchased a house here with the revenue he earned from his opera Salome. This city is home to the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, as well as the King's House on Shachen, which was built for Ludwig II. After WWII, this city's proximity to Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain, made it an attractive recreation spot for occupying US soldiers. For 10 points, what is this ski town in the Bavarian Alps, and site of the 1936 Winter Olympics?
A: Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Q: This city's Lloyd's Botanical Garden displays orchids from nearby Singalila National Park. This city's best-known export was introduced by the botanists Arthur Campbell and Joseph Dalton Hooker, who were later imprisoned after traveling north. The GNLF was a separatist group based in this city, which negotiated with the government to form a Gorkha Hill Council. To visit this city, many tourists travel north from Siliguri on a so-called "Toy Train." Satyajit Ray [RYE] depicted a family who takes a vacation to this city to view nearby (*) Kangchenjunga, the world's third-tallest mountain. A product made in this city is made from Chinese Camellia sinensis plants, distinguishing it with a similar product of nearby Assam. For 10 points, name this city in the Lower Himalayas of eastern India, known for producing tea.
A: Darjeeling
Q: Formations of this substance in Jasmund [YAHZ-mund] National Park include ones named Victoria View and King's Chair. A battery that once guarded the west end of the Solent is named for a group of three formations of this substance. A substantial amount of this substance forms the terrain of Champagne, where wine cellars are dug into it. Three figures gaze between a formation of this substance in Rugen in a painting by Caspar David Friedrich. The Needles of the (*) Isle of Wight are part of a massive Cretaceous formation made of this substance that also includes Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters in Sussex. The most famous formation of this substance greeted thousands of World War II-era troops evacuated from Dunkirk. For 10 points, name this substance made of calcite shells, which constitutes the White Cliffs of Dover.
A: chalk [or calcite; or calcium carbonate; prompt on limestone]
Q: One of these events occurred as part of an effort that also included deliberately burning down Changsha, and prevented an invading force from reaching the junction of the Pinghan and Longhai Railways. The poor response to these events in 1851 and 1855 was one impetus for the Nien Rebellion. Several torahs and a synagogue were lost to one of these events that was (*) deliberately designed to break a 1642 siege. In 1938, KMT forces induced one of these events to halt the Japanese advance toward Zhengzhou. These events, which result from accumulations of sediment from the Loess Plateau, are the only natural disasters with death tolls numbering in the millions. For 10 points, identify these events that inspired the nickname "China's Sorrow" for the second longest Chinese river.
A: floodsoftheYellowRiver [orfloodsoftheHuangHe;promptonChinesefloods]
Q: -22. In this country, the Jansz-Io is part of the Greater Gorgon field, a resource tapped on Barrow Island. The temperature difference between the ocean and land gives rise to a wind called the Fremantle Doctor, named for a coastal city in this country. Its only active volcanoes are found on McDonald and Heard Islands, whose Mawson Peak is higher than the highest peak on the mainland, Mount Kosciuszko. Its lowest point is Lake Eyre, located in a state with capital Adelaide. For 10 points, name this country with capital Canberra that contains Sydney.
A: Australia
Q: After Texas businessman John A. Adams's visit to this place, he popularized the dye once used in red velvet cake; the cake is sometimes named for this place. An explorer of Africa named Harry Johnston lends his name to a bar at this location, which introduced Scottish-themed cocktails such as the Rob Roy. Oscar Tschirky worked as a maitre d' at this location, through which he popularized Thousand Island dressing and Eggs Benedict. A meeting at this (*) hotel released a statement that condemned the actions of the Hollywood Ten. This hotel lends its name to a dish in which mayonnaise is mixed with apples, grapes, and walnuts. A fruit salad is named after, for 10 points, what luxury New York hotel partially founded by a family in charge of a fur-trading empire?
A: Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
Q: An endpoint in this system is named after Friedel Klussmann, who led a committee of 27 women's groups that successfully stopped its closure by referendum. In 1984, this system reopened less than a month before the Democratic National Convention was held in its locale. Artifacts from this system are displayed in a museum on Nob Hill. This system, which includes the (*) Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde routes, was the subject of a 60 million dollar renovation effort by Dianne Feinstein. Operators in this system are known as "gripmen," who can take its users to Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf. For 10 points, what manually operated system transports tourists through a Bay Area metropolis?
A: San Francisco cable car system [prompt on partial answer]
Q: One of these places legendarily formed to punish warriors who feasted on hummingbirds that were actually the spirits of their ancestors. One of the few existing locations of this type lies within the boundaries of the Carpinteria State Beach. Amzi Barber established his riches from one of these places that was first discovered by Walter Raleigh. Tribes like the Tongva and Chumash used one of these locations to obtain sealant for their boats, which allowed them to explore the (*) Channel Islands. The largest of these locations is on a southwestern peninsula of the island of Trinidad. The George C. Page Museum contains fossils of mammoths and sabertooth tigers that were preserved in one of these locations in the Miracle Mile District. For 10 points, name these locations exemplifiedbyLosAngeles'sLaBrea[BRAY-uh],whichproduceshot,sticky,blackstuff.
A: tar pits [accept obvious equivalents that mention asphalt, pitch, or bitumen, such as asphalt lakes]
Q: With a name meaning "Island of Death", according to ethnologist Michael Lambek approximately a quarter of this polity's population has reported being possessed by djinns. This polity's twarab music developed under occupation in the mid-19th century by neighbouring powers, and its secondary language of Kibushi was introduced after its conquest by the Boina Kingdom in 1832. This polity's former capital was Dzaoudzi until it was transferred in 1977 in the aftermath of a referendum contested by Ahmed Abdallah and the Oudzima Party. This department, home to the oldest mosque in its country, mainly consists of the islands of Grand-Terre and Petite-Terre, also known as Maore and Pamanzi, and it was purchased by France in 1841 from the Sultan of Anjouan. For 10 points, what is this 101st French department home to the lowest number of French-speakers, with the Muslim majority speaking Shimaore, and with capital at Mamoudzou?
A: Mayotte
Q: What sea, home to the Tubbataha National Marine Park, as well as the Cuyo Islands and Turtle Islands, is separated from the South China Sea by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea by a namesake archipelago?
A: Sulu Sea
Q: This polity's capital, Florynka, was a small village centered around a Greek Catholic church whose predominant ethnicity was scattered by Communist authorities during Operation Vistula in 1947, and its flag was three horizontal bands of periwinkle, tan, and light green. This polity was established in December 1918 by Jaroslav Kacmarcyk out of the administrative units of Nowy Targ and Sanok, and it sought to acquire the counties of Spis, Saris, and Zemplin, although this would be stymied by the Peace of Riga. This polity attempted to join an autonomous province of Czechoslovakia, but was denied by Gregory Zatkovich, the only American to govern any territory that was or would become part of the Soviet Union. Not to be confused with the nearby pro-Ukrainian Komancza Republic of Lemkivshchyna, this pro-Russian republic was formed by speakers of a namesake dialect of Western Rusyn. For 10 points, what was this short-lived Ruthenian republic located in what is now southern Poland bordering Slovakia that resisted integration into Poland until 1920?
A: Lemko Republic (accept: Lemko-Rusyn Republic)
Q: In a bay next to this body of water, a well-known instance of seafood crowding the coastline called a "jubilee" occurs. Karenia brevis causes most red tide algae blooms in this body of water, which the ACF River Basin drains into. Vietnamese immigrants dominate the shrimp industry on this body of water, which (*) Biloxi is a port on. The Rigolets connects Lake Pontchartrain to this body of water, which recovered from the Deepwater Horizon spill. Mobile Bay lies on the coast of - for 10 points - what body of water that receives the Mississippi?
A: Gulf of Mexico [or Golfo de Mexico]
Q: The GLB44 variety of a species in this genus was harvested from the leaves of the snowdrop flower. The Japanese-made Shirota variety of a species in this genus is found in a product called Yakult, which is similar to the kefir made in the Caucasus. Ilya Mechnikov theorized that a species in this genus was responsible for the longevity of Bulgarians; that species was consequently named bulgaricus. Another species in this genus named after San Francisco is present in (*) sourdough. Its plantarum and brevis species are found in foods like kimchi and sauerkraut. For 10 points, identify this genus of bacteria commonly used in lactic acid fermentation to create yogurt.
A: Lactobacillus
Q: This river's first hydroelectric dam was built at Swan Falls in 1900 to provide power to a mine in Silver City. One large waterfall on this river is named for the Shoshone people who lived on its banks prior to white encroachment. Due to extensive damming, its salmon run ends at Hells Canyon Dam. Rising in western Wyoming, it passes the city of Twin Falls before joining the Columbia. For 10 points what is this river perhaps named by a mistaken understanding of an undulating motion of the hands by Shoshone people, who meant to represent fertile fishing, not a serpent.
A: Snake River
Q: One example of this feature, Longdong, which is referred to by locals as "The Eye", is allegedly where the Monkey King found his golden cudgel. The deepest freshwater feature of this kind is located at Hranice in the Czech Republic, while other landlocked examples of this phenomenon include one named after English buccaneer John Watling on San Salvador Island, and one located in Castalia, Ohio. This kind of environment is characterized by poor water circulation which leads to the development of an anoxic mesopelagic zone with a bright white carbonate sand which contributes to the distinctive colour of these features because of how the light is scattered and reflected within them. For 10 points, what are these large aquatic sinkholes which are generally surrounded by a limestone bank or atoll, the most famous example of which is the Great one near Ambergris Caye in Belize?
A: Blue Holes
Q: Description acceptable. The creation of this network stalled after Dong Ah, the Korean company initially in charge of its construction, went bankrupt. Key factories that supply infrastructure for this network are located at Sarir and Brega, the latter of which was damaged during an airstrike. Planned but unfinished portions of this network would link a capital to Ghadames [guh-DAH-mess] to its southwest. A reservoir in this network was named after Omar (*) Mukhtar. The formulator of this network, which taps a supply trapped under a layer of Nubian sandstone, sought to make his country as green as the flag of his "Arab Jamahiriya." For 10 points, name this world's largest irrigation project, which supplies water to cities like Benghazi and Tripoli.
A: Great Man-Made River [accept any answer that mentions Libya and/or Muammar Gaddafi and anything related to irrigation]
Q: It's not in the Balkans, but this country is home to a mournful-sounding reed instrument called the duduk. Cultivation of apricots is thought to have begun in this country, which now only contains one of its three historic great lakes, Lake Sevan. The Aras River drains the main valley of this country, where the 1988 (*) Spitak earthquake devastated the city of Gyumri. This country borders the exclave of Nakhchivan to its south. Turkey disputes Mount Ararat with - for 10 points - what country that also disputes over a genocide with Turkey?
A: (Republic of) Armenia [or Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun]
Q: 360 of these people perished during the sinking of the Duke William. These people make noise with various household objects in a parade originating from the 1950s called a tintamarre. Some of these people speak a mixed language called Chiac, whose name may have originated from the fishing town of Shediac. Today, one of the largest communities of these people lives in Moncton. These people's historic settlement of (*) Grand-Pre was immortalized in an epic poem whose title character searches for her lover Gabriel Lajeunesse. These people, who often allied with the Mi'kmaq against the British, once called Prince Edward Island "Ile Saint-Jean." For 10 points, name these people who were expelled from eastern Canada and became the ancestors of Louisiana's Cajuns.
A: Acadians
Q: The desire to perform this activity led to massive sales in bus tickets to Sokcho, one of the few areas unaffected by the policies of the government agency MOLIT. A demarcation line corresponding to 28.8 degrees north latitude affects this activity in Florida and Texas. The entry #222 in this activity can only be filled in the tropics. This activity was used to disseminate pro-Chinese messages at the Yasukuni Shrine and to promote a tourism campaign in (*) Tohoku that involved plesiosaur-like creatures. A lawsuit over this activity in Milwaukee, Wisconsin likened it to "virtual geocaching." Many assets for this activity were taken directly from Ingress, a similar activity developed by a company affiliated with Google. For 10 points, identify this activity performed on cell phones,inwhichonecancatchLarvitar,Gyarados,orPikachu.
A: playingPokemonGO [promptonpartialanswer]
Q: The first documented European sighting of the region of this colony was made by Willem de Vlamingh in 1697, who left a pewter plaque in commemoration there that was stolen by a French expedition in 1801. Karl Marx used this colony, which was plagued by poor agricultural conditions and native unrest, as an example of the shortcomings of capitalism in Das Kapital. The Noongar people called this area Walyalup, or "the place of crying", and its capital was named after the hometown of Sir George Murray. Despite an 1822 expedition to the feature which named this colony describing it as unimpressive, Sir James Stirling established this colony as a free settlement as an alternative to the penal colonies at Port Arthur and Norfolk Island, and as a deterrent to French designs for their own penal colony at nearby Shark Bay. For 10 points, with first settlement on its namesake river happening at what is now Bunbury and at the port of Fremantle, what was this colony with capital at Perth, which in 1832 officially became Western Australia?
A: Swan River Colony [prompt on: Western Australia until mention]
Q: According to local legends, Wicked John traversed this region carrying a red hot coal after evading the Devil and being told to "start a hell of your own." Several thousand acres of this area were purchased by Erik Prince to create a training facility for his private military company Blackwater. No one knows exactly how Lake Drummond formed at the center of this area. George Washington formed a company to survey this area, which was later home to a canal whose southern end flows into (*) Albemarle Sound. Communities of "maroons," or escaped slaves, who resided in this area inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe to write the novel Dred, whose subtitle mentions this area. For 10 points, identify this wetland on the Virginia-North Carolina border with a gloomy name.
A: Great Dismal Swamp
Q: One practice of this religion has been banned in many places due to fights in meetinghouses. This religion sponsors "firesides" that are teleconferenced to meetinghouses, and its members meet twice a year at a General Conference to hear from leaders like David A. Bednar and Thomas S. Monson. This religion, notorious for its church-sponsored basketball leagues, meets in buildings called stake centers and temples, as well as the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. For 10 points, name this religion, founded by Joseph Smith and taken west by Brigham Young to Utah.
A: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [grudgingly accept Mormons or Mormonism]
Q: At one point in this book, its author recounts the Epic of Koroghlu, telling one of its characters to groom his "powerful thoroughbred." A 2008 Finnish documentary about this book's "shadow" claims that its author tried to convince Chrysler, Nokia, and Siemens, among others, to sponsor translations of it. Papers written on various scientific topics and the Akhal-Teke race horses have recently substituted the use of this book in (*) schools. A giant green statue of this book opens every day at 8 PM, playing an audio excerpt from it. This book, which frequently quotes Sufi poet Magtymguly Pyragy [MAGH-toom-go-lee puh-RAH-ghee], supposedly grants its readers a spot in heaven should they choose to read it three times. For 10 points, name this weird book of revisionist history and spiritual guidelines by Saparmurat Niyazov, the former "President-for-Life" of Turkmenistan.
A: Ruhnama [or The Book of the Soul]
Q: Along with a more southerly location, a myth about this place was the subject of the prologue and epilogue of Matthew Barney's Cremaster 3. The protagonists of Jules Verne's The Green Ray visit this location to observe the title phenomenon. The first J.M.W. Turner painting brought to America depicted a steamboat with this location obscured by extreme fog. The island of Iona is barely visible from inside this location. The hero of an (*) Ossian poem lent his name to this place, which is made of hexagonal basalt columns akin to those in Giant's Causeway. A B minor work about this place, inspired by its exceptional acoustics, was originally called "To the Lonely Island" and was written during the same trip that produced the Scottish Symphony. For 10 points, name this location on Staffa which inspired Felix Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture.
A: Fingal's Cave [accept Staffa until it is read]
Q: The 1865 Battle of Natural Bridge protected this city, the goal of General John Newton, from capture by Union forces. The site that became this city was selected by commissioners appointed by Territorial Governor William Duval in 1823 because of the discovery of a waterfall which is currently found in this city's Cascade Park. The Buckman Act of 1905 instituted in this city a state college for women that became co-educational in 1948, and this city's Leon Hotel took its name from the county in which it's located. Selected as a state capital because of its equidistance between Pensacola and St. Augustine, For 10 points what is this city in Florida's panhandle?
A: Tallahassee
Q: One of these objects from the Hadley-Apennines was so named because its discoverer claimed to be fastening his seatbelt while grabbing it. One of these objects is displayed in a glass case at the Tribune Tower in Chicago, separate from many similar objects embedded into its walls. "Big Muley" [MEW-lee] is one of these objects. Armalcolite was first discovered in one of these objects and gets its name from a portmanteau of its (*) discoverers. Over two-thirds of a set of 270 of these objects, sent to various countries by Richard Nixon, are currently missing. Most of them are kept at special facilities at White Sands and a complex named after Lyndon B. Johnson. For 10 points, name these objects that the Apollo missions sent back to Earth for analysis.
A: moon rocks [or lunar rocks; or lunar samples]
Q: According to researchers, this island was the only major populated area in the world to not have any documented cases of the 1918-19 Spanish flu epidemic. This island was once home to an advanced matrilineal society studied by Charles C. Mann which specialized in sophisticated pottery and mound building, but which seems to have died out by the 14th century CE. This island is home to more water buffalo than people, and its largest settlement is the city of Breves. The 35th largest island in the world, it is a popular surfing destination due to the pororoca tidal bore which can cause waves of up to 4m in height. Prone to regular flooding from the more than 20 rivers running through it, many of the western half of this island's residents live in stilted homes known as palafitas, while the eastern half comprises many large fazendas for farming. Located directly on the equator, this island lies north of the city of Belem across the Para River. For 10 points, what is this largest island of Brazil, a coastal island located at the mouth of the Amazon and bordering the Atlantic Ocean?
A: Marajo
Q: In August 2016, these people acquired Ted Turner's Bluestem Ranch for 74 million dollars. This tribe's land is home to the Million Dollar Elm, under which land auctions were conducted. The 2017 book Killers of the Flower Moon describes how William Hale murdered members of this tribe in his attempt to obtain a share of their oil wealth, leading to one of the first high-profile cases investigated by the FBI. A resident of an area named for these people closes a work by twice declaring "This is the way the world ends." In that (*) play partly titled after this tribe, the housekeeper Johnna witnesses the breakdown of the Weston family after the suicide of their patriarch Beverly. For 10 points, name this tribe who names the largest county by area in Oklahoma, which provides the setting of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts.
A: Osage Nation
Q: What channel, whose biggest ports are Puerto Williams and Ushuaia, separates the islands of Picton, Lennox and Nueva, Navarino, Hoste, Londonderry, and Stewart from the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, and is named after the ship which was used to survey it from 1826-30?
A: Beagle Channel
Q: The lesser known mountain range of this name includes the largest mountain in continental Spain, Mulhacen, and some of the southernmost ski-resorts in Europe. The better known range by this name is the source for the Truckee River, which flows from this range's most famous lake into Pyramid Lake. This range is the source of water for the San Joaquin River Delta to its west, though its rain shadow contributes to making the Western Great Basin one of the driest regions in the United States. In the 1840s, the pioneers of the Donner Party resorted to cannibalism here to survive a harsh winter. Containing such locations as Yosemite Valley and Mount Whitney, For 10 points, name this American mountain range which contains Lake Tahoe, only a small part of which is in its namesake state.
A: Sierra Nevada
Q: This river names the larger of the two known species of dwarf crocodile. Three portage rail lines are used to transport around impassable sections of this river, such as a stretch beginning at Matadi. Near Inga falls along this river, the world's most dangerous rapids can be found. The Virunga Mountains along the (*) Albertine rift separate this river's drainage basin from that of the Nile. The Lualaba feeds into this river, along which lies Livingstone Rapids. For 10 points, what river names countries with capitals Brazzaville and Kinshasa?
A: Congo River [or Zaire River]
Q: Shortly after World War II, a highway connecting these two cities was built as part of the Salte Plan of Eurico Gaspar Dutra, who it is now named after. Airlines like Varig and VASP partnered to create the world's earliest air shuttle, which traveled between these two cities' Santos Dumont and Congonhas Airports. These are the two most populous cities engaged in an informal war over whether to call biscuits "biscoito" [biss-KOY-toh] or "bolacha." The Paraiba do Sul provides water to these two cities' namesake (*) states, as well as Minas Gerais to their north. Delays have plagued the construction of a high-speed rail between these two cities that was meant to be operational during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Paulistas and cariocas are nicknames for the residents of, for 10 points, what twomostpopulouscitiesinBrazil?
A: Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo
Q: Simon Stock traveled to this mountain in the 13th century, where he received a brown scapular. Part of this mountain was made into nineteen terraces, eighteen of which represent disciples collectively called "Letters of the Living." It's not Mount Ararat, but a tablet records how God told this mountain that He would "sail His Ark upon thee"; presently, four buildings on this mountain are collectively known as (*) "the Arc." A monastery named Stella Maris, or "Star of the Sea," is found on this mountain. Shoghi Effendi helped finish the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa on this mountain, which also lends its name to a "Discalced" branch of a religious order founded by Saint Teresa of Avila. For 10 points, name this Israeli mountain on which Baal was defeated by the prophet Elijah.
A: Mount Carmel
Q: This polity's highest point is at Main Peak in its southern Helan Mountains, while other high points can be found in this polity's cooler and more heavily-forested Khingan Mountains. This polity is almost entirely situated on a Precambrian craton named after the geographic region in which it is found, whose Western Block is home to some of the oldest and most ore-bearing rocks on its continent. Much of this polity is classified as Koppen BWk or BSk, which describes cold arid and steppe climates, and discontinuous permafrost begins north of the Hailar District. Consisting largely of a high rocky plateau, extensive loess and sand deposits can be found in various places, such as the Ordos Desert. Until 1947, this polity comprised the former provinces of Xing'an, Liaobei, Suiyuan, and Chahar, and also included parts of the current provinces of Gansu and Ningxia. For 10 points, what is this 3rd-largest Chinese sub-national polity, an autonomous region that partially borders Russia, and whose largest city and capital is Hohhot?
A: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (also accept: Nei Mongol)
Q: This company avoided losing a lawsuit to Otto G. Lindberg after a general store was established in Agloe, New York. This company once operated from the first skyscraper with a frame made entirely of steel, which no longer exists. New York City is given the rating 1-AAAA in this company's city rating system. This company introduced Thor Heyerdahl's chronicle of the Kon-Tiki expedition to the United States, and hired Arthur H. Robinson to create a (*) projection that was once favored by the National Geographic Society. J. Paul Goode produced a now-common textbook while working for this company, which introduced a precursor to the numbered highway system in a map of Peoria, Illinois. For 10 points, name this company known for publishing a yearly Road Atlas.
A: Rand McNally
Q: The sandstone composition of a mesa called the Llano Estacado makes it one of the few areas that add to this formation. The decline of the Beaver River that originates from this formation made the Optima Lake Dam essentially useless. The billionaire T. Boone Pickens used resources from this formation to create a massive quail-hunting spot called the Mesa Vista Ranch. The largest part of this formation lies beneath the (*) Sandhills, which environmentalists fear would be contaminated by a spill in the Keystone XL project. The widespread, long-term use of the center-pivot mechanism has contributed to the decline of this entity. For 10 points, name this sprawling aquifer that provides water to much of the Great Plains.
A: Ogallala Aquifer
Q: The resort of Awaza has been optimistically described as this country's "Las Vegas". The collapse of a natural gas field into an underground cavern led to the creation of the Darvaza gas crater in this country. This country's city of Konye-Urgench is home to a complex containing six mausoleums and the Kutlug-Timur Minaret. Water from the (*) Amu Darya river is transported to this country's capital via the Karakum Canal. The Monument of Neutrality in this country's capital formerly incorporated a rotating gold-plated statue of ex-president Saparmurat Niyazov. Situated south of Uzbekistan, for 10 points, name this central Asian country with capital Ashgabat.
A: Turkmenistan
Q: Residents of this island use the term "Malbar" to refer to Tamil workers from Pondicherry. In 2005, about a third of this island's residents contracted the mosquito-borne chikungunya ["chicken"-GOON-yuh] disease. Michel Debre organized the forced transfer of over 1,500 children from this island to the Creuse [CRUHZ] department. A hotspot currently under this island formed the volcanoes that became the Laccadives, the Chagos Archipelago, and the (*) Maldives. In 2015, debris believed to be from the wing of MH370 washed up on this island, whose airport is named after native son Roland Garros. For 10 points, name this island in the Indian Ocean which, like Mayotte, is an overseas department of France.
A: Reunion
Q: An NOAA campus in this city includes a Douglas Hollis-designed set of steel towers topped with weather vanes with organ pipes attached. Isamu Noguchi's sculpture Black Sun, which may have inspired the title of a 1994 song, is in this city's Volunteer Park. A song partly titled for this city was written after a reading of the biography Shadowland, about its resident actress (*) Frances Farmer. The fictional band Citizen Dick played in this city in the movie Singles. The Sub Pop record label was based in this city and promoted the 1989 debut album Bleach. This city's Museum of Pop Culture was built around Paul Allen's memorabilia collection and was once called the "Experience Music Project." For 10points,name this birthplace of Jimi Hendrix and the center of the 1990s grunge scene.
A: Seattle, Washington (The first clue refers to A Sound Garden, the namesake of the band Soundgarden.)
Q: A man announces a gathering and march outside this area's town hall in the spoken-word sections of the song "Waiting for the Worms." A song inspired by an incident in this area is narrated by a man who says "Deep in my heart I abhor ya, can't get food for them kid" and observes "Now in the street there is violence." A song named after this area describes the death of Ivan in the film The Harder They Come, and declares "You can crush us, you can bruise us."Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" is named after a street in this area and was written after a 1981 (*) riot between police and its Jamaican community. Paul Simonon's reggae-influenced anti-police contribution to London Calling was named after this area. For 10 points, name this neighborhood of London whose "guns" were the subject of a song by The Clash.
A: Brixton [prompt on London]
Q: In 2007, the Danish artist Marco Evaristti climbed this mountain and unfurled red banners that read "Pink State." This mountain is sometimes visited in conjunction with Mont Maudit, whose name literally means "Cursed Mountain." To determine the level of oxygen content of the Sun, Pierre Janssen carved out an observatory at the top of this mountain. A ship named after this mountain collided with the (*) Imo in Halifax Harbor, producing the strongest non-nuclear explosion in history. Ownership of this mountain was finally settled by Victor Emmanuel II and Napoleon III. At the base of this mountain is Chamonix, the host of the first Winter Olympics. For 10 points, name this peak that surpasses the Matterhorn as the tallest peak in the Alps, on the France-Italy border.
A: Mont Blanc
Q: The filmmaker Lee Shapiro documented members of this ethnic group fighting against the government along the Coco River. This ethnic group sometimes experiences outbreaks of psychosis called "grisi siknis." Members of this ethnic group embark on increasingly dangerous lobster-diving trips from cities like Puerto Cabezas. A region named after this ethnic group is home to a "white city," or "city of the monkey god," discovered by a National Geographic expedition in 2015. This is the majority indigenous ethnic group in the city of (*) Bluefields. This ethnic group's lands have been frequently claimed by governments led by Daniel Ortega and other Sandinistas. For 10 points, identify this ethnic group that lends its name to a coastal region primarily in eastern Nicaragua.
A: Miskito people
Q: This country's territorial claim of a lighthouse on the smallest island split between two countries necessitated the unusual zigzag border on that island, Market Island. This country contains the eastern portion of a golf course that straddles an international border near the city of Tornio. One of its neighbors planned to adjust their border to hand this country the peak of Halti [HALL-tee] in 2017 for the 100th anniversary of its (*) independence, but ultimately backed out. Territory currently owned by this country was the subject of the first territorial dispute resolved by the League of Nations. That autonomous demilitarized territory, the Aland Islands, is physically nearer to this country's western neighbor than to itself. For 10 points, name this Nordic country which ceded the border region of Karelia to Russia after the Winter War.
A: Finland [or Suomi]
Q: John B. Moore and Don Lorenzo Hubbell established their wealth by selling works in this art form. The professor Gary Witherspoon claims that patterns in these artworks embody a concept called hozho. Some of the earliest examples of this art form were retrieved from a cave in Canyon de Chelly abandoned for a hundred years. A mass relocation to (*) Bosque Redondo reduced the supply of this art form's base, which was sourced from a hybrid animal called the Churro. The harmonica-playing Clara Sherman was a prolific artist in this medium. "Eye-dazzler" motifs were common in this art form, which used extracts from the cochineal beetle until the introduction of aniline dyes through railroad-based trading in the late 1800s. For 10 points, identify this art form made by weavers from the Four Corners area of the American Southwest.
A: Navajo textiles [or diyogi; or Dine in place of "Navajo"; accept rugs, carpets, weaving, etc. in place of "textiles"; prompt on partial answer]
Q: An example of one of these entities in Montenegro is Our Lady of the Rocks, which is home to a namesake Catholic church. The IJsseloog ["eye-sel-LOHG"] is one of these entities, and is used for the storage of polluted silt. Almere and Lelystad are towns located on the (*) Flevopolder, one of these entities created in the Netherlands. The largest of one of these entities is named for Rene Levasseur and was formed when a hydroelectric scheme joined two crescent-shaped lakes. Examples of this type of entity were built for Chubu Centrair and Kansai International airports off the coast of Japan. For 10 points, name these human-constructed pieces of land completely surrounded by water.
A: artificial islands [accept equivalents such as man-made islands; prompt on island]
Q: Humphrey the Whale was twice stuck on the shores of this body of water, necessitating removal by engineers. This body of water is fed by the Carquinez Strait, which is in turn connected to by the Suisun Bay, although these bodies, along with the San Pablo Bay, are often treated as part of this bay. This body surrounds Angel Island and its southern extent is spanned by the San Mateo bridge. This bay is fed by the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers and is home to Pier 33, from which one can visit Alcatraz Island. For 10 points, name this bay surrounded by Berkeley, Oakland, and its namesake city in Northern California, which outlets to the Pacific under the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco Bay
Q: One of these policies, enforced by a cabinet minister named Lauritz Lauritzen, lasted for about four months. A club of 18 million members called the ADAC vehemently opposes attempts to implement this kind of policy. Currently, the lack of kind of policy is symbolized by a white circle with a black outline intersected by five black diagonal lines. Environmental concerns caused a "red-green coalition" involving the (*) SPD to institute this kind of regulation in the state of Bremen in 2008. In 1952, these regulations were abolished due to being perceived as Nazi artifacts, but were reinstated five years later after a rising number of accidents. For 10 points, identify these regulations sometimes enforced on commuters who use the German highway system.
A: a speed limit on the Autobahn [or a national speed limit in Germany before the last sentence]
Q: What is the 2nd-most populous inland city in Australia after Canberra, founded by English botanist Allan Cunningham as Darling Downs in the early 19th century, home to Mt. Lofty and an annual Carnival of Flowers, located about 125km west of Brisbane in Queensland?
A: Toowoomba
Q: A composer briefly exiled from this country wrote a series of four arias about the concentration camp prisoner Andonis in the Mauthausen Trilogy. Although it is named after a country to its south, the song "Misirlou" was first recorded in 1927 by a musician from this country. This country's urban areas, particularly its taverns and hashish dens, allowed the genre of rebetiko music to flourish. Irish folk music co-opted a stringed instrument called a (*) bouzouki from this country. A 1964 film adaptation of a novel set in this country popularized the sirtaki line dance. A more complicated version of the lyre used in this country's ancient period was the kithara, whose name is the etymological root for the word "guitar." For 10 points, name this country whose mythology gave us theinstrumentnames "panflute" and "Aeolianharp."
A: Greece [orHellenicRepublic;orHellas]
Q: -22. One national park in this state consists of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters with colorful rock formations, including spires called "hoodoos." This home of Canyonlands National Park contains an evaporated lake bed upon which many land-speed records have been set, the Bonneville Salt Flats. The town of Promontory in this state is home to a "Golden Spike," marking it as the spot where the Transcontinental Railroad was completed. For 10 points, name this state, the home of Bryce Canyon and the Great Basin, with capital at Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: What Renaissance Era explorer and cartographer compiled the Kitab-I Bahriye, and whose 1513 world map is one of the oldest surviving maps to depict the New World, as well as the mythical island of Antillia?
A: Piri Reis
Q: The events that lead to this process were studied by the recently established Project MIDAS. The filmmaker Jeff Orlowski documented this process taking place at a location named Jakobshavn [YAH-kobs-hah-ven]. This process, and not an undiscovered animal, was responsible for producing the anomalous "Bloop" sound in 1997, according to the NOAA. This process, which can form a mixture called a melange, can be seen at a location named after Johns Hopkins in an (*) Alaskan national park. The most extreme examples of this process were observed in the Larsen region of the Weddell Sea, including one that occurred in July 2017, producing a trillion-ton mass the size of Delaware. For 10 points, name this process by which smaller chunks of ice break away from a larger mainland.
A: calving [accept iceberg formation or ice cracking and other similar answers]
Q: The Aegis Trust currently operates a museum in Gisozi filled with artifacts from this period. After this period, the concept of "justice amongst the grass," or gacaca, was adapted into a national court system. To encourage national pride after this period, a mandatory day of community service and street cleanup called Umuganda was introduced. A massive migration to the region around Lake (*) Kivu occurred during this period, which may have been responsible for shaping one of the world's majority-female parliaments. During this period, the Kagera River became a health hazard because of its use as a dumping ground for corpses. The Hotel des Mille Collines housed over a thousand refugees during this period, as dramatized in a 2004 film. For 10 points, name this period of violence in which the Hutus ruthlessly targeted the Tutsis.
A: Rwandan genocide [accept the genocide against the Tutsi before the tossup is finished] Note to players: In the following tossup, "group" is not used in the taxonomical sense.
Q: The first X-ray satellite was named using a language spoken in this country, since it was launched from the Italian-owned Broglio Space Center off its coast. Over thirty different types of trees were planted in a former limestone quarry in this country's Ngomongo Villages. After a lengthy two-year siege in what is now this country, the Portuguese lost Fort Jesus. Workers on a railroad traveling west from this country's coast were killed by a pair of (*) lions known as the Tsavo [SAH-voh] Man-Eaters. A port in this modern-day country gifted a giraffe to a treasure voyage of Zheng He ["shung huh"]. An avenue with an arch formed by massive elephant tusks and an airport in its largest port are both named after this country's former president Daniel Arap Moi. For 10 points, name this country home to the historically dominant ports of Malindi and Mombasa.
A: Kenya
Q: The Sundanese [SOON-da-nees] name for this resource lends its name to the Citarum River in Java and the 5th century Tarumanagara kingdom that surrounded it. Because of the scarcity of this resource, the woad plant was used in place of it in Europe. The play Nil Darpan dramatizes an 1859 revolt of Bengali farmers of the tinctoria species of this resource. Before transitioning to coffee growing, El Salvador relied on cultivating this resource. Eliza Lucas introduced this crop to (*) South Carolina, where it rivaled rice as its chief export. This resource, which the Tuareg use to color their tagelmust veils, is chemically similar to Tyrian purple. For 10 points, name this plant whose dye is most commonly used in denim jeans.
A: indigo [or Indigofera]
Q: A Hyundai shipyard in Korea currently uses the Kockums Crane, which was once an unusual landmark for this city's residents. Over thirty journalists accepted InfoWars editor Paul Joseph Watson's offer for a free trip to this city's supposedly "crime-ridden migrant suburbs." Another landmark in this city, designed by Santiago Calatrava, has its top floor offset from its bottom floor by a 90-degree rotation, giving it the name (*) "Turning Torso." An alternative route to the HH Ferry between Helsingør and Helsingborg links this capital of Scania to the island of Zealand. For 10 points, people driving across the Øresund Bridge from Copenhagen arrive in what city in Sweden?
A: Malmo
Q: An unwritten law code among this ethnic group includes the principles of melmastia, or hospitality, and badal, which has justified long-running blood feuds among them. Lawmakers of this ethnic group meet at councils called loya jirga. A Joan of Arc-like heroine of this ethnic group was martyred at the Battle of Maiwand against the British. A folk dance of this ethnic group called attan was one of their few traditions to survive a wave of puritanical (*) prohibitions that began in 1996. This is the majority ethnic group in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [KAI-burr pock-TOON-kwa] province, the homeland of Malala Yousafzai. Sharbat Gula, a member of this ethnicity, wears a red headscarf in an iconic photograph used by National Geographic. For 10 points, name this majority ethnic group in Afghanistan.
A: Pashtun people [or Pashto]
Q: John Hancock's ship Liberty was importing this territory's most notable product when it was seized for evading the Townshend Acts. Canals called levadas supply water for this territory's thriving sugar cane production. The bolo de mel honey cake from this island is often confused with an unrelated English sponge cake named for it. The Hawaiian ukulele was derived from the (*) cavaquinho [kah-vah-KEEN-yo] used by this island's musicians. This territory, whose laurisilva forests are designated as a World Heritage Site, uses terraces called poios similar to those in the Douro River valley on the mainland to grow grapes. This island's capital city is Funchal. For 10 points, name this island owned by Portugal, known for a namesake type of wine.
A: Madeira
Q: The northeasternmost point in this national park offers a river crossing named for John Doyle Lee, the only man executed for participating in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. A 1956 mid-air crash of two passenger airliners killed 128 people, at the time the deadliest air disaster, dropping debris into this national park. The Kolb brothers built a studio for photographing tourists on the Bright Angel Trail in this park in 1904 on its South Rim. The Kaibab Plateau is cut by the Colorado River in, For 10 points, what national park comprising a huge fissure in northern Arizona?
A: Grand Canyon National Park
Q: The first businessman to sell this product, the Canadian David Gilmour, also bought Wakaya Island in the country he obtained it from. The deportation of a director of external affairs who managed this product led to a 4500% increase on its taxes and the resignation of a defense minister, Ratu Epeli Ganilau. The company that makes this product was absorbed into a company that also owns the juice brand POM. After magazine ads noted that this product wasn't packaged in (*) Cleveland, representatives from Cleveland claimed that they found 6.31 micrograms of arsenic per liter in this product. This product is obtained from Yaqara, an artesian source on Viti Levu, and once surpassed its competitor Evian in American imports. For 10 points, name this product packaged in rectangular bottles, which comes from a Pacific island nation.
A: Fiji Water
Q: Before his career, George Washington took his ailing brother to this island, the only non-U.S. country Washington ever visited. This island's Welchman Hall Gully is named for a Welshman who observed its residents cross-breeding the orange and pomelo to originate the grapefruit. This island may have received its name due to the presence of bearded fig trees, and this island's residents refer to it as "Bim," which originated from an Igbo term meaning "homeland." This island's Harrison's Cave is carved out of its predominantly (*) limestone landscape, which contrasts with the volcanic landscape of neighbors like Saint Vincent. This island's residents are nicknamed Bajans. For 10 points, name this easternmost island of the Lesser Antilles, whose capital is Bridgetown.
A: Barbados
Q: Several expeditions to this river have attempted to discover a dragon-like cryptid called the ninki nanka. Three forts at the mouth of this river were established by the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, making this river one of the few colonization targets of Poland-Lithuania. A capital city along this river was renamed from Bathurst to a Mandinka phrase meaning "rope." A depiction of this river is surrounded by small white stripes and red and green bands on a national flag. In 2011, an island at the mouth of this river was renamed to (*) Kunta Kinte Island, after the protagonist of Alex Haley's Roots, by then-president Yahya Jammeh. For 10 points, identify this river which lends its name to the smallest country in Africa, which is completely surrounded by Senegal.
A: Gambia River
Q: In North America, objects at these locations often use the exclusive color Portland Orange. One of these locations in Santiago depicts several half-yellow, half-blue fish, and is one of many of them painted over by the Canadian artist Roadsworth. A popular design for these locations in cities outside the United States is nicknamed the "Barnes Dance." These locations, whose lengths can be shortened by bulb-outs, are marked by yellow (*) "Belisha beacons" in the United Kingdom. A group of rainbow-colored ones in Atlanta were criticized for their cost. These locations are sometimes described by the adjective "zebra." For 10 points, what locations, seen on the cover of The Beatles' Abbey Road, are often accompanied by lights reading "WALK" or "DON'T WALK"?
A: pedestrian crossings [accept obvious equivalents such as crosswalks; accept zebra crossings until "zebra" is read; prompt on roads]
Q: Robert Graves wrote a historical novel about this man's expeditions called The Islands of Unwisdom, and he died of malaria while trying to establish a colony on what is now known as the island of Nendo, which is the largest of the Santa Cruz Islands. This man led a 1567-9 expedition west from Callao in search of gold which the Inca had claimed came from over the ocean, as well as people to convert to Catholicism. This man's first expedition explored and named the islands of Malaita and Guadalcanal, among others, but malnutrition and casualties sustained from fighting the natives forced a return to Peru. His second expedition saw four ships piloted by a young Portuguese navigator attempt to establish a colony in the Solomons, but disputes with natives and an uncooperative camp master led to the deaths of ¾ of the colonists and hundreds of natives, and the mission had to be aborted by this man's widow and led to Manila without any navigational charts. For 10 points, who was this Spanish navigator who led two voyages in the Pacific to try to find Terra Australis, but only discovered Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands instead?
A: Alvaro de Mendana y Neira
Q: The Skepi Creole developed in this former polity, which was first established by refugees from the earlier Pomeroon Colony. This former polity developed from a fort on an island in the Mazaruni River named Kyk-Over-Al, although this polity took its later name from the much larger river which the Mazaruni flows into. Generating income from plantations growing cotton, indigo, and cacao, war with British occupation in the 1660's followed by plundering by French pirates kept this former colony under economic duress. Upon its foundation by Adrian Groenewegen in 1616, this was the first colony to have the name New Zeeland. Despite their economic dependence on the West Indian Company, the colonists of this former polity were largely left to fend for themselves in the face of Barbadian settlement, which ultimately led to Britain repeatedly occupying it between 1781 and 1814, when they seized it for good. For 10 points, what was this former Dutch colony in what is now Guyana, named after its largest river, and which was joined with Demerara and Berbice to form British Guiana in 1815?
A: Essequibo [accept: New Zeeland before mention]
Q: This building was seized from the son of its builder and garrisoned by rebels led by William Rookings in 1676, although command of that outfit would change thrice in less than three months due to decreasing morale. This building was soon captured by a loyalist force from the vessel Young Prince who added some basic fortifications to the property. This building remained privately owned and inhabited until a car crash killed its owners in 1973, whence State Senator Garland Gray purchased its plantation, and the building itself was purchased by the state preservation society. Erected in 1665, this building constitutes one of very few extant examples of Jacobean architecture in the New World, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. Located in Surry County near the site of the Hampton Roads Conference, this building was never even visited by the man whose name is most closely associated with it. For 10 points, what is this building, also known by the name of its builder, but more commonly named after the leader of a namesake 1676 rebellion, the oldest extant brick building in Virginia?
A: Bacon's Castle [also accept: "Arthur Allen House", "Allen's Brick House"]
Q: In this country, goat cheese called tulum is produced by placing curds inside a goatskin casing. A circular container divided into five compartments is used to serve five different flavors of sweet paste called macun. It is illegal to export wild orchids from this country because of its use in a flour called salep. This country once fined an iced tea manufacturer for airing an advertisement that supposedly insulted (*) ayran, a drink that's essentially iced yogurt. Bergamot oranges and rosewater are some of the possible flavorings of a chewy treat from this country. This modern-day country may have left bags of coffee beans after retreating from the Siege of Vienna, introducing coffee to the rest of Europe. For 10 points, name this country that produces chewy, sugar-coated sweets known as its namesake "delight."
A: Turkey
Q: This river's basin is home to an animal with species name Inia araguaiaensis which genetically diverged from its northern cousin just over 2 million years ago, and whose members are the focus of protectionary measures being carried out at Cantao State Park. That species of boto and other endemic fauna such as the tucuxi in this river have been threatened by a decrease in fish spawning related to the construction of the Tucurui dam. The Sao Domingos karst region in the upper part of this river's basin is home to the highest diversity of cavefish species in its hemisphere, including the only known cave-adapted knifefish. Cities on this river include Cameta, Miracema, and Palmas, which was designed in 1989 to become the capital of this river's namesake state. This river rises in the Goiano Pyrenees and forms much of the boundary of its eponymous state with the neighbouring state of Maranhao before flowing into the Atlantic south of the Para. For 10 points, what is this 2400km long clearwater river which names one of Brazil's newest states, with a name coming from the Tupi for "toucan's beak"?
A: Tocantins River
Q: A pureed portion of this animal is mixed with Bordelaise sauce to create Rouennaise sauce. Cards with unique serial numbers are given to every customer who orders a "pressed" meal that includes this animal at La Tour d'Argent in Paris. In a dish popular in the 1960s and in high-end restaurants, this animal is served "a l'orange," with orange sauce. This animal's Muscovy and (*) Pekin species were bred to create the Mulard, the hybrid species typically used to create a product that Brussels banned in March 2017. Like a similar animal in the genus Anser, this animal is often subjected to the technique of gavage, which involves force-feeding it corn. For 10 points, "canard" is the French word for what animal, whose liver is served as foie gras?
A: ducks [or canard until it is read]
Q: Practitioners of this activity opposed the construction of an artificial jetty to protect a Chevron plant in El Segundo. Primitive items for this activity were carved from the wood of the koa or wiliwili trees, and were called olo or alaia. The half-Irish, half-native George Freeth demonstrated this activity at the inauguration of a railroad owned by Henry E. Huntington. Locations named for the various trestle bridges in San Onofre State Park, as well as the namesake of the (*) Macintosh operating system Mavericks, are hubs for this activity. A challenging formation for performers of this activity is the so-called Banzai Pipeline. This activity gives an alternate name to the Moana Hotel on Waikiki Beach. For 10 points, "hanging ten" is a common trick in what activity in which waves are conquered by riding flat boards?
A: surfing
Q: A city developed by this program was the site of a school that temporarily accommodated the students of nearby Clinton High School after it was blown up in 1958. A wave of evictions related to this program followed a similar wave that cleared the area where the Norris Dam was built. The businessman Edgar Sengier, who headed a union in Katanga, allowed this program to use the Shinkolobwe mine. One of the two observatories used by (*) LIGO to measure gravitational waves was built at a site formerly used by this program. That site, Hanford, contributed to pollution along the Columbia River. This program is commemorated by an obelisk in the White Sands Missile Range. For 10 points, name this program that used the Los Alamos Laboratory to develop the first atomic bomb.
A: Manhattan Project
Q: Features in this park include the Red Lily Lagoon at Gunbalanya, Jim Jim Falls, and Nourlangie Rock, which is home to the Anbangbang Shelter drawings. This park in the Alligator Rivers region, so-named by Phillip Parker King after the crocodiles he found there, is home to a namesake escarpment as well as the Ubirr rock art site near the Nadab floodplain. Ludwig Leichhardt was the first European explorer to traverse the land that would become this park in 1845 on his way from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, following the Jim Jim Creek down from the Arnhem Land escarpment. The Ranger Uranium Mine, one of the most productive in the world, is surrounded by this park which was traditionally owned by the Gundjeihmi, Kuwinjku, and Jawoyn peoples. Problems facing this park include brumbies, invasive Mimosa weeds, and cane toads. For 10 points, what is this national park southeast of Darwin in Northern Territory, possibly named after a bird native to the region, and one of the most biodiverse regions in Australia?
A: Kakadu National Park
Q: This area's natives believe that it was created by the tears and breast-milk of Tunupa, a giant who became a mountain to its north. A hotel in this area made of an unconventional building material that isn't ice explicitly prohibits its guests from licking the walls. Many extremely tall cardon cacti rise from an "island" in this area called Inkawasi. Along with a similar, smaller area called Coipasa, this area originated from the prehistoric Lake Minchin. This region contains about nine million tons, or nearly half of the world's reserves, of (*) lithium. This region in the Potosi Department is over 100 times larger than a similar American region named Bonneville. For 10 points, name this largest salt flat in the world, which serves as the main transport route through the Altiplano of Bolivia.
A: Salar de Uyuni [prompt on Altiplano; prompt on Bolivia]
Q: One of this nation's major cities features the Meroubia Gardens, which abuts its Grand Socco, near which William S. Burroughs and Paul Bowles briefly lived in the 1960s. Another major city in this country is the most populous in the Maghreb, a port which is home to the massive Hassan II Mosque. In its southwest is Mt. Toubkal, the highest point in the Atlas Range. Claiming sovereignty over the autonomous region of Western Sahara is, For 10 points, what home of Tangier and Casablanca, with capital at Rabat?
A: Morocco
Q: Along with the Mediterranean and the Nile, this river made up one of the three arms of the T in the medieval T and O map design. The Maeotian [mee-"OCEAN"] Swamp surrounded the mouth of this river, which was called the Tanais [tah-NAY-iss] by the ancient Greeks. The most populous city along this river is home to a sculpture depicting the characters Grigori and Aksinia in a boat. A reservoir formed on this river submerged the white-bricked fortress of Sarkel, which was used as a base by the (*) Khazars. The naval base of Taganrog is located a few miles west of the mouth of this river. Rostov is the most populous city on this river, which a canal connects to the much longer Volga River.For 10 points, name this river that "quietly flows" in a novel about Cossacks by Mikhail Sholokhov.
A: Don River
Q: The collection of Horatio Gordon Robley includes a group of nearly forty severed heads from this country. The greenstone, or pounamu, mined in the south of this country is frequently fashioned into fishhooks and human-shaped pendants. A recurring motif in this country's art is a spiral pattern called a koru, which represents a plant unfurling. Carved red boards that represent arms are used in the facades of indigenous houses in this country called (*) wharenui. Preserved heads marked with tattoos called moko were occasionally used as currency in this country, particularly during its Musket Wars. Many sports logos and proposed flag designs in this country include the silver fern motif. For 10 points, name this country where European pakehaartists interacted with the Maori.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: Bronze Age-era examples of these structures from Scotland and Ireland are called crannogs. The world's oldest wooden wheel was discovered along with remains of these structures in the Ljubljana [lyoob-LYAH-nah] Marshes of Slovenia. Western European examples of these structures that served as granaries are called raccards, while in South America, they are called palafitos. The presence of these structures in the area around Lake (*) Maracaibo led Amerigo Vespucci to name that area "Venezuela." The Southeast Asian kelong is one type of these structures, which can be positioned above bodies like the Tonle Sap or the Chao Phraya. For 10 points, name these dwellings named after the architectural components that keep them above the water's surface.
A: stilt houses [or pile dwellings; prompt on partial answer]
Q: Houses in this archipelago are topped with wooden spires carved into faces, which are called fleche faitiere [FLETCH "fight"-ee-"AIR"]. This island group's wildlife includes the world's largest gecko and a flightless bird called the kabu. The ore garnierite was named after the discoverer of this island group's massive nickel deposits. Many Kabyle [kuh-"BILE"] people on this archipelago were taught by a woman who became notorious as the "Red Virgin of Montmartre." An independence movement in this archipelago culminated in a hostage crisis at a cave in (*) Ouvea. The Kanak people are the indigenous residents of this archipelago, which held participants in the Paris Commune during its time as a penal colony. For 10 points, name this special collectivity of France, south of VanuatuinthePacificOcean.
A: New Caledonia
Q: According to Grandpa Joe, Willy Wonka built a palace out of chocolate for a prince named after, and possibly from, this polity. An experimental township located in this polity features in the poetry collection The God Enchanter, by Anuradha Majumdar, and is described by Canadian-Indian author Monique Patenaude, as a place in the desert of red sand where people have gathered to build a city expressing human unity. Another poet from this polity, Bharathidasan, spurred the growth of the Dravidian Movement in a neighbouring state, and his Song of Invocation became this polity's state song. The title character of a Booker Prize winning novel partially set here becomes acquainted with and decides to adhere to Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, much to the chagrin of his zoo-owning father. The location of Auroville and a namesake zoo, For 10 points, what is this union territory with a namesake capital established by the French East India Company, the setting of the first section of Life of Pi?
A: Pondicherry [accept: Puducherry] (lit)
Q: This range was formed because of Eocene volcanism and the collision of thrust faults at the northern end of the shrinking Neo-Tethys Sea that contributed to the north-easternmost spur of the Alpine orogeny, which was responsible for the formation of the Tangeh Savashi gorge. This range's northwestern subrange, the Talysh Mountains, forms the humid subtropical Lankaran Lowlands in its rain shadow, allowing for the existence of temperate rainforests and wetlands which are partly protected by the Hirkan National Park. In ancient times, this mountain range along with the Kopet Dag range formed the southern and eastern boundaries of Hyrcania, a region famous for its tigers which went extinct by the 20th century. According to the Vendidad, this range is where haoma grows, and is separated from the realm of the daevas by the Chinvat Bridge. For 10 points, what is this north Iranian mountain range bordering the Caspian Sea, home to the highest volcano in Asia, Mount Damavand?
A: Alborz Mountains
Q: For nearly half a century, this ethnic group was prevented from living in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a policy partly influenced by views of their cattle complex. This people's language is similar to that of the Samburu - both languages belong to the Nilotic group. Young men in this ethnic group become (*) warriors by being circumcised during puberty without anaesthesia. Like the country most of them live in, this people's flag consists of two diagonal spears across a shield. For 10 points, name this warlike ethnic group from Kenya.
A: Maasai
Q: This body of water has been explored over a thousand times by the submersible Auguste Piccard, constructed by Jacques Piccard. This is the home body of water of the America's Cup team Alinghi. An island on this body of water is home to Chillon [SHEE-YON] Castle, made popular by Lord Byron. This body of water is the eponymous 'water' in (*) Deep Purple's song 'Smoke on the Water', after a casino was set on fire during a major jazz festival. That festival is at Montreux. A city on the banks of this lake houses the Olympic Museum, Lausanne. For 10 points name this lake on the Rhone River, shared between France and Switzerland.
A: Lake Geneva (Accept Lac Leman)
Q: Hainan is currently the only province in China to be exempt from a ban on building new locations of this type. In China, Communist Party members are banned from using these locations for free, and builders of these locations often have to pay off locals to remove fake graves during construction. One of these locations in Coober Pedy allows users to carry a piece of artificial (*) turf around with them, and uses oil-covered sand where most other facilities have very close-cut grass.. Mission Hills in Guangdong contains many of these facilities. The construction of one of these facilities in Aberdeenshire destroyed several sand dunes, and resulted in local backlash against the developer, Donald Trump. For 10 points, name these sporting venues found at Augusta and St Andrews.
A: Golf courses
Q: Tom Wolfe's latest novel Back to Blood is set in this city. Norman Mailer paired this city with the "Siege of Chicago" in one non-fiction work about the 1968 presidential conventions. John Sayles' novel Los Gusanos is set in 1981 in this city and follows Marta, who mourns her brother killed in the Bay of Pigs invasion. The head of this city's chamber of commerce is killed and stuffed in a suitcase in an effort to scare of tourists in the novel Tourist Season, written by a reporter from this city, Carl Hiassen, who wrote for its Herald newspaper. For 10 points Don Delillo's Libra shows a conspiracy to kill JFK beginning in the Little Havana neighborhood of what large city in southeastern Florida.
A: Miami
Q: In this city, a weathervane called La Giraldilla may honour a 16th century female governor; that sculpture tops the Castillo de la Real Fuerza which is the oldest part of this city's sea defences. This city's harbour divides into three arms, of which Marimelena is the principal commercial hub, and is protected by the (*) La Cabana fortress. A 5 mile esplanade called La Malecon follows the sea wall to connect this city's harbour to its Vedado neighbourhood, passing under the Almendares River in a tunnel. This city's harbour saw the explosion of the USS Maine as well as the action depicted in Watson and the Shark. For 10 points, name this capital city of Cuba.
A: Havana (or La Habana)
Q: The Lewis River flows through Lewis Canyon in the south of this federal area, and in its north is Obsidian Cliff. Forest fires devastated this protected area in 1988, and in July 2011, Bryan Matayoshi was killed here after telling his wife to run. John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway connects this park with Grand Teton National Park, and an average of over three million people visit it every year. With less than ten minutes as a margin of error, the world's most predictable geological feature is found here. For 10 points, name this first U.S. National Park, created in 1872, located primarily in Wyoming, and home to Old Faithful Geyser.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: This desert is home to a namesake bear, the only bear species endemic to a desert region. The Khongoryn Els are home to this desert's "singing dunes," though sand dunes are rare in its mostly rocky expanse. Though it's arid, snow does fall here, due to this desert's situation on a plateau over 2500 meters high and its northerly latitude. Bordered on the southwest by the Tien Shan mountains, For 10 points what is this desert lying mostly in northern China and Mongolia?
A: Gobi Desert
Q: The Hadhramat is the largest district in this nation, and it contains the southern end of the arid Tihamah. This nation has over two hundred islands including Socotra [soh-KOH-truh]. The Bab-el-Mandeb straight sits near a port town in this nation in which the USS Cole was attacked. Saudi Arabia's Rub-al-Khali stretches south into this nation and its neighboring Oman. Also including the port town of Aden, For 10 points, name this country on the Arabian Peninsula with capital at Sana'a [sah-NAH].
A: Republic of Yemen
Q: Growing exploitation of geothermal energy in this mountain range has led to destruction of the habitat of Bailey's hot-spring snake. A tiny jumping spider found in this mountain range is thought to subsist entirely on flies that are accidentally blown up to its altitude. An unclimbed sacred mountain in this range has a 32-mile trek around its base which is completed either clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on a pilgrim's religion. (*) "Sleeping Beauty" and "Green Boots" are among the nicknames of climbers who have died in this mountain range. Trekkers in this mountain range pass through Lukle and Gorak Shep on their way to a camp just below the Khumbu Icefall. For 10 points, name this mountain range which contains summits such as Mount Kailash and Mount Everest.
A: Himalayas
Q: Anegada is the northernmost island in this archipelago, as well as the only one of non-volcanic origin. The Soggy Dollar Bar is a well known tourist destination on this archipelago's island of Jost Van Dyke, which is about five miles from another member, Tortola. The southernmost island in this archipelago is also the largest and has residents who refer to themselves as Crucians. Split between the US and Great Britain, For 10 points, what is this archipelago which includes St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix [croy].
A: Virgin Islands (accept answer of "British Virgin Islands until "Crucians" is said)
Q: Bernie Elsey introduced "meter maids" to this state, women in gold bikinis who used to top up almost-expired parking tickets. Boigu Island is located at this state's extreme north, off the coast of a peninsula home to the Iron Range, Lakefield and Jardine River national parks. A British explorer's confusion over the date led to a group of islands in this state being named the (*) Whitsunday Islands. Major flooding in this state in 2010 caused severe damage to its Lockyer Valley and the city of Toowoomba. This state is home to the popular tourist destination of Surfers Paradise on its Gold Coast. For 10 points, identify this "Sunshine State" of Australia, with capital at Brisbane.
A: Queensland
Q: A UNESCO world heritage site dedicated to mercury mining is found in Spain and this other country. Pletna boats are only found on a single lake in this country. A bridge in this country's capital contains statues of dragons which supposedly wag their tails if a virgin passes nearby. It's not Denmark, but this country's capital has a Tivoli park. This country's Upper Carniola region will host the World Rowing Championships in 2020 at Lake (*) Bled. This country contains the smallest Adriatic coastline and (at Mount Triglav) the highest point in the Julian Alps. For 10 points, name this European country whose capital is Ljubljana.
A: Republic of Slovenia [do not accept "Yugoslavia"]
Q: The Universal of National Unity resolved a 2006 political crisis in this country. The 2006 NATO Sea Wind exercise prompted protests in this country's only autonomous region. In this country's October 2012 parliamentary elections, the new Udar party was the third party, while the Party of the Regions defeated the Fatherland party to dominate the (*) Verkhovna Rada. That election in this country also involved the loss of all seats by a party of a politician who suffered facial scarring after being poisoned with dixin in 2004. One politician here was convicted of betraying the national interest in dealings with Gazprom; that politician had earlier shared power with Viktor Yushchenko after the Orange Revolution. For 10 points, name this country where Yulia Tymoshenko is jailed and where Viktor Yanukovych holds power.
A: Ukraine [or Ukrayina]
Q: Decin ["DETCH-in"] Castle is a baroque palace converted from a fort that guarded this river. A Renaissance castle dominates the town of Torgau on this river. The island of Wilhelmsburg is bounded by northern and southern branches of this river, and a canal is carried over this river by the Magdeburg Water Bridge. (*) Bruhl's Terrace is an architecturally-rich thoroughfare which overlooks this river, at the mouth of which is situated the port of Cuxhaven. A major city on this river contains the districts of Altona and St. Pauli. For 10 points, name this European river that flows through Dresden and Hamburg on its way to the North Sea.
A: Elbe [or Labe; or Elv; accept Czech Republic or Czechia before "this river"]
Q: This borough was home to the low-power JASON nuclear reactor, possibly the only nuclear reactor to be housed in a 17th Century building. The "onion dome" on one building in this borough was originally made of an iron frame covered in papier-mache. The first steam railway in London ran from London Bridge to this borough. The elite start line for the London (*) Marathon is located in this borough. A railway station in this borough will form the south-eastern terminus of Crossrail, and this borough is linked to the Docklands by the Emirates Air Line cable car. The Cutty Sark is housed in, for 10 points, which London borough whose observatory defines the Prime Meridian?
A: Greenwich
Q: This figure's birth was heralded by a swallow, and took place on the slopes of a volcano. One name used for this figure translates as 'Guiding Sun Ray'. On the death of this figure, one account wrote that ice on Heaven Lake cracked "so loud, it seemed to shake the heavens and the Earth."This figure was mourned by a crane, which circled an image of this figure three times upon his death. When this figure's son visited the place of his birth, he brought sunshine to prevent a blizzard on Mt (*) Paektu. This figure only once played golf, yet managed to hit eleven holes-in-one in a single round. For 10 points name this religious figure and national leader, the 'Bright Son of Juche' and second Supreme Leader of North Korea.
A: Kim Jong-Il [accept Gwangmyeong Seong, prompt on 'Kim']
Q: This word names the expedition taken in 1872 by Charles Wyville Thomson that was the first devoted completely to oceanography. Film director James Cameron used a submersible named for this word in 2012 to make a record-breaking solo dive. The teacher Christa McAuliffe died in a vehicle named for this word as a result of a faulty O-ring seal. For 10 points, identify this word that names the deepest point of the Marianas Trench and the Space Shuttle that exploded in 1986.
A: Challenger
Q: Chizumulu and Likoma are the only two inhabited islands in this lake. Languages spoken by inhabitants of this lake's shores include Chewa and Tonga. One of its main ports is Nkhata Bay, and the Lilongwe River flows into this river after passing through a national capital. The main outflow of this lake is through the Shire River, which connects it to Lake Malombe and flows through Mozambique into the Zambezi River. Also known as Lake Nyasa, this lake is the second deepest in Africa after Lake Tanganyika. For 10 points, name this lake with a namesake southern African country.
A: Lake Malawi
Q: The Monteregian Hills are remnants of magma intrusions in this province, and the Ungava Bay lies to its north. It contains the subdivisions Kutivik and Nunivik, with its highest point being Mount Caubvick in the Torngat Mountains. Its largest city lies on the Hochelaga Archipelago. This region contains the Chic-Choc ("shik shock") Mountains in its Gaspe Peninsula, located north of Chaleur Bay. Its longest river drains into the largest estuary in the world, that of the St. Lawrence River, and it is bordered by Newfoundland to the east and Ontario to the west. For 10 points, identify this province of Canada containing cities such as Montreal.
A: Quebec
Q: The Pay-Khoy Ridge forms a northern extension of this mountain range, through which the Pechora river flows. This range is continued in the south by the Mugodzhar Hills, and its central Ore section contains Mount Yamantaw. Its northern terminus is at Novaya Zemlya. Passing through Perm and Yekaterinburg, its highest peak is Mount Narodnaya. It is drained by its namesake river into the Caspian Sea, as well as by the Ob and the Kama, a tributary of the Volga. For 10 points, name this Russian mountain dividing Europe and Asia.
A: Ural Mountains
Q: This body of water's namesake submarine fan is the largest in the world. Fort St. George is located in the Coromandel Coast along this body of water. An island east of this body of water contains the city of Port Blair. The world's longest beach is located along this body of water in Cox's Bazar, as are the (*) Sundarbans. The world's last "Stone Age" people live on the Sentinelese Islands, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the eastern boundary of this body of water, and Chennai is located on its shores. The Ganges River flows into, for 10 points, what large northeastern bay of the Indian Ocean?
A: Bay of Bengal [prompt on Indian Ocean until mention; do not accept "Andaman Sea"]
Q: This country's northwest is home to a coastline named after the beached whalebones and wrecked ships found there, the Skeleton Coast. Uranium mining in this nation's namesake desert has raised environmental concerns in its region of Sossusvlei. A small portion of this country currently disputes fishing rights in the Zambezi River. This nation, which contains the Caprivi Strip, was at the center of the 1904 Herero Genocide. For 10 points, name this nation with a seaport at Walvis Bay and a capital at Windhoek.
A: Namibia
Q: This nation's largest island is Banggi island, and its Trus Madi Range contains Mount Trus Madi, this nation's second highest peak. The capital of this nation is at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang Rivers, while this nation's highest point is Low's Peak at Mount Kinabalu. Its states include Sabah and Sarawak, both located on an island it shares with Brunei. The Strait of Malacca separates it from India. For 10 points, name this country with capital Kuala Lumpur.
A: Malaysia
Q: The General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge spans this lake, and this lake's second largest port is Cabimas. This lake's basin usurped a notable distinction from the town of Kifuka in the Congo. The Segovia Highlands are located to the east of this lake. Captain Pedro Maldonado founded this lake's namesake city, which now serves as the capital of Zulia state. The Paraguana and (*) Guajira Peninsulas both lie directly North of this lake. The Catatumbo River, which flows into this lake, is the namesake of a type of lightning that makes this lake's basin the most lightning-struck on Earth. Most of the oil extracted by the state-owned PDVSA is found in the basin of, for 10 points, name this large brackish body of water in Venezuela.
A: Lake Maracaibo
Q: The Weald-Artois Anticline was formed during this region's namesake orogeny. It contains the limestone-rich greywacke zone. One subrange is drained by the Tanaro river into the Ligurian sea. Containing a pyramid-shaped peak with famously steep faces, one pass through this mountain range is the St. Bernard Pass. It contains the Monte Rosa, Weisshorn, and Matterhorn, as well as its highest peak, Mount Blanc. For 10 points, name this mountain range stretching through France, Italy, and Switzerland.
A: the Alps or Alpine mountains
Q: In this country the copper mine of Mhangura has been mined near depletion, as have the mines in Munyati. The Umvukwe Range lies in the northern part of this country, while this country's major languages are English, Shona, and Ndebele. Lake Kariba makes up part of the northern border of this country. The Shashe and Limpopo Rivers make up the southern border of this country, while the peak of Mount Nyangani lies on the border between this country and Mozambique. For 10 points, name this country with capital Harare.
A: Zimbabwe
Q: Ushant and the Isles of Scilly mark the western entrance of this body of water. The Bay of Saint-Malo and Lyme Bay lie at the ends of its widest point. The Balliwicks of Guernsey and Jersey lie within it, as does the Isle of Wight. Folkestone and Coquelles are linked by an underground tunnel under it. Brittany lies between this body of water and the Bay of Biscay. Connecting the Atlantic Sea and the North Sea, Calais lies near its narrowest point, the Strait of Dover. For 10 points, name this body of water separating France and Britain.
A: English Channel or La Manche
Q: This region's highest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere, lies to the east of an area notable for its volcanic features, the Atherton Tablelands. This state's Cape Tribulation is along the Daintree River, which is infested with saltwater crocodiles. This state's northernmost point is Bramble Cay, one of the islands in the Torres Strait, which separates Cape York Peninsula from New Guinea, and it also contains much of the Great Dividing Range. Its eastern coast lies on the Gulf of Carpentaria, and runs parallel to the Great Barrier Reef. For 10 points, name this second-largest Australian state, with capital at Brisbane, named in honor of Victoria.
A: Queensland, Australia
Q: This country's oasis city of Chinguetti is one of UNESCO's most endangered world heritage sites. It's not Ghana, but one national park in this country is centered around an island that was colonized by the Duchy of Brandenburg in the 17th century. That migratory bird hotspot is Banc d'Arguin. This country's national anthem was written by its national poet, Baba Ould Cheikh, and this country added two red bands to its flag in 2018. This country's ruling (*) Zeydane caste is also known as its "white" moors. This country's Haratin people could be enslaved by the Zeydanes without facing legal repercussions until 2007. For 10 points, name this West African country with its capital at Nouakchott.
A: Mauritania
Q: Mount Hokata is the tallest of the Hida Mountains on this island. The Sanyo Main Line runs along this island's long coastline with the Seto Sea. This island is connected to Awaji Island by the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which runs to the city of Kobe, located in its Kansai region. The northernmost part of this island is the Tohoku Region, which contains Fukushima Prefecture, and Chiba and Yokohama are located in this island's most populous area of Kanto. For 10 points, name this largest and most populous island of Japan, containing Osaka and Tokyo.
A: Honshu
Q: This river with a tributary called Hooghly is dammed at Farakka. With two types of alluvium, bhangar and khadar, its namesake Upper Canal diverts water at the Haridwar dam from its glacial source in the Himalayas. This river's delta region contains a halophytic mangrove forest, the Sundarbans. Heavily polluted from industrial waste and religious practices, it flows through Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal from a wide delta after merging with the Brahmaputra River. For 10 points, name this holy river in India.
A: Ganges River
Q: In this country, the Kamares Aqueduct brings water to the city of Larnaca, a modern transportation hub that lies near the archaeological sites of Kition. The British-occupied area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in this country lies just west of the port city of Limassol. Much of this country's fertile land lies in the Mesaoria, a plain between the Troodos Mountains and the Kyrenia Range. Deriving its name from the Latin word for "copper," this country is divided by a Green Line. For 10 points, name this island country whose capital is Nicosia.
A: Cyprus
Q: The southern part of this state is partly drained by the Republican River. Kimball and Gering are two cities in the western portion of this state, a river in which flows through the Sand Hills before crossing the area where Chimney Rock rises. Scottsbluff is the most populous city in this state's panhandle. Its largest city is the seat of Douglas County and is home to the College World Series. The Platte River was once named after this state. For 10 points, name this American state lodged between Kansas and South Dakota, with cities like Lincoln and Omaha.
A: Nebraska
Q: The October 6 Bridge spans this river, whose basin includes the Rurubu and Kagera Rivers. It takes a sharp turn near Qena after flowing to Armant. The Angereb River is one of its sources. One of its tributaries crosses through the Sudd wetlands. This river has six cataracts and two colorfully-named tributaries, "white" and "blue," and flows northward. Its yearly inundations stopped with the 1970 completion of the Aswan High Dam. Originating in Lake Victoria, it is the longest in the world. For 10 points, name this river that flows through Sudan and Egypt.
A: Nile River
Q: This ingredient is the defining feature of a Horse's Neck cocktail. The candy "succade" is made from this ingredient, which is dried to form the traditional Chinese seasoning and medicine chenpi[chuhn-pee]. A tool for extracting this ingredient is shaped sort of like a fork with a row of circular holes where the tines should be. This ingredient is chopped up with garlic and parsley to make a gremolata. When harvesting this ingredient using a (*) microplane, you have to be careful to avoid the pith. Either this ingredient or an olive is added to a dry martini. Cocktails are often garnished with a "twist" of this ingredient. Unlike most other preserves, marmalade must include this part of the fruit. For 10 points, name this outer part of a citrus fruit.
A: citrus peel [or citrus zest; accept rind or skin; accept more specific answers like orange peel; prompt on oranges, lemons, or other kinds of citrus by asking "What part of the fruit?"]
Q: This region lies east of a region known as the Ten Thousand Islands and its northern border is often defined by the Tamiami Trail. The national park named for this region extends into Broward and Dade counties and lies south of Big Cypress Nation Preserve, and is also responsible for supplying the Biscayne aquifer with water. The majority of this region lies south of the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers although technically this system begins as far north at the Kissimee River near Orlando. For 10 points, name this series of wetlands found in the southern portion of Florida.
A: Florida Everglades
Q: This region's Alashan region contains the Ejin River and the Ordos Desert. Its Shanashen Trahen Osh mountain range encloses the Yulduz Valley, lying between the Chol-tagh and Kuruk-tagh mountains. This region contains the Greater Khingan Range, and its Nemegt Basin is a source of early mammal bones and dinosaur eggs. Animals native to this region include the Bactrian Camel, and one city in this region is Ulan Bator. For 10 points, name this desert that contains parts of northern China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi desert [prompt on Mongolia]
Q: Over 90% of its volume lacks oxygen, because the upper and lower layers do not intermix, making it the largest meromictic basin in the world. It is divided into two sub-basins, the northern one with a large shelf of over 190 kilometers wide. The southern shelf is narrow and borders upon the cities of Samsun and Sinop, to the west emptying through the Sea of (*) Marmara. It is separated from the Sea of Azov by the Cimmerian Bosporus, and northern cities include Odessa and Rostov. For 10 points, name this inland sea separating Asia from Europe.
A: Black Sea
Q: A Chinese embassy is located on this city's Sparrow Hills. It contains several ring roads, the innermost of which is the Boulevard Ring around the White Town. This city's International Business Center contains the Imperia Tower and the City of Capitals, and lies on its namesake river. This city is home to a skewed obelisk with a rocket on top, the Monument to the Conquerors of Space, and is the largest city in continental Europe. Home to the Seven Sisters, a group of skyscrapers built in the Stalinist style, this city's most famous structures are St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin. For 10 points, name this capital of Russia.
A: Moscow or Moskva
Q: Gerald and Tracy Parks were among the survivors following an event involving this organization that took place at Port Kaituma. Tim Carter was entrusted by it to transfer its funds to the Soviet government. Deborah Layton wrote Seductive Prison as an account of her time in this organization that originated in Indianapolis. Timothy Stoen initially played an important role in this organization that was investigated by Congressman (*) Leo Ryan, resulting in Ryan's murder. Following that murder, members performed a "revolutionary suicide" in its community in Guyana by drinking a cyanide-laced Kool-aid drink. For 10 points, name this organization responsible for the deaths of 918 people in a mass suicide.
A: The Peoples' Temple [or Jonestown]
Q: Lac Alaotra is the largest body of water in this nation known for its prominent red lateritic soils. The Canal des Pangalanes is a series of dams on its coast. The distinctive trees in the Menabe region compose this nation's first national monument, the Avenue of the Baobabs. Trade winds arrive in this region because of anitcyclones off the coast of India, and this nation's forests contain rare endangered species such as the Golden-crowned sifaka and the Aye-aye. Separated from continental Africa by the Mozambique Channel, for 10 points, name this island country notable for its lemurs, with capital at Antananarivo.
A: Madagascar
Q: Along the southern coast of this state is a region of scrublands known as the Esperance Plains. This state, which is the world's second-largest country subdivision after Russia's Sakha Republic, is home to the protected dugong habitats of Shark Bay and the gold rush town of Kalgoorlie. Its first substantial settlements were located on the Swan River, which flows into the Indian Ocean. The Gibson Desert and most of the Great Sandy Desert are part of, for 10 points, what largest Australian state by area that is home to the city of Perth?
A: Western Australia
Q: Early inhabitants of this island include the Saqqaq culture. The United States occupied this island to prevent a German occupation during World War II and later based one node of its Ballistic Missile Early Warning System on this island home to Thule Air Base. Operation Chrome Dome was ended after a US B-52 carrying nuclear weapons crashed here in 1968. Known as Kalaalit Nunaat in one official languages, this island has its capital at Nuuk, which was formerly known as Godthab in Danish. For 10 points, name the largest island in the world.
A: Greenland [accept Kalaalit Nunaat before it is mentioned]
Q: The Ugab river flows for several days a year through this country's Damaraland region. It contains Fish River Canyon, the largest in Africa. The fifth-largest exporter of uranium, its fishing industry is based in the Kuiseb River delta, in Walvis Bay. Disputes with its eastern neighbor have centered around the Okavango River, which flows through the Caprivi strip, disputed with Botswana. Its southern border, defined by the Orange river, is shared with South Africa. For 10 points, name this African country containing a namesake desert, with capital Windhoek.
A: Republic of Namibia [prompt on South-West Africa]
Q: This region contains the Shaksgam River, a tributary of the Yarkand River, which is used to approach the north ridge of K2. This region contains the Trans-Karakoram tract and one part of it is called "Jammu and" this region. This region's largest city is Srinigar, and it is the origin of the Jhelum River, which after joining the Chenab flows through Punjab and into the Indus River. One country notably censors documents that show the actual Line of Control in this region, which was disputed in three wars. For 10 points, name this region that is disputed between Pakistan and India, known for a certain fine textile.
A: Kashmir
Q: Invasive species of the Brown tree frog highly populate the South Bruny National Park on this island. The largest river on this island supports the only city in the world run solely on hydroelectricity, Launceston. A body of water to the north of this island contains Cape Barren Island. This island's largest city is overlooked by Mount Wellington. The Bass Strait separates the mainland from this island, which is southwest of New Zealand and has its capital at Hobart. For 10 points, name this island to the south of Australia, home to a namesake devil.
A: Tasmania
Q: A musician from this state pioneered Aboriginal rock with his band the Kuckles and Aboriginal musical theater with the show Bran Nue Dae. A microstate in this home state of Jimmy Chi "seceded" over grain quotas in 1970 and is now ruled by "Prince Graeme I" of "Hutt River Principality." Breaks in the McLarty Ranges in this state result in so-called "Horizontal Waterfalls" near Broome. Several of this state's endemic karri treeslike the Gloucester Tree surpass 50 meters in height. (*) This state is bisected by a "Rabbit-Proof Fence," and a wind called "the Fremantle Doctor" cools its capital. This state contains the Sugar Pit near Kalgoorlie, whose citizens periodically attempt to secede to form "Auralia" and prospered after an 1893 gold rush. This state's capital sits on a river named for the original "black swans." For 10 points, name this state, whose capital is Perth.
A: Western Australia [accept WA; but do not accept or prompt on "West Australia"]
Q: This region's Navarino Island is home to artifacts of the Yaghan culture. Another native group, the Selknam, was moved to this region's Dawson Island. The major island in this archipelago has its highest point at Mount Darwin, and is bounded to the south by the Beagle Channel. Towns here include Porvenir and Puerto Williams, as well as its largest city Ushuaia. Separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan, it lies at the bottom of Patagonia and is home to some of the southernmost settlements in the world. For 10 points, name this archipelago off the southern tip of South America.
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: In 1995, this land mass was struck by an earthquake that destroyed the town of Neftegorsk. Its highest point is Mount Lopatin, and it is separated from the mainland by the Tatar Strait. In 1875 the country that controls it today traded it for a nearby archipelago and ran a penal colony on it before losing its southern half thirty years later. During that time, the island was known as Karafuto, and was handed over according to the Treaty of (*) Portsmouth. Cities on it include Alexandrovsk and Yuzhno, which is the capital of the province formed by this namesake island and the nearby archipelago, part of which is still claimed by Japan, the Kuril Islands. The Sea of Okhotsk lies east of, For 10 points, what island, the largest in Russia?
A: Ostrov Sakhalin (accept Karafuto before mentioned)
Q: In this mountain range, the notoriously dangerous Gasherbrum crevasses are prominent on the Broad Peak. Another part of this range is home to the "Polish Line," which is home to some of the world's most dangerous landslides. One expedition in this range was almost abandoned due to the lack of oxygen at the Pumori Glacier. In this mountain range, sherpas like Tenzing Norgay assist climbers. It runs through the nations of China, India, and Nepal. For 10 points, name this mountain range that contains K2 and Mount Everest.
A: Himalayas Range [accept word forms]
Q: This country is the southernmost African landing point of the AAE-1 and SEA-ME-WE series of submarine Internet backbone cables. This country's endemic namesake francolin is critically endangered due to tree loss in its only two habitats, the Mabla Mountains and Forest of the Day National Park in the Goda Mountains. Dangerous currents at its mouth earned an inlet in this country the name "Gulf of Demons" or Ghoubbet al-Kharab. This country is home to (*) Camp Lemmonier, America's primary permanent military base in Africa, and it contains the incredibly saline Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa. The Bin Laden family is heavily involved in plans to build a "Bridge of the Horns" with its African endpoint in this country. For 10 points, name this country, formerly the "French Territory of the Afars and the Issas," which forms the Western shores of the Bab al-Mandeb.
A: The Republic of Djibouti
Q: People from this place follow the Fa'amatai system. This place appears in the title of a work subtitled "The Making and Unmaking of an Anthropological Myth," which Derek Freeman wrote to discredit earlier research done here. One book about this place was written based on field work done on the island of Ta'u and posited that casual sex with multiple partners before marriage led to an easier transition into adulthood for young girls in this location. For 10 points, name this Polynesian archipelago, in which "Coming of Age" was the topic of a Margaret Mead tome.
A: Samoa [or Samoan Islands; or Western Samoa; or American Samoa]
Q: One city in this state is home to the Marsha Sharp Freeway, which at the Avenue L exit presents the controversial piece of public art known as "The Windy Man" sculpture. Another city in this state has numerous quirky art projects funded by Stanley Marsh III, including "Dynamite Museum," a series of hundreds of parody road signs; a Robert Smithson (*) ramp named for that city; and a circle of half-buried cars. Another large public art project in this state is the Caelum Moor, a five-acre landscape in the Richard Greene Linear Park, which sits next to a 100,000 seat stadium that has the fourth-largest video screen in the world. The Cadillac Ranch and Cowboys Stadium are human geographical features of, for 10 points, this state that has the cities of Lubbock, Amarillo and Dallas?
A: Texas
Q: William Faulkner resided in a house on Pirate Alley in this neighborhood while writing his first book. This neighborhood is directly across the river from Algiers Point. The Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium lies on Canal Street, which bounds this neighborhood to the southwest. This neighborhood is home to the Central Grocery which was the origin of the (*) muffaletta sandwich. Jackson Square is central to this neighborhood, whose historic eateries include Antonine's and Cafe Beignet ("ben-yay"). Nightly performances still occur in this neighborhood's Preservation Hall, one of the birthplaces of jazz. For 10 points, name this New Orleans neighborhood home to many sleazy bars and five stars hotels on Bourbon Street.
A: The French Quarter [accept Vieux Carre]
Q: Just north of this mountain's Great Gorge lies the Don Sheldon Amphitheatre, which is located at the top of the Ruth Glacier and near the Broken Tooth. Perhaps because helicopter rescues are viable, an unusually large percentage of South Korean climbers have had to be rescued from Cassin Ridge and its West (*) Buttress Route. The nearby landmarks of Browne Tower, Mount Silverthrone, Mount Huntington, and Mount Foraker can be seen in airplane tours based out the nearby town of Talkeetna. The first man to summit it was Walter Harper, in an expedition led by Harry Karstens and Hudson Stuck. Its alternate name means "The High One" in Athabascan. For 10 points, name this centerpiece of Denali National Park, the highest mountain in North America.
A: Mount McKinley [or Denali before it is read]
Q: The first brewery in the United States founded by a female is found in this state's town of New Glarus, which still retains many elements of its Swiss heritage. The "Ruby Slipper" was invented by a farmer in this state for its cranberry industry, the largest in the United States. A cooking method known as "fish boiling" is prevalent on this state's eastern Door Peninsula. Pabst and Miller were both founded in this state's largest city. A clerk for a meat-packing company, Curly Lambeau, names a football stadium in this state. For 10 points, name this state known for its heavy production of cheese.
A: Wisconsin
Q: One of only two North American continental hotspots is located in this state at the Valles Caldera, and that volcanic complex is responsible for the surrounding Jemez Mountains. The Truchas Peaks are the second-highest mountains in this state, and they are the source of the Pecos River. A prominent volcanic intrusion that is a legendary mountain climbing challenge is located in the northwest of this state; that feature is (*) Shiprock. Abiquiu ("Ah-B-Q") in the north of this state is the site of the Ghost Ranch, where Georgia O'Keeffe lived for the last 50 years of her life, and this state includes nineteen of the twenty-one surviving Native American pueblos. For 10 points, name this state which is home to Los Alamos.
A: New Mexico
Q: This city is home to the Maracana Stadium, and its Pedra da Gavea monolith and Corcovado mountain are contained in the world's largest urban forest, the Tijuca. Babilonia, Complexo do Alemao ("com-PLE-shu du a-le-MAN"), and Cidade de Deus are among this city's favelas. This city lies across from Niteroi and Sao Goncalo ("san gon-SA-lu"), and its Guanabara Bay is dominated by Sugarloaf Mountain. This so-called "Marvelous City" has some renowned beaches include Ipanema and Copacabana, and it is set to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. For 10 points, name this Brazilian city, whose bay is dominated by a statue of Christ the Redeemer.
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: A fossil with fermented grapes in its stomach of an early genus of these animals was found in the Messel Oil Shales. Darwin was astonished to discover a tooth from this extant animal group along with fossils of Toxodon, noting that Pliocene conditions must have been very different to cause their local extinction. George Gaylord Simpson drew them in a branching evolutionary tree, in contrast to their erroneous (*) anagenetic portrayal. Gould argued that passive diffusion could explain their trend toward increased body size; he also described their inaccurate textbook portrayal in "The Case of the Creeping Fox Terrier Clone," which deals with the genus Eohippus. For 10 points, name these perissodactyls, whose extant species are all members of the genus Equus.
A: horses [accept equids or equines or word forms; accept hippomorphs or word forms; antiprompt on zebras, donkeys, asses, onagers or other specific equines; prompt on less specific taxonomic answers such as perissodactyls; prompt on ungulates or hoofed mammals]
Q: This region contains the Plateau of the Tamarugal and the Loa River. This region's Cerro Armazones mountain contains the planned Extremely Large Telescope, while its Paranal observatory contains the Very Large Telescope. Tarapaca in this region contains many abandoned saltpeter mines. The region of (*) Antofagasta in this desert has not received rain for years at a time, and this desert's extreme aridness is due largely to rain shadows from a coastal range on the Pacific and from the Andes. For 10 points, what Chilean desert is the driest non-polar place in the world?
A: Atacama Desert [prompt on Antofagasta Region before mentioned, prompt on Norte Grande, prompt on Norte Chico, prompt on answers like "northern Chile"]
Q: The Great Copper Mountain is located in Falun in this country's historical province of Dalarna. Its largest city lies on Lake Malaren, and this country contains the third-largest lake in Europe, Lake Vanern. This country shares with its eastern neighbor a northern region called Lappland. The Oresund strait separates this country's southern province of Scania, which contains the city of Malmo ("mall-muh"), from the island of Zealand. This country lies across the Gulf of Bothnia from Finland, west of the Baltic Sea, and east of Denmark. For 10 points, name this country home to cities like Gothenburg and Stockholm.
A: Kingdom of Sweden [accept Konungariket Sverige]
Q: This state's Vermilion Bay contains Marsh Island and Avery Island, formerly the main site of tabasco pepper production. Morgan City lies in this state's Atchafalaya Basin, and this state's eastern boundary is defined by the Pearl River. The Tchefuncte River here flows into a lake that is connected by the Rigolets Strait to a larger body of water. That lake is Lake Pontchartrain, which opens to the Gulf of Mexico. Instead of counties, this state is divided into parishes, and it contains the largest swamp in the U.S. along with many bayous. For 10 points, name this state with capital at Baton Rouge, home to New Orleans.
A: Louisiana
Q: The Barlow Road was built to circumvent this range's Lolo Pass. The Klamath River flows to sea through this range, which once contained Mount Mazama. The Fraser River forms the northern border of this range, and the Skagit River basin contains its Glacier Peak and Mount Baker. The southernmost part of this range is the isolated Mount Shasta. This range also contains the Columbia River Gorge, and Wizard Island lies in the deepest lake in the United States, Crater Lake, in this range. For 10 points, name this mountain range that contains Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, located in the Pacific Northwest.
A: Cascade Range
Q: Frederick Wiseman made a 2011 documentary focusing on a nude dancing establishment in this city. It's not Los Angeles, but the David Lynch-designed nightclub Silencio is located in this city. The Bluebells Girls perform at a venue in this city, also home to the Crazy Horse Saloon. This city's Lido Theater was a frequent site of performances by Edith (*) Piaf. Django Reinhardt pioneered gypsy jazz while working in this city. A red windmill adorns the roof of a club in this city, where performing prostitutes invented a dance meant to show their legs off to the audience, the can-can. For 10 points, name this European capital, the site of many famed cabarets like the Folies Bergere and the Moulin Rouge.
A: Paris, France
Q: An insurance company's slogan "we shield millions" provided the name of a radio station based in this city. One of that station's presenters, George Hay, coined the name of a building in this city. One celebrity from this city ran for governor as a Republican after being insulted by Gov. Prentice Cooper, thus perturbing a rival city's Democratic boss, E. H. Crump. That man also co-founded a publishing company in this city with Fred Rose. After the (*) Southern Baptist Convention established an executive council, it relocated to this city. This city's nickname "the Athens of the South" led it to build a full-scale replica of the Parthenon. Musician Roy Acuff and comedian Minnie Pearl popularized a type of music associated with this city. For 10 points, name this city from which the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts, closely associated with country music.
A: Nashville, Tennessee
Q: In this country, women apply yellow facial cream called m'sidazanou in order to block out the sun. One can find the Humblot's Flycatcher only in this country. President Said Mohammad of this country was overthrown in a 1995 coup by Mohamed Taki. The French mercenary Bob Denard extracted the natural resources of this country when its first president Ahmed (*) Abdallah came to power. In April 2005, this archipelago's volcano of Karthala violently erupted. One island of this country came to be known as the "pearl of the Indian Ocean." Much of the world's supply of ylang-ylang and palmarosa can be extracted from its island of Anjouan. Other islands in this country include Mayotte and Moheli. For 10 points, name this group of African islands between Mozambique and Madagascar.
A: Union of the Comoros
Q: This island's tourist resort of Varosha has been abandoned since the 1970s. Othello's Castle and the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque are notable landmarks in this island's city of Famagusta. The Mesoria plain on this island lies between the Troodos and Kyrenia Mountains. The Annan plan was a proposal to ease tensions on this island that have been present since a 1974 (*) invasion by a country to its north. This island is home to the British overseas territories of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. This island is divided by a UN buffer zone called the Green Line, which separates it into Greek and Turkish portions. For 10 points, name this large Mediterranean island government from Nicosia.
A: Cyprus
Q: Clay County in this state is home to the city of Vermillion and this state's flagship university. One geologic attraction here is the Thunder Butte, which can be seen in all directions of it for miles. Lake Oahe and Lake Sharpe were both created from damming the Missouri River in this state. It is home to a three-dimensional maze cave, and the densest cave system in the world is found in this state's (*) Wind Cave National Park. This state's city of Mitchell is home to the Corn Palace, and its city of Aberdeen was first inhabited by Sioux Indians. This state's most notable landmark is found near the city of Keystone, was sculpted by Gutzon Borglum, and is found in the Black Hills region. For 10 points, name this U.S. state, home to Mt. Rushmore.
A: South Dakota
Q: Two salt deserts lie in an eastern plateau in this nation, which contains Lake Urima, the third largest salt lake in the world. Its western boundaries terminate at the Shatt-al-arab. The Khuzestan plain forms a lowland portion here, while its major mountain ranges include the Zagros and Albroz. This nation's highest point is Mount Damavand, and the littorals of the Gulf of Oman form a large portion of its southern coast. It borders Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to the north, as well as the Caspian Sea. For 10 points, name this western neighbor of Afghanistan and Pakistan with capital at Tehran.
A: Iran
Q: It's not in Arizona, but this national park's namesake "Grand Canyon" was first mapped by the Cook-Folsom-Peterson Expedition. The Artist Paintpots located in this national park is a colorful hydrothermal spring located south of the Norris (*) Geyser Basin. Visitors to this national park usually fly into Bozeman. An attraction in this national park erupts predictably in intervals between one and two hours. For 10 points, name this Wyoming national park which is home to Old Faithful.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: A bird-shaped chandelier hangs from the ceiling of a theater in this city whose facade is decorated with statues of puppets. This city boasts the world's largest enclosed Ferris wheel, which is part of its Alem Cultural and Entertainment Center. Weekly, denizens of this city climb up and down the Serdar Health Path, an eight-kilometer stretch of stairs built into the hills of the nearby Kopet Dag range. Like Baku, this city features a wedding venue called the "Palace of Happiness," which in this city is topped by a disco ball globe encased in a frame of eight-pointed stars. A "Monument to Neutrality" in this "city of white marble" features a golden statue of a former president that no longer rotates to face the sun. At 8:00 PM every day in this city, a giant mechanical book opens and recites passages from the Rukhnama. For 10 points, name this Pyongyang-esque futuristic capital of Turkmenistan.
A: Ashgabat [or Ashkhabad; or Poltoratsk]
Q: This country's Fly River was affected by a large influx of mining waste from the Ok Tedi Mine near its west-ern border. The nut tree Canarium indicum was domesticated by this country's highland farmers, who were fa-mously studied by Jared Diamond. An English-derived creole known as Tok Pisin is the most widely spoken of over eight hundred languages spoken by this country's residents. Some of this country's residents have es-caped to the Torres Strait Islands, which are owned by a country to its south. This country shares an island with a province formerly known as Irian Jaya. For 10 points, name this Oceanic country whose capital, Port Moresby, was used in World War II as a base to protect nearby Australia.
A: Papua New Guinea [or Independent State of Papua New Guinea]
Q: The collision of two Standard Oil tankers in this body of water inspired "planetwalker" John Francis to stop using motor vehicles. After World War II, shipyards on this body of water gave way to the houseboat communities of Sausalito. Landmarks on this body of water include Fisherman's Wharf and the sea lion-dominated Pier 39. The San Joaquin River flows into this body of water, which is frequently obscured by fog in summertime. Asian immigrants were processed at this body of water's Angel Island. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged cities on its shores, including Oakland. For 10 points, name this body of water home to Alcatraz Island, whose outflow is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco Bay
Q: The Sheep Hole Mountains are located near this state's city of Twentynine Palms. The north of this state contains the Siskiyou Wilderness in its Klamath National Forest. The overflow of an irrigation canal in this state's Imperial Valley resulted in the creation of the (*) Salton Sea. It's not New Hampshire, but this state's White Mountains contain the world's oldest non-clonal tree, Methuselah, and it contains Joshua Tree National Park. Alex Honnold was the first person to "free solo" this state's El Capitan, and its Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America. For 10 points, name this state home to the Mojave Desert, Yosemite, and Death Valley.
A: California
Q: In the early 20th century, a black community settled at Amber Valley in this province to escape segregation in Oklahoma. A strictly enforced Rat Control Zone on this province's borders made it one of the only areas in the world completely free of rats. This province's Head-Smashed-In and Wood Buffalo Parks were historically important to the bison hunted by its (*) Blackfoot people. The Elbow and Bow Rivers flooded this province's largest city in 2013. That flood was this province's most costly natural disaster until a 2016 wildfire destroyed much of Fort McMurray. Northern Gateway and Keystone XL are pipeline projects intended to export bitumen from tar sands in this province. For 10 points, name this Canadian province containing 5 National Parks, including Jasper and Banff.
A: Alberta
Q: One of these places in Belem, Brazil is named for a corrupted Portuguese phrase meaning "check the weight," Ver-o-peso. Bangkok contains two unique instances of these places, one centered along the Mae Klong Railway track and another in Damnoen Saduak which is entirely on water. It's not an inn or mosque, but Shah Jahan's daughter Jahanara Begum designed one of these places in an Old Delhi square now known as Chandni Chowk. The Nahua word tianguis refers to these places, such as one that occupies much of Mexico City's La (*) Merced neighborhood. Workers toss fish to each other at one of these places called Pike Place in Seattle. Two bedestens built in the 1400s are the core of a "grand" instance of these locations in Istanbul. For 10 points, name these places comprising individual stalls where vendors like farmers sell merchandise.
A: markets [or marketplaces; or bazaars; or mercados; or souks; or suqs; or farmers' markets; or floating markets; or fish markets; or flea markets; accept supermarkets]
Q: This country's giant Turtle Rock formation is located in its Terelj National Park. This country's "Three Manly Games" are played at the Naadam festival and include a form of wrestling called Bokh, which explains why this country's athletes are dominant at sumo wrestling. This country's town of Moron is the capital of one of its 21 subdivisions called (*) aimags. This country's west is home to its highest mountain, Khuiten Peak, which is in its Altai Range. This country is the least densely populated in the world, and this country and China share the Gobi Desert. For 10 points, name this landlocked country with capital Ulaanbaatar.
A: Mongolia [accept Mongol Uls]
Q: It is not Peru or Costa Rica, but this country's city of Punta Arenas became a penal colony after the Mutiny of Cambiazo. Today, this nation is a popular destination for tourists visiting Torres del Paine National Park. Alexander Selkirk was mutinied on this country's Juan Fernandez Islands, and the Polanco Lift serves this country's second largest city of (*) Valparaiso. In 1960, President Jorge Alessandri led relief efforts when this country was hit by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. For 10 points, name this country on the Pacific coast of South America with capital at Santiago.
A: Chile
Q: A massive shale oil formation in this country's Neuquen ("new-KEN")Basin is named for a dead cow. This country contains the Laguna del Carbon, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. This country's city of Mendoza is the center of its wine producing region of Cuyo. This country lays claim to, but does not control, the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, which are administered by a European nation. This member of the (*) Southern Cone contains the highest mountain in the western hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua. The Strait of Magellan separates the mainland of this country from a southern archipelago it shares with its western neighbor. For 10 points, name this country that shares a 3200 mile border and Tierra del Fuego with its western neighbor Chile.
A: Argentina
Q: The Escopeteros were a group of scouts who aided on side in this conflict. The Battle of Yaguajay led to the capture of the city of Santa Clara during this conflict. Many of the core members involved in this conflict were transported on the Granma yacht, and were members of the (*) 26th of July Movement. The Sierra Maestra mountain range was the site of many battles during this conflict. It resulted in the overthrow of the leader of the Sergeants' Revolt, Fulgencio Batista. For 10 points, name this conflict led by Che Guevara and the brothers Raul and Fidel Castro that took over an island about 100 miles from Florida.
A: Cuban Revolution (or Fidel Castro's Revolution)
Q: Philip Goldson helped to found both of this country's major political parties and names an airport in this country's former capital. That city, which shares a name with this country, lost its status as capital after Hurricane Hattie damaged it in 1961. The Maya Mountains are shared by this country and (*) Guatemala, which did not recognize this country until 1991 because of claims to what was once British territory. This country changed to its current name in 1973 after being known as British Honduras. For 10 points, name this only English speaking country in Central America, with capital at Belmopan.
A: Belize [accept British Honduras until "shares a name with this country"]
Q: This mountain range contains a city overlooked by the Narikala Fortress. The Aras and Kura rivers flow through this mountain range. The so-called Mountain Jews get their name from being from regions that this mountain range runs through, such as Dagestan. This range contains large cities like Grozny and (*) Tbilisi. This mountain range's highest peak is also Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus. For 10 points, name this range that runs through Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia that is located on the border between Asia and Europe.
A: Caucasus Mountains
Q: A club called the "Forty-Sixers" includes people who have climbed all forty-six of this range's mountains over 4000 feet, its namesake "High Peaks." Ebenezer Emmons named this range, which contains the Raquette River in its far northern terminus. The Finger Lakes lie at the southwestern end of this range, which includes Mount Haystack and Algonquin Peak. Lake Tear-of-the- (*) Clouds lies between Mount Skylight and Mount Marcy in this range, which is the source of the Hudson River. For 10 points, name this extension of the Appalachian Mountains located in the state of New York.
A: Adirondack Mountains
Q: This region's president is known as the Lehendakari. Companies like BBVA and Iberdrola have made this region the wealthiest per-capita in its country. The capital of Alava Province, Vitoria-Gasteiz is this region's second largest city and unofficial home of its parliament. This region's largest city is home to a branch of the Guggenheim museum, and in recent years, (*) ETA has ceased violent operations advocating for this region's independence. For 10 points, name this region in northern Spain, and is home to cities like Guernica and Bilbao, and where a namesake language isolate is spoken.
A: Basque Country
Q: The land near the coast of this body of water is home to the famous Lavaux vineyards and its coast is home to the Castle of Chillon, which was built by the Dukes of Savoy. There is a city that shares a name with it in southern (*) Wisconsin, and the lake was called Lacus Lemanus in Roman times. The stretch of coast from it's namesake city to Lausanne is called La Cote. The Rhone river flows in to and then back out of For 10 points What second largest European lake, named for a Swiss city.
A: Lake Geneva
Q: Kubu Island, an area known for its giant Baobab trees, is located in the middle of one of these areas. That one of these areas is located between the cities of Maun and Francistown, and another of these areas in Namibia was the site of a massive flamingo mating event in 1971, vocal links from which mean that it is still a large flamingo mating site today. Another of these areas contains the world's largest lithium reserves, whose extraction is being used to fund the social programs of Evo (*) Morales. These areas in the Arab world are known as Sebkhas. Etosha National Park and Makgadikgadi National Park are both centered around these areas. These areas are frequently formed by evaporating lakes, which leave behind their mineral content. For 10 points, name these areas that include the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia.
A: salt flats (accept Salt pans)
Q: The Turan Lowlands lie to this body's southeast, while cities of Nukus and Muynok are in Karakalpakstan, which lies to the south of this body of water. Nuclear tests were performed on its Vozrozhdeniya Island, and deserts near it include the Kyzyl Kum. The Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers both flow into this. Construction of the Qaraqum Canal off the Amu Darya to irrigate the desert for cotton farming was highly inefficient, allowing loss of 50% of the water it carried and was a chief contributor to the severe desiccation. Having lost more than 80% of its volume since 1960, this is, for 10 points, what formerly 4th largest lake in the world located in central Asia?
A: Aral Sea
Q: This country's Orumieh Lake is in danger of drying up, while the nearby Anzali Lagoon in the Gilan region is also ecologically threatened. Cities in this country include Mashhad, a holy city in its Razavi Khorasan Province. A mountain range here is home to Mt. Dena and Zard Kuh, the Zagros Mountains. One strait south of this country has 40% of all oil shipments go through it. That strait, the Strait of Hormuz, is shared with Oman and the UAE. For 10 points, name this country with major cities such as Esfahan and Tehran.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran
Q: This polity's eastern border includes Caddo Lake. Van Zandt County contains a large salt deposit near Grand Saline, while the Edwards Plateau lies within its Blackland Praries region. Its north-eastern border is defined by a tributary of the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers, the Red River. The Brazos flows through this state on Louisiana's western border, and its Big Bend region lies near an international border. Its Coastal Bend region includes Beaumont, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and the seat of Harris County, Houston. For 10 points, name this second-largest U.S. state with capital Austin.
A: Texas
Q: This geographical feature was once home to its continent's only native bear species, now extinct. Containing the Draa valley, its "Tell" subrange contains the Er-Rif region, while its "Anti" range connects to the "High" range via Mount Siroua. Its eastern portion, home to the Chelif river valley, is populated by Berbers. With its highest peak at Jbeb Toubkal, 60 kilometers south of Marrakesh, it is bordered to the south by the Sahara Desert. For 10 points, name this mountain range spanning Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, named after a Greek titan who held up the sky.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: One amphora from this culture analyzed by E.E. Kuzmina may have been used to store koumiss and depicts a winged horse along with constellation patterns associated with Nowruz. Solid gold bongs for ritual marijuana use have been found in graves alongside this culture's female warriors. One golden comb from this culture depicting a battle scene was likely made by a Greek artist working on commission.Trade with the Greek colonies of Olbia and (*) Chersoneos may have been responsible for equine motifs and more complicated metalwork in this culture's art, which frequently depicts many-antlered deer. This culture produced golden grave goods at sites such as Solokha, Tilya-Tepe and Pazyryk. For 10 points, name this ancient Iranian Steppe people whose art was frequently found in kurgans.
A: Scythians (accept Saka)
Q: Cap de Creus is on the eastern end of this mountain range, where bandits who kill St. Aubert in The Mysteries of Udolpho live. A range on the Moon named for it separates Mare Nectaris and the Sea of Tranquility, and The Stone Raft deals with events caused by a crack in it. The location of Cirque de Gavarnie, a treaty named for this range was signed after the Battle of the Dunes and provided for the marriage of Maria Theresa and Louis XI. Roncevaux Pass, where Roland dies, is in it. With highest point at Aneto, for 10 points, name this mountain range that encompasses Andorra, and separates Spain and France.
A: the Pyrenees or los Pirineos or les Pyrenees or els Pirineus or los Pireneus or Perines or Pirinioak
Q: This island's Gunung Mulu National Park contains distinct karst formations and the largest underground chamber in the world. This area was used as a source of dragon's blood or mercury by Chinese merchants. It is home to Kinabalu National Park, which is located in its Crocker Range. Bordering the Sulu Sea to the northeast and the Java Sea to the South, it is separated by the Makassar Strait from the island of Sulawesi. This island is divided into seven ecoregions, and the burning of the peat swamp forests here has made Indonesia the third-largest CO2 emitter in the world. For 10 points, name this third-largest island in the world that contains Brunei and part of Malaysia.
A: Borneo
Q: This country's namesake river is also known as the Old River. Its highest point has recently been confirmed to be Doyle's Delight, not Victoria Peak. The courses of the Hondo and Sarstoon Rivers define much of this country's northern and southern borders. It shares the Yalbac Hills and Vaca Plateau with Guatemala. Along the coast are the cities of Monkey River, Placentia and Dangriga, and off the coast of Gale's Point is the second-longest barrier reef in the world. It shares a border with the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, and is the only English-speaking country in Latin America. Formerly known as British Honduras, for 10 points, name this country with capital at Belmopan.
A: Belize
Q: It is bordered on its south by a structure that formed during the Eocene called the Gonave, and its major craton is underlain by the Abitibi greenstone belt. Also subjected to the Grenville and Sevier orogenies, much fault-blocking has taken place on it due to its subduction of the Farallon structure. It includes the Anahim, Jemez, and Raton hotspots, and its surface was covered by the Sundance Sea as well as the Cretaceous Inner Seaway. The MTJ experiment is being conducted at the northern terminus of another feature found at its western edge. Another feature found on this body contains the world's largest dike swarm, and the southern end of that feature has (*) lobes named Wadena and Rainy as evidence of recent glaciations events. A more notable feature of this geological mass is a large caldera housing a supervolcano that is thought to erupt every 600,000 years. For 10 points identify this geologic mass that includes the Canadian Shield and the Yellowstone Supervolcano, and whose fight with the Pacific Plate causes earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault.
A: North American Plate
Q: Storm Bay and the Bay of Fires lie off the coast of this island, whose northwest contains a temperate rainforest, the Tarkine. It contains Cradle Mountain and its tallest point is at Mount Ossa. Many dolerite columns named "Organ Pipes" lie on this island's Mount Wellington, which overlooks its largest city as well as the Derwent estuary. Its namesake peninsula contains Port Arthur, a former settlement for convicts, and another name for it is van Dieman's Land. It is separated from the mainland by the Bass Strait and its capital is Hobart. For 10 points, name this island off the southern coast of Australia.
A: Tasmania
Q: This mountain's caldera contains the Reusch Crater, and is notable for its lack of alpine bamboo. The nearest settlement to it is Moshi, and it contains the Furtwangler and Rebmann Glaciers. The next highest mountain in its country is Mount Meru, and the forests on its peak are the highest in the continent. First climbed by Hans Meyer, it is the highest freestanding mountain in the world. It is notable for its glaciers at the top which could disappear soon, and its highest point is Uhuru. For 10 points, name this inactive stratovolcano in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: This area once contained Gin Drinker's Bay, which was located in its Rambler Channel. Stonecutter's Island and many of this region's "new towns" are now peninsulas. Its most densely-populated area was separated by Boundary Street from the New Territories, and this city's many harbors include Aberdeen and Victoria. A large bronze Buddha is located on this city's Lantau Island, and its highest point is Tai Mo Shan. Its airport at Chek Lap Kok was built after land reclamation, and it contains Victoria Peak along with the Kowloon Peninsula. For 10 points, name this "fragrant harbor" on the Pearl River Delta, a British concession returned to China in 1997.
A: Hong Kong
Q: This area contains four granite tunnels whose walls were painted to resemble anthracite coal, as well as other landmarks such as the Sunken Garden and the former site of an infamous poplar tree, the Bridge of No Return. This region is home to the red-crowned and white-naped cranes, and it extends westward into the ocean as the Northern Limit Line, to the south of which lie islands such as Yeonpyeong. Four kilometers wide, it contains the Peace Village and the unpopulated Propaganda Village. For 10 points, name this area that crosses the 38th parallel and surrounds the border between North Korea and South Korea.
A: Korean Demilitarized Zone or DMZ
Q: This country's south-central lowland is home to such rivers as the Inhul and the Southern Bug, and that lowland is flanked by the Volhynian-Podolian uplands on the west and the Donets range on the east. With its northern neighbor, this country shares the Pripet marshes, thought by some to be the original homeland of the Slavs. The Kerch Strait, which connects the Sea of Azov to a larger sea, separates this country's large southern peninsula from Russia. That peninsula, the Crimea, contains Yalta, the site of a prominent meeting during World War Two, and Sevastopol, a Black Sea resort. For 10 points, name this large former Soviet republic in Eastern Europe, a country whose notable cities include Kharkov, Odessa, and its capital, Kiev.
A: Ukraine [or Ukrayina]
Q: The Kirk Range and Viphya Mountains rise on the shores of this body of water, and Cape Maclear is a promontory of its southern section. The Monkey and Nkhata bays lie on this body of water, whose distributary flows through the Majete Game Reserve, and creates Lake Malombe. The Ruhuhu River is the main tributary of this lake, and the Likoma and Chizumulu islands lie in it. It is drained by the Shire River, which eventually flows into the Zambezi. For 10 points, name this lake of the Great Rift Valley which is bordered by Tanzania, Mozambique and its namesake nation, which has its capital at Lilongwe.
A: Lake Malawi [accept Lake Nyasa until read]
Q: This state's Three Rivers Area contains the city of Poplar Bluffs, and bodies of water in this state include Clearwater Lake, the St. Francis River, and Table Rock Lake. The Osage plain covers most of its western portion, and it contains the northernmost portion of the Mississippi embayment. This state's tallest point is at Taum Sauk Mountain, and the Ozarks plateau lies in its southern half. Its namesake river runs through it before becoming its border with Nebraska, and the Mississippi River forms the boundary between this state and Illinois. For 10 points name this Midwestern state with capital Jefferson City and major cities like Kansas City and St. Louis.
A: Missouri
Q: This nation's western coast is home to the Arakan Mountains, which extend northward into its state of Chin. This nation's southernmost reaches are the site of the Mergui archipelago, and its eastern region is dominated by the Shan Plateau. This nation is the home to most of the Mon people, whose historical capital of Thaton lies near the mouth of the Salween River. This nation's other major river joins the Chindwin near the city of Mandalay and eventually forms a massive delta at the Andaman Sea. The Irrawaddy River is found in, for 10 points, what Southeast Asian nation, whose capital was officially moved to Naypyidaw from Yangon in 2005.
A: Burma [or Myanmar]
Q: The Presa de la Boguilla is a lake that lies along the Conchos river which lies entirely in this state. Cities in it include Santa Rosalia de Carmago and Delicias and this state is home to the Cumbres de Majalca National Park and the Copper canyon. This state's capital includes attractions like the Gameros estate and the Church of San Francisco which houses the remains of Miguel Hidalgo. It is bounded by Durango to the South, Coahuila to the East, and Sonora to the East, and it contains Ciudad Juarez. For 10 points, name this largest Mexican state which shares its name with a breed of small dogs.
A: Chihuahua
Q: Inland towns in this nation, including Yobokhi and Dikhil, are separated from the coast by a series of plateaus including Moussi Ali, its highest point. It shares the Bad with its neighbor to the west. Coastal towns include Khor Angar, which lies on the western banks of the , and Obock, which, like its namesake capital, lies on the , an inlet of the . For 10 points, name this small African nation bordered by , , and .
A:
Q: Birqat Karun is a lake found in the Al Fayyum region of this country. The Ras Mohammed National park is found at the southern tip of a peninsula belonging to this country, and the disputed Hala'ib triangle lies at the southwest corner of this country. The Kebira Crater is located along the western border of this country which is home to the Gilf-al-Kibr plateau. The Qatarra Depression contains several brackish oases, and manmade features include the Great and Little Bitter Lakes as well as a large dam on the First Cataract at Aswan that holds back Lake Nasser. Containing the cities of Luxor and Alexandria, for 10 points, identify this country with its capital at Cairo.
A: Egypt [or Al-Masr]
Q: It has access to the Pacific through a small coastline on the , where its is located. The Patuca and Ulua river systems drain the nation's north, which is home to many banana plantations, while its ports include Tela and La Ceiba. Featuring the treacherous , it is bounded by the , , , and . For 10 points, name this Central American nation whose capital is .
A:
Q: The Leaf Hills located in this state's Otter Tail County are home to its highest point, Inspiration Peak. The River named for this state rises from the Big Stone Lake and flows by towns such as St. Peter and New Ulm. International Falls is located near this state's northern border, whose "Northwest Angle" is the only mainland region north of the 49th parallel. This state's Lake Itasca is the source of the Mississippi River, and the St. Louis River flows into Lake Superior near its third largest city, Duluth. Bordered by Iowa to the south and Wisconsin to the east, for 10 points, identify this state with capital at St. Paul and whose largest city is Minneapolis.
A: Minnesota
Q: The Kirirom National Park is found in the Elephant Mountains which lie in this country's southwest region. One can visit the Rorka Kondal pagoda in the Kratie province, while the Baset and the Banom temples can be found in the city of Battambang. During the monsoon season, the most notable body of water in this country vastly increases in size due to the change in the flow of its namesake river, the Tonle Sap. Its capital sits at the confluence of the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. For 10 points, identify this Southeast Asian nation bordered by Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, which has its capital at Phnomh Penh.
A: Kingdom of Cambodia
Q: To the south of this island lies the u-shaped Aniva Bay, and it is home to the Oroks. Korsakov and Kholmsk are major ports of this island, whose city of Yuzhno is by far its largest. Two parties agreed to share this island in the Treaty of Shimoda, but one country was later ceded its southern half through the Treaty of Portsmouth. This island is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Tartary, and the La Perouse Strait separates it from Hokkaido. This island borders the Sea of Okhotsk, and its namesake oblast includes the Kuril Islands. For 10 points, name this Pacific island home to the Ainu which is now part of Russia.
A: Sakhalin [or Karafuto; or Saharin; or Kuye; or Saghalien]
Q: Lesser known cities in this state include Jalandhar, which is notable for producing surgical products. Its largest city, Ludhiana, is notable for having many manufacturing plants, and is thus called "the Manchester" of this state, while other cities in this state include Barnala and Patiala. An open hand serves as the official logo of the capitol city of this state, and Le Corbusier served as the architect of that city, Chandigarh. Bordering the states of Haryana and Rajasthan, much of this state gets water for agriculture from the "five rivers", and its city of Amritsar contains the Golden Temple. For 10 points, identify this Indian state, the birthplace of Sikhism.
A: Punjab
Q: This island's two main rivers are the Tym and the Poranay, which flows into the Gulf of Patience, while its south features the Gulf of Aniva. It is traversed by two parallel ranges with peaks at Mount Lopatin and Mount Ichara. It's separated from the island to its south by the La Perouse Strait, named for a French Explorer, and from the large mainland to its west by the Mamiya Strait, also known as the Tatar Strait. Its southern half was once known as Karafuto and inhabited by Ainu peoples, but today this island in the Sea of Okhotsk is part of its namesake oblast. For 10 points, name this large Russian island north of Hokkaido.
A: Sakhalin
Q: This river has its origin in a tributary of Teslin Lake, and the part from there to its confluence with the Pelly River at Fort Selkirk was once known as the Lewes River. Its tributaries include the Stewart River and the Tanana River from the east, and it passes through towns like Carmacks, where a bridge is built over it, and Dawson. Another tributary is the Porcupine River from the north, and it widens into a series of flats near Mountain Village and empties near the Norton Sound. Passing through the city of Whitehorse, For 10 points, name this longest river in Alaska which shares its name with a Canadian territory that borders Alaska.
A: Yukon River
Q: The Western and Eastern branches of this are separated by the San and Oslawa rivers while the Eastern and Southern branches meet at the Predeal Pass. Part of its western and northeastern Outer range is also known locally as the Beskids. Its Tatra range includes , the highest point in . Separated from the Silesian and Moravian ranges by the March and Oder rivers respectively, this group only meets the Alps across the Danube at . For 10 points, name this group of mountain chains whose namesake environmental convention was signed by Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania.
A: Carpathian Mountains [or Carpathians; or Karpaty; or Carpati]
Q: The Pigeon and Little Pigeon rivers empty into the river that marks its southern boundary, and Brookville Lake and Hamilton Lake are located along this state's eastern border. The Wyandotte caves are located in the Harrison-Crawford State Forest at its southeast. This state's town of Bedford calls itself the "limestone capital of the world" and one can visit the Dan Quayle Vice-Presidential Museum in the city of Huntington. The Wabash River forms part of its western border with Illinois, and other notable cities include Evansville, Terre Haute, and South Bend. For 10 points, identify this state home to the Hoosier National Forest.
A: Indiana [accept Ohio River until "southern boundary"]
Q: Fort Good Hope lies along this river, which is located west of the Franklin mountains after passing by Wrigley. The Laird River joins it near Fort Simpson, and Richards Island is the largest island located near its delta, which lies to the west of Richardson Mountains and is bounded by Shoalwater Bay. It initially flows to the west, south of Horn Plateau, but turns north, running parallel to its namesake mountains eventually emptying into the Beaufort Sea. It originates at the Great Slave Lake, and is named for a man, who initially called it "Disappointment River" after navigating its course in 1789. For 10 points, name this longest river in Canada.
A: Mackenzie River
Q: Its level is greatly affected by the sudestanos and pampero winds. It contains the islands of Farallon , Hornos, and Martin Garcia, and its banks form several shoals which bear names such as Honda, Rouen, and Arquimedes. Colonia and Tigre are on its banks, while a notable part of it extends from Punta Lara to Colonia del Sacramento. Formed out of the confluence of the Parana, this area is overlooked by Buenos Aires and Montevideo. For 10 points, identify this river and estuary system of Uruguay and Argentina.
A: Rio de la Plata [or River Plate; or River of Silver]
Q: Its portion above King Hill powers the American Fall Dam and receives the Portneuf, Raft, Big Wood, and Henrys Fork tributaries. The South Fork of this river flows along the east of the Grand Tetons, south from Shoshone, Lewis, and Heart lakes, in Yellowstone, widening into Jackson Lake, from which it passes through Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It receives its North Fork and makes a turn at Lewiston after forming part of the Oregon-Idaho border, and then flows west to Pasco. For 10 points, name this river, the chief tributary of the Colombia, which flows through Hells Canyon.
A: Snake River
Q: Arram forms one end of a boundary fault dividing this region, and off its shore lies the isle of Skye. It partially contains the Cheviot Hills and some of its tallest mountains are in the Cairngorms. Its Grampian Mountains include the tallest peak in this region, Ben Nevis. Its largest subdivision is divided by a fault extending from Fort William to Inverness, the Great Glen. This region's largest island is Lewis and Harris, located in the Outer Hebrides. Partially divided into the Southern Uplands, Central Lowlands, and the Highlands, for 10 points, name this country of the United Kingdom, home to cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A: Scotland or Alba [prompt on Scottish Highlands until it is mentioned]
Q: This island's highest point is in the Bonshaw Hills and its most prominent inlet is Hillsborough Bay, at the terminus of a river which nearly bisects it. Known as the "Million-Acre Farm," its towns include Stratford and Cornwall. It's sometimes called the "Garden of the Gulf," which also names a hotel in its second largest city Summerside. It is separated from the mainland to the south by the Northumberland Strait. Home to the house of Lucy Maud Montgomery, For 10 points, name this island to the west of Cape Breton Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with its capital at Charlottetown, which is the smallest province in Canada.
A: Prince Edward Island
Q: Its cities include Talas, and its chief port Ysyk-Kol. It has a bicameral Supreme Council known as the Zhogorku Kenesh and its president Askar Akayev has been in office since before it gained its official independence on . The runs through the middle of the country and Its highest point is at Jengish Chokusu located in the Tien Shan Mountian range in the east of this nation. For 10 points, name this mountainous former that borders , , and and has its capital at Bishkek.
A:
Q: This mountain was first summitted on December 18, 1966, in an American Alpine Club expedition sponsored by the Nation Science Foundation and led by Nicholas Clinch. In January 2001, an eight-person team sponsored by Nova became the first to climb the eastern face of this Sentinel Range peak discovered by Herbert Hollick-Kenyon and Lincoln Ellsworth. For 10 points, name this mountain visible from the Ronne Ice Shelf, the highest in Antarctica.
A: Vinson Massif
Q: The Chele La is this country's highest major mountain pass, and its small southern areas of deciduous lowland contain the Shiwalik Hills and its former capital, Punakha. Its second largest city is Paro, and this country contains Gangkhar Puensum, which at 24,836 feet is the world's largest unclimbed mountain, although the slightly higher Kula Kangri is disputed with China. The states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim all border this country, and its rivers, which include the Drangme Chhu, lie in the Brahmaputra watershed. For 10 points, name this kingdom in the eastern Himalayas with capital at Thimphu.
A: Kingdom of Bhutan
Q: The name of this location means gathering place in its native tongue. Shark's Cove is one of the best dive sites on this island, although Hanauma Bay is also popular. The television show Lost was filmed on a beach on the north shore of this island, which is also home to the Banzai Pipeline at Ehukai Beach Park. Snakes on a Plane opens with a view of Diamondhead on this island. The Beach Boys sang a song referencing this island's Waimea Bay, which is home to a surfing contest in memory of Eddie Aikau. This island is the birthplace of Barack Obama and home to the USS Arizona Memorial. For 10 points, name this island, the location of Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, and Honolulu.
A: Oahu
Q: In prehistoric times, this river's delta was located in the Katawa Basin, and its namesake blind dolphin species is also known as the Bhulan. The capital of Baltistan, Skardu, lies at the confluence of the Shigar River with this body of water, which along with the Jhelum and Sarasvati formed part of the Seven Rivers of the Sindh Province. After flowing from Tibet, this river empties into the sea near Karachi after passing the ancient sites of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro. For 10 points, name this chief river of Pakistan which was the site of one of the earliest civilizations.
A: Indus River [or Sindhu; or Harahauvati; or Abasin; or Nilou; or Sengge Zanbo]
Q: This country's city of Dobele is built over an asteroid impact crater. The westernmost region of this country, which is home to the western part of the Jelgava Plain, is known as Courland. This country's second most populous city, Daugavpils, is located on the Daugava River, which is also known as the Western Dvina. Ventspils is the largest port of this country that is indented by a gulf sharing its name with its capital. For 10 points, name this Baltic country south of Estonia whose capital city is Riga.
A: Latvia
Q: In this country, the Dutch anthropologist Antoon Postma introduced the pamudpod virama to the script of a language used to write ambahan poetry. It's not South Africa, but this country is home to a "kitchen" language whose name literally translates as "poor taste", the creole Chavacano. One of its substrates is a language from this country first documented by explorer Antonio Pigafetta and closely related to Hiligaynon; substrate influence means that Chavacano exhibits verb-initial order and extensive morphological reduplication despite not being (*) Austronesian. The English words "boondocks" and "cooties" are borrowed from the most commonly spoken language in this country, which itself draws loanwords such as keso, trabaho and estudyante from the former colonial language of this country. 10 points, name this Asian country whose native languages include Cebuano and Tagalog.
A: Philippines
Q: The Repetek Nature Reserve is located in this desert, and the Uzboy River made agriculture possible in this desert until the 17th century. This desert is located South of the Kaplanky Precipice and North of the Kopet Dag Mountains. A canal named for this desert carries water for cotton irrigation to the city of Gokdepe from the Amu (*) Darya River. The loss of Amu Darya water caused by that canal was in large part responsible for the shrinking of the Aral Sea. That canal supplies water to cities such as Mary. A flaming former natural gas facility known as the "Door to hell" is located in this desert. The closing of that fire was ordered by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow in 2010 but has not occurred yet. For 10 points, name this desert primarily located in Turkmenistan whose name translates as "black sand".
A: Karakum Desert (accept Garagum)
Q: One of this nation's cities celebrates the Palo de Mayo festival and another city contains the tamarind tree of the Sutiaba and the cathedral of Benito de Baltondano. In addition to Bluefields and Leon, this country includes the Islas de Maiz to the east, the Tipitapa River which joins its two large lakes, and the Cordillera Isabella to the north. The San Juan River forms a part of the southern border of this nation, whose city of Puerto Cabezas is found in a region named for an insect. For 10 points, name this Central American country, home to the Mosquito coast, that lies between Costa Rica and Honduras with capital at Managua.
A: Nicaragua
Q: Bordered on the southeast by the Manzano Mountains and on the south by the Isleta Pueblo, this city is home to the Petroglyph National Monument and the Elena Gallegos Open Space. The La Luz Trail in the Cibola National Forest extends from the northeast of this city to the top of the Sandia Peak, which is also reachable via the world's longest tramway. Known as the Duke City because it was named for a Spanish viceroy, this city has an annual balloon fiesta and is the home of Kirtland Air Force Base. For 10 points, identify this western city on the Rio Grande River, the home to Sandia and Los Alamos laboratories and the most populated city in New Mexico.
A: Albuquerque
Q: One river of this name empties into the on the North Island of New Zealand. A minor one drains parts of northern and southern before joining with the , while another one formed a namesake gorge in eastern that is now a USDA geological area. A longer one arises in 's province and empties into the . Another North American one forms much of the Minnesota-North Dakota border before emptying into , and was the cause of major flooding in 1997 in . The longest and most famous one drains into the near after forming much of the Texas-Oklahoma border. For 10 points give the common name of these rivers derived from the particular tint of their waters.
A:
Q: In this modern-day country's north, the Tatra Mountains include its highest point, Gerlachovsky Stit, and include numerous hiking and skiing attractions. The Vah river originates in its Tatras Mountains, and flows West and then South past cities such as Trencin and Zilina. The Spis castle is located in the Kosice region, while Presov is the third largest city in this country, and is home to a salt mine. This country's western border is formed by the Morava River, which also forms part of its southwestern border with Austria. For 10 points, name this country also bordered by Hungary, Ukraine, and Poland with its capital at Bratislava, and was once paired with the Czech Republic.
A: Slovakia [or Slovak Republic; or Slovenska Republica; do not accept "Czechoslovakia"]
Q: The Dolores and Virgin Rivers are tributaries of this larger river, and it flows by the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. Fort Collins is located to the East of the Poudre Pas Lake, where this river begins. One can go gambling in the casino at Lake Havasu City which lies along this river, while Interstate Highway 10 crosses it near the city of Blythe. The Gila River is a tributary of this river which empties into the Gulf of California, while Lake Powell lies on it due to the creation of the Glen Canyon dam. For 10 points, identify this long river in the American Southwest which shares its name with a state and also passes through the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: This city's shopping district is located south of Folkungagatan and is cleverly called "SoFo," and its Normmalm district houses its Royal Opera House. An obelisk designed by Jan Louis Desprez is found on Slottsbacken street, which also houses the Royal Palace designed by Tessin. Home to the Moderna Museet, it is the namesake of a large archipelago containing Beckholmen and Vaxholm. The Riddarfjarden bay juts into this largest city located near Lake Malaren, which also overlooks the Baltic Sea. Often called "Venice of the North," for 10 points, identify this city home to the annual Nobel Prize banquet and capital of Sweden.
A: Stockholm
Q: Historically, the Lachine Canal in this city's southwest allowed ships to navigate around the canal's namesake rapids though more recently, that district near Atwater Market, has become gentrified. Just north of downtown, a giant illuminated cross rests atop a mountain that is part of the Monteregian Hills. Nuns' Island and Ile Bizard are some of the islands in the Hochelaga archipelago of which this city's namesake island is the largest. A world exposition in this city gave it a geodesic dome named the Biosphere while an Olympics nine years later gave it a stadium nicknamed the Big O. Lying at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, for 10 points, name this city, the home of McGill University and the largest city in Quebec.
A: Montreal
Q: The Apple Snail is endemic to this region, and this region's only airport is located near the town of Puerto Suarez. Due to its native Xaray people, this region was initially thought to be an inland ocean called the Sea of Xarares. The Taquari and Itquira rivers name portions of this region, and this region receives floodwaters from the (*) Paraguay and Parana Rivers. This region is the largest South American habitat for species such as the Marsh Deer and Giant River Otter. This region located primarily in Mato Grosso State is the world's largest tropical wetland. For 10 points, name this marshy region of Southern Brazil and Northern Argentina.
A: Pantanal
Q: In a Maori myth, this crop was carried to New Zealand from Hawaii by a bird who died of exhaustion, causing its angry owner to send a plague of caterpillars. The introduction of this crop has been linked to an increase in the frequency of warfare among peoples such as the Enga in the Mt. Hagen area. This crop was introduced to China after the merchant Chen Zhenlong eluded customs officials in Manila by twisting its vines around ropes he was transporting. The use of the word kumara (*) for this crop in both South America and the Pacific has been used as evidence to support claims of transoceanic contact between the two groups. This crop's introduction to the New Guinea highlands led to a population explosion termed the "Ipomoean Revolution". For 10 points, name this root crop often confused with the West African yam.
A: sweet potato (accept kumara, Ipomoea Batatas before mention)
Q: The central part of its basin is often called the cuvette due to its particular shape. Many lakes, such as Upemba and Bangweulu, are found in its upper regions and early tributaries like the Lualaba. Kisangani, which is just downstream from the formerly named Stanley Falls, marks the beginning of its navigable region, which lasts until its estuary begins at Matadi prior to the port city of Banana. The capital cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa lie on opposite banks of, For 10 points, what second-longest river in Africa that lends its name to two of the countries it separates?
A: Congo River [prompt on Zaire River]
Q: Much of this island is dominated by a central ridge which bisects it and includes its highest peak, Monte Cinto, as well as a protected wildlife preserve which shelters the mouflon and a type of red deer endemic to the island. It is officially a "collective territory" but is a de facto region of France and, like the island to the south of it from which it is separated by the Strait of Bonifacio, its flag features a Moor's head. For 10 points name this third-largest Mediterranean island, behind Sicily and Sardinia, whose admninistrative capital, Ajaccio, was the birthplace of Napoleon.
A: Corsica
Q: This state is home to Don Knacht's backyard island castle in its fine town of Junction City, while its namesake "Cosmosphere" and underground salt museum are both found in this state's city of Hutchinson. This state's largest city is home to an independent minor league baseball team called the Wingnuts, and Forts Larned and Scott are located in this state. Its largest city's suburbs include Derby, El Dorado, and Maize, and that city includes the Quaker-aligned Friends University. The Missouri River forms a few miles of this state's border with Missouri, and some of its cities include Lawrence and Lecompton. For 10 points, name this state, home of Wichita and Topeka.
A: Kansas
Q: This island's north is marked by the Kyrenia Mountains, while renowned painted churches can be found in its southerly Troodos Mountains. Important cities here include Famagusta and Limassol, and it was home to a cult center of Aphrodite at Paphos. Divided between north and south by the Green Line, for 10 points, name this island with capital Nicosia, marked by ethnic strife between Greek and Turkish inhabitants.
A: Cyprus
Q: A type of glacier formed wholly from drift snow is endemic to and named for this range. Their southern branch has its highest point at Yamantau and extends to the Mughalzar Hills. Their namesake river originates at Kruglaya and flows into the sea at Atyrau. A major source of topaz and beryl, they have a branch called Pay-Khoy Ridge, they can be passed at Perm and Yekaterinburg, and their highest peak is Mount Narodnaya For 10 points, name this mountain range that is considered to be the border between Europe and Asia.
A: Ural Mountains [or Uralsky Khrebet]
Q: The "Salt Pan" is a section of the Cienaga de Zapatas Park, which is located in its Matanzas province. The longest river in this country partly forms the border between the Holguin and Granma provinces after originating in the Sierra Maestra, and the chain of islands extending from its Hicasos peninsula to the Nuevitas bay is called the Sabana-Camaguey archipelago. Isla de la Juventud is located south of the Gulf of Batabano off the Caribbean coast of this country, whose cities include Pinar del Rio and Santiago. Located south of the Straits of Florida, for 10 points, identify this country whose easternmost province is Guantanamo and whose capital is Havana.
A: Republic of Cuba
Q: Adolfo Lisboa names this city's market which was constructed as a small-scale replica of Paris' Les Halles. This city is connected to the city of Iranduba by the only bridge crossing the river on which it lies. This city, which was declared a duty-free zone in 1967 was home to the Vivaldao stadium before it was knocked down and replaced with a supposedly environmentally friendly replacement which hosted England's (*) opening game in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. An opera house was built in this city as part of a process of extravagant spending by rubber barons and served as a location for the filming of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo. Situated near the confluence of the Negro and Solimoes rivers, for 10 points, name this largest city in the Amazon rainforest
A: Manaus
Q: This city is home to Canadian chef Matt Abergel's "beak-to-tail" izakaya restaurant, Yardbird. In 2014, a scandal erupted in this city over the use of tainted "gutter oil" in the production of pineapple buns. One drink popular in this city is nicknamed "pantyhose" for its smoothness and colour, while another popular beverage mixes coffee and tea in a 3:7 ratio. Pang uk houses on stilts can be seen in a historic fishing area in this city, (*) Tai O, while enormous towers of steamed buns are climbed in a festival on one of this city's outlying islands, Cheung Chau. Aberdeen Harbour is home to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in this city, which is the birthplace of the "cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the world", dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan. For 10 points, name this Chinese SAR where you can eat street food in Kowloon.
A: Hong Kong
Q: The Kasungu National Park is located on this country's western border, and the Chizumulu and Likoma islands belong to it. This country's major primary language is sometimes called Chewa, while Tumbuka and Yao are each spoken by one million people in this country. The Zomba plateau is located to this country's south, and the Shire River, which empties into the Zambezi, flows north of its economic center of Blantyre. Also consisting of Lake Malombe, a lake named for it borders Mozambique and Tanzania. Previously called Nyasaland, for 10 points, name this country, a southeast African nation that is the ghost-rat capital of the world, with political capital at Lilongwe.
A: the Republic of Malawi [prompt on Nyasaland until mentioned]
Q: The Choke Mountains are an important bird-watching area in this country, as is Lake Chew Bahir, which is located near its southern border. The Danakil desert is shared by this country and its northern neighbor and is home to the Afar people. Gonder is among its larger cities and is home to castles constructed by Iyasu II, and its city of Adama was once called Nazareth. This country's Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile, and it is involved in the dispute over the Ogaden region with its eastern neighbor Somalia. For 10 points, name this nation which neighbors Sudan and has capital Addis Ababa.
A: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Q: Sivash, a series of bays off the coast of this region, is a producer of brines, and the Tonka of Arabat is a sandspit off this region's coast. Its namesake mountains are home to the highest point here on Mount Roman-Kosh. Cities on its coast include Eupatoria and Theodosia, and it was inhabited by Tatars with their capital at Bakhchisaray, which led to it being a part of the Tatar A.S.S.R. Its current headquarters are at Simferopol, and a city here is Kerch, which gives its name to the straight connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. For 10 points, name this peninsula in the Ukraine that was home to a war that pitted the Russians against the British and French.
A: Crimean peninsula [or Krymsky Poluostrov; or Crimea]
Q: In 1999, Rick Janowitz determined that this river's source is the Llewellyn Glacier at the southern end of Atlin Lake, though many consider it to "officially" start at Marsh Lake. Along its course, it carves out Miles Canyon, which is spanned by the Robert Lowe Suspension bridge, and also receives the Porcupine, Fortymile, and Klondike before emptying into the Bering Sea. Passing through the towns of Galena, Dawson, and Whitehorse, it is the longest river in Alaska. For 10 points, name this river that is also the longest in the Canadian territory with which it shares its name.
A: Yukon River
Q: The flag of this territory bears a blue North Star in the upper right and a red traditional land marker in the middle. Its people voted against locating its capital at Rankin Inlet when it was established in 1995, opting instead for a city at the head of Frobisher Bay. This territory includes all of the islands in Ungava Bay, and its southernmost parts are the islands in James Bay. Ellesmere and Baffin Islands are part of, for 10 points, what territory with capital Iqaluit that broke away from the Northwest Territories to become Canada's third territory?
A: Nunavut
Q: The Sloop Clearwater runs trips along this river with the aim of preserving its waters and tributaries such as Esopus Creek. While the river proper begins at , of the Clouds, which feeds Feldspar Brook, is consider its official source. After receiving the near the town of , it receives the Mohawk before passing by and the . Ending near the and proceeding into the . For 10 points, name this major , which separates from .
A:
Q: This island's Panlai Lakes include Tigi and Tage, and this island's native peoples include the Asmat and Dani. One region on this island was absorbed into another country by the Act of Free Choice, which its residents disparagingly refer to as the Act of No Choice. One secession movement on this island is led by Benny Wenda; that movement was involved in terror attacks near the (*) Grasberg gold mine. A victory over the Netherlands that resulted in part of this island's annexation inspired the name of its city of Jayapura, which trsnslates as "city of victory". The Owen Stanley Range crosses this island, which has the world's highest linguistic diversity. For 10 points, name this island that contains the Indonesian province of Papua.
A: New Guinea
Q: The Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri was formed by damming a river with this name, and another river of this name flows through Indianapolis and is the main tributary of the Wabash River. Its also the name of a mountain range whose namesake member is the third highest peak in California, and another mountain range by this name features Cannon Mountain and the Presidential Range. The cities of Courmayeur and Chamonix are found near the base of a European peak with this name, and the sea by this name is bordered by the Kanin and Kola Peninsulas and includes the port town of Arkhangelsk. For 10 points, identify this color denoting the highest Alpine peak and an arctic Russian sea.
A: White [accept Blanc or Bianco after mentioning Courmayeur]
Q: Smaller islands in this archipelago include the Minalto islands and Men-a-vaur. Smugglers used two caves known as Piper's Hole in this archipelago and its largest sandbank is called Crow Bar. This archipelago is four miles east of the world's smallest island with a building on it: Bishop's Rock. Tourist sites in this archipelago include Rushy Bay on Bryher and the Abbey Gardens established by Augustus Smith on Tresco. Half of its population lives in Hugh Town. For 10 points, name this archipelago off the south coast of Cornwall.
A: Isles of Scilly [Enesek Syllan]
Q: This country was once protected by the Lascari and De Redin towers, some of which are in sight of its islands of Filfla and Comino. This country is home to some megalithic temples that are the world's oldest free-standing structures; those temples are on its island of Gozo. Birkirkara is the most populous city in this country home to St. Paul's Bay, where St. Paul was shipwrecked as described in Acts. This smallest member of the E.U. is the target of much North African immigration. For 10 points, name this island country whose capital is Valletta.
A: Malta
Q: This body of water covers the moraine and is regulated by the Common Fisheries Policy. Its deepest parts include the Silver Pit and Devils Hole, and a route through the strait and connects it to the . One of its outlets to the Atlantic passes between the Orkney and , and its longest area of depth is called the Norwegian Trench. A namesake canal connects ito , while ports which sit directly on it include , , and . Name this oil-rich sea which separates the north of the European continent from the .
A: the
Q: A soccer club named for the Colombian Saint Peter Claver plays in this country's Woleu-Ntem province. Oil revenues briefly gave this country's city of Port-Gentil the world's highest cost of living, and this country's uranium mining industry is centered on its city of (*) Franceville. Minkinde, Ivindo, and Monts de Cristal are part of a system of eleven national parks established in 2002 that make up over 10% of this country's area. This country's Oklo site contains the world's only natural nuclear reactor, and this country's departments are almost all named for the Ogowe River that flows through it. For 10 points, name this country where President Omar Bongo established a chain of national parks with a degree signed in Libreville.
A: Gabon
Q: This region occupies the Armorican Peninsula, and its Pink Granite Coast is one of only three such areas in the world. The first duke of this region, Nominoe, is seen as the father of it, and it contains many megaliths at Carnac. This region's port of Saint-Malo served as the main harbor of Jacques Cartier, and its island of Ushant is the westernmost point in its nation. The Loire River empties into the ocean in this region, whose cities include Rennes, Brest and Nantes. Lying between the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, for 10 points, name this northwestern region of France.
A: Brittany [or Breizh; or Bretagne]
Q: The Rabaul Caldera is located in New Britain in this country, which also contains Manus and the Admiralty Islands. Part of this country's western border is made up of the Fly River, which connects via the Strickland River to this nation's largest lake, Lake Murray. Its official languages include Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu. This country is separated from its former owner by the Torres Strait, and during the 1990s a civil war occurred that made it grant autonomy to Bougainville. Formerly ruled by Australia, for 10 points, name this Pacific nation with capital at Port Moresby which shares the second largest island in the world with Indonesia.
A: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Q: This mountain range is home to a province whose "back of the mountain" region is known for its bronze animal figures. In February 2018, a flight crashed into this mountain range's highest peak, Dena, on its way to this mountain range's city of Yasuj. Ethnic groups native to this mountain range include the Qashqa'i and the Lurs, the namesake of one of its provinces, (*) Luristan. Cuneiform was deciphered in part due to an inscription found on one of this mountain range's cliffs at Behistun. The cities of Khorramabad and Shiraz are located in this mountain range's foothills. For 10 points, name this mountain range in Southwestern Iran, located South of the Elburz Mountains.
A: Zagros Mountains (accept Koh-e-Zagros)
Q: Its northern shore includes Cape d'Or, which is confusingly named after copper deposits. The first European to discover it was probably Joao Alvares Fagundes, who may have made it all the way to Advocate Harbor. Its easternmost point is in Coquid Bay and its northern point is in Chignecto Bay, but the most famous area, just east of Cape Split, is Minas Basin. Its most distinguishing characteristic is the reversing falls where the St. John River enters it. Located between Maine, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, FTP, identify this body of water in competition with Ungava Bay for the world's highest tides.
A: Bay of Fundy
Q: Graduates of this city's schools often continue to wear its standard unisex dark blue sweatpant uniforms. "Book malls" in this city include one built into a cultural center consisting of four wide, red, arch-like buildings. The architecture firm Urbanus developed this city's OCT-Loft art district, whose urbanist artists want to preserve leftover fishing communities nicknamed "villages in the city." In 2017 this city developed the world's first fully electric bus fleet. This city's KK100 and Ping An IFC skyscrapers went up during a period of (*) 4,200-percent population growth since 1980. It's not in Taiwan, but pirated electronics called shanzhai ("shahn-jye") are produced in this city's Huaqiangbei ("hwah-ch'yong-bay") stores, which replicate products made nearby at Foxconn's first factory. China's first special economic zone was, for 10 points, what city in Guangdong Province home to Huawei and Tencent that directly borders Hong Kong?
A: Shenzhen ("shun-jun") [or Shenzhen; or Sham Chun]
Q: The Sangu and Feni are two rivers in a system which cuts through some namesake Hill Tracts of one of its cities, and the Mru, Chak, and Marma are indigenous peoples of this country. Seasonal lakes called "beels' form in the city of Sylhet in this nation. Bordered on the east by the states of Tripura and Meghalaya, it contains the seaport of Mongla and cities of Khulna, Rajshahi, and Chittagong. The eastern portions of the Sundarban forests can be found in this country which sees a large delta formed by the confluences of the Meghnad, Padma, and Jamuna river, also called the Ganga-Bramhaputra delta. For 10 points, name this nation with its capital at Dhaka.
A: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Q: The Irtysh River flows through Lake Zaysan before exiting this nation. The sources of the Ishim and Tobol Rivers are both located in this nation, and the Ishim flows through its capital. Its lowest point is the Karagiye Depression, located in its southwestern province of Mangystau, to the east of which lie the Moyunqum and Qizilqum Deserts. Before this nation gained its independence, its capital's former name of Tselinograd marked it as the center of the Virgin Lands Campaign, and many (*) nuclear tests were conducted at this nation's former Semipalatinsk Test Site. Its southeast contains its highest point of Khan Tengri as well as Lake Balkhash. This nation also contains the world's first and largest operational space launch facility, the Baikonur Cosmodrome. For 10 points, name this large Central Asian former Soviet republic containing cities like Almaty and Astana.
A: Republic of Kazakhstan [or Qazaqstan Respublikasi; or Respublika Kazakhstan]
Q: A species of painted frog in this country was thought to be extinct until Lake Hula was drained. Along with its eastern neighbor, this country is encroached by the Aravah Region. This country controls the offshore Tamar Gas Field, where natural petroleum was first discovered within it. It is home to a plateau ancient city where many sicarri took their own lives, Masada. Much of this country is covered by the Negev Desert. Its larger cities include Hebron and Beersheba. This country borders the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the east and Lebanon to its north. For 10 points, name this country whose cities include Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
A: Israel
Q: The westernmost component of this island group is Attu Island, and another of its islands was home to a number of missionaries including St. Herman. Its Fire Island was formed by volcanic activity in 1883, and the US military base on its Adak island was closed in 1995 due to its being declared a Base Realignment and Closure site.. Another island in this island group was the site of underground testing of US nuclear weapons, and along with (*) Amchitka Island,, one of the discoverers of this island group would go on to die at the commander islands. Its inhabitants use a distinctive type of kayak, known as a baidarka, and speak a language related to the Eskimo languages. First sighted by Chirikov and Bering, it was the only part of the continental United States occupied by Japan during World War II. For 10 points, identify this long Alaskan island chain.
A: The Aleutian Islands
Q: A 2021 study in Science used atmospheric data to confirm that this body of water's role as a carbon sink has strengthened over the past decade, allaying concerns about a CO2 "burp" during winters. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization defined this body of water as the waters lying within a marine convergence encircling a landmass that borders the marginal Lazarev and Riiser-Larsen seas. Sailing from east to west in this body of water is difficult given its West Wind Drift, the largest wind-driven current in the world. Although it is disputed by (*) Australia, the IHO definition of this body of water was officially recognized by the National Geographic Society in 2021 on World Oceans Day. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current lies within, for 10 points, what "newest ocean" named for a cardinal direction?
A: Southern Ocean [accept Antarctic Ocean until "Antarctic" is read; accept Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling; prompt on Weddell Sea by asking "what larger body of water is that part of?"]
Q: It can be entered by traveling south through the Little Belt, and the Archipelago Sea is a northern portion of it. The Bornholm Basin is this body of water's central area, and the islands of Falster and Funen can be found in its western portion, where it joins the Kattegat. The Kalmar Strait separates the island of Oland from the coast, and Gotland is a prominent island in the middle of it. The Heligoland Bight is connected to it via the Kiel Canal. The Gulf of Bothnia is a branch in the north, and along the southern coast we find the Bay of Gdansk and the Gulf of Riga. For 10 points name this body of water bordered by Sweden, Poland, and some former USSR republics.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: Around 20 percent of this nation's landmass was recovered from the sea. The highest point in this nation is 535 feet above sea level and located on the slope of Mont Agel, whose peak is in the territory of another country surrounding this one on three sides. This nation plays host to the only marathon whose course passes through three different sovereign nations, and one of the hardest Formula One Grands Prix. This nation ranges from 382 yards to two thirds of a mile wide. Its estimated thirty five thousand citizens cannot enter an edifice in its east hosting a casino. For 10 points, name this second smallest sovereign nation located on the French Riviera which contains Monte Carlo.
A: Monaco
Q: The National Geographic photographer Wes Skiles died on assignment in one of these locations. Skeletons of the Lucayan tribe are frequently found in these locations, including at Sawmill Sink and Stargate, which contains a 2500-foot-long tunnel called the South Passage. These locations are the primary habitat of the lucifuga fish as well as aquatic varieties of eyeless Agostocaris shrimp. Famous examples of these locations include Dan's (*) Cave and The Chimney, and these locations are clustered around the islands of Andros and Great Abaco. These locations are given their characteristic color by sulfite-fixing bacteria that live in their anoxic environments. For 10 points, name these underwater caves frequently found off the coast of the Bahamas and Belize, named for their azure color.
A: blue holes
Q: This city's suburb of Western Springs contains its namesake zoo, and MOTAT, the Museum of Transportation and Technology. The western half of this city is bordered by the shallow Manukau Harbor, while the eastern part overlooks the Coromandel Peninsula and the Hauraki Gulf. Part of this city's central district was remodeled into the Viaduct Basin for the 2000 and 2004 America's Cup. The two halves of the city are connected by the Harbor Bridge that spans the Waitemata Harbor. The most striking feature of this city's skyline is the tallest free-standing building in the southern hemisphere, the Sky Tower. Located on the North Island along with Wellington, for 10 points, name this largest city in New Zealand.
A: Auckland [or Akarana; or Tamaki-makau-rau]
Q: One island controlled by this nation is the world's only site of the dragon's blood tree, has its capital at Hadibu, and lies to the east of Cape Guardafui. This nation contains the southern portion of a coastal area called the Tihama, and this nation contains the peak of Jabal al-Nabi Shu'ayb in its mountainous west. Cities in this nation include Taizz and Mocha, known as a coffee port, and this nation controls the Hanish Archipelago as well as the island of Socotra. (*) Throughout the twentieth century this nation's border with its northern neighbor was undefined. This country is separated from a nearby nation by the Bab el Mandeb, and the southern portion of the Rub al-Khali extends into this nation. For 10 points, identify this nation home to the city of Sana'a, which was the site of the USS Cole bombing in its port city of Aden.
A: Yemen
Q: The Hunza District in this country is particularly prone to landslides. The southern coast of the country has numerous oceanside escarpments and may be accessed along the Makran Highway, which allows access to the port of Gwadar. The lengthy Baltoro Glacier passes by a number of 8,000 meter peaks in this country including Hidden Peak while the Potohar Plateau contains the snake-infested Margalla Hills. The Seraiki people inhabit the Thal desert in this country with a long northwestern border defined by the Durand Line. Its Chagai Hills contain Ras Koh, a nuclear testing site. Also including the city of Rawalpindi, parts of the Karakoram Range, and K2, for 10 points identify this country whose main port is Karachi and whose capital is Islamabad.
A: Islamic Republic of Pakistan [or Islami Jumhuri-ye Pakistan]
Q: In the north of this body of water is found Missisquoi Bay, while its southern terminus is marked by the appropriately named South Bay. Running 107 miles from north to south, it reaches a maximum width of only 14 miles. In the southwest, a narrow channel brings water from neighboring Lake George. Known for its scenic islands, including Isle La Motte, Grand Isle, and Valcour Island, it is drained by the Richelieu River, which connects it to the St. Lawrence. Found mainly along the New York-Vermont border, For 10 points, what is this lake named for a French explorer?
A: Lake Champlain
Q: The Sathon business district in this city is home to the 'Robot Building.' This city's main shopping district is known as Slam Square, and in the city's center is the recreational area Lumphini Park. The country's Truth and Reconciliation commission has recently approved large compensation for those involved in a recent major protest in this city. That protest began after a military leader gave the first of many impromptu street interviews and declared he would be teaching the (*) "throwing a hand grenade dance,"and saw "red shirts" turn this city's central market district into a fortified bunker. Though prostitution is officially illegal, this city is home to the red light district Soi Cowboy, while its more mainstream landmarks include the home of a giant reclining Buddha, Wat Pho, as well as Wat Arun, or "The Temple of Dawn." For 10 points, name this city located on the Chao Praya wracked by major floods in 2011, the capital of Thailand.
A: Bangkok or Krung Thep Maha Nakon
Q: This polity's largest naturally occuring lake that is contained entirely within it is Long Lake, although the construction of the Qu'Apelle River Dam and Gardiner Dam created its largest man-made reservoir, Lake Diefenbaker. The capital of this province is situated nearby Wascana Creek. Smaller lakes within this geographical unit include Cree Lake and Reindeer Lake. Cities within this polity include Yorkton, Swift Current and Moose Jaw. The Mosaic Stadium within Taylor Field can be found at this province's second largest city. The namesake of this province is a river that eventually dumps into Manitoba's Lake Winnipeg. For 10 points, name this middle of the Prairie Provinces whose largest city is Saskatoon.
A: Saskatchewan
Q: This state contains the Sun Lakes near an enormous extinct waterfall in its Channeled Scablands region and used to contain the Glines Canyon Dam, which was removed as part of the Elwha Ecosystem Restoration project intended to reinvigorate salmon runs into the region. This state contains a pass that George McClellan failed to build a road through, the Naches Pass, just south of the more used Snoqualmie Pass. This state is home to one of the few temperate rainforest in the United States, the Hoh. Its highest point hosts the Nisqually and Cowlitz glaciers and is the most topographically prominent point in the contiguous United States. For 10 points, identify this Pacific Northwest state home to Glacier Peak, Mount Olympus, Mount Adams, and Mount Rainier, where one can find the Space Needle in Seattle.
A: State of Washington
Q: This country claims a number of small islands, including Europa, the Glorioso Islands, and Tromelin. Home to the Betsiboka and Sofia rivers, it consists of a low coastal strip surrounding central highlands that are home to the Ankaratra Mountains and Mount Maromokotro, its highest point. The people include those of African and Malayo-Indonesian descent, most of whom speak Malagasy. With capital at Antananarivo, For 10 points, what is this African republic found on the world's fourth largest island?
A: Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Q: The largest permanent stream in this region is the Kerulen River. Its western part is entirely sandy, but much of the rest is composed of great stony expanses. The site of the discovery of the first dinosaur eggs, its Yulduz Valley is enclosed by the Chol-tagh and the Kurugh-tagh, which are sub-ranges of the Tian-shan mountain range. For 10 points, what is this large desert shared by Mongolia and China?
A: Gobi Desert
Q: The Cowlitz, Pend Oreille, and Okanogan are major tributaries of this river featuring a sweeping curve in mid-course known as the "Big Bend". It runs for 1,240 miles, and among North American rivers has the fourth largest discharge of water. Rising in the Canadian Rockies, it spends 500 miles in Canada before entering the United States, joining tributaries like the Willamette and Snake before entering the Pacific. For 10 points, what is this river whose last 300 miles forms the border between Oregon and Washington?
A: Columbia river
Q: Economically important parts of this region include the coalmines around San Giovanni Valdarno and the renowned marble quarries of Carrera. Bordered by Latium, Umbria, Romagna, and Liguria, the Ombrone and Arno rivers supply water to the wine districts of Chianti, while other tourist centers include cities like Lucca, Pisa, and Siena. With capital at Florence, For 10 points, what is this region in west central Italy whose name is derived from its ancient Etruscan civilization?
A: Tuscany
Q: This lake is composed of two basins separated by a ridge known as the Great Barrier. When the lake is high, the southern basin is diverted near the site of Borkou through a string of basins called Soro. It is primarily fed by the Komadugu, Yobe, and Chari Rivers. For 10 points, name this fourth largest lake on the African continent that lies at the conjunction of Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and its namesake country.
A: Lake Chad
Q: Most of the eastern half of this state is part of the Drift Prairie, while its western half is mountainous, reaching its highest point at Harney Peak. Its largest body of water, Lake Oahe, receives and is drained by the Missouri River, which bisects this state from north to south, but which doesn't prevent the dry environment that results in its "black blizzards" of topsoil. For 10 points, name this state, home to Wind Cave, the Badlands, and Mount Rushmore.
A: South Dakota
Q: Leading into this city's center is the national highway N1 by way of Bellville, while N2 goes by its international airport, which is located north of False Bay. Table Bay lies northeast of this city. Devil's Peak and Lion's Head are prominent features that frame Table Mountain, located at the base of its namesake peninsula, and a popular tourist destination is Nobel Square in the Victoria and Albert waterfront. Islands near this city include Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held captive. For 10 points, name this city which houses the National Parliament and was founded by the Dutch in 1652, the legislative capital of South Africa on a namesake feature "of Good Hope".
A: Cape Town
Q: With Michael Sadler, this thinker advocated university extension in one work, and another work by this thinker was followed up with an article in which he stated that the USSR had captured a key position in his theoretical framework. He published a history of the Rhine and eight lectures on India, as well as an introduction to civics entitled The Modern British State. One article by this man divided the world into the world (*) island, the offshore islands, and the outlying islands, and posited that whoever controlled the Heartland at the center of the World Island would control the world. For 10 points, name this geographer who expanded geopolitical analysis worldwide in his "The Geographical Pivot of History".
A: Halford John Mackinder
Q: Two notable species that live in this mountain's moorlands are the giant lobelia and the giant groundsel. One of its peaks, Shira, rises to only 13,000 feet, and is the remnant of an earlier volcano. A saddle at about 15,000 feet connects its two main peaks, the 16,900 foot high Mawensi and Kibo, whose height of 19,340 makes it the highest on the continent. For 10 points, what is this mountain found in Tanzania?
A: Kilimanjaro
Q: A city with this name that lies south of Seven Mile Beach is home to the Ugland House, a building that Barack Obama called "the biggest tax scam on record." A city with this name contains the headquarters of the Caribbean economic union CARICOM. This is the name of the largest city on an Asian island formerly known as Prince of Wales Island; that city with this name lies across from Butterworth and west of the Penang bridge. Historian Walter Rodney was assassinated, likely on the orders of Forbes Burnham, in a (*) South American capital with this name. An American neighborhood with this name is home to both Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory and an institution whose students often cheer "Hoya Saxa." For 10 points, a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., with an eponymous university has what name that possibly references the British monarch in 1751?
A: Georgetown [or George Town]
Q: The Marble Hill Nuclear Power Plant is situated on this river, and other towns on this river include Lewisport and Wheeling. The McAlpine Locks and Dam can be found on this river, and the Green River and the Cumberland River both feed into it. The Great and Little Miami Rivers also empty into this river, and The Forks historically possessed great strategic value. Kanawha River is a major tributary, while its only rapids is located at Louisville, Kentucky. It is formed by the confluence of two other rivers at Point State Park. For 10 points, name this largest tributary by volume to the Mississippi, which forms from the Allegheny and Monongohela in Pittsburgh.
A: Ohio River
Q: Its resources include Bernic Lake, home to the world's richest cesium mine, the flax and wheat-farming Souris Plains, and the Flin Flon Zinc District. In its southwest, the land rises to the Pembina and Porcupine plateaus, which are home to its Riding Mountain National Park. The Assinboine River supports its second largest city, Brandon, while other rivers include the Nelson, Churchill, and Hayes. The easternmost of the Prairie Provinces, For 10 points, name this Canadian province with capital Winnipeg.
A: Manitoba
Q: Located in the La Gran Sabro region on the Churun River, a tributary of the Caroni, it is found on Auyan Tepui. First reported in 1937 when their discoverer crashed his plane on a nearby mountain, its main cataract drops 3,212 feet. For 10 points-name this Venezuelan waterfall, the highest in the world.
A: Angel Falls
Q: Babe Island and Cocos Island lie to the southwest of this one, which also contains the Fena Valley Reservoir. It has a natural harbor at Apra, and its mountains include Mt. Sasalaguan and its tallest, Mt. Lamlam. Andersen Air Force Base is on this island, as is the War in the Pacific National Historic Park, and villages here include Yigo, Dededo, and its capital of Hagatna. Locals on this island speak the Chamorro language, and its motto in English is "Where America's day begins". For 10 points, name this westernmost territory of the United States.
A: Guam
Q: Found within Mt. Velebit, this country's Lukina jama cave descends for nearly 1300 meters. Gorski Kotar, Karlovac and Rijeka are regions in this country's mountainous north. Its capital is situated on the Sava River, at the base of Mt. Medvednica. An unfortunate event in this nation's history is the 1991 massacre of Vukovar, which is situated on the banks of the Danube. In its far south, this country is home to the port town of Dubrovnik. Natives of this country include Nikola Tesla, who was born in Gospic. It is bordered on the east by Serbia, while Slovenia and Hungary border its north. For 10 points, name this country on the Adriatic Sea, whose capital is at Zagreb.
A: Republic of Croatia
Q: A location for this activity in the UK contains a series of cast-iron posts with encoded lines of verse whose first letters spell out "MILLENNIUM POEM"; that puzzle about this activity was created by the charity Sustrans. The Hovenring ("HO-ven-ring"), which was created for people to perform this activity, is located on a suspended bridge above a motorway in North Brabant near Eindhoven ("AINT-ho-vin"). Large groups of people may use a tactic known as "corking" to better perform this activity during (*) Critical Mass protests. Dutch fietsstraats ("FEETS-strotts") were made to enable this activity, which is also done on greenways or neighborways. This activity is performed competitively by athletes in an annual race that ends at the Champs-Elysees ("SHAWN-zay-lee-zay"). For 10 points, name this form of transportation performed in the Tour de France.
A: biking [or bicycling; or cycling; accept equivalents that mention riding a bicycle] (The first line refers to the Millennium Time Trail.)
Q: Tourists to this country's Moucha and Maskali islands engage in whale shark snorkeling and pearl diving in the Gulf of Tadjoura. This is the smaller of two countries to share Lake Abbe, whose natural limestone chimneys are often falsely claimed to be a filming site for the 1968 film Planet of the Apes. The Issa people dominate this country's politics and include its president Ismail Omar Guelleh. This country's (*) Lake Assal is the world's largest salt reserve. China's first overseas military base is located in this country, as is Camp Lemonnier, the only permanent US base in Africa. Yemeni refugees have flocked across the Bab el-Mandeb strait to this country, whose capital is nicknamed the "Pearl of the Gulf of Aden." For 10 points, name this small country north of Somalia on the Horn of Africa.
A: Djibouti [or Republic of Djibouti]
Q: This country's main rivers are the Purari, Fly, and Sepik, and its central mountain chain, the Highlands, reaches its highest point at Mount Wilhelm. It includes the archipelagoes of Bismarck, Buka, and Bougainville, the latter of which declared independence in 1990, but has not been recognized by any country. Its main land is found to the east of Irian Jaya, and it has its capital at Port Moresby. For 10 points, name this Southeastern Pacific nation that shares with Indonesia the second largest island in the world.
A: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Q: Out of this country's 1520 islands, the two largest are Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, which are also popular vacation spots. In the southeast of this country is its highest point, Suur Munamagi, which is roughly translated to English as Egg Hill. Its largest lake, Lake Peipus forms much of the border between this country and Russia, from which this country achieved independence in 1920 through the Treaty of Tartu. This country has been the setting of a battle in the Livonian War as well as in the Great Northern War, and that location is also the namesake for the largest river in the country. The Narva flows along its border with Russian until it empties into the Gulf of Finland. For 10 points, name this Baltic country with capital at Tallinn.
A: Estonia
Q: The Boojum Tree is almost entirely found in this region. A number of enormous Cardon Cactuses are found in its "valley of the giants," just south of the the town of San Filipe, which experiences a 7-meter tidal bore near the Isla Coronado. The Vizcaino Desert is located in this region along with the gray whale birthing spot of Laguna Ojo de Liebre. The Sierra de San Pedro Martir in this peninsula contains a national observatory. A lack of railroad infrastructure here may be corrected by a new rail-line to Punta Colonet, where a deep-water megaport is planned near Ensenada. Cabo San Lucas is at the extreme Southern end of this peninsula, which also includes the city of Rosarito Beach. For 10 points, identify this Mexican peninsula bordered by Sonora and the US State of California, which includes Tijuana.
A: Baja California
Q: By navigating up the Finlay River, explorer Samuel Black discovered that this river's headwaters originate from Thutade Lake. After passing through the San Sault Rapids, it narrows to less than half a kilometer through a series of limestone cliffs known as the Ramparts. This river receives much of its water from the Peel and Laird Rivers, while earlier it passes through Lake (*) Athabasca. Known as Deh Cho, or "Big River," it also passes by the Fort Good Hope and Fort Simpson before entering into its large delta bounded by the Richardson Mountains and the Caribou Hills. Emptying into the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Circle, this river is named after discoverer, who called it "Disappointment River" because it did not lead to the Pacific. For 10 points, name this longest river in Canada.
A: Mackenzie River [accept Deh Cho before it is read]
Q: This river's largest tributary, which is connected to a large canal built by the Tughlaq dynasty, is worshipped as the deity Yami. High pollution levels in this river threaten many species native to it, including a namesake species of freshwater dolphin. Some of that pollution stems from the practice of releasing (*) cremation ashes into this river at sites such as Rishikesh and Haridwar. A glacier with a name similar to this river is the source of the Bhagirathi River, which is traditionally considered to be this river's true source. High concentrations of coliform bacteria are found downstream of another site on this river where many religious adherents bathe ritually; that site is Varanasi. For 10 points, name this river which merges with the Brahmaputra near its mouth, generally considered to be the holiest river in India.
A: Ganga River [or Ganges River]
Q: In this state, a tree stump called the "Old Man of the Lake" floats in a lake created by the collapse of Mount Mazama. The cities of Eugene and Corvallis lie on Interstate 5 as it moves north through this state, which is home to Crater Lake. Settlers who flocked to the (*) Willamette Valley via a wagon trail eventually formed, for 10 points, what Pacific Northwest state whose largest city, Portland, is just south of Washington?
A: Oregon
Q: This action was completed by the US government under Lowell Smith, and Hugo Eckner also performed this action with his "Flying Boat". The crew of the Golden (+) Hinde conducted this action under Sir Francis Drake, when he discovered his namesake passage. The first intentional attempt of this feat was done by Thomas Cavendish. This action was first done in the 17th century by Juan Sebastian Elcano, who was part of (*) Ferdinand Magellan's crew; although, Magellan himself could not make it as he was murdered by Philippine natives. For 10 points, name this action in which a certain planet is completely circled via air, land or sea.
A: Circumnavigation of the Earth [Prompt on just "Circumnavigation"]
Q: Ethereal phenomena in this state include the so-called "Brown Mountain Lights." Maya Angelou was awarded this state's prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine as she taught at a university here for much of her life. The Uwharrie Mountains can be found in this state, and one place in this state is called the "Graveyard of the Atlantic." The Smokies straddle the border between this state and its western neighbor. This state's highest point is found at the summit of the tallest of the Appalachians, Mount Mitchell. This state is home to Cape Fear and Cape Hatteras. For 10 points, identify this state home to cities like Charlotte and Raleigh, which is just south of Virginia.
A: North Carolina
Q: It was first explored by Lazare Picault in 1742 and is composed of two main island groups: forty central mountainous islands and 70 outer, coralline islands. It also claims the Chagos archipelago, which has put it in dispute with one of its former colonizers. Seselwa is its official language, but both English and French are just as likely to be used. The larger islands include Silhouette, Praslin, and La Digue, but 90% of the population, as well as the capital, is found on the main island of Mahe. For 10 points, identify this island republic 1,000 miles east of Kenya with capital at Victoria.
A: Seychelles
Q: Located just north of the Blakiston zoological line, this island's major river was reduced by 100 miles in length by channelization projects and passes through a large valley formed from volcanic tuff called Sounkyo. Also including the large wetland of Kushiro Shitsugen, this island includes the Shiretoko peninsula as well as a large caldera lake at Akan next to the triple-crated Mount Akaen. The south of this island contains the Hidaka Mountains, home to unique brown bear populations. Formerly known as Enzoki, this island contains major brewing facilities in its capital of Sapporo. This home of the Ainu is connected to its southern neighbor by the Seikan tunnel underneath the Tsugaru Strait. Located south of the Sea of Okhotsk, for 10 points, identify this northernmost of Japan's four great islands.
A: Hokkaido [accept Enzoki before mention]
Q: The south part of this city is found on the banks of the Riachuelo River, to the north of which are major neighborhoods like La Boca and San Telmo. Its inhabitants call themselves portenos, and it is home to attractions like the Calle Florida and the "Pink House". It is located at the northeastern edge of the Pampas, where the Parana River delta widens to meet the Rio del la Plata. Named for St. Mary of the Good Air, For 10 points, what is this largest city and capital of Argentina?
A: Buenos Aires
Q: Areas that only meet some of the requirements of this classification include the life forms at Alex Heiberg Island, which are often compared to a mummy. The largest example of this type of entity in the world can be found in the towns of Eressos and Antissa on the island of Lesbos. In the U.S., a national park named after one of these features contains the Monitor Butte of the Chinle Formation. That national park named after this type of place can be found on Navajo Land in Arizona. Broadly speaking, these regions are created after vegetation has undergone permineralization. For 10 points, identify this type of location, in which one can find hardened vegetation.
A: petrified forests [accept any reasonable equivalents, such as petrified woods, or places where you can find stone wood, accept fossil forests, or equivalents. DO NOT ACCEPT OR PROMPT on forests]
Q: The MacIntyre Ironworks redirected and dammed several streams in this mountain range to create a site called the Flowed Lands. The Tug Hill Plateau is located west of this range across the Black River. Titanium is abundant in these mountains, where the Ausable Chasm and the Fulton Chain of Lakes are located, and the Roosevelt Trail in these mountains marks the route Theodore Roosevelt took from Tahawus to the nearest train station to take the oath of office. Lake George borders this range on the east while the high peaks region of this range includes Whiteface Mountain as well as Lake Tear of the Clouds, which is located on the slopes of Mount Marcy. For 10 points, identify this mountain range west of the Green Mountains and north of the Catskills, located in upstate New York.
A: The Adirondack Range [or Adirondacks]
Q: Outside of Chimanimani, one can find this country's highest point - Mt. Binga. The flag of this country includes a red triangle with a farming implement crossed with an AK-47 on top of it. Dr. Livingstone discovered Lake Shiwa in what is now this country, also home to the enormous Cahora Bassa. Cities within this country include Pemba, Chimolo and Inhambane. Along with Tanzania and Malawi, it shares a border with Lake Nyasa. Aside from South Africa, Swaziland borders only this other country. For 10 points, name this former Portuguese colony with capital at Maputo that is separated from Madagascar by its namesake Channel.
A: Mozambique :
Q: Cities on the bank of this body of water include the music city Liepaja and Ventspils. One archipelago in this body of water has capital at Mariehamn, and the southern shore of this body of water is known for its amber production. Tacitus called this body of water the Mare Suebicum, and one island in this body of water contains the preserved Medieval city of (*) Visby. The islands of Usedom and Rugen are located in this body of water that has an outlet in the Kattegat and the Oresund and is at the eastern end of the Kiel Canal. This body of water contains the islands of Bornholm, Gotland, and the Aland Archipelago, and extensions of this body of water include the Gulf of Bothnia and Gulf of Riga. For 10 points, name this sea which borders Germany, Sweden, and Finland.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: Located at the western terminus of the Manych Canal, in its western part lies the Arabat Spit, a sandbar that separates it from a system of marshy inlets called the Syvash. Approximately 210 miles long, the Yeya and Don flow into one its arms, the Taganrog Gulf. Bordering Russia and the Crimea, For 10 points, name this sea, the world's shallowest.
A: Sea of Azov
Q: Rivers that flow into this lake include the highly polluted Calumet River. This lake and its eastern neighbor are hydrologically considered the same lake because the Straits of Mackinac [mack-ih-naw] keep their water levels equal. Bays of this lake include Grand (*) Traverse Bay and Green Bay. For 10 points, name this Great Lake, found west of Lake Huron and south of Lake Superior, on which the city of Chicago lies.
A: Lake Michigan
Q: This island was first discovered by the west in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan, although it would not be claimed by the Spanish for another 40 years. It is thought to have been originally settled around 4,000 BC by Austronesian peoples from the Indonesian archipelago located to this island's west. It later became a Spanish colony and Philippine Galleon port of call that was taken over by the US following the (*) Spanish-American war. The largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, its occupation by the Japanese during the Second World War saw a large amount of persecution against its indigenous Chamorro population. For 10 points, name this island with a capital at Hagatna that is soon to be home to an army garrison that will increase its population by 40 percent.
A: Guam
Q: Measuring about 860 miles long, its tributaries include the Rahad and Dindar. Its namesake gorge is a notable fossil site, and it is known as Abbai in Ethiopia, where it flows from Lake Tana. It is dammed at Roseires and Sennar for farming, while a larger dam downstream reduces the effects of its flooding, since its high volume each summer had caused annual floods in Egypt. For 10 points, name this river that merges in Khartoum with the White Nile.
A: Blue Nile or Al Bahr Al Azraq (do not prompt on "Nile")
Q: 21.1. It has been hypothesized that this region was formed at the end of the Cretaceous period by a namesake traps eruption that occurred due to the Reunion mantle plume. It extends from the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the Nilgiri and Palni hills in the south. The Godavari River drains most of the northern portion of this entity, while the Krishna River drains the central portion. This southward-directed triangular region is bound on its western and eastern borders by the Ghats mountains, and at its southernmost area is drained by the Kaveri River. Featuring the provinces of Maharashtra, Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, and cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore, For 10 points name this plateau located south of the Indo-Gangetic plain of India.
A: Deccan plateau
Q: A large quantity of this substance is located on Hopi lands near Black Mesa, Arizona and a small quantity of it was found at Coos Bay, Oregon. The Bowen region in Queensland produces much of Australia's share of this substance. The Netherlands government bought out and stopped the mining of this substance in Limbourg. The West Midlands, especially south Staffordshire near Birmingham, were a major source of this substance for Britain and most of the United States' current production of it comes from the Powder River basin. For 10 points, identify this mineral whose varieties include anthracite, a noted deposit of which has been underneath Centralia, Pennsylvania and burning for forty years.
A: coal
Q: This city is home to two of the agencies of the European Union, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction as well as the European Maritime Safety Agency. World Heritage sites in this city include a tower built in the early 16th century to serve as a ceremonial gateway to the city, Belem Tower, and the Jeronimos Monastery, which are both built in the Manueline style during the late Gothic period. Due to this city's hosting of the World Expo '98, the newest section of this city is the (*) Parques das Nacoes which also contains the Garo de Oriente, one of the city's main transportation hubs. The heart of this city's downtown is known as the Baixa and was one of the first examples of earthquake-resistant construction due to the rebuilding effort after a devastating earthquake hit the city in 1755. For 10 points, identify this city on the mouth of the Tagus River, the largest and capital city of Portugal.
A: Lisbon
Q: This desert's Tibesti Mountains are home to the Toubou people. In the east of this desert, the salty Lake Turkana is threatened by a dam on the Omo River. The large-eared fennec fox lives in this desert, where two Grand Ergs lie in the rain shadow of the (*) Atlas Mountains to its north. This desert is north of a transition zone that passes from Sudan to Mali called the Sahel. For 10 points, name this African desert, the largest in the world.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: It arcs over a length of 1,580 miles with a mean width of 43 miles. The most extensive explorations of it were made on the ship Trieste by Jacques Piccard. One part of it, Nero Deep, was discovered southeast of Guam, while later the research ship Vityaz sounded an even greater depth of over 36,000 feet. For 10 points, what is this trench of the Pacific Ocean, the deepest known?
A: Mariana (s) Trench
Q: The giant skink native to these islands was wiped out by starving prisoners seeking food. This nation's islands are divided into the Barleyento group in the north and the Sotavento in the south. Its mountain of Pedra de Lune contains a number of salt lakes in its crater and Boa Vista contains a miniature sandy desert with notably tall dunes, the consequence of the Harmattan wind this nation regularly receives and is attempting to harness for a quarter of its energy output via windpower. Also containing an active volcano at Fogo, for 10 points, identify this nation where the island of Santiago contains its capital of Praia, an island nation southwest of the Canary Islands and due west of the western coast of Africa.
A: Cape Verde Islands [or Cabo Verde; or Kabu Verd]
Q: A low, formerly submarine volcanic chain that includes Mount Raci on this island is known as the Hyblaean Mountains. To this island's north lie a series of islands known for pumice and sulfur mining, including Lipari. The Simeto River on this island rises in the Nebrodi Mountains. This island's southeast features thousands of square-cut rock tombs known collectively as the Necropolis of Pantalica. This island contains the remains of the Greek colony of Selinunte as well as a number of Doric-style temples at Agrigento. Separated from mainland by the strait of Messina and located south of the Tyrrhenian Sea, for 10 points, identify this island that contains Mount Etna, located next to the boot of Italy.
A: Sicily
Q: Its shape has been compared to "a long, pliant, apple-paring" and the first Europeans to see it originally called it the "Rio Grande." Its source, not identified until 1832, is named for the Latin for "true head." Its greatest flood occurred in 1927, submerging 23,000 square miles of land and killing 250 people; now, about a quarter of its sediment and water has been diverted to the Atchafalaya. Emptying into the Gulf of Mexico principally via South Pass and Southwest Pass, Louisiana, For 10 points, what is this river whose name means "Father of the Waters", the longest in North America.
A: Mississippi River
Q: Rock climbers flock to this country's Grampians National Park at the southern terminus of the Great Dividing Range. Gulf Saint Vincent on the southern shores of this country is home to the port of Adelaide, and the (*) Coral Sea on this country's northeast is home to the endangered Great Barrier Reef. A sacred sandstone formation called Uluru is in the "outback" of, for 10 points, what country whose cities include Melbourne and Sydney?
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: Satellites in geostationary orbit are placed directly above this feature and, as a result, don't appear to move in the sky when viewed from the ground. An African country with capital Malabo and a South American country with capital (*) Quito are named for their location on or near this geographical feature. Zero degrees latitude is defined at, for 10 points, what imaginary line that separates the Earth into northern and southern hemispheres?
A: equator
Q: In this city, Danforth and Bloor Streets are connected by the Prince Edward Viaduct. This city's City Hall overlooks Nathan Phillips Square, its country's largest city square. In 2009, this city's CN Tower lost its title as tallest tower in the world. This city, often nicknamed "the (*) Six," lies on the northwest shore of a Great Lake named for its Canadian province. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Ontario and all of Canada.
A: Toronto
Q: Andrew Irvine assisted in discovering "The Northern Approach'' to this task, but was unsuccessful and died. After receiving permission from King Tribhuvan, The Swiss Edouard-Wyss Dunant planned to traverse the(+) Khumbu Icefall in his southern approach to this task. Bill Tillman made another failed attempt at this feat from the city of Darjeeling, but the first successful attempt was conducted by (*) Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary via the North Face. This feat may be accomplished from either Tibet or Nepal. For 10 points, name this feat in which the tallest mountain in the world is ascended.
A: Climbing Mount Everest (Accept Climbing Sagarmatha)
Q: In the southern hemisphere, one ecosystem of this type contains steep koppies surrounded by veld. Fescue is a common plant of this biome that has been severely degraded in the Sahel. Aardvarks and anteaters specialize in feeding from giant termite mounds in this biome. The Eurasian (*) steppe, Pampas, and Serengeti are examples of, for 10 points, what type of ecosystem, home to wildebeest, bison, and zebras, but very few trees?
A: grassland (accept savanna; accept prairie)
Q: Davis's cyclical theory of this process ends with the peneplain. When the Petermann Range of Australia underwent this process, only Ayers Rock remained. The namesake features of Arches National Park resulted from one form of this process, while a different type (*) carves gullies into hillsides. The weathering of rocks begins, for 10 points, what process by which wind and water remove surface material, leaving features like the Grand Canyon behind?
A: erosion (accept any additional information)
Q: Off the southwest coast of this island, the Great Skelling island is home to an abandoned monastery. Port cities on this island include Kinsale and Galway, while Drogheda lies on the River Boyne five miles inland from a sea named for this island. (*) Hibernia was the Latin name for this island, where a political division created a Northern country with capital Belfast. For 10 points, name this "Emerald Isle" that is home to Dublin, east of Great Britain.
A: Ireland (accept Northern Ireland only after "Northern" is read)
Q: note to players: description acceptable. Theodoric the Great performed this feat after defeating Odoacer at Isonzo over the Julian Mountains. Alexander Suvorov also conducted this maneuver through the Panix Pass. That event caused him to be referred to as the Russian variety of another man who completed this task by descending into(+) the Po Valley with his brother. Another man who performed this action went through the Great St. Bernard Pass in the Aosta Valley, which was painted by (*) Jacques-Louis David. The first army to conduct this maneuver was led by Hasdrubal and his brother during the 2nd Punic War. For 10 points, name this militaristic feat in which Napoleon and Hannibal crossed a European mountain range into Italy.
A: Crossing the Alps [Prompt on just "Alps'' or crossing a mountain range]
Q: Millions of pilgrims annually travel to this city's Tepeyac Hill to view a cloth image of the Virgin Mary at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Paseo de la Reforma runs through this city, which sinks about a meter every year due to the drainage of the basin of Lake Texcoco [tesh-koh-koh]. The (*) ancient ruins of Tenochtitlan [teh-nohk-teet-lahn] were replaced by the construction of, for 10 points, what largest North American city, the capital of the southern neighbor of the USA?
A: Mexico City (accept Ciudad de Mexico)
Q: This country's capital city is home to Ancon [an-CONE] Hill, an undeveloped jungle reserve surrounded by urban growth just northeast of the Bridge of the Americas. This country's Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world when it was created in the early (*) 20th century as part of a construction project that the French failed to complete. For 10 points, name this Central American country where a canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
A: Panama (accept Panama Canal)
Q: In 1934, the controversial construction of the Parker Dam on this river required the National Guard to muster the Arizona Navy. The Glen Canyon Dam on this river forms Lake Powell, the second largest man-made reservoir in the US; the largest reservoir, Lake (*) Mead, is also on this river, behind the Hoover Dam. For 10 points, name this river of the American West that flows through the Grand Canyon and starts in the Rocky Mountains of its namesake state.
A: Colorado River
Q: The Down East section of this state includes the cities of Ellsworth and Calais. The city of Kennebunk [pr. Kenny-bunk] in this state is home to the Nature Conservancy Blueberry Barrens. At one point, a city in this state ran a ferry known as "The Cat" to and from (*) Canada. Though not Oregon, Portland is this state's largest seaport and also its most populous city. Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park are popular tourist attractions in this state. For 10 points, name this northernmost New England state with capital at Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: What structures are being described? Nero tried to construct one in Corinth, which was finally built in 1893. Ferdinand de Lesseps built one in north Africa. The longest in the world runs from Beijing to Hangzhou. The Scomenzera, the Cannaregio, and the Giudecca are all examples in Venice.
A: canals
Q: The Farasan Islands, belonging to this country, lie offshore from the city of Jizan in this country. The Hejaz and Asir mountains are located in the western part of this country. The Nejd, in this country, in which the cities of Anaiza and Baraydah lie, is bordered to the south by its overwhelming share of the (*) Rub 'al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter. The King Fahd causeway connects this country to Bahrain. The Zamzam Well is located in this country, which has coastline on both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, along which its main oil producing region lies. For 10 points, identify this Islamic kingdom with its capital at Riyadh, which dominates the Arabian Penninsula.
A: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Q: One river with this name, fed by the Salado River, flows through central Argentina and empties into the ocean south of Bahia Blanca. Another river of this name is the longest to be completely contained within Texas and flows through Austin. A third river with this name flows through (*) Grand Junction and passes by Yuma before entering Mexico. That river flows through the man-made Lake Mead, empties into the Gulf of California, and originates in its namesake state near Boulder. For 10 points, give this name shared by the river that passes through the Grand Canyon and the state with capital Denver.
A: Colorado
Q: This ocean includes the Cocos or Keeling Islands. On another island in this ocean in 2018, John Allen Chau was killed while trying to serve as a missionary to the Sentinelese. This ocean includes the Gulf of (*) Khambhat and the Meghna River delta which are, respectively, part of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal found on opposite sides of the country that shares its name with this ocean. For 10 points, name this ocean between Africa and Australia.
A: Indian Ocean
Q: This state's city of Beaumont near Port Arthur is home to Spindletop, the site of a 1901 discovery that triggered an economic boom. Geologists in this state have a hard time studying its Barnett Shale, a formation with massive (*) natural gas reserves, because it lies underneath a sprawling metroplex that includes Plano and Fort Worth. For 10 points, name this southern US state where the oil industry grew the cities of Dallas and Houston.
A: Texas
Q: The system of aqueducts known as puquios [POO-qi-os] are a feature of a city known by what name? Its surrounding region is one of the most arid places on Earth. A plate of this name lies south of the Cocos plate, and its subduction under the South American plate creates volcanism in the Andes. A desert of this name is famed for its geoglyphs depicting geometric figures and animals including monkeys and hummingbirds.
A: Nazca
Q: This country is home to the Madre de Dios river that runs through the Manu Bioreserve. Important cities in this country include Arequipa and Tacna, both in the Sechura Desert. This country also contains the most inland port of the world, (*) Iquitos. This country's highest point is Nevado Huascaran. One famous religious site in the country contains the Condor Temple. Its chief seaport is the city of Callao. A recent study showed that this country contains the source for the longest river in the world. This country also shares the thehighest navigable body of water at Lake Titicaca. For 10 points, name this South American country home to Machu Picchu, with a capital of Lima.
A: Peru
Q: In this city, Forrest Shreve studied Madrean ("mah-DRAY-in") Sky Islands at a biological laboratory on Tumamoc Hill. A. E. Douglass founded this city's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. Roy Place designed the Spanish Revival Pioneer Hotel in this city, where William Rathje ("RATH-jee") led the Garbage Project. UNESCO recognized it as the US's first "City of Gastronomy" for foods like Mission Garden's tepary beans, bacon-wrapped hot dogs on bolillo buns, and perhaps the original chimichanga. Southeast of this city, elegant trogons and the jaguar El Jefe have frequented the Santa Rita Mountains. This city is named for an O'odham ("AW-tum") term for Sentinel Peak. This city, whose west contains an outdoor museum about the Sonoran Desert, is flanked by Saguaro National Park. For 10 points, what Pima County seat contains the University of Arizona?
A: Tucson [accept Tucson Garbage Project] (The first line is about the Desert Laboratory. The hot dogs are Sonoran hot dogs. The outdoor museum is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.)
Q: The Rusumo Falls are near the source of this river, which goes over the Murchison Falls near Lake Kyoga. The Bahr el Ghazal and the Sobat River are two large tributaries of this river, while one of its branches is the site of the Grand Renaissance Dam. As this river flows through its "Great Bend," it runs through the Six (*) Cataracts, the northernmost of which is the site of the Aswan Low Dam. The "White" and "Blue" branches of this river meet near Khartoum, and its delta stretches from Port Said [sai-EED] to Alexandria. For 10 points, name this longest river in Africa.
A: Nile River (accept White Nile or Blue Nile)
Q: This river may originate at the usually-dry Trewsbury Mead, or at a location known as Seven Springs, which would make this river its country's longest, surpassing the (*) Severn. This river, whose name comes from the Celtic for "dark," is called the Isis where it flows through Oxford. Tower Bridge crosses this river just east of St. Paul's Cathedral. For 10 points, name this English river that flows through London.
A: Thames River
Q: What links the following buildings: the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio; the Sunsphere in Knoxville; the Skyneedle in Brisbane; The Unisphere in New York City; Atomium in Brussels; the Crystal Palace in London; and, in Paris, the Eiffel Tower?
A: built for a World Fair (or any combination of World/International/Universal with Exposition/Expo/Exhibition)
Q: The coastal resort of Provincetown lies on the tip of this state's eastern region, and cities like New Bedford lie on Buzzards Bay in this state's south. Myles Standish State Forest is found in a coastal region of this state, which includes the islands of Chappaquiddick, (*) Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Plymouth Colony was established in what is now, for 10 points, what New England state that borders both Connecticut and Rhode Island?
A: Massachusetts
Q: Philip II expanded this city's Holy Innocents' cemetery, whose overflowing mass graves were later replaced by a series of catacombs. Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Frederic Chopin are buried in this city's (*) P`ere Lachaise [pair la-shez] Cemetery. The oldest eternal flame in Europe is located in this city beneath a structure commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte. The Arc de Triomphe is located in, for 10 points, what capital of France?
A: Paris
Q: A region named for this color is home to Jewel Cave National Monument, west of Custer. A river named for this color flows to Manaus, where it meets the Amazon River. The state of Baden-W¨urttemberg in southwest Germany is home to a large (*) forest named for this color. The cities of Sochi and Yalta lie on the shores of a large sea named for this color that is found between Turkey and Ukraine. For 10 points, name this color that also names the Amazon basin's charcoal-heavy dark soil.
A: black (accept Black Hills; accept Rio Negro; accept Black Forest; accept Black Sea; accept terra preta or black earth)
Q: This mountain range lies above the world's largest rail tunnel, the Gotthard tunnel, which opened in 2016. A subrange of these mountains reaches into Slovenia and is named for Julius Caesar. The Saint Bernard (*) Pass cuts through this mountain range in a ridge between Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc, its two highest peaks. The Matterhorn is in, for 10 points, what European mountain range that is primarily in France, Italy, and Switzerland?
A: the Alps (accept Swiss Alps; accept Julian Alps after "Slovenia" is read; accept French Alps or Italian Alps after those countries are read)
Q: This state's Sawatch Mountains are home to the Collegiate Peaks, including Mount Harvard, Mount Yale, and Mount Oxford. This state's 58 "fourteeners," or mountains with a peak over 14,000 feet, include Mount Elbert, the tallest point in this state, and a mountain named for a man who failed to climb it, (*) Pikes Peak. Greeley, Fort Collins, and Boulder are cities in, for 10 points, what state in the Rocky Mountains that is home to a US Mint in Denver?
A: Colorado
Q: Antelope and Stansbury Islands are the largest islands in this body of water and the Lucin Cutoff runs across it. The three major rivers that feed this body of water are the Bear, Jordan, and Weber Rivers, which all originate in the (*) Uinta Mountain range. A desert with the same name as this body of water was formed from Lake Bonneville deposits. This lake's namesake Valley is surrounded by parts of the Wasatch Range. Large cities near this lake include Orem and Provo. For 10 points, name this large lake in Utah located near its namesake city.
A: Great Salt Lake (prompt on "Salt Lake")
Q: This city is located on the western shore of Guanabara Bay, and this city's Pedro Ernesto Palace now houses its city council rather than a parliament. The majority of this city's slums, which are called favelas, are located in the Tijuca zone. The mountain Corcovado near this city overlooks (*) Sugarloaf Mountain and is home to this city's Christ the Redeemer statue. This city is home to the world's largest soccer stadium, Maracana Stadium, the likely host of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final. For 10 points name this second largest city of Brazil, the host for the 2016 Olympic Games.
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: The Oresund indirectly connects this sea to an ocean, and the Aland Islands lie at the southern end of its northern branch in the Archipelago Sea. It is connected to the Kattegat by the Great and Little Belts, while the Oder River flows into the Bay of Pomerania at its southern end. The city of (*) Gdynia also lies in the south, while the eastern exclave of Kaliningrad provides one country with access to it. This body is connected to another body of water to its west by the Kiel Canal. For 10 points, name this body of water on which Riga and Stockholm lie, a sea with arms known as the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland.
A: Baltic Sea
Q: In this country, Vulcan Point is an island in the crater lake of the Taal Volcano, itself on Volcano Island in Taal Lake, which can be viewed from Tagaytay Ridge. The Chico, Magat, and Ilagan rivers drain into the country's longest river, which empties into the ocean at Babuyan Channel. That river is the Cagayan River. Mount (*) Apo, this country's highest point, is a volcano with a small crater lake. The Visayan Islands, which include Panay, Bohol, and Leyte, lie between the larger islands of Mindanao and Luzon. For 10 points, identify this country whose national languages include a standardized form of Tagalog [tuh-GAA-lug], which has its capital at Manila.
A: Republic of the Philippines
Q: The Broadway Mansions is an old, Art Deco hotel in this city, which is connected by the 20-mile-long Donghai Bridge to the port of Yangshan. Two large spheres are connected vertically by three columns arranged in a triangular shape in this city's Oriental Pearl Tower. The (*) Huangpu River cuts through this city, while the fastest train in the world is a Maglev line connecting this city's Longyang Road Station to its Pudong International Airport. Jiangsu and Zhejiang are cities near, for 10 points, what city on the Yangtze Delta, the most populous in China?
A: Shanghai
Q: One of these systems runs eight hundred miles from Prudhoe Bay to the port town of Valdez, and its revenue is used in a Permanent Fund that gives an annual dividend to residents of (*) Alaska. After his inauguration, President Trump put down the Standing Rock protest of one of these systems, Dakota Access, that threatened sacred land and drinking water. Keystone XL is, for 10 points, what type of construction that transports crude oil over land?
A: oil pipeline (accept crude oil pipes; prompt on descriptions related to "transporting oil;" prompt on "pipe" alone)
Q: This state's second-largest city is home to the BOK Tower, a half-sized replica of the original World Trade Center twin towers designed by the same firm. This state's flagship university is in Norman, a suburb of its largest city. The (*) Choctaw Nation is established in the southeast of this state, which was once labeled Indian Territory. For 10 points, name this central US state that is home to Tulsa and a prominent panhandle north of Texas.
A: Oklahoma
Q: This river passes through Pakse, the capital of the former Kingdom of Champasak. This river originates in the Three Rivers area in the Tibetan Plateau. One of this river's tributaries, the Tonle Sap, changes its course twice a year due to flooding. During late October, the Naga fireballs phenomenon occurs on this river near (*) Nong Khai and Vientiane. This river branches off after leaving Phnom Penh and shortly before entering Vietnam where it forms its delta. For 10 points, name this longest river of Southeast Asia.
A: Mekong River
Q: This body of water contains the Dahlak and Hanish Islands, and it has recently been the site of volcanic activity on the Zubair Group. The Straits of Tiran separate this body of water from the Gulf of Aqaba, on which lies the resort town of Eilat. The Hijaz Mountains separate one country's (*) Nejd plateau from this sea, and that country contains this sea's largest port city, Jeddah. This body lies within the Great Rift Valley, and the Bab-el-Mandeb connects it to the Gulf of Aden, which in turn links this body to the Arabian Sea. For 10 points, name this sea bordered by Egypt and Saudi Arabia that is linked to the Mediterranean Sea by the Suez Canal.
A: Red Sea
Q: This state's Mossy Creek is a famous trout fishing stream. This state is home to the U.S.' oldest sporting competition, which is held at Natural Chimneys Park. The highest point in this state is Mount Rogers and this state borders a series of class 5 and 6 rapids at (*) Great Falls park. This state's Hanover County was the site of the Battle of Cold Harbor and the Battle of Petersburg occurred just south of its capital. This state's northwestern quarter is part of the Piedmont Region and the Blue Ridge Mountains line this state's Shenandoah Valley. For 10 points, name this state located south of Washington D.C. with capital at Richmond.
A: Virginia
Q: In this province, the La Grande River, on which a hydroelection dam was built as part of the James Bay Project, flows from the Nichicun Lake, which lies to the south of the Ungava Bay. The Canadian Shield occupies most of this province in which the (*) Laurentian mountains and the Abitibi region can be found. Cities in this province such as Laval and Sherbrooke lie on the St. Lawrence River. This province lies to the east of Ontario and to the west of Newfoundland. For 10 points, identify this largest and oldest Canadian province in which Montreal is located.
A: Quebec
Q: A river on this continent contained a set of seven cascades known as the Guaira Falls before it was destroyed by the Itaipu [it-EYE-pu] Dam. The boto river dolphins live in the (*) Orinoco River on this continent. The Paran´a River forms the Rio de la Plata when it meets with a river named for one of this continent's twelve countries. For 10 points, name this continent where a massive rainforest surrounds the Amazon River.
A: South America
Q: While working in this region, Leonid Rogozov gave himself an emergency appendectomy. Air New Zealand Flight 901, a sightseeing flight, crashed into the side of this region's Mount Erebus in 1979. This region is divided into sectors controlled by countries like (*) Chile, Australia, and the United States. Ernest Shackleton, Robert Scott, Roald Amundsen used sled dogs and icebreaking ships to explore, for 10 points, what nearly uninhabited continent, the home of the South Pole?
A: Antarctica (accept Novolazarevskaya Station before "Air New Zealand" is read; anti-prompt on "South Pole" by asking "can you be less specific?")
Q: Taiwan claims Tuva and other lands located in the southern portion of this region, while this region's deepest lake is divided into three basins by underwater ridges. The Lena River in this region eventually flows into the Laptev Sea. The Sea of Okhotsk is surrounded by this region's (*) Kamchatka Peninsula. The longest railway in this region ends in Vladivostok, and Lake Baikal is located here. Forest and tundra cover this region usually defined as being east of the Ural Mountains. For 10 points, name this cold eastern region of Russia.
A: Siberia (accept Russia before region is said; prompt on "Russia" after that)
Q: For eight centuries, the Wieliczka Mine [VEE-ah-LEECH-kah Mine] in Poland supplied this substance to Europe, and by 2030, half of Vietnam's farmland may be ruined by an intrusion of it. Domes of this substance are often drilled to access trapped oil. (*) Halite is the mineral form of this substance found in large amounts in both the Bonneville Flats and Dead Sea. For 10 points, name this substance with an average concentration of 3.5% in seawater, whose chemical name is sodium chloride.
A: salt (accept NaCl or sodium chloride before "sodium chloride" is read)
Q: A western division of this nation is known for its mangoes and is the namesake of its most populous city, Rajshahi. This country contains the majority of the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest, which is home to a unique species of (*) "tiger." One region in this country contains hill tracts named for the port city of Chittagong. The majority of this nation consists of a delta formed by the confluence of the Padma and Meghna Rivers, which meet at the bay directly south of this nation. For 10 points, name this South-Asian nation with capital at Dhaka that is located to the east of India.
A: People's Republic of Bangladesh
Q: The city of Pereira in this country is located in the western part of this nation and serves as the capital of the state of Risaralda. The longest river in this country runs north from the Cordillera Central; that river is the Rio Magdalena. A popular beach resort in this country is the Caribbean city of (*) Cartagena (carta-henna). At one point, drug trafficking in this country was centered in the cities of Cali and Medellin (medi-yeen). For 10 points, name this South American nation which borders Panama and has capital at Bogota.
A: Republic of Colombia (or Republica de Colombia)
Q: This city's Yarra Trams claims it has the largest tram network in the world, while its busiest metro station is the Flinders Street Station. This city's Royal Exhibition Building hosted the Centennial International Exhibition and the opening of its country's first Parliament. This city's Albert Park is home to a Formula 1 street circuit, and this host of the (*) 1956 Summer Olympics also hosts an event in tennis's Grand Slam. This city of Port Phillip Bay is the capital of Victoria. For 10 points, name this second-most-populous city in Australia.
A: Melbourne
Q: The Umba Valley in this nation is the only place in the world where Umba sapphires can be found. A significant anthropological site in this country is the Olduvai Gorge, where researchers have found early human skeletons. This country's Arusha region is home to the (*) Ngorongoro Crater. The western part of this nation is divided from the Democratic Republic of Congo by part of Lake Tanganyika. Lions, African elephants, and Black Rhinoceros can be found in this country's Serengeti National Park. For 10 points, name this East African nation with capital at Dodoma and home to Mount Kilimanjaro.
A: United Republic of Tanzania (or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania)
Q: One of these construction projects required moving the temples of Abu Simbel. In 2017, the spillways at a 770 foot tall one of these projects named Oroville nearly failed, requiring evacuations along the Feather River. The baiji (*) dolphin went extinct in Hubei province after one of these projects, named Three Gorges, was built. For 10 points, name this type of structure that generates hydroelectric power and holds back immense amounts of water.
A: dams (prompt on descriptions of (hydroelectric) power plants, stations, etc. before "hydroelectric" is read)
Q: A waterway named for this location is the longest undammed river in the contiguous United States. This location's Lake Isa straddles the continental divide, and its Obsidian Cliff was used for tool making by ancient Native Americans. This World Heritage Site sits above North America's largest (*) active supervolcano. Grand Prismatic Spring and the Old Faithful geyser are in, for 10 points, what first US National Park found mostly in Wyoming?
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: In 1846, this country's city of Angostura changed its name to Ciudad Bolivar. The ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curac¸ao [koo-rah-sah-oh] are just north of this mainland country, a little east of the opening to Lake Maracaibo. The (*) Orinoco River flows through this country into the Atlantic Ocean just northwest of Guyana. For 10 points, name this South American country, found east of Colombia, whose capital city is Caracas.
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Q: This river empties into the Atlantic Ocean from Banana after traveling in a counterclockwise arc. A series of 32 cataracts, including Inga Falls, makes much of this river unnavigable. The Lualaba and Chambeshi Rivers are two major tributaries of this (*) second-longest river on its continent. The capital cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa are on, for 10 points, what African river that shares its name with both those cities'home countries, a Republic and a Democratic Republic?
A: Congo River
Q: John Wesley Powell explored this river's rapids on an 1869 expedition that began on the Green River. The Gila [hee-la] River flows into this river near Yuma, shortly before this river flows into the Gulf of California. This river's water forms Lake (*) Mead behind the Hoover Dam, which powers much of Arizona. For 10 points, name this river that flows through the Grand Canyon and is named for its source state in the Rocky Mountains.
A: Colorado River (accept Green River before it is read)
Q: This body of water is plagued with Karenia brevis, which caused a massive red algae bloom in August 2018. Ixtoc I [ish-tok "one"], an underwater rig in this body of water's Bay of (*) Campeche, blew out in 1979. Thirty-one years later, that disaster was surpassed at this gulf's Macondo Prospect, where the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded. The Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba, and Florida lie along the edge of, for 10 points, what large gulf south of the United States?
A: Gulf of Mexico (accept Mexico alone after "this gulf" is read)
Q: The first "cultural landscape" to be included in the World Heritage List, the Banaue Rice Terraces, are in what island's province of Ifugao? In 1991 it was the site of the second largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century, produced by Mount Pinatubo, and it contains more than half of the population of the Philippines.
A: Luzon
Q: What city's namesake Economic and Technological Development Zone was established in 1984? Together with the Nansha Export Processing Zone, it forms a major hub for chemical, textile, and other light industry. This city holds the China Import and Export Fair, formerly known as Canton Fair, every April and October, and it is a crucial port for trade with Hong Kong due to its location on the Pearl River delta.
A: Guangzhou (accept Canton before mentioned)
Q: Which sport, represented at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics, and continuously since Nagano 1998, has had its world championships dominated by Canadians, who have won 36 of the 60 men's titles and 17 of the 40 women's? Trefor in Gwynedd and Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde are the only places where the granite used in it is quarried.
A: curling
Q: At 124 feet, this state's Decker Towers is the shortest building to be the tallest in its state. St. Johnsbury is the largest town in this state's "Northeast Kingdom," which includes the counties of Caledonia, Orleans, and Essex. The Trapp Family Lodge is a resort near Mt. Mansfield in this state's town of (*) Stowe. Mt. Killington is a popular ski spot just east of Rutland in this state. The Connecticut River forms much of the eastern border of this state, while Lake Champlain is on its western border. The Green Mountains dominate, for 10 points, what state with cities Montpelier and Burlington?
A: Vermont
Q: While not Greece, this island contains a Mount Ossa, which lies within its Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. It governs Macquarie Island, and Wollongong lies on a large sea to its northwest with a very similar name. This island's second largest city is (*) Launceston and it was originally named for its discoverer's financier, Anthony van Diemen. Lying within the Roaring Forties, it is separated from a much larger landmass to its north by the Bass Strait. For 10 points, name this island south of the Australian state of Victoria with capital at Hobart, known for its namesake "devils."
A: Tasmania
Q: This region is paralleled below ground by the andesite line. Its southernmost active site is Mt. Erebus, and subduction of the Juan de Fuca and Nazca plates powers its eastern zone. Both the 1964 Good Friday and 2011 Tohoku (*) quakes occurred in this region, whose Mount Pinatubo and Mount Saint Helens have experienced powerful eruptions. For 10 points, name this geologically active region that contains 75% of Earth's volcanoes and follows the rough outline of the Pacific Ocean.
A: Ring of Fire (accept Circum-Pacific Belt; prompt on "Pacific Rim")
Q: It's not in Africa, but this country has a population of wild hippos following the closure of a private zoo. This country's highest point is Pico Cristobal Colon, though the neighboring Pico Simon Bolivar is just a few feet shorter. This country's portion of the (*) Andes Mountains is divided into the Cordillera Occidental, the Cordillera Oriental, and the Cordillera Central, and its Guajira Peninsula includes the northernmost point in South America. The Magdalena River enters the Caribbean Sea at this country's port of Barranquilla, just northeast of Cartagena. For 10 points, name this country with capital Bogota.
A: Republic of Colombia
Q: This province contains both Mount Kitchener and the Snow Dome which lie in its Jasper National Park, bordering on Canada's Banff National Park. It also contains the southern half of Slave River which runs through its largest lake, Lake (*) Athabasca. That lake along with Peace River and Coal Lake are home to this province's vast oil sands. The only U.S. state it borders is Montana, and it also borders Saskatchewan to the east and British Columbia to the west. For 10 points, name this province home to Calgary with capital Edmonton.
A: Alberta
Q: Every month, this country and an eastern neighbor convene the Locust Warning Organization. A cluster of 135 firms in this country's northeast makes most of the world's soccer balls. A steel magnate who led this country toasted its "sweeter than honey" relations with its larger "iron brother" since 1950, which includes military access to the satnav system BDS. A highway reconstruction in this country's north created a series of "friendship tunnels." This country negotiated the import of 300,000 metric tons of Russian wheat after August 2022 floods. An economic corridor that links China to this country developed its deep-sea port in the former Omani exclave of Gwadar, Balochistan. For 10 points, name this nuclear-armed state led by Shehbaz Sharif after a 2022 constitutional crisis ousted Imran Khan.
A: Pakistan [or Islamic Republic of Pakistan or Islami Jumhuriyah Pakistan; accept China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] (The soccer balls are produced in Sialkot. The steel magnate is Nawaz Sharif, brother of the current PM. The satnav system is Beidou. The highway is the Karakoram Highway.)
Q: This city's land includes Stonecutters Island, which is now connected to the Kowloon Peninsula. This city's 118-story-tall International Commerce Center and Bank of China Tower are among its over 300 skyscrapers, the most in any city in the world. This city, officially a (*) Special Administrative Region, separated from its colonizers two years before its neighbor, the former Portuguese colony of Macau. In 1997, the British gave up control of, for 10 points, what very densely populated Chinese city?
A: Hong Kong
Q: Which river was dammed in 1959 to create the world's largest man made reservoir, Lake Kariba, with a surface area of over five and a half thousand square kilometres? Forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the river is also home to what locals call "the smoke that thunders", also known by the name given to it by David Livingstone, Victoria Falls.
A: Zambezi
Q: This river, which has a primary source near Brower's Spring, has fed the reservoir Lake Sakakawea since the construction of the Garrison Dam. The Great Falls of this river include the Black Eagle and Rainbow Falls, which lies downstream from the confluence of the Jefferson and (*) Madison Rivers. It begins at Three Forks and passes Council Bluffs before receiving its largest tributary, the Platte. The Big Sioux River is another tributary, and the Heart River joins it in Billings County. It runs from the Rocky Mountains to St. Louis. For 10 points, name this longest American river, a tributary of the Mississippi that shares its name with a U.S. state.
A: Missouri River
Q: Entrance of military vessels into this body of water was restricted by the Montreux Convention of 1936. The Bug, Don, and Dneiper rivers drain into this body of water, which the Kerch Strait connects to the Sea of (*) Azov. The Crimean Peninsula has coastline on the Sea of Azov and this body of water. This sea is connected by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardenelles, which together compromise the Turkish Straits, to the Aegean Sea. For 10 points, identify this sea which receives the Danube and is bordered by countries including Ukraine, Russia, Romania, and Georgia.
A: Black Sea
Q: Known to the Chinese as the North Sea, this body of water was examined starting in June 2008 by the Mir-1 and Mir-2 submersibles. The largest island in this body of water, inhabited mostly by Buryats, is Olkhon. The town of Severobaykalsk, located on the northern shore of this lake, is the starting point of a railroad running from the lake to the Amur River. Fed by hundreds of inflowing rivers, its only outlet is the Angara River. Located at the bottom of a five-mile-deep continental rift, it contains roughly twenty percent of the world's surface fresh water. For 10 points, name this Russian lake, the deepest in the world.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: The snorkeling "Fantastic Grandmothers" found sea snakes in this territory's Baie des Citrons. This territory's Pindai Caves held fossils of birds like Sylviornis, the pile-builder megapode, and the kagu. A September 24th "Citizenship Day" celebrates the 1853 annexation of this territory, whose huts topped with fleches faitieres ("flesh fet-YAIRS") inspired Renzo Piano's Jean-Marie Tjibaou ("chee-BAO") Cultural Centre. The type site of the Lapita culture is in this nickel-exporting archipelago, whose penal colony held Communards like Louise Michel and the Kabyle ("kah-BEEL") "Algerians of the Pacific." This sui generis collectivity is home to intelligent qua-qua crows and the Kanak people, who boycotted its 2021 independence referendum under the Noumea ("noo-MAY-uh") Accord. For 10 points, what overseas French territory in Melanesia is named for a Latin term for Scotland?
A: New Caledonia [or Nouvelle-Caledonie; accept New Caledonian crow; accept Grande Terre; accept Loyalty Islands or Iles Loyaute; accept Chesterfield Islands or Iles Chesterfield; accept Belep archipelago; accept Isle of Pines or Ile des Pins or Kunyie]
Q: This country contains the Wadden Sea National Parks, which are named after an intertidal zone on its northwestern border. Its administrative regions are known as Gemeinden, Landkreise, and Lander, in increasing size. One region in this country located across a major river valley from the Vosges Mountains is the Black Forest. One port city located in this country is Kiel, while the spa city of Aachen is located on its western border. For 10 points, name this European country, bordered by the Oder and Rhine rivers and divided into East and West sections for much of the 20th century, with capital at Berlin.
A: Germany
Q: The Meeting of Waters, located in Manaus, is the confluence between this river and the largest blackwater river in the world. Not a single bridge crosses this river, although the cities of Santarem and Iquitos are situated on it. One of its tributaries was discovered by Theodore Roosevelt in 1913 and is now called the Rio Teodoro, while it was first navigated in 1515 by Vicente Pinzon. Its source, marked only by a wooden cross, is the Apacheto cliff in Peru, and the natural Casiquiare canal links its basin with that of the Orinoco river. For 10 points, name this river, which contains one-fifth of the world's total river flow and is the longest river in South America.
A: Amazon river
Q: In 2019, the Maltese embassy to this country banned further graffiti on the Lennon Wall in this country's capital. In this country, the bones of thousands of individuals have been used to build decorations for the Sedlec Ossuary near the city of Kutna Hora. Cesky Krumlov is a historic city on the (*) Vltava River in this country. St. Vitus Cathedral is in a large castle complex in the capital of this country; that capital also contains Frank Gehry's Dancing House, Wenceslas Square, and the Charles Bridge. For 10 points, name this country with regions Moravia and Bohemia, and capital Prague.
A: Czechia (or Czech Republic)
Q: The western end of this body of water is bounded by Cape Spartel and the Alboran Sea, while it is marked to the northeast by Kum Kale and Cape Helles. The deepest recorded point in this body is southwest of Pylos and is the Calypso Deep. Palma is the capital of the (*) autonomous archipelago known as the Balearic Islands that lies at its western end. The Aeolian Islands are located in the central Tyrrhenian Sea, a constituent of this sea. Its port cities include Tunis, Tangiers, and Tripoli. For 10 points, name this sea that is connected to the Black Sea by the Sea of Marmara and to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar.
A: Mediterranean Sea [Accept "Eurafrican" or "European" Mediterranean Sea; prompt on Mare Nostrum]
Q: The Mahaweli River supplies this nation with about 40% of it electricity before flowing into the Trimcomalee Bay. The tallest peak on this nation is Pidurutalagala, known as Mt. Pedro by English-speakers. Its Wilpattu National Park lies along the Gulf of Mannar, a portion of the Laccadive Sea to its west. The northern portion of this (*) island contains the Jaffna peninsula, which is separated by the Palk Strait from a larger northern neighbor. Its current capital is often referred to as Kotte and this nation was formerly known as Ceylon. For 10 points, name this country with current commercial capital at Colombo that is to the direct south of India.
A: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka [prompt on Ceylon before mention]
Q: A subset of this mountain range contains the Irgiz River and is the Mugodzhar Hills. The indigenous people living in its vicinity are called the Bashkirs. This mountain range has five distinct parts: the Polar, Nether-Polar, Northern, Central, and Southern regions. Rivers that originate in this range include the Vishera, Chusovaya, and (*) Belaya. It stretches about 1,600 miles, with its northern boundary being Novaya Zemlya and its highest peak being Mount Narodnaya. This range's namesake river drains into the Caspian Sea, as do the Ob and Kama. For 10 points, name this mountain range that divides Europe and Asia.
A: Ural Mountains [or Urals]
Q: In 1879, the British began bringing Indian laborers to this country to produce sugar, and when it gained independence from Britain in 1970, the Indians outnumbered the native population. This country consists of over 800 islands and islets, such as Moala, Gau, and Kadavu, but only about 110 of them are inhabited. The Koro Sea is enclosed by the islands of this country. This country lies just to the west of Tonga, to the east of Vanuatu, and to the south of Tuvalu, and over 70% of its population lives on its two largest islands, Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. For 10 points, name this South Pacific island country with capital at Suva.
A: Fiji
Q: An early tourism boom in this mountain range occurred after the death of the Willey family in an 1826 landslide. The first aerial tram and first mountain cog railway in the U.S. both ascend peaks in this range. I-93 becomes the only Interstate to have only two lanes while passing through this range's Franconia Notch. This range contains summits called "four-thousand footers," one of which has notoriously bad weather, holding the record for the highest (*) wind speed observed by man. A granite formation in this range that resembled a face collapsed in 2003. This range was home to the Old Man of the Mountain, and its highest peak is Mount Washington. For 10 points, name this mountain range in New Hampshire.
A: White Mountains [accept Presidential Range; prompt on Appalachian Mountains]
Q: This location was made into a province containing three cantons by Guillermo Rodriguez Lara, although only five of its islands are inhabited. This archipelago's capital of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno lies on the island of San Cristobal. Its largest island was formed by the merging of six volcanoes into a single land mass. That island, (*) Isabela Island, is home to the only penguins north of the equator. Modern conservation efforts in this chain include the movement of a population of land iguanas from South Seymour to North Seymour Island. For 10 points name this Ecuadorian archipelago known for its giant tortoises and Darwin's finches.
A: Galapagos Islands [accept Islas de Colon]
Q: Towns in this region include Tshane and Orapa, and the Morokweng crater is located underground in it. Flamingos are known to flock to the Makgadikgadi Pan, which is located in this area's namesake basin, and Chief's Island is part of the world's largest inland delta located in this region. Gemsbok National Park is part of its Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, which contains the dry Nossob riverbed, and this place also contains the Omuramba. Its only permanent river is the Okavango, and it contains native populations like the Khoikhoi and San bushmen. For 10 points, identify this African desert covering parts of Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana.
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: What word connects: a distribution that is zero at all but one point, but has integral one; the Australian singer of Born to Try and Lost Without You; a geographical feature that links Marajo island in Brazil and the city of Naucratis in Egypt; a 1986 film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin; an airline based in Atlanta, Georgia; and in the NATO phonetic alphabet, the word for "d"?
A: delta (Dirac delta, Delta Goodrem, river delta, Delta Force)
Q: The Western States Endurance Run begins at a ski resort in this mountain range that hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. The Tuolumne River and Hetch Hetchy Valley are in a National Park in this mountain range, and the General Grant tree is in its (*) Kings Canyon. The Truckee River flows from this mountain range to Pyramid Lake, and this range is also drained by the San Joaquin River. Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, and the highest peak in the contiguous United States, Mt. Whitney, are in, for 10 points, what California mountain range?
A: Sierra Nevada
Q: This island's Neiba Valley lies between Sierra de Neiba and Sierra de Bahoruco, also called the Massif de la Selle. The Cul-de-Sac Plain contains this island's largest lake, Saumre lake, while this island's Cordillera contains La Pelona, La Rucilla, Pico Yaque, and Pico Duarte, the highest point in the (*) Caribbean. The Mona and Windward Passages lie off the east and west tips of this island, while La Navidad and La Isabela were settlements founded on this island by Christopher Columbus. The second-largest of the Greater Antilles, for 10 points, name this Caribbean island which contains the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
A: Hispaniola
Q: A monument in this country's town of Floriana honors its postwar child emigrants, whom the Christian Brothers abused in Australia. The 1980 movie set of "Sweethaven" became this country's Popeye Village. It's not Saudi Arabia or Morocco, but the author of the 15th-century poem Il-Kantilena lived in this country's "silent city" of Mdina near Rabat. Since 2020 due diligence measures, this country only offers "exceptional investors" who obtain residency its "golden passports." This country's Xagħra ("SHAH-ra") Stone Circle and two "megalithic temples" stand northwest of Comino on the island of Gozo. This country's national language, whose Latin script includes the letter "H with stroke," is a Semitic tongue derived from Siculo-Arabic. For 10 points, the father of Pete Buttigieg emigrated from what Mediterranean island country south of Sicily?
A: Malta [or Republic of Malta or Repubblika ta' Malta; accept Maltese language or L-Ilsien Malti or Il-Lingwa Maltija] (Pietru Caxaro wrote Il-Kantilena.)
Q: In a former swampland, once called Lake Merom, in the Hula valley this river is formed from the combination of the Hasbani, Dan, and Baniyas streams of Mount Hermon. En route to its terminus it receives the tributaries Yabis and Harod and spreads out in a plain known as Ghor. Earlier in its course it had received its principal tributaries the Jabbok and Yarmuk after flowing out of the Sea of Galilee. For 10 points name this river which empties into the Dead Sea and forms part of the boundaries of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, who currently occupies its West Bank.
A: Jordan River
Q: Some of their most notable features include the Sierra de Tramuntana Mountains, the Cala Saona and the S'Albufera d'es Grau wetlands. The archipelago of Cabrera is a national maritime territorial park, and other members include Formentera. Their two major languages are Catalan and Castilian, which are spoken on such locales as . For 10 points, name this Mediterranean island group, whose other islands include and .
A:
Q: To the north of this nation's Cape Regina lie the Three Kings Islands. Its Stewart Island lies across the Foveaux Strait, and it also has claims to the Ross Dependency of Antarctica. This nation's Canterbury Plains run parallel to where the Pacific Plate and the (*) Indo-Australian Plate collide to form its longest mountain range, the Southern Alps. Both of these are located on the larger of this nation's two main islands, South Island. For 10 points, name this island nation home to the cities of Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington.
A: New Zealand
Q: Name the state from cities, 30-20-10. 30: Rexburg, Grangeville, Kooskia, Lava 20: , , , 10:
A:
Q: Features along the upper section of this river include Kinbasket Lake and the cities of Golden and Invermere. The Potholes Reservoir is located in this river's basin. Lake Umatilla is formed in this river by the John Day Dam, which lies just east of The Dalles. One of this river's tributaries is called the "Mult-no-mah River" on William Clark's map of the Lewis and Clark expedition, though that tributary is today known as the Willamette. This river's largest tributary, which flows through Hell's Canyon, is the Snake. For 10 points, name this river which flows into the Pacific Ocean in the northwest United States and forms the western part of the boundary between Washington and Oregon.
A: Columbia River
Q: Oscar Eckenstein's 1902 expedition, Charles Houston's 1938 expedition, and Fritz Wiessner's 1939 expedition all marked failed attempts at the first full ascent of this mountain. Finally, an expedition led by Ardito Desio in 1954 saw the Italians Lacedelli and Compagnoni become the first people to reach its summit. Today, the most common route for climbers is the Abruzzi Spur on its side, though routes also exist on its side in . Also known as Godwin-Austen, For 10 points, name this tallest peak in the and second highest mountain in the world.
A: or Chogori (accept early buzz of "Mount Godwin-Austen")
Q: The last Soviet republic to declare independence, this country's largest political party is the Nur Otan. The world's oldest space launch facility, Baikonur Cosmodrome, is located in this country north of the Syr Darya river. This country also contains the Soviet Union's primary nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk. Its capital was moved to its current location from Almaty in 1997, and its largest lake is Lake Balkhash. It has nearly 2000 kilometers of shoreline along the east side of the Caspian Sea, and it is bordered by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. For 10 points, name this central Asian nation with capital at Astana, the world's largest land-locked country.
A: Republic of Kazakhstan
Q: Its delta names a state with capital at Tucupita, and it forms the beaches of San Fernando de Atabapo. The Ature and Maipures cataracts divide this river, which contains the . The biggest waterfall in its upper portion is called Salto Libertador, while it is connected to the Amazon via the Casiquiare and Esmerelda, which form the . It flows from Delgado Chalbaud mountain to the Delta Amacuro into the Gulf of Paria, and to its south is the plateau Auyantepui, which features the highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls. Flowing through the Llanos and forming part of the border with , for 10 points, identify this chief .
A:
Q: The peak of Mt. Chimborazo in this mountain range is the farthest point on Earth's surface from the center of Earth, and Tupungato and Cotopaxi are volcanoes found in this mountain range. Ojos del Salado, the world's highest active volcano, is located here, and the Altiplano plateau is the world's second highest plateau. Cities such as Arequippa and Medellin can be found in other plateaus in this mountain range, and Mendoza is a frequent stop for climbers of Aconcagua. For 10 points, identify longest continental mountain range on Earth, stretching from Colombia and Venezuela to Chile and Argentina.
A: the Andes
Q: The Ai-Todor Cape into this body of water has the Roman ruins of Charax and a neo-Gothic castle called the Swallow's Nest, while the southern part of this body has the Cape Ince featuring the city Sinop. One inlet of it is the Gulf of Karkinitsk, which lies alongside the Isthmus of Perekop, the site of a fortress significant for defense in the 18th century. The Kerch Strait connects this body of water to a smaller body while the Sea of Marmara is connected to it by a famous strait. Respectively, these are the Sea of Azov and the Bosporus strait, which flows through Istanbul on the southwest corner of this body of water. For 10 points, identify this inland sea surrounding the Crimean peninsula, lying to the north of Turkey.
A: Black Sea
Q: The Ouaddai region in the east of this country has capital at Abeche, and this country's largest and northern-most region, Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, contains Emi Koussi in the Tibesti mountains. The legendary Sao empire ruled this present-day country which contains the Bongor region, and other cities in this country include Sarh and Moundou. The Kanem region is north of a feature supplied by the Chari and Logone rivers, and that lake has been negatively affected by irrigation in the region. For 10 points, name this African country, bordered on the east by the Sudan, whose capital is N'Djamena and which shares its name with a shrinking lake.
A: Republic of Chad [or Republique du Tchad]
Q: This state's Mount Equinox is the highest point of the Taconic Mountains, and the statewide highest point, known as "the Chin", is on Mount Mansfield. Its largest city is smaller than that of any other state, and is located in Chittenden County, which is named after its governor from when it was an independent republic. Its northwest border is created by a body of water which contains Isle la Motte and drains into the Richelieu River. Its eastern border is the Connecticut River, and its shore with Lake Champlain contains Burlington. For 10 points, identify this New England state which contains the Green Mountains and has a capital at Montpelier.
A: Vermont
Q: The Drake Passage separates the South Shetland Islands of this landmass and Hornos Island of a nearby landmass. Seas that border it include Scotia Sea and Bellingshausen Sea. Part of the landmass is named Queen Maud Land, and that is bordered by the Weddell Sea. The Ellsworth mountain range contains the largest mountains on this continent. Several features of the continent are named after Amundsen including a bordering sea and an ice shelf. For 10 points, this is what continent notable for having penguins and the South Pole.
A: Antartica
Q: A member of this species was found buried in the fetal position and soil analysis showed that it had been buried with medicinal flowers. In addition to that "Flower burial," nine of their skeletons were found at Shanidar, a site in northeast Iraq. The "Quina" culture of stone-tool making is a subset of this species' Mousterian style of flint-knapping, and it gave way to the Chatelperronian culture. Another fossil of this species known as "the Old Man" was found in Chapelle-aux-Saints France, and other notable finds occurred at La Ferrassie and Le Moustier. For 10 points, name this subspecies of the Homo genus with a distinctly heavy brow that coexisted with Homo sapiens and are named after a German valley.
A: Homo sapiens neanderthalensis
Q: Though it's not in the United States, just off of this region's eastern tip is a land mass known as Staten Island. The only city along National Route 3 between this region's two largest cities was founded in 1972 and is called Tolhuin. At over 8,000 feet, its tallest point is Mount Darwin, and it contains two regional capitals, its largest city, Ushuaia, and Punto Arenas. Its town of Puerto Toro is the world's southernmost and it is separated from a continental mainland by the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, name this archipelago shared between Chile and Argentina at the southernmost tip of South America whose name stems from the many fires that its Western discoverer saw from sea.
A: Tierra del Fuego [accept Land of Fire]
Q: About two-thirds of the way through its course it receives the on its left and joins the . Early on it divides at La Esmeralda, and one of its arms, the , flows southward. After it rises in the , it follows a course resembling a reverse C and goes through the plains known as the Llanos [YA-nose] before entering the . For 10 points, name this South American river that flows mostly through .
A:
Q: This country's political parties include the Marematlou Freedom Party and the Batho Democratic Party, and its district capitals are known as camptowns. This country is currently cooperating with its neighbor to provide hydroelectric power and water through its Highlands Water Project. Its lowest point is the highest in the world, while its highest point, Thabana Ntlenyana, is located in the Drakensberg range. Its international airport is named after Moshoeshoe (mo-shway-shway), who signed a treaty with the British that created this country's predecessor, Basutoland. For 10 points, name this country completely surrounded by South Africa, with capital at Maseru.
A: Lesotho
Q: Its name is derived from the Turkic for "island", referring to its position as a remote outpost of water in a sea of desert. Its Barsa-Kelmes island houses an important nature reserve and this body of water is now divided into a small northern "lake" and a large southern one, but this was not the case before cotton production began diverting river water in the 1960's. It is fed by the and and is shared by and . For 10 points, name this rapidly-shrinking Central Asian lake.
A:
Q: A 2002 volcanic eruption near the city of Goma poisoned this nation's Lake Kivu. One southern province contains abundant cobalt and copper reserves, and includes cities near the Lualaba River such as Likasi, Kolwezi, and Lubumbashi. That province, (*) Katanga, borders a large rift lake to the east, while Lakes Albert and Edward lie on the nation's eastern border. Its only access to the ocean is to the west. A river that shares its name separates it from the capital of a similarly named nation, Brazzaville. For 10 points, name this second-largest state in Africa that borders nine other nations including Angola and Zambia, with capital at Kinshasa.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [accept DRC or RDC; prompt on Zaire or Congo; accept Congo-Kinshasa before the last word, prompt on it afterward; do not accept "Republic of the Congo" or "Congo-Brazzaville"]
Q: This river receives constant flow from Eagle Creek and passes through Duncan Valley, while its major tributary passes through the Granite Reef Diversion Dam. It forms the southern boundary of the Needle's Eye Wilderness region, and it flows just north of Mount Graham as it passes through such towns as Glendale and Hayden, and bigger towns like Florence and Safford. It originates near the Mogollon Mountains and its upper portion contains the San Carlos Reservoir, though its most crucial tributary is the Salt River. More notably, it flows past the Coolidge Dam and empties into the Colorado River near Yuma. For 10 points, name this river in Arizona, along which one might find a native lizard known as its namesake "monster."
A: Gila River
Q: This body of water, which is home to a namesake bull shark, is fed on the far south by the Camastro and Tule Rivers which descend from the Yolaina mountain range. Its southern extension also contains the Solentiname Archipelago, which was the birthplace of a primitivist art movement and has a hotel on its island of Mancaron. Its chief port is Granada and this body's central portion is dominated by Ometepe Island, home to twin volcanoes. To its west lies the Isthmus of Rivas. Sometimes called the "sweet sea," it is connected by the San Juan River to the open sea, but more famously the Tipitapa River flows into it on the north and connects it to another major lake. For 10 points, name this largest lake in Central America, which shares its name with the nation that also features Lake Managua.
A: Lake Nicaragua (or Lake Cocibolca)
Q: This nation contains the scenic Lake Bled and its port can be entered through the Muda Gate, while its largest city is home to the Ursuline Church. Its most important river arises in the Zelenci Springs in the midst of the Planica Valley. This nation is connected to the country on its north by the Karawanken Tunnel, which crosses mountains of the same name in its north. The Aljaz Tower is a national symbol standing on its highest peak, Triglav, located within a national park. Its important cities include the very old Ptuj, the seaside resort Portoroz, and the commercial port Koper. It also contains the historical region of Carniola and its second largest city, Maribor, is on the Drava River, though its major river is the Sava River. For 10 points, name this small country north of Croatia with its capital at Ljubliana.
A: Republic of Slovenia
Q: This nation is home to submerged caverns known as the "Fire Caves," an important site of early human development discovered in 1986 by two scuba divers investigating a local legend of a house beneath the sea. This occurred on its island of Nanumaga, while the village of Asau lies on this nation's largest island Vaitupu. It was rediscovered in 1819 by Captain Arent de Peyster on board his ship the Rebecca; Peyster dubbed this nation the Ellice Islands in honor of that ship's owner. In 1974, it elected to separate from the Gilbert Islands which later became Kiribati. Consisting of five atolls and four reef islands, its only urban center is at Vaiaku and it sits north of the Fiji Islands. For 10 points, name this really small nation of Polynesia with its capital at Funafuti.
A: Tuvalu
Q: This country's major weekly newspaper is the Ubumwe, which is published in the Kirundi language. The country's National Museum is located in its former capital, Gitega, which is one of the only cities with electricity. One of the only lowland areas in this nation is the plain of the Ruzizi River, while much of its southern border is formed by the Malagarazi River. It is separated from its neighbor to the north by the Ruwa, Kanjaru, and Kagera rivers, the last of which is one of the southernmost sources of the Nile. First settled by a pygmy tribe known as the Twa, it is now inhabited by two principal ethnic groups, a Hamitic and a Bantu people. For 10 points, name this landlocked African nation bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Rwanda, whose capital is at Bujumbura.
A: Burundi
Q: The 300-mile-wide Wilkes Land Crater is located on this landmass, and the ANSMET mission has found meteorites in this landmass hypothesized to be from Mars. The highest point on this landmass, located in the Ellsworth Mountains, is the 16,050-foot-tall Vinson Massif. This landmass was explored by Ernest Shackleton in the early 1900s. Its largest population center is McMurdo Station, near the Ross Ice Shelf. For 10 points, name this landmass known for its native penguin population, the southernmost continent and the location of the South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: This country's former capital is home to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, which itself houses a famous Black Madonna. That city, Cartago, sits at the base of an active volcano, Mount Irazu. The eastern portion of the country is dominated by the enormous Chirripo and La Amistad national parks. Half of its people live in the Meseta Central, where cities in the orbit of its capital include Heredia and Alajuela. Two mountain ranges, the Talamanca and Volcanica, run the length of the country, while the Papagayo and Nicoya bays are created by the Guancaste and Osa peninsulas, which jut west into the Pacific. For 10 points, identify this country which is known for lacking a military, a Central American nation which borders on Nicaragua and Panama and whose capital is at San Jose.
A: Republic of Costa Rica (or Republica de Costa Rica)
Q: From 1933-1934 and 1944-1946, this region was briefly independent under the leadership of Hoja Niyaz Hadji and Alikhan Tore. The forgeries of Islam Akhun about this region were exposed by the explorer Aurel Stein, and Paul Pelliot explored this region, finding the manuscript trove at the Cave of the Thousand Buddhas. The source of the Ili River, cities in this region include Yarkand and Aksu, and the mountain known as Pik Pobedy in one language is the highest in this area. The A-erh-chin Mountains are located in here, along with the Dsungarian and Tarim Basins, the Turfan Depression, and the Taklamakan desert. Dominated by trading cities such as Khotan, Kashgar, and Turfan and by the Uyghur people, For 10 points, name this region bordered by Gansu and Tibet, the largest political unit in China with its capital at Urumqi.
A: Uygur Autonomous Republic of Xinjiang or Sinkiang or East Turkestan
Q: The oldest section of this city is founded on two medieval towns, a religious settlement known as Kaptol and a walled region known as Gric. Those two towns combined in the 19th century when this city began to grow on the Sava floodplain, after starting out as a small site at the base of Medvednica Hill. It lies in the southwestern part of the Pannonian Basin and is home to a noted memorial with an eternal flame, the Shrine of the Homeland. It lies to the south of the Zagorje forest, and the nearby Mount Sljeme provides a view of the Kupa Valley and the Julian Alps. It is much larger than its country's biggest port Rijeka, which lies on Kvarner Bay, and also dwarves the second-largest city of Split on the Dalmatian coast. For 10 points, name this capital city of a country separated from Italy on the west by Slovenia and wrapping around Bosnia Herzegovina in the south, which serves as the capital of Croatia.
A: Zagreb
Q: This island is home to the Gilman River and the Conger Mountains, which are an extension of the Garfield Range, and it also contains the Challenger Mountains in the north. Its central portion features Bache Peninsula and it is separated from the landmass to its east by the Kennedy Channel and the Kane Basin. One notably large lake on this island is the northerly Lake Hazen and its highest point is Barbeau peak. One of its centers, on Cape Sheridan on the Lincoln Sea, is a town known as Alert, while it has an airport at the town of Eureka and a more southerly settlement at Grise Fiord. The Jones Sound separates it from Devon Island to the south, and to its west is Axel Heiberg Island. For 10 points, name this tenth largest island in the world, the northernmost of the islands in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
A: Ellesmere Island
Q: One tributary of this river flows from the east to join it at the village of Modlin, that being the Narew River. Another tributary flows through the artificial Lake Solina on its way north, that being the San River. An even better known tributary, the Bug River, flows northwest to meet it after initially passing through Chervonograd. A couple of its branches including the Nogat flow into a namesake lagoon, also known as Frisches Haff. This river rises in the West Beskid range of the Carpathians before passing through cities like Torun. Its lagoon is separated by a small spit from the Gulf of Gdansk, the endpoint of this river, which is connected by a canal to the Oder River system to the west. For 10 points, name this river which flows through Krakow and Warsaw, and is the longest river in Poland.
A: Vistula River (or Wisla)
Q: The extreme southwest of this nation is covered by Iona National Park; tourists to this nation might also enjoy a local erotic dance called the masemba or they could visit its Bibala Beach, the Mussulo Peninsula, the Kinaxixi market, or the Slavery Museum. Indented by Great Fish Bay, some rivers which originate in this country include the Cunene, which flows south and forms part of its southern border, while the Kasai River forms its northeastern border. Its cities include the important oil city of Soyo in the north, Lobito which sits on its namesake bay, and Benguela which is the namesake of a plateau. It's also the source of the Okavango River, which flows south and winds up in Botswana, and this country maintains control of the exclave Cabinda. For 10 points, name this country to the west of Zambia and north of Namibia, a one-time colony of Portugal.
A: (Republic of) Angola
Q: Awaji, a small island in this nation, is known for the fine quality of its onions. One island in this country contains Lake Biwa, which is drained by the Yodo River into the Inland Sea; that island is also home to the Hida and Akaishi mountain ranges. This country has recently suffered a devastating earthquake and tsunami near its Fukushima region, nearly causing a nuclear disaster. For 10 points, the Kanto plain is located in this land of the rising sun whose four main islands are Shikoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido, and Honshu.
A: Japan
Q: It used to be known as the Atil, meaning "big river," and among the cities it serves are and Tver'. Along with such tributaries as the , , and , it forms the largest river system in its continent. After rising in the Valdai Hills, it flows east past before turning south, passing Samara, and emptying into the . For 10 points, name this 2,300-mile-long river, which starts northwest of .
A:
Q: The Juan De Fuca and Georgia Straits border this state's San Juan Islands. Minor cities in this state in include Walla Walla and Pullman. One mountain in this state saw its summit reduced by over 1000 feet in 1980. That peak, Mount St Helens, still stands about 6000 feet lower than the state's highest point, Mount Rainier. Separated from Oregon in the south by the Columbia River, for 10 points, name this state that is home to the city of Seattle and its capital of Olympia.
A: Washington (state)
Q: The Moussa Ali stratovolcano is the highest point of this nation, whose Lake Abhe Bad is fed by the Awash and can be found in the Dikhil district. The only national park of this nation, Day Forest National Park, can be found in this country's largest vegetated area, the Goda Mountains. Those mountains are northwest of its Gulf of Tadjoura, where one can also find Obock. Lake Assal is its lowest point, while Loyada is near its southern border with Somalia, and Eritrea borders it to its north. Bordered to its west mostly by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, for 10 points, name this nation in the Horn of Africa, predominantly bordered by Ethiopia to its west.
A: Djibouti
Q: This city is home to sites like Iguana Park and the Cristal Palace, located a short distance from the monument La Rotonda, which commemorates a famous meeting here. Its buildings include a university named in honor of Vicente Rocafuerte and those in its historical district Las Penas. To its northwest is the town of Jipijapa, while the northeast features cities like Babahoyo and Milagro, and larger towns in the north include Portoviejo and Riobamba. South of this city lies Puna Island, which is located in its namesake gulf. That gulf is fed by the Tumbes and Zarumilla rivers and has its waters cooled by the Humboldt current. For 10 points, name this South American port city, the largest and most populous city in Ecuador.
A: Guayaquil
Q: One city of this name lies on the Primero River and contains the Santa Teresa church and covenant and the Pajas Blancas airport, while the San Roque Dam provides it with hydroelectric power and irrigation. Another city of this name lies at the foot of the Morena Mountains and is home to the Calahorra fortress and Alcazar palace of the caliphs, as well as the Court of Oranges which is a part of the Mezquita or Great Mosque. The first city is at the northwest edge of the Pampas in the Tucuman province, while the second lies along the north bank of the Guadalquivir River. For 10 points, give this name shared by the second largest city in Argentina and a city northeast of Seville which lies in the Andalucia region of Spain.
A: Cordoba [or Cordova]
Q: One trail on this mountain stops by the "Garden of the Senecios" and the Barranco Wall. The Western Breach, created by a landslide is located on this peak and leads up to the Lava Tower. The nearest settlement to it is Moshi, where an associated national park is located. The myth that this was presented to Queen Victoria by Wilhelm II has been debunked. For 10 points, name this tallest freestanding mountain in the world, a dormant stratovolcano in Tanzania and the tallest peak in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: This nation is home to a syncretic religion called Bwiti, and development near Moanda and Owendo has helped this nation become a leading producer of manganese. Cape Lopez is this nation's westernmost point, and prominent mountains within it include Mimongo and Iboundji, both located in the Chaillu Massif. Ethnic groups living here include the Kota and Mpongwe in addition to the larger Sira and Nzebi, both of which live south of the Ogooue River. Ovendo is a suburb of this nation's capital, and other major towns include Lambarene, Franceville, and Port-Gentil, on its Atlantic coast. Home to Omar Bongo University, for 10 points, name this West African nation bordered by Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea, with its capital at Libreville.
A: Gabon
Q: From this state's city of Medford, one can visit a lava formation known as the Upper and Lower Table Rock. A fungus located in this state is said to be the world's largest organism. A national park in this state is named after a feature that formed from the caldera of Mount Mazama. The Willamette river valley is home to a large portion of this state's population. That valley includes its largest city, from which one can see Mount Hood. This state is home to Crater Lake. For 10 points, name this state south of Washington, home to cities such as Eugene, Salem, and Portland.
A: Oregon
Q: This country hopes to develop a carbon-neutral futuristic city at Zira and this country is also known for its high number of mud volcanoes, particularly around Gobustan. Mount Bazar Dyuzi is its highest point, and the Kur river provides much of this country's hydroelectricity while the Aras river forms most of its southern border. This country's main source of crude oil, Oil Rocks, is also a functioning city of several thousand people built 45 kilometers offshore, and this country still claims but no longer controls the area around Susa that it calls Dagliq Qarabag. Also including the exclave of Naxicivan and the Apsheron peninsula, this is, for 10 points, what oil-rich country with capital at Baku?
A: Azerbaijan
Q: This river was connected to its country's capital by the Grand and Royal Canals, built between 1756 and 1817. It falls by about 100 feet over its last 15 miles, a drop which is used to generate hydroelectric power at Ardnacrusha. The limestone deposits beneath the central lowlands through which it passes are responsible for numerous lakes along its courses, including Ree and Derg, and it is also surrounded by marshlands known as "callows." It rises from some pools at the base of Tiltinbane Mountain, after which it flows about 220 miles to the south before emptying into Lake Ree at Lanesborough. After passing through the Killaloe gorge, it becomes tidal a few miles above Limerick. For 10 points, name this river that rises in Country Cavan, the longest in Ireland.
A: the Shannon River
Q: The 1979 Penrose Prize was given to the man who correctly postulated the origin of this region, J. Harlan Bretz. Trenched spurs and the Ephrata boulders are some of the unusual landforms in this area, which also includes the Frenchmen Hills and the Cheney-Palouse Tract as well as the Drumheller Channels through which Crab Creek flows. Located south of the Okanogan Highlands, this area has Wallula Gap near its end, and it also includes Sun Lakes State Park, where a three-mile-wide section of plucked columnar basalt known as Dry Falls is located at the head of the Grand Coulee. Formed by the emptying of glacial Lake Missoula approximately 12,000 years ago, for 10 points, identify this large region in Eastern Washington state known for its large-scale fluvial topography.
A: The Channeled Scablands
Q: This nation celebrates Baron Bliss Day in honor of a man who donated his fortune to this country. Its Orange Walk district is home to large Mennonite populations, while its Stann Creek area is home to the town of Dangriga, which was founded by Garifuna refugees. The Hummingbird Highway connects its town of Punta Gorda to the capital. The prehistoric ruins of Altun Ha and Caracol are located in this country, which is the namesake of the world's second largest barrier reef. That reef sits off of the coast of this nation's largest island, Ambergris Caye, the site of the hit TV-show Temptation Island. For 10 points, name this nation once known as British Honduras which has its capital at Belmopan.
A: Belize
Q: The hydroelectric plants of Silver and Kakabeka Falls power the industrial landscape of this city. The early photosynthesizers represented by the Gunflint Fossils were first collected in the environs of the city by this name, which was previously known as Fort William when the headquarters of the North West Company were moved here from Grand Portage. Another feature by this name forms a coastline on Sibley Provincial Park and is the destination of the Current and Kaninstiquia Rivers. The home to Lakehead University, the city of this name absorbed Port Arthur in 1970 and is found about thirty miles northwest of Isle Royale. For 10 points, name this Ontario city which shares its name with the inlet of Lake Superior that it overlooks.
A: Thunder Bay [prompt on Lakehead before it is read]
Q: This nation is divided into 21 aimags, one of which, Tov, surrounds its capital. Its highest point, Khuiten Peak, lies in the Altai Mountain range on its western border and is also known as Friendship Peak. This nation's Lake Khovsgol is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. Bordered to the north by Russia and on all other sides by China, for 10 points, identify this nation which contains part of the Gobi desert, a land-locked Asian nation with capital at Ulaanbaatar.
A: Mongolia
Q: Declared functionally extinct in 2006, the baiji species of freshwater dolphin was found only in this river. This river has its source at Geladaindong Mountain on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai Province and converges with the Jialing River at Chongquing. Hangzhou and Nanjing are major cities in this river's delta, sometimes referred to as the "golden triangle." The world's largest hydroelectric power station was created as a result of the Three Gorges Dam on this river and it empties into the East China Sea at Shanghai. For 10 points, name this Chinese river, the longest in Asia.
A: Yangtze River [accept Chang Jiang]
Q: This city, home to such sights as the Bogyoke Market, is due east from the town of Pathein and sits at the confluence of two rivers on the Gulf of Martaban. It contains two major lakes - Lake Inya, on whose banks its university can be found, and Kandawgyi Lake, which contains a massive replica of a royal barge known as the Karaweik. a popular tourist attraction in this city. Home to the Strand Hotel built by the Sarkies brothers in 1901, directly to its northeast is the city of Bago or Pegu, which gives its name to the Bago River flowing through this metropolis. A railway runs from it to the second-largest city in its country, Mandalay, and this city sits just to the east of the Irrawaddy River. For 10 points, name this largest city in Myanmar.
A: Yangon or Rangoon
Q: A solar panel array operated by Accionia in this province produces nine and a half megawatts of power and sells each panel to an individual investor for sixty-four thousand dollars, and it is the world's largest solar generator. Provinces which border this one include a southwestern neighbor with capital at Logrono, La Rioja. Its northwest border is with the province that contains San Sebastian and Bilbao, Pais Vasco. Its longest border, on both the east and south, is with a large province home to Zaragoza, Aragon. Yamaguchi Park and the headquarters of the governing body for pelota are located in the capital of this province, which also hosts the festival of San Fermin each July. That capital was recently flooded by the Arga, a tributary of the Ebro. While locals refer to this state as Foru Erkidegoa, it is known by another name in Spanish, and it is home to the home of bull-running, Pamplona. For 10 points, identify this heavily Basque province of northern Spain, whose north borders the Pyrenees and France, and which was once an independent kingdom under such rulers as Sancho and the future French king Henry IV.
A: Navarre
Q: In 2001, the province of Gorontalo in the northern part of this island split off from a predominantly Christian province with capital at Manado. Those two provinces are part of a land formation named Minahassa, which sits north of the Gulf of Tomini. Other cities on this island include Palu and Kendari. To the east of this island is found a group including Halmahera and Suru. This island lies to the south of the Wallace Line. A city formerly known as Ujung Pandang is the regional capital of this island and shares its name with a strait that separates this island from a larger island to the west. That western neighbor contains the provinces of Sarawak and Kalimantan. Separated by the Mekassar Strait from Borneo, for 10 points, name this irregularly-shaped and third-largest island of Indonesia.
A: Sulawesi [or Celebes]
Q: This country controls the enclave of Artsvashen within its eastern neighbor. Kapan is the leading city in its southern Syunik province, while the north contains the Debed and Hrazdan rivers and . Its chief farming regions include the Shirak Steppe and Ararat Plain. This country has had an ongoing dispute with over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. For 10 points, name this former Soviet republic which also borders and and has its capital at .
A: (or Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun)
Q: The only man-made island in this chain is Longue Vue Island, while the lands of Zavikon Island are connected by a famously small bridge. Other islands in this group include Dark Island, which is home to the Singer Towers, and one once known as Hemlock Island and now called Heart Island, which is home to Boldt Castle. One can reach this chain by its namesake bridge, which runs from Collins Landing near Alexandria Bay and connects Wellesley Island and Hill Island to Interstate-84; that international bridge ends near Kingston. Geologically, this chain is an extension of the Adirondack Mountains to connect to the Canadian Shield. For 10 points, name this archipelago in the St. Lawrence River between Ontario and New York, which lends it name to a type of salad dressing.
A: Thousand Islands (grudgingly accept the singular form, Thousand Island)
Q: Its Arusha National Park contains an active volcano, Mount Meru, while the Umba River flows out of the Arusha region and has notable sapphire deposits. Other notable features in this country include the Oldovai Gorge, where the first homo habilis was discovered and where Louis and Mary Leakey made other archeological discoveries. This country also owns Mafia Island and Pemba, while Lake Victoria and Mount Kilimanjaro are in its north. For 10 points, name this country that owns Zanaibar and which had its capital moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.
A: United Republic of Tanzania or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
Q: This area has a six hundred percent variance in rainfall from one side to the other, as measured at Bahia Felix and Rio Grande. Lennox, Picton, and Nueva are among the disputed members of this group, which is supposed to be divided by a line stretching from Cape Espiritu Santo. The largest island of this group is a triangular mass containing Monte Sarmiento and found to the north of the Beagle Channel. Including the noted southerly city of Ushuaia, this archipelago is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, Cape Horn is found on the southern side of what group of islands shared by Argentina and Chile?
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: This country's highest point is the stratovolcano, Nevado Ojos del Salado. The Corcovado Gulf separates its mainland from an island possession, and its longest river is the Loa River which runs through the world's driest desert to its north. It controls Rapa Nui on which stand the mo'ai statues; that is also known as Easter Island. Dominated by the Andes mountains and home to the Atacama, this is for 10 points, this is what South American country with its national congress in Valparaiso and capital at Santiago?
A: Republic of Chile
Q: Its most dangerous island is Fonuafo'ou, which is wracked by earthquakes and volcanoes. It is governed by an assembly, the Fale Alea, nine of whose seats are reserved for people selected by the country's 33 nobles. In the north it includes Tafahi and Niuatoputapu, though most of its people live in three major island groups. The town of Neiafu is located in the Vava'u group, while Pangai and Kao Island are found in the Ha'apai group. It gained independence from Great Britain in 1970, though this archipelago of "Friendly Islands" was first united in 1845. For 10 points, name this island nation in the South Pacific which is ruled by Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, which is the only monarchy in its part of the world and whose capital is at Nuku'alofa.
A: Tonga
Q: It is divided into ten parishes, which include Torteval and Saint Saviour. It is governed by a unicameral Assembly of the States, which includes two representatives from a nearby island which includes the city of St. Anne. Off its west coast lies Lihou Island, while Jethu, Herm, and Sark lie to its east. The largest island in its immediate vicinity is Alderney, and one of its two significant ports is Saint Sampson. It is often paired with a larger island to its south, which includes the cities of Gorey and Saint Helier. The capital of this "bailiwick" is at Saint Peter Port. For 10 points, name this British crown dependency, an island in the English Channel which is a remnant of the Dukedom of Normandy, much like Jersey.
A: Guernsey
Q: The Etosha Pan lies in the arid north of this country. This country's breadbasket is the Grootfontein-Otavi-Tsumeb triangle, where corn is grown. Tourist attractions include the resort city Swakopmund and the Fish River Canyon in the south, which is nearly as large as the Grand Canyon. The Kunene and Cubango Rivers separate it from its neighbor to the north, while its west coast features such attractions as Sandwich Bay, the treacherous Skeleton Coast, and Hottentot Bay. The city of Katima Mililo lies in the far east of this country, just south of Zambia and north of Botswana in a part of this nation known as the Caprivi Strip. Also home to Walvis Bay, For 10 points, name this African nation to the northwest of South Africa whose capital is Windhoek.
A: Namibia
Q: This city is home to the world's largest two urban forests, the Tijuca and the Pedra Branca, with the former being hand-planted. The 2014 World Cup final will be held at its Maracana Stadium, which is still the largest stadium in South America. Its Sugarloaf Mountain is on a peninsula that separates Guanabara Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Corcovado Mountain in this city is home to one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World," Christ the Redeemer. Also home to Ipanema and the Copacabana beaches, for 10 points, name this city that passed its title of capital of Brazil to Brasilia in 1960.
A: Rio de Janeiro [prompt on "Rio"]
Q: This body of water is the subject of a one-act opera by Malcolm Williamson. It features more than twenty Deeps, including the Discovery, Oceanographer, and Atlantis II. It is home to the extinct volcano Jabal at-Ta'ir, while a number of active volcanoes are found in its Dahlak Archipelago. The central Jeddah region is without tides, and unlike most similar bodies of water no rivers flow into it. Ports on its northeastern branch include Elat and Dahab, while its northwestern branch features the harbor of Abu Zanimah. It is separated from the Gulf of Aden to the south by a strait called the Bab el-Mandeb. For 10 points, name this body of water which divides North Africa and Arabia.
A: the Red Sea or Bahr al-Ahmar
Q: This river divides into two channels in its upper course to form a large island known as Majuli. It rises in the Kailas Range near Mapam Lake and is soon joined by the Lohit River. It passes through Xigaze early and becomes navigable near Dibrugarh, then passes through Gauhati. One of the few rivers to exhibit an eagre or tidal bore, it is known as the Dihang River in the lowland plains and splits into the Meghna and the Jamuna rivers when it turns south. For 10 points, name this river which starts in Tibet, flows through southern China, and then turns into Bangladesh where it empties into the Bay of Bengal forming a massive delta with the Ganges.
A: Brahmaputra River
Q: One range in this area is known locally as "green city mountain," and contains a peak called "old heaven." Another range is home to a lake named for bathing elephants, a natural phenomenon known as "holy lantern," and a popular tourist stop called "teddy bear." One city in this region lies at the confluence of the Dadu and Min rivers, while another city was home to Tufu and boasts of a Panda research base. In addition to the aforementioned Qingcheng Shan and Emei Shan, this province contains the so-called "nine villages" area in the north, as well as the aforementioned Leshan giant Buddha carved out of a mountain. Found north of Yunnan, and south of Qinghai, Gansu, and Shanxi, its old capital was Chongqing (chon ching), and in May 2008 its city of Wenchuan was the epicenter of a devastating earthquake. For 10 points, name this large province of central China with capital at Chengdu.
A: Sichuan [or Szechwan]
Q: The Jason lie northwest of the main group of this political entity. The peninsula that forms the southern portion of its east island is called Lafonia, and is the highest peak on these islands. Gratham Sound divides the island group in half, and served as the former capital of these islands, but since 1845 the capital had been located in . Also called las Islas Malvinas, for 10 points, identify this island group in south that was the target of a two-year war between the Argentines and the British.
A: Falkland Islands [accept las Islas Malvinas before mentioned]
Q: Mount Garibaldi is an extinct volcano in this polity located near the mouth of the Squamish River. The discovery of silver ore in the galena ledge of its Blueball mine was just one of the historical rows affecting the city of Nelson in this province, and the Ogopogo monster is thought to live in its Okanogan Lake. Stanley Park skirts the biggest city in this province, which is located near the delta of the Fraser River by the Strait of Georgia. The Hecate Strait separates it from the Queen Charlotte Islands, and to the west of its largest city lays an island which is separated from the Olympic peninsula by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For 10 points, identify this Canadian province, home to Vancouver.
A: British Columbia [prompt on Canada before "province" is read]
Q: Tiburon Island is part of this state and is located near San Jorge Bay, while the Pinacate peaks and the Cerro Colorado tuff cone are prominent landmarks in this state near the Great Altar Desert. Mesa del Campanero is located near the homeland of the Yaqui people, who are located in this state, and their namesake river is used for irrigation in this state, particularly around the town of Ciudad Obregon. Puerto Penasco is one of this state's major tourist destinations, as its location on the Sea of Cortez makes it attractive to American tourists. Hermosillo is the capital of, for 10 points, which Mexican state located just south of Arizona that shares its name with a major desert?
A: Sonora
Q: Edna St. Vincent Millay described the coastline of this state in "Renascence" and its northernmost point is Estcort Station, while its largest city lies on Casco Bay. The Kennebec River drains into a namesake gulf from this state's Moosehead Lake, and Baxter State Park is the site of its highest peak, Mt. Katahdin. Part of the border with its northern neighbor is formed by the Saint John River, which flows into the Bay of Fundy, and it largest cities include Bangor, Lewiston, and Portland. For 10 points, identify this U.S. state, the site of Acadia National Park and eastern neighbor of New Hampshire, with capital at Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: The Hamersley Range, in the western part of this country, accounts for over 90% of this country's iron ore production. The Great Artesian Basin covers one-fifth of this country, the Murray-Darling Basin covers another one-seventh, and it is home to the Great Sandy Desert. The Great Dividing Range, in its eastern sections, is the 4th longest in the world and includes Mount Kosiuszko. Bass Strait separates Tasmania from the main island of - for 10 points - what country that occupies the Great Barrier Reef has its capital at Canberra and is home to Melbourne and Sydney?
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: This body of water's Providencia Island once served as an independent leper colony. Several efforts to deepen it have led to unrest among its indigenous Wayuu and Paraujano peoples. The dense marshes of its southwest feature lagoons like the Sinamaica and the Escalante, which receive half the drainage of the nearby Perija Mountains, including rivers like the Chama and the Santa Ana. In the north, its wide outlet is spanned by the Rafael Urdaneta Bridge, which links the Cabimas region on its eastern shore with its namesake city, the capital of the western state of Zulia. Meaning "place of the serpents," For 10 points, name this lake that receives its fresh water from the Catatumbo River, which is connected to the Caribbean Sea via the Gulf of Venezuela and which is the largest lake in South America.
A: Lake Maracaibo
Q: The town of and the La Silla and Paranal Observatories are located within this area, but and are more famous cities. The Escondida Mine exploits the sodium nitrate, gold, and copper resources that led to a series of border wars in the 1800's. The passes through the region, lying south of the Altiplano in an ultra-dry rain shadow zone east of a region of the . For 10 points, name this incredibly dry desert of northern .
A: (prompt on before "rain shadow")
Q: This region contains a crater lake called Bikrat Ram fed by an underground spring as well as the village of Majdal Shams. Its central section is home to the Valley of Tears and extends from the Jilabun valley to the Daliyot while its southern section reaches to the Yarmouk River. It contains the ruins of Gamla and its de facto capital is the planned town of Katzrin. It is bounded on the east by the Hauron plain and on the north by Mount Hermon. For 10 points, name this rocky plateau to the east of the Sea of Galilee, a region constantly disputed between Syria and Israel.
A: Golan Heights
Q: This country is home to the humorously-named village Monkey River Town; it also contains Laughing Bird Caye National Park, Glover's Reef off its coast, and Ambergris Caye. Its south is dominated by the Maya Mountains which are highest at Victoria Peak, and its borders with other nations are delineated by the Sarstun River in the south and the Azul River in the north. To the immediate west of this small country, in another nation, is the Peten Region which contains the site of Tikal. For 10 points, name this country, once known as the British Honduras, which is bordered by Guatemala and Mexico and has capital at Belmopan.
A: Belize
Q: Its southernmost and second-largest city is Sanya, a popular resort near Yalong Bay. Populated by tribes like the Maiu and Lois, it contains the artificial Songtao Reservoir and it sits just north of the Paracel Islands, which it claims to own in its role as a province. It also claims to encompass the Spratly Islands further south, and its largest city is the northern seaport Haikou, across the strait from the Guangdong province. Situated between the Gulf of Tonkin to the west and the South China Sea to the east, For 10 points, name this large Chinese island.
A: Hainan
Q: The eastern border of this state lies along the Unaka range and the Bald Mountains. The "highland rim" surrounds the "central basin" of this state, and the seat of its Rutherford county is Murfressboro, which saw the battle of the Stones River during the Civil War. Near its border with North Carolina lies Clingman's dome. This state's namesake river begins at the confluence of the French Broad and the Hoiston Rivers, and passes through a city which is home to the Sunsphere. Another city in this state is home to the Grand Ole Opry and is called the "Music City." For 10 points, identify this state which includes cities such as Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville.
A: Tennessee
Q: Indonesians stuff it in a dish known as Cumi-Cumi Isi and Greeks also stuff it in a recipe known as gemisto. In Japanese cuisine, particularly sushi, the Loligo and Illex varieties are most often used. Though in almost all Japanese recipes it is only the body that is served and which is referred to as ika [ee-KA]. Before cooking it must be cleaned and the cellophane bone on its dorsal surface must be removed. Italians often use its ink to create more decorative pastas. For 10 points, name this cephalopod which most commonly appears on restaurant menus as fried calamari.
A: squid
Q: Just off the coast of this nation lie the Plantain Islands, the Turtle Islands, the Banana Islands, and Sherbro Island. Populated by Mende and Temne peoples, its very few rivers include the Kolente and Kaba and the Loma Mountains lie in the east. Its major port contains King Jimmy Market while its other ports include Pepel and Bonthe and its interior cities include Kenema and Bo. It is covered on the north and east by Guinea and shares its coastal southeastern boundary with Liberia. For 10 points, name this African nation with a capital founded as a home for liberated slaves, Freetown.
A: Sierra Leone
Q: This island group is home to the Double Coconut or Coco de Mer, a large palm tree sometimes known as its namesake nut. Its longtime socialist president known as "Ti France," Albert Rene, was born in its Farquhar Group; another group under its sovereignty are the Admiral's Islands or the Amirante Islands. Other important islands in this archipelago include Coetivy in the south, Aldabra, and the central group featuring Silhouette, La Digue, Praslin, and the largest of them, Mahe Island. For 10 points, name this island group east of Kenya and northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, with its biggest city at Victoria.
A: Seychelles
Q: In this city, False Creek is an inlet to the east of English Bay that separates downtown from the rest of the city. It enacted "View Protection Guidelines" in 1990, establishing height limits on buildings to protect views of the North Shore Mountains that overlook this city. Lost Lagoon an artificial lake at the entrance of Stanley Park in this city, which is one of the largest urban parks in North America. This city's southern boundary is created by the Fraser River, which separates it from Richmond. For 10 points, name this city that is home to the CFL's BC Lions and the NHL's Canucks, the largest city in British Columbia and home of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
A: Vancouver
Q: It contains the and several atolls although it itself as not an island as erroneously described in the 2004 Olympic Opening ceremonies. Its only major highways not named for cardinal directions are the and the . Its southern border is at the and its Northern border is at the Rio Hondo. Gaining its independence from in 1981, For 10 points, identify this only Central American country without a Pacific coast which has its capital at .
A:
Q: This region was home to Port Famine, a city founded by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa. This region was divided by the Boundary Treaty of 1881. The Yaghan were early inhabitants of this region, whose major cities include Puerto Williams, Porvenir, and Punta Arenas. Jemmy Button, a native of this region, was taken along with three others by Robert FitzRoy upon his 1830 voyage here. This archipelago includes Isla Navarino, which is close to Cape Horn. Its largest city, and the capital of half of this region, is Ushuaia. For 10 points, name this region that is divided between Argentina and Chile, named for the Spanish for "land of fire."
A: Tierra del Fuego [prompt on TF; prompt on Land of Fire]
Q: This US state features Mummy Mountain, the Pancake Mountains, the Diamond Mountains, and the Cortez Mountains. A site known as the Three Buddhas is in the town of Gerlach, which sits near the Black Rock Desert between the Calico and Jackson Mountains. One of its national parks contains the Lehman Caves and Wheeler Peak; its western portion features Walker Lake and the towns of Winnemucca andElko sit on its main river, the Humboldt River, in the north. For 10 points, name this state home to Pyramid Lake, Great Basin National Park, and towns like Paradise, Virginia City, Sparks, Reno, and Las Vegas.
A: Nevada
Q: This city is home to the Pedra Branca State Park and the Tijuca Forest; it is served by Santos Dumont Airport and the more international Galeao Airport on Governador Island. Its neighborhoods include Leblon and Gavea and the suburbs of Neves and Niteroi. Its sights include the modernist Petrobras Building and Corcovado Mountain which contains a massive statue of Christ the Redeemer, as well as a peninsula overlooking Guanabara Bay which has been dubbed Sugar Loaf Mountain. Also home to Ipanema and Copacabana, For 10 points, name this second largest city in Brazil after Sao Paulo.
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: This waterway is invaded in the north by Wilsons Promontory National Park; it also includes Deal Island in the northeast, which is part of the Kent Group and home to a lighthouse. About 300 kilometers wide on average, it is bounded on the east by the Furneaux group of islands and, because it was the site of the Valentich Disappearance, it gives its name to a "triangle" similar to the Bermuda triangle. It basically extends from Christmas Island in the west to Flinders Island in the east. Named for a British explorer, For 10 points, name this strait which connects the Tasman Sea to the Indian Ocean and sounds like a type of fish.
A: the Bass Strait
Q: Ometepe and Solentiname are islands in this nation's largest lake, and the Corn islands are found to the east of this nation. The eastern portion of its border with its northern neighbor is marked by the Coco River, while the San Juan river makes up this country's southern border. The city of Ocotal is located near the Cordilera Isabelia mountain range in the northwest of this country, whose city of Matagalpa lies along the Rio Grande. The chief port of this nation is Bluefields. Puerto Cabezas lies along its Mosquito Coast with the Caribbean Sea. For 10 points, name this nation that borders Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south, which has its capitol at Managua.
A: Nicaragua
Q: This country's highest waterfall is the Sutherland Falls, while its easternmost point can be found on a group of islands called The Forty-Fours. The most recent edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index claims it is the least corrupt country in the world. Its Chatham Islands are found on its border with the Pacific Ocean, and pohutukawa trees are native to this country. Volcanoes in this country include Taranaki and Ruapehu. This country's tallest mountain is the Aoraki and is situated in its Southern Alps. The Maori represent approximately ten percent of the population of this country, whose large cities include Christchurch and Auckland. For 10 points, identify this nation with a capital at Wellington.
A: New Zealand
Q: Among this river's tributaries are the Klickitat, Cowlitz (KOE-litz), Pend Oreille (pawn-doe-ray) and Okanogan (oak-uh-noggin), and it passes through the cities of Invermere and Golden in one country it flows through. Among the notable dams along this river include the Wanapum, Priest Rapids, and the Bonneville, and the Channeled Scablands are a series of coulees along this river, the most notable of which gives its name to this river's most notable dam. Flowing through Wenatchee, Kennewick, and Pasco, one of its most treacherous sections for gamers is The Dalles (dallz). The site of Grand Coulee Dam, and forming a large part of the Oregon-Washington border, For 10 points, name this river.
A: Columbia
Q: Sights in this city include La Chascona and Forestal Park, which is located along the Mapocho River. That river runs through this city served by Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport. Founded by Pedro de Valdivia, it features a notable Central Station designed by Gustave Eiffel. Its nearby cities include Puente Alto just south, Rancagua farther south, and Valparaiso to the northwest. Liberated after the Battle of Chacabuco, For 10 points, name this South American city, the capital of Chile.
A: Santiago
Q: Its eponymous sardine and the variants of its Tropheus genus inhabit all four of its major geographical divisions and over 98% of this body of water's cichlid species is endemic. The Ruzizi River enters it from the north after leaving Lake Kivu and its other major source is the Malagarasi River, which empties into it about 25 miles south of Kigoma. Kigoma is also the railhead for the train connecting it to Dar es Salaam, the capital of the nation to whom this lake lent part of its name. Burundi, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, all border, for 10 points, what central African lake that is one of the namesakes of its eastern neighbor Tanzania.
A: Lake Tanganyika
Q: This island is home to the Canterbury Plains and the Southland Plains, as well as Cape Farewell and Mount Aspiring National Park. Its largest river is the Clutha River, and its cities include Gore and Invercargill as well as the rail center of Dunedin. Home to the Fjordland National Park along one of its coasts, it is separated from Stewart Island by the Foveaux Strait. Its Southern Alps range gives rise to Mount Cook, and its best-known city is Christchurch. For 10 points, name this island of New Zealand which is quite logically located down from North Island.
A: South Island (prompt on New Zealand)
Q: This region is bordered on the far northeast by the Kerulen River which empties into Hulun Lake. Parts of it once saw the breeding of wild horses known as takhi, while even farther north in the same country is the Selenge River and its tributary, the Orhon. This area is bordered by the Sayan mountains and the Yablonoi to the north, while the Greater Khingan mountains lay to the east. Its southernmost region is called the Ala Shan and the Tarim basin to its west lies across the Tien Shan mountains. Mostly composed of bare rock, for 10 points, name this huge desert which spans southern Mongolia and northern China.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: This nation's Kapuas River originates in the Muller Mountain Range of its Kalimantan region and flows into the South China Sea. The largest of its non-shared islands is home to Lake Toba, and that island is also separated from the nation's most populous island by the (*) Sunda Strait. Its Maluku Islands of the Banda Sea, once known for their cloves and nutmeg, are located east of its island of Sulawesi. This nation, home to Puncak Jaya in the Papua province, borders other nations such as Brunei, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. For 10 points, name this archipelago nation that contains the islands of Sumatra and Java and has capital at Jakarta.
A: Indonesia
Q: Taylor Creek flows into this state's largest freshwater lake, while its highest point is the lowest state high point. That point is Britton Hill, and this state also contains the Myakka and Peace rivers. One site in this state commemorates a Huguenot colony led by Jean Ribault and slaughtered by Spaniards, Fort Caroline National Memorial. The Ten Thousand Islands can be found off this state's coast, and this state contains Big Cypress National Preserve near a body of water fed by the Kissimmee River, Lake Okeechobee. For 10 points, identify this state home to the Everglades and its namesake Keys, with capital at Tallahassee.
A: Florida
Q: This river's tributary, the Bani River, joins it near the town of Mopti. The Sankarani River along with the Bani are undergoing the construction of dams to control irrigation and flooding near this river's Talo Dam . It starts in the Djallon Mountains at Tembakounda and flows past the port of Lokoja and onward to its delta near the Bight (*) of Bonny. Along its 2,500 miles course it passes cities such as Djenne, Bamako and Timbuktu. For 10 points, name this major river of West Africa which lends its name to two countries with capitals Niamey and Abuja.
A: Niger River
Q: The museum named after this natural feature is currently offering workships on aridity to its teachers. This desert is home to the wait-a-minute tree, whose scientific name honors Josiah Gregg, who has written about this desert. The desert bighorn sheep can be found in and around this region, which is why the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge was established here. Mount Kofa and Mount Catalina are two mountains in this desert, which is also home to some parts of the Gila and Colorado River. Also home to Saguaro National Park, it is named for a Mexican State. For 10 points, identify this desert that sprawls across Baja California, California and Arizona, a large North American desert.
A: Sonoran Desert
Q: The Cogam Alam is a sacred symbol to this country's leader, who lives in the State Palace, and whose official title is Yang di-Pertuan Agong. This country's National mosque lies nearby its Heroes Mausoleum, and it was designed by the Public Works Department. The Bukit Nanas is a rainforest that can be found in the capital city of this nation. This country's capital sits at the confluence of the Klang and the Gombak rivers, and it is in this country's state of Selangor. That capital features a suspension bridge designed by Cesar Pelli, and the country of Indonesia is separated from it by the Strait of Malacca. For 10 points, name this country that is the namesake of a peninsula, whose capital is Kuala Lumpur.
A: Malaysia
Q: Major rivers of this country include the Torsa, Raidak, Sankosh, and Manas. The Black Mountains in the central part of this country rise to almost 9,000 feet above sea level. Further north is Gangkhar Puensum, the highest mountain in this country, and one of the highest unclimbed mountains in the world. Internet and television were introduced in this country only in 1999. The former king of this country, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, coined the term "gross national happiness" in 1972, suggesting the country embark on modernization that is based on this country's Buddhist culture. For 10 points, name this landlocked Himalayan nation with a capital at Thimphu.
A: Bhutan
Q: The WACA stadium can be found in a city in the southern portion of this country. The basin of one lake in this country contains cities such as Marreem. "Shires" along the longest river in this country include Deniliquin and Wakool, while sights in one city in this country include the Paddy's Market and Harbour Bridge. This country's interior contains such sites as Alice Springs and Uluru. One delta in this country is formed by the Murray and Darling rivers, while the lake in this country is Lake Eyre and its largest mountain is Mount Kosciuszko. For 10 points, name this country that contains states such as New South Wales and Victoria.
A: Australia
Q: The Buduma and Kuri people live near this body of water, and the area between it and a river to its West was studied by the Anglo-French Boundary Commission in 1904. Once believed to be the origin of the Bahr el-Ghazal River, it was first described in a map by Dixon Denham and Clapperton became the first European to sight it. One body studying it has proposed diverting the Ubangi River into the Chari River which feeds it, and it also receives water from the Logome River. An important source of water for the Kanem-Bornu Empire, it has significantly shrunk due to "overgrazing" of the land around it in the recent past. For 10 points, identify this lake located at the corner of Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and a namesake country.
A: Lake Chad or Lac Tchad
Q: Its name originating from the Greek words for "oxen passage", this body of water is believed to have been formed around 5600 B.C by a deglacial flood. The Maiden's Tower is is located on an island in this body of water. Two bridges span it, one of which is the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, while its southern end runs past the Golden Horn of a certain city. A tunnel known as the Marmaray is currently being constructed under this strait, and is expected to be completed in 2012. For 10 points, name this narrowest strait in the world, also known as the Istanbul Strait, which separates the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.
A: Bosporus [or Bosphorus]
Q: Its highest point is North Barren Mountain, which is located in the "Highlands" National Park of its largest island. Among its other points of interest are Kejimkujik National Park, Sable Island, and the town of Annapolis Royal, which was its first capital as well as it's nation's oldest continuously-inhabited European settlement. This province's largest body of freshwater is Bras d'Or Lake, which is located west of Sydney and the historical fort of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island. This province is also the site of Alexander Graham Bell National Historical Park, and the Chignecto Isthmus connects it to New Brunswick. Once known as Acadia, for 10 points, identify this Maritime Province with capital at Halifax.
A: Nova Scotia (accept "Cape Breton Island" until Kejimkujik)
Q: This state is home to the Roaring Fork River, which flows past the town of Woody Creek, where Hunter S. Thompson painted a large middle finger on the roof of a barn to greet air travelers arriving at nearby Aspen. National parks in this state include Great Sand Dunes and the Anasazi site at Mesa Verde, and suburbs of this state's capital include Cherry Creek and Aurora. this state features a large university in its city of Boulder, a city located along the Front Range, a major mountain range in this state. For 10 points, name this state home to a large portion of the Rocky Mountains, with capital at Denver.
A: Colorado
Q: This country is divided in four administrative zones called dzongdey, which are in turn divided into twenty distinct districts known as dzongkhag, the largest ones being Gasa and Wangdue Phodrang. Jakar is seen as the point where Buddhism was first introduced to this country. This country includes the city of Punakha, this nation's capital until 1955, and the Taktshang Monastery, also known as the Tiger's Nest. In 2008 Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck was crowned this country's Fifth Dragon King, making him at the age of 28 the youngest world monarch. This country is located at the east end of the Himalayas and indigenously called Druk Yul. For ten poins, identify this landlocked South Asian country whose capital and largest city is Thimphu.
A: Kingdom of Bhutan
Q: One place with this name is near the shore of Kasba Lake in Canada. Teec Nos Pos is the closet inhabited municipality to the center of the region named for this location in the United States. This name describes a region that contains the Totem Pole rock formation as well as the ruins located at Hovenweep and Canyon de Chelly National Monuments. This region also contains Monument Valley and Mesa Verde National Park, the site of Anasazi cliff dwellings, as well as the Ute Mountain and Navajo Nation reservations. For 10 points, name this region named for the place where Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico meet.
A: Four Corners Region
Q: Lake Heviz, the largest thermal lake in the world and a tourist destination noted for its curative properties, is located in this country. Its highest point is Kekes in the Matra range, but most of the country consists of plains and hills. The largest lake of central Europe, Lake Balaton, is located in this country. The Ipoly River flows along this country's border with Slovakia, and the Drava River forms most of its border with Croatia. However, its largest river is the Danube, which flows through its capital. This is, for 10 points, what Eastern European country with capital at Budapest?
A: Hungary
Q: This area is located between the Amargosa Range on the eastern border and the Panamint range on its west, and has numerous salt flats. Badwater Basin is located within this location, and nearby features include Furnace Creek and the Funeral Mountains. Located east of the Sierra Nevada, this area is among the hottest and driest parts of the Mojave Desert. For 10 points, name this valley in California, which has the highest recorded temperature and the lowest elevation in North America.
A: Death Valley
Q: The Todi, Albula, and Silvretta groups and the Ortler and Adamello ranges make up part of the main chain of this mountain range, whose eastern section has its highest peak at Piz Bernina. Karl Blodig was the first person to climb all the major 4000-meter peaks of this mountain range, which is formed by the collision of the African and the European tectonic plates. With various passes connecting cities of Italy, Switzerland, Austria, France, and others, for 10 points, this is what mountain range in Central Europe with highest peak at Mont Blanc?
A: the Alps or Alpen or Alpi or Alpes
Q: Minor tributaries of this river include the Skunk and Black Rivers, and its source is located in Clearwater County. This river's flow was disrupted by the New Madrid earthquake, and Joliet and Marquette famously explored this river. Port cities on this river include Memphis and Baton Rouge. Its source, Lake Itasca, is located in Minnesota, and its biggest tributary, nicknamed "The Big Muddy," is the Missouri River. For 10 points, name this largest river in North America.
A: Mississippi River
Q: This mountain can be reached from the southwest through the Western Cwm [COOM] and its slopes contain the Khumbu Icefall. This peak's southern half sits in Sagarmatha National Park, and this mountain is called Chomolangma by some of the local sherpa population. For 10 points, name this mountain on the border between Nepal and China, in the Himalayas, whose summit was first reached by Tenzin Gyatso and Sir Edmund Hillary, the highest mountain in the world.
A: Mount Everest
Q: This mountain is home to the Lewis and Tyndall glaciers, and its Batian peak was ascended by Halford John Mackinder in 1899. It is known as the "Mountain of Whiteness" by the native Kikuyu people. Though this mountain is the second-tallest peak on its continent following Mount Kilimanjaro, it is the tallest in its namesake country. For 10 points, name this stratovolcano located 150 miles northeast of Nairobi, the capital of its namesake country.
A: Mount Kenya [or Kirinyaga; accept "Mountain of Whiteness" before mentioned]
Q: The Djebel Chelia is the highest peak in the Aures Mountains, which are an eastern extension of this mountain range. Another part of this mountain range contains the Amour, Ksour, and Ouled-Nail mountains, and they run mostly parallel to the Tell Mountains, which are a part of this mountain range that lies near the shore. Its highest peak is the Jbel Toubkal, which is found in the High part of this mountain range. Also having Middle and Anti parts, it is formed by the continental collision of Iberia with Africa. For 10 points, identify this mountain range in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: At its delta, this river splits into Rosetta and Damietta branches. This river exits Lake Victoria at the site of the submerged Ripon Falls. The Lake Tana-sourced river "Blue" version of this river converges with its "White" version at Khartoum. The building of the Aswan High Dam on this river ended its flooding in one country and created Lake Nasser. The Giza Plateau's namesake Great Pyramid lies on the west bank of this river. For 10 points, name this African river that empties into the Mediterranean Sea and flows through Cairo, Egypt, the world's longest.
A: Nile River
Q: Its features include the Silver Pit trench, and it contains a shallow area called Dogger Bank. Receiving the Elbe River, this body of water is connected in the east by Kattegat and Skagerrak to the Baltic Sea, and it borders the Shetland and Orkney Islands. The Strait of Dover connects it to the Atlantic. For 10 points, identify this sea found between Great Britain and Denmark, named for its position relative to the European mainland.
A: North Sea
Q: This city was founded by Jean-Baptiste-Pointe du Sable. It was the site of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, and Lake Shore Drive runs along its lakefront. Notable locations in this city include Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, and the recently renamed Willis Tower. For 10 points, name this city nicknamed the "Windy City," which is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and is the largest city in Illinois.
A: Chicago
Q: One sub-range in this mountain range's northern section is the Tatra Mountains. This range's highest point is Gerlach Peak, and it forms the northern, eastern, and southern borders of Transylvania. The Iron Gates gorge on the Danube River separates this range from the Balkan Mountains. For 10 points, name this mountain range in Eastern Europe that runs primarily through Slovakia, Poland, the Ukraine, and Romania.
A: Carpathian Mountains
Q: The Cerro Maca stratovolcano can be found north of the Aysen Fjord in this country, and the Chonos Archipelago is separated from the mainland of this country by the Moraleda Channel. Rivers in this country include the Biobio and the Petrohue rivers, the latter of which drains into Todos los Santos Lake. Lying atop the Nazca Plate and containing the port city of Antofagasta, it has sovereignty over both Easter Island and the Wollaston group, one island of which contains Cape Horn, and this country is also home to Punta Arenas, the world's southernmost city. The Andes covers a third of, For 10 points, which country, bordered by Bolivia and Argentina to the west, that is home to most of the Atacama Desert and has its capital at Quito? (move Antofagasta to later)
A: Chile
Q: The mouth of this river is located between Ballard County, KY and Cairo, IL and has its deepest and widest point located at the city near the McAlpine Locks and Dam. Tributaries of this river include the Wabash, Kentucky, Saline, and Cumberland Rivers. Its source is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers near Pittsburgh, PA. Other cities located on this river include Louisville and Cincinnati. For 10 points, name this tributary of the Mississippi River, which forms the southern boundary of the state that has its capital at Columbus.
A: Ohio River
Q: This lake is home to people that refer to themselves as the "Sons of the Sun" and use the totora plant to build reed boats. Those are the Uru people. It is fed by the Ramis river and its southern portion is Winaymarka Lake. This lake empties into the Desaguadero River, and the smaller and larger portions of this lake are connected by the Strait of (*) Tiquina. Its western end houses the capital of the Puno Region, a part of the Altiplano. Boasting the largest volume and highest elevation of any South American lake, name, for 10 points, this lake on the Peru-Bolivia border.
A: Lake Titicaca
Q: This highest peak in this nation is the Pico da Neblina, while notable mountain ranges in this nation include the Espinhaco Mountains. Cities in this nation include Manaus, Belo Horizonte, and Salvador. The Parana River rises in this nation. The only countries on the same continent that do not border this country are Ecuador and Chile, while the Amazon rain forest is located here. For 10 points, name this Portuguese-speaking South American nation, whose cities include Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
A: Federative Republic of Brazil
Q: Johann Krapf and Johann Rebmann are believed to be the first Europeans to spot this mountain, which has a glacier at its top that bears the latter's name. Those who do not reach the highest point of this mountain still receive a green certificate if they reach Gillman's Point. Shira contains a large plateau at its top, while Mawenzi's peak is more rocky due to erosion, but its highest point, most easily attained by using the Marangu, Machame, or Rongai routes, is Uhuru Peak on the volcano Kibo. It is the largest of a belt of roughly twenty others near the southern portion of the East African Rift Valley. For 10 points, name this mountain, the world's largest free-standing one, found in Tanzania.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: This country's highest point is in Skaftafell National Park. Bodies of water in this nation include the Sog River and Lake Þorisvatn [thorris-vot-un]. A volcanic explosion in the 1960s created this nation's island of Surtsey, and it is home to the oldest parliament in the world, the Althing. This nation also sees eruptions from Eyjafjallajokull [eya-fyalla-yokle], including a series of them in 2010. For 10 points, name this northernmost European nation, with capital at Reykjavik.
A: Iceland
Q: This country's province of Mendoza contains the continent's highest peak. This country and the UK have disputed claims over South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. The Iguazu River, known for its namesake falls, flows into the Parana River in this country. This country's southern portion contains most of the Patagonia region, and it owns the eastern half of Tierra del Fuego. The northern part of this country is home to plains known as the Pampas, and the Rio de la Plata lies between it and Uruguay. For 10 points, name this South American country with capital Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina
Q: Shira is the shortest of the three distinct volcanic cones that form this mountain. Giant groundsels are endemic to this mountain, and the Rebmann and Furtwangler glaciers are both located near the summit of this mountain. Its peak was named "Kaiser Wilhelm Peak" after Hans Meyer made the first ascent in 1889, but it was changed to Uhuru Peak after Tanganyika gained independence. Mawensi and Kibo are the two other volcanos that make up - for 10 points - what mountain located in Tanzania, Africa's highest?
A: Kilimanjaro [accept Uhuru Peak before mentioning]
Q: It runs parallel to the Boyd-Roosevelt Highway from Colon to Balboa, and parts of it depend on the drainage of Lake Miraflores and Lake Gatun, fed by the Chagres River. This structure crossed by the Centennial Bridge includes the Gaillard Cut. Using locks to aid movement between Limon Bay and the Pacific, it allows ships to avoid rounding Cape Horn. For 10 points, name this artificial waterway that runs through a namesake Central American country.
A: Panama Canal
Q: The Calypso Deep is the lowest point in this body of water, and Strait of Bonifacio separates two of its larger islands. This sea contains the Balearic Islands, and the Ebro and Rhone rivers flow into it. This sea is connected to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus Strait and to the Atlantic by way of the Strait of Gibraltar. Extensions of this sea include the Aegean and the Adriatic. Containing the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, this sea forms the coastlines of Libya and Algeria. For 10 points, identify this large sea sandwiched between north Africa and Europe.
A: Mediterranean Sea [accept Ionian Sea until "Bonifacio" is read]
Q: The highest peak of the eastern portion of this mountain range is Piz Bernina, which is one of the many mountains over four thousand meters in this range. The tallest mountain in this range was first ascended in 1786 and two plane crashes have occurred on it. This mountain range stretches over twelve hundred kilometers in a crescent shape over eight countries. The highest mountain in this range has been an issue for two of the countries that share it, France and Italy. For 10 points, name this mountain range of Europe that contains peaks like Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.
A: The Alps
Q: The Missoula Floods created this state's Channeled Scablands in its eastern portion. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake was created from a dam built in this state. A bridge in this state collapsed in 1940, and the Grand Coulee Dam was built on the Columbia River in this state. This state contains several volcanoes in the Cascades, including Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier. Its largest city lies on Puget Sound, as does Tacoma. For 10 points, name this state in the Pacific Northwest, whose cities include Olympia and Seattle.
A: Washington
Q: Nk'mip is this country's only hot desert, located near the town of Osoyoos. This country is home to the world's largest freshwater sand dunes and bar system, which is located in its most populous political subdivision. The volcano Mount Garibaldi is found in this country, and this country's highest point is at Mount Logan. This country's longest river was dubbed "disappointment" river by its founder. That river is the Mackenzie River which has its source at the Great Slave Lake. For 10 points, name this North American country with capital at Ottawa.
A: Canada
Q: Thunder Butte is a landform that sits next to this state's Moreau River, which flows until it joins with the Missouri at Lake Oahe. This state contains the first cave to be declared a national park, and that cave is notable for its frostwork and is called Wind Cave. Its Big Stone Lake is the source of the Minnesota River, and its highest mountain (*) Harney Peak is located within the Black Elk Wilderness. Its southwest consists of Badlands National Park and the Black Hills, home to Mount Rushmore. For 10 points, name this Midwestern U.S. state with cities like Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Pierre.
A: South Dakota
Q: The phenomenon of water oscillating across an entire body, known as a seiche, was first studied in this entity, whose water levels are controlled by the Seujet Dam. The Dranse and Venoge rivers are tributaries which flow into this body of water, on whose shores are the region of Lavaux. A peninsula which contains the village of Yvoire separates this body of water's smaller western half from its larger eastern half, which ends at Montreux. This body of water shares its name with a small city in Wisconsin, and part of it lies in France's Haute-Savoie departement. Lying on the path of the Rhone river, cities along it include Lausanne and its namesake. Also known as Lake Leman, for 10 points, name this crescent-shaped lake, the largest freshwater lake in Europe, named after the second most populous city in Switzerland.
A: Lake Geneva or Lac de Geneve (accept Lake Leman or Lac Leman before mentioned)
Q: This country is involved in a territorial dispute over possession of the Greater and Lesser Tunb Islands, and the Dasht-e Lut and the Dasht-e Kavir are two deserts in this country's namesake plateau. Lake Urmia is located in this country close to the Turkish border. The Zagros Mountains form the spine of this country, and the cities of Qum, Tabriz, and Esfahan are located in this nation. For 10 points, name this country located in modern day Persia that has its capital at Tehran.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran or Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
Q: This state has the southernmost American shad run in its longest river, the St. Johns River. The southwestern part of this state is the location of the Ten Thousand Islands and the Caloosahatchee River. Its Biscayne National Park contains an island off its southern coast, and this state contains Lake Okeechobee. For 10 points, name this state that contains the Everglades, is indented by Tampa Bay, and has cities like St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Miami.
A: Florida
Q: Manacapuru and Obidos are cities along this river that is formed by the confluence of the Ucayli and Maranon rivers. The confluence of the largest blackwater river in the world and this river is located at the Meeting of Waters in the city of Manaus, and it is connected by the Casiquiare canal to the Orinoco River. This river is home to a namesake river dolphin, and the Rio Negro is one of its biggest tributaries. Containing one-fifth of the world's total river flow, making it the world's most voluminous river, is, for 10 points, what longest river of South America?
A: Amazon River
Q: The Hamersley Range, in the western part of this country, accounts for over 90% of this country's iron ore production. The Great Artesian Basin covers one-fifth of this country, the Murray-Darling Basin covers another one-seventh, and it is home to the Great Sandy Desert. The Great Dividing Range, in its eastern sections, is the 4th longest in the world and includes Mount Kosiuszko. Bass Strait separates Tasmania from the main island of - for 10 points - what country that occupies the Great Barrier Reef has its capital at Canberra and is home to Melbourne and Sydney?
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: One city near this body of water, Ulan-Ude, is the capital of the region named for the indigenous Buryats, who inhabit the largest island in this lake, Olkhon. Another city near this lake is Irkutsk, which lies on the only river flowing out of this lake, the Angara. The Serenge and Lena Rivers flow into this lake, which is the oldest in the world. For 10 points, name this incredibly deep lake in Russia, the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: The northeast part of this nation is home to hundreds of thousands of cave drawings within the Camonica Valley. The easternmost point in this nation is located on the Salentine Peninsula, which lies west of the Strait of Otranto. Traveling south through the Brenner Pass grants access to this nation, the backbone of which is formed by the Apennine Mountains. The nation of San Marino is located entirely within this country, which contains Mount Etna on the island of Sicily. For 10 points, name this European nation whose capital is Rome.
A: Italy [also accept Italian Republic or Repubblica Italiana]
Q: This province is home to the city of Red Deer and Lesser Slave Lake. While the Great Slave Lake is not in this province, many of its southern tributaries are, such as the Slave River and the Hay River. Along its western boundary are the Jasper and Banff National Parks, which are along the Continental Divide. The 1988 Olympics, which were most famous for the debut of the Jamaican bobsled team, were held in its largest city of Calgary. Home to the largest oil sand deposit in Canada, for 10 points, name this province whose capital is Edmonton.
A: Alberta
Q: Its Arusha National Park contains an active volcano, Mount Meru, while the Umba River flows out of the Arusha region and has notable sapphire deposits. Other notable features in this country include the Oldovai Gorge, where the first homo habilis was discovered and where Louis and Mary Leakey made other archeological discoveries. This country also owns Mafia Island and Pemba, while Lake Victoria and Mount Kilimanjaro are in its north. For 10 points, name this country that owns Zanaibar and which had its capital moved from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma.
A: United Republic of Tanzania or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania
Q: It constricts just above Fort Good Hope between some limestone cliffs known as "The Ramparts." Below Point Separation, it splits into the East, Peel, and Middle Channels, and its large delta is bordered by the Richardson Mountains and the Caribou Hills. At Fort Simpson it is joined by the Liard River, while near the North Nahanni River it goes past an escarpment of the mountains which share its name. Its headwaters are the Peace and Athabasca Rivers, while it empties into the Beaufort Sea. Issuing from the Great Slave Lake, it is named for the white explorer who initially followed its course in 1789. For 10 points, name this river, which is the second longest in North America and whose drainage basin is the largest of any river in Canada.
A: the Mackenzie River
Q: Its central highlands receive almost an inch of rain a day on average, making the Fly-Digul shelf one of the wettest places on Earth. The western half of this island includes the copper mine Tembagapura, while gold is mined at Ok Tedi further to the east. The Ramu, Markham, and Sepik rivers drain to its north coast, while the south coast around the Fly river is covered in mangroves and sago palms. Its many high mountains, including the Maoke range in the center and the Owen Stanley range in the southeast, have encouraged the development of hundreds of indigenous languages, whose speakers communicate today using pidgins such as Hiri Motu. Its western half is a province whose capital is Jayapura, while its eastern half is a nation whose capital is Port Moresby. For 10 points, name this second-largest island island in the world, whose two halves are known as Irian Jaya and Papua.
A: New Guinea
Q: The Tanami Desert in this country borders its Kimberley Region, while the lowest point is its largest lake, Lake Eyre. In the southeastern portion of this country two rivers form part of the Murray-Darling Basin. This nation is separated from a nation to the north by the Torres Strait, and it is also home to Ayers Rock. For 10 points, name this country whose states include Victoria and Queensland, which has cities like Perth and its capital, Canberra.
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: This province is home to the city of Red Deer and Lesser Slave Lake. While the Great Slave Lake is not in this province, many of its southern tributaries are, such as the Slave River and the Hay River. Along its western boundary are the Jasper and Banff National Parks, which are along the Continental Divide. The 1988 Olympics, which were most famous for the debut of the Jamaican bobsled team, were held in its largest city of Calgary. Home to the largest oil sand deposit in Canada, for 10 points, name this province whose capital is Edmonton.
A: Alberta
Q: The Tanami Desert is located within this nation, and its extreme north is known as Arnhem Land, which is separated from the Cape York Peninsula by the Gulf of Carpentaria. Two states within this nation are separated by the Bass Strait, and its longest river, the Murray, forms just west of Mt. Kosciuszko (KOH - "see" - ew - sko). The lowest point in this nation is also at its largest body of water, Lake Eyre ("AIR"). Tasmania is the southernmost state of, for 10 points, what island nation that borders the Great Barrier Reef and features such cities as Brisbane and Sydney?
A: Australia
Q: The Jason lie northwest of the main group of this political entity. The peninsula that forms the southern portion of its east island is called Lafonia, and is the highest peak on these islands. Gratham Sound divides the island group in half, and served as the former capital of these islands, but since 1845 the capital had been located in . Also called las Islas Malvinas, for 10 points, identify this island group in south that was the target of a two-year war between the Argentines and the British.
A: [accept las Islas Malvinas before mentioned]
Q: The Statue of Decebalus is located on the banks of this river nearby an ancient structure called the Tabula Traiana, which is the primary ruin left from a bridge believed to be the longest arch bridge for a millenium. The primary sources of this river are the Brigach and Berg Rivers. Tributaries of this river include the Drava River in Croatia and the Tisza River in Serbia. A notable gorge on this river is called the Iron Gates. This river flows through the capital cities of Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest, and Vienna. For 10 points, name this second longest river of Europe that starts in the Black Forest of Germany and flows into the Black Sea.
A: Danube River
Q: The Djebel Chelia is the highest peak in the Aures Mountains, which are an eastern extension of this mountain range. Another part of this mountain range contains the Amour, Ksour, and Ouled-Nail mountains, and they run mostly parallel to the Tell Mountains, which are a part of this mountain range that lies near the shore. Its highest peak is the Jbel Toubkal, which is found in the High part of this mountain range. Also having Middle and Anti parts, it is formed by the continental collision of Iberia with Africa. For 10 points, identify this mountain range in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: This nation is home to the volcano Mount Garibaldi and its highest point is at Mount Logan. This country's longest river, which flows into the Beaufort Sea, is the Mackenzie. In 1999, the territory of Nunavut, which includes Baffin Island, was created in this country's northern region. Its provincial capitals include Regina and Halifax, and it contains the Hudson Bay. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Ottawa, the northern neighbor of the US.
A: Canada
Q: Along with the Songhua and Tumen, this river originates from Heaven Lake on Bakedu Mountain. Dams on it include the Sup'ung Rodonjagu, and cities on its banks include Hyesan and Chagbai in the Paektu Mountains. It is transversed by the Friendship Bridge between the cities of Sinuiju and Daodong, and tributaries of this river include the Tokro and Herchun. Its name comes from the Manchu word for "boundary between two fields", and the airspace above it became known as MiG Alley during a certain police action. For 10 points, name this river that forms border between China and the Korean Peninsula.
A: Yalu River or Amnok River
Q: Early explorers of this island include J. E. Lavoie and Joseph-Elzear Bernier, who spent a winter at Pond Inlet. One of the first maps of it was made in 1884 by Franz Boas, who stayed at Kekertuk. South of the Hantzch River lies the Plain of Koukdjuak, while it includes a notable bird sanctuary at Cape Dorset. In the north, the Borden and Brodeur peninsulas are separated by Admiralty Inlet, which may be the world's largest fjord. It is separated from the Melville Peninsula by the Foxe Basin, while it is separated from an island to the east by the Davis Strait. It is home to Auyuittuq National Park, its nation's first park north of the Arctic Circle, and Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. For 10 points, name this fifth-largest island in the world, which is also the largest island in Canada.
A: Baffin Island
Q: This body of water contains Kandalaksha Bay in its northwest, which is home to one of its country's most important wetlands. It also contains the islands of Great Muksalma and Anzersky, while one of the largest monasteries in its country is located on Solovets Island. It is connected to a sea to the north which contains Kolgayev Island by a strait whose name means "the throat." Among the minor rivers which empty into it are Mezen, Onega, and Vyg, the last of which is employed as the final link on the canal connecting it to the Baltic. Among its ports are Belomorsk and Kem, and it is connected to the Berents Sea by the "Gorlo" which runs between Cape Kanin Nos and Cape Svyatoy Nos. Known in Russian as the Beloye More, For 10 points name this almost landlocked portion of the Arctic Ocean, a body of water into which the Northern Dvina also empties near its principal port, Archangel.
A: the White Sea (accept Beloye More before it is mentioned)
Q: The Bahr Yussef canal once connected this river to Lake Moeris, and one feeder to it is the Kagera River. Towards the end of this river's path, it splits into two distributaries, the Rosetta Branch, and the Damietta Branch. One tributary of this river begins in Lake Tana, while the other begins in Lake Victoria. It flows over six cataracts, and its Blue and White Branches meet in the Sudanese city of Khartoum. For 10 points, identify this African river that flows through eleven countries, the longest river in the world.
A: Nile River
Q: The highest peak in this region is Mount Snowdon, and the westernmost point on its mainland lies on the St. David's Peninsula. Cities here include Wrexham, Neath, and Swansea, and a small portion of its eastern border is formed by the Wye River. Bodies of water bordering this region include Cardigan Bay to the west, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Irish Sea to the north. The Cambrian mountain range dominates, for 10 points, what member country of the United Kingdom with capital at Cardiff?
A: Wales [do not accept or prompt on "United Kingdom," "UK," "Great Britain," or "England" at any point]
Q: This country's highest point is the stratovolcano, Nevado Ojos del Salado. The Corcovado Gulf separates its mainland from an island possession, and its longest river is the Loa River which runs through the world's driest desert to its north. It controls Rapa Nui on which stand the mo'ai statues; that is also known as Easter Island. Dominated by the Andes mountains and home to the Atacama, this is for 10 points, this is what South American country with its national congress in Valparaiso and capital at Santiago?
A: Republic of Chile
Q: The Lemaire Channel separates this body from Booth Island. Sturge, Young, and Buckle are the three largest of the Bellany Islands, which lie near this land mass. This entity's namesake mountain system has its highest point at Mt. Kirkpatrick, and its subdivisions include the Horlick, Pensacola, and Dufek ranges. Much of this entity's namesake peninsula is known as Graham Land, while the tip of it is called the Trinity Peninsula; to its west lie Alexander Island and the Bellingshausen Sea. It is divided into areas such as Marie Byrd Land and Queen Maud Land, and is home to the active and inactive volcanoes Mt. Erebus and Mt. Terror. Its highest mountain is Vinson Massif, and it is indented by the Weddell Sea and Ross Sea, for 10 points, name this icy land mass, the southernmost on Earth.
A: Antarctica
Q: Bombolai Hill is the only volcano in this nation, which has its highest point at Low's Peak on Mt. Kinabalu. A city-state is separated from this nation by the Straits of Johor, and off its northwest coast is Penang Island. Its states of Sabah and Sarawak are separated from its capital, which is home to the Petronas Towers. For 10 points, name this nation split between Borneo and its namesake peninsula, ruled from Kuala Lumpur.
A: Malaysia
Q: This nation's lake district contains Nahuel Huapi National Park, and a peak containing the Polish Glacier lies in this nation's Mendoza Province. The Perito Moreno Glacier is found in its south and the north of this country lies in the Pampas. The Rio de la Plata flows north of the capital of this nation that contains Aconcagua. Sharing an Andean border with Chile, this is, for 10 points, what South American nation with a capital at Buenos Aires?
A: Argentina or Republica Argentina [accept Argentine Republic]
Q: This nation includes the Merida and Sierra de Perija mountain ranges and the Catatumbo River. Major cities in this nation include Ciudad Guyana, Barquisimento, and, despite not being Spain, Valencia. This nation contains most of the Orinoco River, and two thirds of this nation's oil production occurs at its largest lake, which is also the largest lake in South America, Lake Maracaibo. For 10 points, name this nation with capital at Caracas.
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela or Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
Q: The upper reaches of this river are called the Jinsha River, and the Battle of Red Cliffs was fought on this river. Dongting Lake and Lake Poyang both empty into this river, which is joined by the Huangpu near its mouth. Wuhan, Nanjing, and Chongqing lie on this river that runs through the Sichuan basin. This river is also the site of a large hydroelectric dam project at its Three Gorges. For 10 points, name this river that ends near Shanghai, the longest river in China.
A: Chang Jiang or Yangtze River
Q: This body of water is next to the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi. This body of water is connected by the Strait of Kerch to the Sea of Azov and to the Sea of Marmara by the Bosporus Strait. Important cities on this body of water include Sevastopol, Yalta, Odessa, and Istanbul. Located west of Russia, south of Ukraine and north of Turkey, name, for 10 points, this colorful inland sea.
A: Black Sea
Q: The Patua creole is spoken in this polity, and this polity is divided into seven parishes and the Cotai Landfill. Stanley Ho owns a number of popular tourist destinations in this polity, and the 12-3 riot occured here after the colonial government forbade the construction of a private school on this polity's island of Taipa. Branches of the Wynn and the MGM Grand have recently opened here, and Edmund Wah replaced General Vasco Rocha Viera as Chief Executive following the 1999 handover to China. For 10 points, name this former Portuguese colony and gambling haven, located across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong.
A: Macau or Aomen
Q: Reindeer Lake lies on the eastern border of this province and Lake Athabasca on the western border. Swift Current and Moose Jaw are to the south, and the Assiniboine River flows through the capital of this province. Bordered by the Northwest Territories to the north, Manitoba to the east, and Alberta to the west, this is, for 10 points, what Canadian province whose cities include its provinicial capital, Regina, and Saskatoon?
A: Saskatchewan
Q: Possessions of this nation include Franz Joseph Land and the disputed Kuril Islands, and this country's major cities include Kazan, Yekaterinburg, and Nizhny Novgorod. This country contains the tallest mountain in Europe, Mount Elbrus, and the deepest lake in the world, Baikal. The Ural Mountains divide Asia and Europe in this country. For 10 points, name this country with capital at Moscow that is, by area, the largest in the world.
A: Russian Federation or Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
Q: Evidence against one hypothesis of this feature's formation stems from Abrajano's discovery of sapropel mud in a nearby body of water. Once the region around this body was colonized by the Milesians, Greek tradition referred to it as "Hospitable." One seaport on this body is near the estuary that it forms with the Dniester River. It connects to the Sea of Azov through the Strait of Kerch, while the Bosporus connects it to Marmara and through Marmara to the Aegean Sea. Notable cities on this body of water include Yalta, Odessa, and Sevastopol. For 10 points, identify this sea bordeed by the Ukraine and Russia to the north and Turkey to the south.
A: Black Sea
Q: This city's downtown features the Angel's Flight incline and the Mexican neighborhood of Olvera Street. Notable neighborhoods in this city include Echo Park, Westwood, and Venice Beach, while the San Fernando Valley attempted to secede from this city. The Watts Riots happened in this city, which is also the home of Hollywood. For 10 points, name this largest city in California.
A: Los Angeles [accept LA]
Q: Uninhabited islands belonging to this nation include Kemmunett and Filfla, and Marsaxlokk [mar-sa-shlock] Bay indents its biggest island. Neolithic temples in this country include Tarxien [tar-shien], Ta' Ħagrat, [hadj-rat] and Ħagar Qim [ha-jar eem]. The Blue Lagoon is off this nation's island of Comino. This nation's capital is a port which contains the Marsamxett [mar-sam-shet] and Grand Harbours. One island in this nation has its largest town at Victoria, also known as Rabat, also the name of a town outside the old capital of Mdina. That island is home to the aforementioned megalithic temples, which include Ggantija [djgan-ti-yah], or the Giant's Tower. Besides that "Island of the Three Hills", Gozo, its namesake island contains this country's largest town, Birkirkara. For 10 points, name this small island nation south of Italy with capital at Valletta.
A: Malta
Q: Springer Mountain is the southern end of an important entity in these mountains, and subranges of this mountain range include the Black, Catskill, and Pocono Mountains. Mount Katahdin is the northern terminus of its namesake trail, and Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi, is found in this range. For 10 points, name this mountain range running the entire eastern coast of the United States.
A: Appalachian Mountains (Accept Appalachian Trail before "mountains")
Q: The Anaconda Mining Company was founded in this state by Marcus Daly after a discovery of silver and copper deposits, and its town of Glasgow is located near its Fort Peck Lake. The Pompey's Pillar national monument in this state is notable for the signature of William Clark inscribed upon it. It has the distinction of being the only state with rivers that eventually flow into the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Hudson Bay. Also home to the Glacier National park, the Clark, the Blackfoot and the Bitterroot Rivers run through Missoula in this state. For 10 points, identify this state, whose largest city is Billings.
A: Montana
Q: The largest thermal lake in the world, Lake Heviz, is located in this country just west of Lake Balaton, one of the largest lakes in central Europe. The highest point is Kekes, a mountain located in the Carpathians that run through the north along the Slovakian border. Major rivers include the Tisza, Drava, and the Danube which flows through the capital. For 10 points, what is this nation bordered by Ukraine, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia, and Croatia with capital at Budapest?
A: Republic of Hungary (or Magyar Koztarsasag)
Q: Its town squares include Bellevue in the Theater District and Newmarket in the Old City district. One can get a great view of this city from Quai bridge, and everyone gets around using a train known as the S-Bahn. Its coat of arms is blue and white and its St. Peter's Church has the largest clock face in Europe. Home to the famed Cabaret Voltaire, it is situated on the Linmat and Sihl Rivers, and the Romans called this burial place of James Joyce Turicum. Bordered by its namesake lake on the South, this capital of its namesake canton is the home of its nation's stock exchange, the SWX. For 10 points, identify this largest city in Switzerland.
A: Zurich
Q: Off the eastern coast of this nation is the barren island of Masirah, and just inland is the Oryx Sanctuary, a scenic biological preserve. The south is indented by Kuria Muria Bay and the north sees the Al Hajar Mountains, but its northernmost point is the Musandam Peninsula, which is separated from the rest of the nation and off-limits to tourists for military reasons. Its major cities include Suhar, Nizwa, and Mirbat. Its namesake gulf extends from the Strait of Hormuz to the Arabian Sea. For 10 points, name this nation whose capital is Muscat, a country surrounded by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
A: Oman
Q: Most of this nation is divided into the five welayatlar, which are subdivided into cities and etraplar. The most populous of its provinces is the Mary Province, which is mostly covered by desert, but is also home to an ancient capital city and irrigated by the Karakum Canal. In the north lies the Dasoguz region, while the westernmost Balkan Province is home to Central Asia's only port, a city formerly named Krasnovodsk, but currently bearing the name of a former despot. For 10 points, name this nation, which recently installed Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov to replace Saparmurat Niyazov as its leader in the capital of Ashgabat.
A: Turkmenistan
Q: Because of its remote location, tourists do not often attempt to climb it, although the Goecha La pass does approach its massive southern face. Its massif is buttressed by four ridges, with names including the Zemu and the Talung. Along with the Yalung and a namesake ridge, these structures contain peaks that form an "X." Its name translates as "Treasuries of the Great Snow" and it was first mapped by Rinzin Namgyal. It was first climbed in 1955 by Charles Evans, who stopped a few feet short of the summit to honor the traditions of the region of Sikkim. For 10 points, name this mountain, located between Nepal and India, the third-highest in the world.
A: Kangchenjunga
Q: This desert is widest in its western section, and much of it is exposed bare rock, and not sand. Archaeologists have done extensive excavations in its northwestern Nemegt Basin looking for fossils (*) and other artifacts in this desert. This desert is known for its rapid temperature changes, and the Tibetan Plateau borders this desert to the southwest. For 10 points, name this largest desert of Asia, a rain shadow of the Himalayas, located largely in western China.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: This U.S. city's location was due to a strategic portage used by local Native Americans before white settlers arrived, and its namesake river was reversed for economic reasons around the turn of the 20th Century. This city is home to Millennium Park, which features the Cloud Gate (*) sculpture, and the Navy Pier, which juts out into Lake Michigan. Museums in this city include the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and the Field Museum of Natural History. For 10 points, name this "Windy" Illinois city, the third-largest in the United States.
A: Chicago
Q: This lake is located in a rift valley that is slowly spreading apart, and one landform along its northwest coast, Cape Ryty, is considered sacred to its indigenous population. This lake is completely surrounded by mountains, and drains into the Angara tributary of the Yenisei (*) River. This lake contains over 20% of the world's freshwater reserves, despite being frozen for nearly half the year. For 10 points, name this lake in Siberia, made up of three separate basins, which is the deepest in the world at 5,387 feet.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: The topography of this state changes from east to west because of a prominent river, with the "East River" region raising most of its crops. The "West River" region's economy of this Great Plains state depends on dryland farming, cattle ranching, and military installations, which includes Ellsworth (*) Air Force Base. This state's city of Mitchell contains the world's only Corn Palace, and its southeastern city of Sturgis features a major motorcycle rally every year. Name this state, divided in half by the Missouri River, of which 9% of the population is Native American, and has its capital at Pierre.
A: South Dakota
Q: This American river begins in La Poudre Pass in its namesake state, and it meets its largest tributary, the Green River, in a smaller state to the west, near Canyonlands National Park. This river is traversed by numerous dams, including Glen Canyon, (*) as it travels southwest, and 90% of its remaining water is diverted at the Imperial Dam for the All-American Canal for the Imperial Valley agricultural region. For 10 points, name this western river, which flows through seven states, and forms the border between Arizona and California, before traveling south through Mexico to the Gulf of California.
A: Colorado River
Q: This Pacific Ocean island is part of the Ryukyus {REE-YOO-KOO-YOOS} and over 25% of it consists of American military bases. This island was annexed by Japan in 1879, and was occupied by the American military between 1945 and 1972. (*) Most of the population lives on the southern third of the island, which includes the largest city, Naha. This island was final land battle of the Pacific War, ending in July, 1945. For 10 points, name this Japanese-held island, located between the island of Kyushu and Taiwan.
A: Okinawa
Q: The Sandia Mountains are located on the east side of this city, which hosts the International Balloon Fiesta every October. This city's "Old Town" is located east of the Rio Grande, which divides the city. (*) Route 66 ran through this city, which is home to Kirtland Air Force Base and was a popular destination for tuberculosis sufferers in the early 20th century due to its high desert environment. For 10 points, name this city, the setting for the TV show Breaking Bad and the Disney High School Musical movies, the largest city in New Mexico.
A: Albuquerque
Q: Its central region consists of a chain of volcanic mountains, the most active of which is the Stromboli-like Mt. Arenal. At the foot of that volcano lies this country's largest lake, which shares the same name. Nearly one-quarter of this nation's land consists of protected national parks, such as the Monteverde Cloud Forest, and its counties include Limon, Heredia, and Cartago. Its national currency is the colon and in 1948, under President Jose Ferrer, it became the first country to constitutionally abolish its military force. The second most southern nation in Central America, For 10 points, identify this republic whose capital is San Jose.
A: Costa Rica
Q: It is home to the Los Katios National Park, which became a World Heritage Site in 1994, and to a National Park which shares its name. It measures some 100 miles long by 30 miles wide, and the Rio Atrato flows through its southeastern portion. Home to the Choco and Cuna tribes, its town of Yaviza is a terminus of the Pan-American Highway. It shares its name with a gulf which contains the Gulf of Uraba and which it itself the southernmost portion of the Caribbean Sea. For 10 points, name this impassable "gap" of Colombia and Panama, upon a "peak" of which "stout Cortez" is said to stand "silent" in Keats' "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer."
A: Darien Gap
Q: The one "of the North" forms near Lake Traverse and counts the Assiniboine as its chief tributary. The "Little" one, which is divided into the South, Middle, and Devil's forks, begins in the Ozark National Forest and flows through north-central Arkansas. Another rises in Sumner County and is a major tributary of the Cumberland River that drains the Highland Rim of Tennessee and the Pennyroyal Plateau of Kentucky. The largest of them features a 160-mile-long log jam called "The Great Raft" and is the southernmost of the Mississippi's tributaries. For 10 points, identify the name shared by these rivers, one of which is probably most famous for naming the annual football game between the Sooners and the Longhorns.
A: Red River (s)
Q: Its eastern border terminates in Cape Orange and the port of Saint-Georges, and abuts another country's state of Amapa across the Oyapock River, while its western border is the Maroni river. Degrad des Cannes is the leading port of this area, which includes the archipelago known as the Salvation Islands. The third member of that island group is separated by the Kourou River and was formerly a leper's colony and a prison, where Alfred Dreyfus was held. For 10 points, Devil's Island is part of what overseas department, sandwiched between Brazil and Suriname but not bordering a former English colony with a similar name?
A: French Guiana (or Department of Guiana or Departement de la Guyane; don't accept or prompt on Guyana)
Q: This nation has claimed more than 400,000 square miles of Antarctic territory, but this claim is suspended along with all others. This nation's capital and its largest port are located in the central part of this nation, which is less than 220 miles wide (*) at its widest point. This nation's northern region contains rich copper deposits in the Atacama Desert, while its southern portion contains the Patagonia, which is shared with Argentina. For 10 points, name this South American nation, which is over 2,600 miles long, considered part of the Southern Cone, with capital at Santiago.
A: Chile
Q: This river rises, along with a number of others, from the Valdai Hills, which results in divided drainage basins. This river freezes for much of its length for 3 months out of the year, but its delta is only place in Russia (*) where flamingos and pelicans can be seen. The turning point battle on the Eastern Front in World War II was fought in a city located on this body of water, which has been widened for navigation purposes. For 10 points, name this "mother river" of Russia that flows into the Caspian Sea, along which lies the strategic cities of Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, along with a city formerly named Stalingrad.
A: Volga River
Q: This nation's province of Haut-Katanga {HOWT--KAH-TANG-AH} is surrounded on three sides by the nation of Zambia, and this nation has a small coastline along the Atlantic between Angola and its exclave of Cabinda. This nation's capital was once known as Leopoldville, and that same capital is now the largest French speaking city in the world. (*) That capital lies across the country's namesake river from a similarly named country's capital of Brazzaville. For 10 points, name this Central African country with its capital at Kinshasa {KINN-SHAW-SAH}, formerly known as Zaire.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo (accept:DRC) (DO NOT prompt on or accept "Republic of Congo; prompt on just "Congo")
Q: The northerly or southerly drainage direction of this nation's rivers is determined by the Guiana Highlands, which run along its northern border. The Serra do Mar Mountains run along the southeast coastal region of this nation from it's states of Espirito Santo to Santa Catarina. A 19th century rubber boom (*) was centered around this nation's central city of Manaus. For 10 points, name this nation, which contains the island of Marajo, along with the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, the most populous in South America, with capital at Brasilia.
A: Brazil (accept "Federative Republic of Brasil")
Q: An island controlled by this country has been theorized as the location for the story of ancient Atlantis. That island, Santorini, is a part of the Cyclades island group which lie along the southeastern edge of this nation. This nation and its northern neighbor share the Rhodope Mountains, (*) and its capital lies on the plains of Attica. That capital is also served by the port of Piraeus, which is the busiest port in Europe. For 10 points, name this southeastern European nation, which also controls the Dodecanese Islands, the Isthmus of Corinth, and lies northeast of the Aegean Sea.
A: Greece (or Hellenic Republic)
Q: One river with this name begins in the Yunnan Province of China, flows southward into Vietnam, before emptying into the Gulf of Tonkin. Another river by this name originates on the border between North Dakota (*) and Minnesota, and flows northward into Canada before emptying into Lake Winnipeg. Another river by this name rises in the Texas Panhandle before flowing eastward, forming the border between Texas and Oklahoma before flowing into Louisiana and Arkansas. For 10 points, give the name shared by all of these rivers, largely due to the iron-rich sediment that lies beneath it.
A: Red River
Q: The Llovizna Falls mark its confluence with the Caroni River, and it is divided into upper and lower courses by the Ature [Ah-to-ray] and Maipures [My-poo-ress] cataracts. Its banks are often littered with a type of Brazil nut and its rare namesake crocodile can reach a length of 12 feet. Although its source in the Parima Range was only explored in 1951, Columbus discovered its mouth near the Gulf of Paria, at what is now called the Delta Amacuro. This waterway flows in a wide arc through the Llanos [ya-nos] or plains region, passing by Ciudad Bolivar. For 10 points, identify this river which joins the Amazon via the Rio Negro and is mostly located in Venezuela.
A: Orinoco River
Q: In 2009, one of these features called West Mata was observed by the ROV Jason to study newly-formed boninites for the first time. In 2015, researchers discovered that Kavachi, one of these features, was infested with sharks. Likely the largest of these features by area is named for Texas A&M University, although the Ontong Java Plateau may contain an even larger one of these non-atoll features. One of these features formerly called (*) Loʻihi is the newest in a group of these features whose northern portion is named for Japanese emperors. In 2022, the island of Hunga Haʻapai in Tonga was partially destroyed by one of these features, which was created in a manner similar to the island of Surtsey in Iceland. For 10 points, pumice rafts and pillow lava may form when what features erupt?
A: submarine volcanoes [accept equivalents like underwater volcanoes; accept seamounts; accept Kamaʻehuakanaloa Seamount or Emperor Seamounts; prompt on underwater mountains; prompt on massifs by asking, "What feature is the Tamu Massif?"] (Loʻihi is now called Kamaʻehuakanaloa.)
Q: This mountain range's Zakopane ("zah-ko-PAH-nay") Style of architecture features folk motifs like a six-petal "thunder mark" of the Goral people. Pit houses called burdei found in this mountain range have largely switched to oak to not threaten this mountain range's primeval beech forests, the largest in the world. Wooden tserkvas built in the Hutsul and Halych ("HAH-lich") styles of this mountain range are used for worship in the historic region of (*) Galicia by Rusyn ("ROO-sin") peoples south of Lviv. Ski resorts and pollution from Ostrava have damaged the Tatras, a subrange of this mountain range, as well as tourism from a city to the north home to Wawel ("VAH-vell") Castle. That city north of this mountain range is Krakow. For 10 points, name this mountain range that arcs from Czechia to Romania in Eastern Europe.
A: Carpathian Mountains [or Carpathians; or Karpaty or Karpaten or Carpati or Karpatok; accept High Tatras or Tatry Wysokie until "burdei" is read and anti-prompt (ask, "Can you be less specific?") afterward; anti-prompt on specific subranges like the Beskids]
Q: East of this city's downtown is the confluence of the rivers Lek and Noord, while west of it the New Waterway extends from the Het Scheur to the sea. Its downtown features numerous "cube houses" designed by Piet Blom, as well as the towering Euromast. Its southern portions lie on the island of IJsselmonde ["EYE"-sel-mond] across the New Meuse from the mainland. With a name derived from a riverine barrier, this is, For 10 points, what most populous city in the province of South Holland and largest European port?
A: Rotterdam
Q: Some of them include Dix and Haystack, though Cliff and Nye was just downgraded from its status as one of the top 46 of them. Cities nearby include Gloversville and Malone, and the Black River emerges among them. They are bordered to the west by the Tug Hill Plateau. In 1873 Verplanck Colvin urged the creation of a reserve covering the whole region. With the exception of the higher summits, they were probably all once covered by the Laurentian glacier. Nestled among them is the tiny Lake Tear of the Clouds, which is thought to be source of the Hudson River. Their namesake park contains Lake Placid and their highest peak is Mount Marcy. For 10 points, identify this range of mountains located in the Eastern part of New York.
A: Adirondack (s) Mountains [46 is the number of peaks thought to be over 4000 feet]
Q: This U.S state's highest point is Britton Hill, located in its Panhandle region, which is the lowest high point in all 50 states. This non-Oklahoma state has the most tornadoes per area, counting waterspouts, and this state and Texas have been hit by the most Category 4 or 5 hurricanes (*) in U.S. history. This state has the longest coastline in the 48 contiguous U.S. states, and it is the only U.S state besides Hawaii to have a tropical climate. For 10 points, name this peninsular U.S state, nicknamed "The Sunshine State," with capital at Tallahassee.
A: Florida
Q: Frederick Cook claimed, inaccurately, to have climbed this mountain in 1906, but the first documented ascent occurred in 1913 on its South Summit. Five large glaciers flow off the side of this mountain, which formed from the subduction of the Pacific Plate (*) beneath the North American Plate. For 10 points, name this mountain, formerly named for a President from Ohio, located in Alaska, which reverted, somewhat controversially, to its native Athabascan name in August, 2015.
A: Denali (accept "Mount McKinley")
Q: This structure's design was a compromise between the designs of Edward Carlson and John Graham, although neither design included the "hourglass profile." A grand spiral stairway was part of the original design for this structure, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. (*) The elevators in this structure only operate at 5 miles an hour during high winds, and it made appearances in many episodes of iCarly, Frasier, and Grey's Anatomy, which are set in the city where it is located. For 10 points, name this structure, which has a rotating restaurant on its top called SkyCity, located in downtown Seattle.
A: Space Needle
Q: Residents of the Tangier Islands in this body of water may be forced out by climate change due to rising waters by 2050. This estuary is only an average of 21 feet deep, and its headwaters originate at the mouth of the Susquehanna (*) River in a state that is nearly divided by it. This body of water is known for its blue crabs, clams, and oysters, and the sail-powered "skipjack" boat was developed specifically for use by "watermen" within it. For 10 points, name this body of water, that forms the eastern boundary of Virginia and Maryland, and is crossed by a namesake Bay Bridge tunnel complex.
A: Chesapeake Bay
Q: In December 1888 an expedition on this island charting a tributary of the Mica Burn next to Leaning Peak was lost. Afterward, the river was known as Disaster River, since Professor Brown, who set out from a tarn fed by the Spey River, was never seen again. Lake Manapouri is smaller but deeper than this island's largest lake, Te Anau, and lies in the fiordland in the southwest, a region separated from the Dunedin and the Canterbury Plains in the East by a mountain range containing Mount Aoraki, also referred to by the same name as the strait opposite Foveaux strait, which separates it from Stewart Island. For 10 points, name this island that is home to Christchurch and is separated from a smaller and equally unimaginatively named island by the Cook Strait.
A: South Island or Te Wai Pounamu
Q: This territory is largely uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Supervised remotely by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories, this group's other large islands include the Coringa Islets and the Diamond Islands. A namesake 1969 act incorporating these islands into the Commonwealth was amended in 1997 to add Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs to the territory; these reefs are located 150 kilometers north of Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. New Caledonia is due east of the islands and helps create the sea with which they share their name. For 10 points, identify these territorial islands of Australia located between the Great Barrier Reef and Papua New Guinea.
A: Coral Sea Islands Territory
Q: This nation has a number of exclaves located along its northern coastal region, and its border with its eastern neighbor has been closed for over 20 years. This nation contains the Rif Mountain range in its northern region, and a larger mountain range, (*) the Atlas, to its south. This nation is one of three to have coastal regions on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and the only one in Africa. For 10 points, name this North African nation, which contains the Spanish exclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla and shares a closed border with Algeria, with capital at Rabat.
A: Kingdom of Morocco
Q: This mountain range contains Devil's Postpile National Monument in its eastern portion, and is bounded on the north by the Fredonyer Pass. This mountain range was formed by granite uplift, and was not fully explored until 1912 due to its notorious inaccessibility, (*) which slowed the building of the Central Pacific Railroad. It is bounded on the west by the fertile Central Valley, and on the east by the Great Basin. For 10 points, name this mountain range, containing Lake Tahoe and Mount Whitney, that runs north to south along the California-Nevada border.
A: Sierra Nevada Mountains
Q: An island two kilometers in circumference known as "The Island of the Gods" lies in the middle of this lake, and provides one of its "Eight Great Views." Though it receives nearly 500 streams, many areas such as Akanoi Bay, one of its most polluted sections, suffer from poor water circulation. Located near the Hira, Ibuki, and Suzuki mountains, its only natural outlet is the Seta River, and it is still considered clean enough for drinking water. For 10 points, name this lake which is connected by canals to Kyoto and which is found in Shiga prefecture, Japan's largest freshwater lake.
A: Lake Biwa (-ko)
Q: It rises in the Sayan Mountains, while its "little" namesake begins in the Darhadin Bowl. The largest tributaries of its upper and middle sections are the Abakan and Khemchik rivers, while much of its basin is circumscribed by the Hangayn, Hentiyn, and Putorana mountains of Tuva. First explored by the so-called "Great Northern Expedition" led by Vitus Bering, the Selenga River flows through Lake Baikal and into this river's Angara tributary, and its valley broadens as it passes Krasnoyarsk. Taking its name from the Greek for "great river," for 10 points, identify this sixth-largest river in the world in terms of discharge, which flows north across Siberia and empties into the Kara Sea.
A: Yenisey River
Q: A central region of this nation contains a megalithic site called the Plain of Jars, which has large amounts of unexploded ordnance. This nation is covered in rugged mountains and forest, and its tallest mountain is Phou Bia {FOO-BAH}. (*) The Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary of this nation and Thailand, while the eastern boundary between this nation and Vietnam is the Annamite mountain range. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian nation, the only landlocked nation in the region, with capital at Vientiane.
A: Laos (accept "Lao People's Democratic Republic")
Q: This European country consists of the Jutland Peninsula and the islands of Zealand and Funen. Only four cities in this small nation have populations over 100,000, and two of these, Aarhus {ARR-HOOS} and Aalborg {ALL-BORG} are located on the Jutland Peninsula. That peninsula connects to the German provinces of Schleswig-Holstein {SCHLESS-VIGG--HOLE-SHTINE}, (*) which were historically a battleground between this nation and Germany. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian nation, with capital and largest city at Copenhagen.
A: Denmark
Q: This U.S. state is made up of hilly uplands in its north and an alluvial plain in its south. The Sabine and Red Rivers form much of this state's western border, and the Pearl River forms much of its eastern border with Mississippi. (*) The Atchafalaya {ATCHA-FUH-LIE-YAH} River flows through the central part of this U.S. state before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico near Morgan City. This state's smaller waterways are referred to as "bayous," {BYE-YOOZ}, and are often at or below sea level. For 10 points, name this U.S. state which contains the Mississippi River Delta, and has its capital at Baton Rouge.
A: Louisiana
Q: The popular tourist island of Lombok in this nation was hit with devastating earthquakes in July and August, 2018. This island nation also contains the resort island of Bali, which itself is east of the most populated island of this nation, Java. (*) A mega-project by this nation to connect Java with the nearby island of Sumatra via a bridge across the narrow Sunda Strait was cancelled in 2014, and this nation is separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian nation with capital at Jakarta.
A: Indonesia
Q: This body of water's northern edge is the Windward Channel and the Mona Strait, and its namesake monk seal was hunted to extinction in the 19th century. Its southern extremity is considered to be the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, (*) which lie north of Venezuela. Barbados lies along its eastern edge, but is considered part of the Atlantic Ocean, and not this body of water. For 10 points, name this body of water, lying south of the Gulf of Mexico, which collectively contains a group of islands known as the West Indies, and whose weather is heavily influenced by the Gulf Stream.
A: Caribbean Sea
Q: This river begins in the Bayan Har Mountains, and in its upper reaches, the water passes through gorges and runs clear, despite its name. When this river enters the Loess Plateau in its middle reaches, it gains billions of tons of sediment (*) through erosion, morethan any other river in the world. The massive amounts of sediment settle in the lower reaches of this river, leading to its nickname, "the river above ground." For 10 points, name this river, whose flood-prone waters have given it the nickname "China's Sorrow," and which derives its name from its massive loess deposits.
A: Yellow River (accept "Hwang He")
Q: This entity begins at Cape Prince of Wales on Alaska's North Slope, and Grays Peak in Colorado is the highest point along this entity. This entity separates Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park in northern Montana, and a community in central Montana is named for this entity. All rivers east of this entity drain (*) towards the Atlantic Ocean, and all bodies of water west of this entity drain towards the Pacific Ocean. For 10 points, name this entity which runs along the Rocky Mountains through the western United States, separating drainage basins.
A: Continental Divide (accept "Great Divide" or "Continental Gulf of Division")
Q: This Central American nation's only navigable river is the Rio Lempa, whose tributaries drain over half of this nation. Two parallel mountain ranges run east-west through this nation, which is the only one in Central America without a Caribbean coastline. (*) This nation's mountain ranges contain numerous active volcanoes, and its central lowland region is the location of its namesake capital. This nation shares Lake Guija {GWEE-HA} with its northern neighbor of Guatemala, while its eastern and southern borders are shared with Honduras. For 10 points, name this smallest Central American nation, which borders the Pacific Ocean.
A: Republic of El Salvador (capital is "San Salvador")
Q: This European nation has been dealing with severe forest fires in its far northern Arctic regions, due to sustained drought across the entire continent. The Skanderna mountain range separates this nation from its western Scandinavian neighbor, and the Oresund {ORR-IH-SUND} Bridge (*) connects this nation's city of Malmo to Copenhagen, Denmark. Malmo is the third largest city in this nation, behind Gothenburg {GO-THEN-BURG} and its capital and largest city. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian nation which has its capital at Stockholm.
A: Sweden
Q: This country celebrates a pair of holidays called the September Celebrations, which includes its Independence Day and the Battle of St. George's Cay Day. Among its extensive coastal reefs (*) is a large submarine sinkhole called the Great Blue Hole, and its current capital is a planned city created in 1970 after the destruction of its previous capital by Hurricane Hattie. For 10 points, name this Central American country that moved its namesake capital to the interior city of Belmopan and was formerly known as British Honduras.
A: Belize
Q: The main settelements on this body of water are located near Echo and Sawmill bays on the east, where one can find the Port Radium mining area, and Fort Franklin on the west coast. The Acasta people were the first to live on its shores, and upon its first discovery by European traders, Athabascan tribes such as the Dogrib and the Hare lived in its vicinity. Noted for its speckled trout, this lake is in the Fort Smith southern Inuvik regions of the Northwest Territories, where it straddles the Arctic circle. Drained to the west by the namesake river into the Mackenzie River, for 10 points, identify this fourth-largest lake in North America and the largest lake entirely in Canada.
A: Great Bear Lake
Q: The most populous city in the state of this name is home to its country's largest agricultural university and is situated on the Sutlej River. Another city in this state is home to the Harballabh Fair, and in addition to being the one-time capital of the Trigartta people was the capital of the state until 1953. In addition to Ludhiana and Jalandhar, the state features the capital city of Chandigarh, while the province of this name is the site of the Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers, the five rivers of its Persian-derived name. For 10 points, what name is shared by the Indian state that contains Amritsar and the province containing Rawalpindi and Lahore in neighboring Pakistan?
A: Punjab
Q: This geographic region of America is unique hydrologically in that all precipitation drains internally or evaporates into the atmosphere. This region covers portions of Utah, Oregon, Idaho, California, and the majority of Nevada. (*) This region is bounded on the east by the Wasatch Mountains, by the Snake River to the north, and Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges in the west. For 10 points, name this geographical region, the location of Utah's Great Salt Lake, whose name derives from the fact that it does not have an outlet to any oceans.
A: Great Basin
Q: One dish commonly served in this country is accompanied by "tiger's milk." Goat meat marinated in chicha de jora is a specialty of coastal cities such as Lambayeque, while Huancayo is the origin of a dish of cheese sauce-smothered potatoes. The mountainous regions of this country may serve pachamanca, a feast created by lining a pit with hot stones and layering various meats, including cuy or guinea pig, on top. To wash this food down you might drink beer such as Cristal or Cuzquena, the brandy Pisco, or bubble gum-flavored Inca Kola. For 10 points identify this Latin American country whose chifa, or Chinese-influenced, cuisine may be found in Trujillo and Lima.
A: Peru
Q: It is the largest river running in a state that features the Vermilion Cliffs and Organ Pipe National Monument. It rises in the Black Range and runs through the towns of Safford and Florence, irrigating the Casa Grande Valley which is home to the first archaeological preserve in the US. Mount Graham sits to the south and directly east of its source is the town of Truth or Consequences. The site of the Coolidge Dam, it joins the Salt River and flows westward above the Sonoran Desert towards Yuma where it meets the Colorado River. For 10 points, name this desert river of Arizona which shares its name with a lizard monster.
A: Gila River
Q: The northern portion of this landform begins in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley and travels southward through the Dead Sea and Red Sea. This landform travels through East Africa, but has a western branch that travels through the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lake Victoria (*) lies between the western and eastern branches of this landform, and Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya were formed from the movement of plates that form this landform. For 10 points, name this landform that runs through East Africa and is the location of Africa's "Great Lakes."
A: Great Rift Valley
Q: Its base alongside the Sevier River is home to a resort and it is located just north of Marysvale in Piute County. The product of a volcanic eruption that occurred 22 to 35 million years ago, it is part of the Bullion Canyon Volcanics massif, and its characteristic colors are the result of an intrusion by magma bodies. Actually a complex of carbonate hills rather than a true mountain, its name was given to it by workers on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, one of whom, brakeman Harry McClintock, later composed a song named after this geographic feature. Located on the edge of Fishlake National Forest in Utah, for 10 points, identify this geographic feature where, according to McClintock's song, "they hung the jerk who invented work," and which gained renown as a fictional hobo paradise.
A: Big Rock Candy Mountain
Q: The seaside resort town of Agbodrafo lies on its largest lake, and the city of Palime lies northwest of its tallest point, Mount Agou. Tourism and fishing have increased thanks to the Nangbeto hydroelectric dam, a partnership between this country and its eastern neighbor which dams the Mono River. The northern portion of this country, which contains a region noted for its iron-rich soil, the terre de barre [tear day bahr], is characterized by a gently rolling savannah, and its southern portion, which includes the cities of Atakpame and Notse, is characterized by a plateau that extends to the Gulf of Guinea. Coastal erosion has declined its former capital, Aneho, and its second largest city, Sokode, is noted for its agriculture. For 10 points, name this narrow African country sandwiched between Benin and Ghana, whose capital is Lome.
A: Togolese Republic
Q: The city of Amposta, now located inland, was once a Roman port located on this river. One of the most notable features of this river is the Mequinenza [meh-key-NEN-thaw] Reservoir, and to the northeast of the cape at which it meets the sea is the Gulf of San Jorge. Its source is near the town of Reinosa in the Cordillera Cantabrica, and its tributaries include the Jalon [hah-LONE], Guadalope, and the Arga, which flows through a city known in Basque as Iruna. It flows through cities such as Tudela and Logrono on its way to the sea at the Cabo de Tortosas. The Gallego River branches off to the north at the location of the most famous city on its banks, Zaragoza. For 10 points name this Spanish river, whose name may derive from the Basque word for "valley" or from the name of the inhabitants of the namesake peninsula.
A: Ebro River (accept Ebre or Iberus)
Q: The name of this region comes from the purported resemblance of the Tehuelche people to a dog-headed monster from the romance Amadis of Gaul. South of Lake Nahuel Huapi, all the lakes of this region except two drain into the Pacific through canyons, while its oil fields around Comodoro Rivadavia contain most of its country's reserves of oil and natural gas. Its characteristic steppe-like plains become more irregular south of the Rio Negro, and it is bounded to the south by the Strait of Magellan, to the north by the Colorado River, and to the west by its namesake Andes. For 10 points, identify this elevated plateau, a region that encompasses most of southern Argentina.
A: Patagonia
Q: Large portions of this country are traversed by the Adamawa Plateau, and the Maranda Mountains are located in its north. The Sanaga River flows west through Edea into an estuary once known as the River of Prawns, and its namesake mountain is the highest in its part of Africa. Lake Lagdo in the north is the source of the Benue River which then flows to meet the Niger River, and in the far west of this country is the much-disputed Bakassi Peninsula. With its largest city of Douala on the Bight of Biafra, For 10 points, name this country sitting west of the Central African Republic and north of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, whose capital is Yaounde.
A: Cameroon
Q: Its eastern limit is roughly considered to be the connecting pass between the Konar and Gilgit rivers, while its central section contains a high concentration of summits, a phenomenon known as Gipfelflur or "summit plain." Other passes through this chain include the Karambar and the Shebar, which separates the regions of Badakshan and Nurestan in one of the countries on whose border it sits. Its highest peak is Mount Tirich Mir, and it divides the valley of the Amu Darya to the north from the Indus River valley to the south. With the Dorah Pass through this range connecting Afghanistan and Pakistan, for 10 points, identify this great mountain system of Central Asia.
A: Hindu-Kush range
Q: Known in Roman times as the Viadrus, this river was part of the Amber Road. Its distributaries are the Dziwna, Swina, and Peene, which connect the Szczecin [shuh-chech-cheen] Lagoon with the sea. Just over 500 miles long, in its lower course it serves as the boundary between the voivodship of West Pomerania and the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. For 10 points, identify this river that flows from the Czech Republic to the Baltic Sea and whose name is included in that of a national boundary line with the Neisse River.
A: Oder River (or Odra River)
Q: The Kaministiquia, Nipigon, Pigeon, and Pic rivers flow into this body of water, on whose shores are Pukaskwa National Park and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It contains a large island which is home to Mount Desor, and which is close to a peninsula whose northern end is known as Copper Island. The islands of Michipicoten and Madeline lie within it, the latter being the largest of the Apostle Islands. It contains the Keewenaw and Whitefish bays, and is drained by the St. Mary's River to Lake Huron. For 10 points, name this body of water which is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, and which is the largest of the Great Lakes.
A: Lake Superior
Q: The western portion of this U.S. state lies in the Piedmont region, and the Camp David Presidential Retreat is located in the Catoctin {CAH-TOKE-TIN} Mountain in the north-central part of this state. At its narrowest point, this state is less than two miles wide, and its Eastern Shore (*) region is separated from the rest of the state by Chesapeake Bay. This state, despite its small size, has been dubbed "America in Miniature" since it has seemingly every type of topography. For 10 points, name this Eastern U.S. state with capital at Annapolis.
A: Maryland
Q: A monument titled Spirit of...this city was the largest bronze statue cast since the European Renaissance and is located at the Coleman Young Municipal Center. The namesake river flowing through this city contains Belle Isle Park, and large portions of this city's housing has been abandoned. (*) The use of urban parks for cropland has been proposed in areas where housing has been demolished, such as the Hantz Woodlands. For 10 points, name this northeastern, formerly industrial city, where the auto industry was once concentrated, and the largest city in Michigan.
A: Detroit
Q: This country's Sechura Desert is crossed by the Cascajal and Piura Rivers. This country's highest peak is Mount Huascaran, and notable archaeological sites in this country include the Huaca del Sol and Sipan, ruins of the Moche civilization. Visitors to this country can see the Amazon Rainforest in Iquitos, travel to the cities of Cajamarca and Arequipa, and row to Taquile Island, which lies 13,700 feet above sea level on this country's side of Lake Titicaca. The battles of Junin and Ayacucho were fought in this country, which contains the ruins of Machu Picchu. For 10 points, name this country west of Bolivia and north of Chile, whose capital is Lima.
A: Peru
Q: This body of water has a positive water balance and was the site of a namesake "bumping incident" between the USS Yorktown and the Soviet frigate Bezzavetny. Over 90% of the deeper water in this body is (*) anoxic, and for that reason, many shipwrecks in this body of water have been well-preserved. For 10 points, name this body of water, once called an "Ottoman Lake," whose only outflow is the Bosporus Strait, which connects to the Sea of Marmara via this body, and which also contains the Crimean Peninsula.
A: Black Sea
Q: This non-Japanese nation has a sacred mountain that is considered the traditional birthplace of its people, and that still-active volcanic mountain has a sacred lake within it called "the Heavenly Lake." The Yalu River separates the western part of this nation from China, (*) while its major port cities include Hungnam {HOONG-NAHM} and Wonsan {WONN-SAHN}. This nation shares Kanghwa {KAWNG-WAH} Bay with its southern neighbor, with which it is still technically at war. For 10 points, name this Asian nation with capital at Pyongyang which shares its namesake peninsula with a "Southern" neighbor.
A: North Korea (accept "DPRK" or "Democratic People's Republic of Korea"; the mountain in Paektu)
Q: This body of water is the primary outflow of the Ob and Yenisei {YEN-I-SAY} Rivers, which is why its higher portions have a lower salinity and lower temperature. This body of water's southern portion is the Chukchi Sea, (*) and its island of Novaya Zemyla {ZEM-EE-LAH} is located just north of Siberia. This body of water was the site of multiple naval expeditions in order to find a "Northwest Passage," but the gradual warming of temperatures should eliminate large amounts of ice in this body of water. For 10 points, name this body of water, the smallest of the world's four oceans.
A: Arctic Ocean
Q: Xenophyophores have been discovered in this feature of the ocean, which has been reached only four times. This location has been proposed as the site for nuclear waste disposal, (*) despite its prohibition under international law. The deepest portion of this feature is named for the ship that undertook the first attempt to measure its depth. For 10 points, name this oceanic feature in the Pacific Ocean east of Guam, site of Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the world's oceans.
A: Marianas Trench (accept Challenger Deepbefore mention)
Q: An island located in this body of water has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth," due to its desolation. That island, Socotra, is located in the western portion of this body of water near Somalia, (*) just south of the Gulf of Aden. The ports of Karachi and Mumbai are the largest on this body of water, which is the outlet location for Pakistan's Indus River. The northern limit of this body of water is the Gulf of Oman, which itself is an outlet for the Persian Gulf. For 10 points, name this body of water, a sea which derives its name from the Peninsula it borders to the north.
A: Arabian Sea
Q: This body of water lies at a mean depth of around 300 feet, but the fishing-rich Dogger Bank rises to within 50 feet of the surface in the middle. This body of water has long been known for its extensive oil deposits, but the use of wind farms (*) within it has prompted debates about environmental effects. This body of water is bounded by the Shetland and Orkney Islands to the north, and the Skagerrak Sea to the east. For 10 points, name this body of water, whose Norwegian trench is its deepest portion, which lies between the British Isles and Scandinavia and whose name derives from its location in Europe.
A: North Sea
Q: This nation's northwest contains the autonomous region of Aosta {OUS-TAH} Valley, where over half the residents speak a native tongue called "Valdotain" {VAL-DOE-TAHN}. Another autonomous region in this nation was once called the South Tyrol, and was owned by Austria, (*) before World War I. This nation contains the Dolomite Mountains in its northeast, near its Brenner Pass which connects this nation with Austria. For 10 points, name this European nation, located on a peninsula, with autonomous regions in Sardinia and Sicily and capital at Rome.
A: Italy
Q: Two rock monoliths named Aso and Zuma rise in and around the capital of this West African nation. The northeastern corner of this West African nation is bordered by Lake Chad, and the Obudu Plateau rises in the southeastern corner of this nation, near its border with Cameroon. The southern portion of this nation has been referred to as the "Oil Rivers," where the Niger River flows into the Gulf of Guinea. (*) For 10 points, name this West African nation, the most populous on the continent, whose largest city is Lagos and capital is Abuja.
A: Nigeria
Q: This desert is home to a rare bear species, which is critically endangered and lives in a group of small oases in its southern portion. Unlike many deserts in the world, this desert is largely made up of bare rock, not sand, and it is growing at an alarming rate along its southeastern edge in China. (*) This desert was formed as a rain shadow of the Tibetan Plateau and forms most of the border between Mongolia and China. For 10 points, name this large desert of central Asia, home to the Bactrian Camel and large numbers of fossil deposits.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: Like most dinosaur species, this dinosaur went extinct during the K-T Extinction Event, and the Hell Creek Formation of Montana and the Dakotas has been a common excavation site for this species. Only one complete skeleton of this dinosaur has been found, and this species lived near, and was likely hunted by, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The horns located on the head (*) of this dinosaur were long thought to be used as defensive weapons against predators, but they may have functioned more as antlers. For 10 points, name this herbivorous 3-horned dinosaur that is the state fossil of South Dakota.
A: Triceratops
Q: Over 70% of the land in this small European nation is inaccessible and researchers in 2009 found 4 small glaciers in its "Accursed" Mountain range. Despite its inaccessibility, this nation has a coastal Mediterranean climate and three of the largest lakes in the Balkan Peninsula. (*) This nation has large oil and gas reserves in its interior, and has discussed building a nuclear power plant along Lake Shkoder, which it shares with Croatia. For 10 points, name this small southeastern European coastal nation, located between nations of the former Yugoslavia and Greece, with capital at Tirana.
A: Republic of Albania
Q: An ex-American diplomat named Kathy Kriger opened an actual "Rick's Cafe" in this African city as an homage to a famous movie set here. This city has no natural bodies of water within it, but an artificial port that is the second busiest in Africa behind Tangier-Med, in the Strait of Gibraltar. This city is also a financial hub for the entire African continent, and the center for business and politics in the nation of Morocco. (*) For 10 points, name this city, the most populous in North Africa, which is located in Morocco, and whose name literally means "white house" in Spanish.
A: Casablanca
Q: This nation's southern and eastern portions contain massive "sand seas" along with sporadic oases of the Sahara Desert, which covers the lower half of this nation. This nation's southern borders are shared with Sudan, Chad, and Niger, (*) and most of its cities are located along its northern coastal region bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The Gulf of Sidra separates the western coastal portion of this nation which contains its capital, from its eastern portion, the location of the city of Benghazi. For 10 points, name this North African nation with capital at Tripoli.
A: Libya
Q: In 1849, William Manly and John Rogers crossed this landform in order to get food and water for members of their expedition, who had gotten lost while traveling through it. An erosional field called Zabriskie Point located within this landform was the setting for both a 1970 movie and the cover of U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree. (*) This landform features the creosote bush and its only profitable ore was borax. For 10 points, name this landform, which contains the lowest point in North America, and is known for its harsh, desert climate, located in the Mojave Desert in SE California.
A: Death Valley (accept "Mojave Desert" before "Zabriskie Point")
Q: This river, which originates with the confluence of the Breg and Brigach {BREE-GAWK} rivers, was once referred to as the "River of Kings." This river, which originates in the Black Forest of southern Germany, was once considered the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, (*) and its longest tributary is the Sava. This river flows through ten European countries before emptying into the Black Sea in eastern Romania. For 10 points, name this river, the second-longest in Europe, which flows through Eastern Europe and forms a large portion of the Romanian-Bulgarian border.
A: Danube River
Q: When this bridge was first proposed, the city it is located in was one of the largest in the U.S. that still relied on ferries for transport. Construction began on this bridge in 1933, and the designer had to build its southern end over the historic Fort Point. (*) Construction of this project cost the lives of over 30 workers and the unique color of this bridge was chosen because it would look the best in the fog that is common in the area. For 10 points, name this bridge, spanning the namesake strait in northern California, which links San Francisco to Marin County to the north.
A: Golden Gate Bridge (prompt on partial answer)
Q: Ungava Bay lies along the northern boundary of this province, while over 12% of this province's land area is covered by water. The Gaspe {GASS-PAY} Peninsula lies along this province's southern edge, and separates it from New Brunswick. (*) The Laurentian Mountains lie in the southern part of this province, just north of the St. Lawrence River, which separates this province from the United States. For 10 points, name this French-speaking Canadian province, the second largest behind Nunavut {NOON-AH-VAHT} which contains the city of Montreal.
A: Quebec
Q: Description acceptable. There are ten of these locations that are named on the continent where they are located, but the continent itself is considered largely arid. Only about 3% of the population of the namesake continent live in these areas, the largest of which is the Great Victoria. (*) Other names of these locations on the namesake continent include the "Great Sandy," "Gibson," and "Simpson." For 10 points, name these locations, areas with little to no rainfall that are found on a namesake continent.
A: Deserts of Australia (prompt on partial answer; accept anything that involves "deserts" on the "Australian continent")
Q: A proposed canal across this state began in 1838 at Lake St. Clair, but only 16 miles were built before it was discontinued in 1843. This state contains a peninsula nicknamed "the Thumb," lying between Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay, (*) which is the largest drainage basin in this state. This state's Traverse City is the largest producer of cherries in the United States, and the Straits of Mackinac {MACK-IH-NAW} separate this state's "Lower" portion from its "Upper." For 10 points, name this U.S. state, the only one that is made up of Two Peninsulas, which has its capital at Lansing.
A: Michigan
Q: This European nation's southern border contains the Rhodope {ROE-DOE-PAY} Mountains, and it borders the historical Greek region of Thrace. This nation, along with Greece, are the only nations to border the European portion of Turkey. This nation's capital lies in its western portion along the Iskar River, which is located completely within this nation, before flowing into the Danube. (*) This nation's major port city, Varna, is located along the Black Sea. For 10 points, name this Eastern European nation with its capital at Sofia.
A: Bulgaria
Q: The southeastern shore of this large body of water contains the Nataposka Arc, long thought to have been an ancient impact crater. This body of water contains the Belcher Islands, and is largely frozen for half the year. (*) A namesake lowlands area covers the western land area along this body of water, which contains James Bay at its southernmost portion. For 10 points, name this large bay, lying between Ontario and Quebec and mostly inhabited by First Nations peoples, named for the English explorer who was abandoned by his crew here in 1611.
A: Hudson Bay
Q: Snowfall is uncommon in this desert country, but its capital received some in 2013 for the first time in decades. 98% of this country's population resides on just three percent of its land, near a major river which bisects it. The southern portion of this country was once the home of the Valley (*) of the Kings, near the city of Luxor, while the western desert region of this country contains the Qattara {KAH-TAWRA} Depression, one of the lowest points in Africa. For 10 points, name this desert nation, which contains the northern portion of the Nile River and its Delta, with capital at Cairo.
A: Arab Republic of Egypt
Q: This U.S. state has two "panhandles," and the eastern one is separated from the rest of the state by an escarpment known as the Allegheny Front. This state's northern panhandle contains its former capital of Wheeling, (*) while its eastern panhandle contains the historic town of Harpers Ferry, at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. Most of this state is mountainous, with the Cumberland and Allegheny Plateau regions covering over 75% of it. For 10 points, name this state, which split off from its eastern neighbor during the Civil War, with capital at Charleston.
A: West Virginia
Q: Significant portions of this South American nation are claimed by its eastern and western neighbors. This nation's Kaieteur {KYE-AH-TYUR} Falls contains the largest water drop in the world, and it was the location of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre. This nation was the object of an 1899 border dispute (*) between its neighbor, Venezuela, which prompted an arbitration settlement between the Americans and British. For 10 points, name this South American nation that borders Suriname to the west, and recently discovered vast oil reserves along its northern coast, with capital at Georgetown.
A: Co-operative Republic of Guyana {GUY-YAHNA}
Q: A purple one of these creatures called the sisserou appears on the national emblem and flag of Dominica. A resort town near the Smoky Mountains named for one of these creatures contains the Dollywood Amusement park. South Georgia island is an important breeding site for an exceptionally large "wandering" species of these animals which (*) migrates over the Southern Ocean. One of these animals that is a national symbol of New Zealand is the Kiwi. For 10 points, name these animals, one flightless example of which is the penguin.
A: bird s (accept parrots , pigeon forge, wandering albatross and penguin s before mentioned)
Q: This nation has a small portion of territory on the Adriatic Sea around the port city of Piran {PIH-RAHN}, which was disputed with neighboring Croatia after the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991. This parliamentary republic is largely forested, and contains a portion of the Dinaric Alps as well as a Mediterranean climate along its southern coast. This nation fought the Ten-Day War with Serbia over its sovereignty, and Melania Trump was born in this nation (*) before immigrating to the United States. For 10 points, name this Balkan nation, with capital at Ljubljana {YOOB-YAW-NA}.
A: Slovenia
Q: This project was first proposed by Sun Yat-sen in 1919, but was delayed by a civil war and World War II. Work began on this project in 1994, but concerns over environmental issues and massive population transfers of the nearby residents slowed the project. (*) Due to the economic importance of the river this structure is built on, a ship lift was created to bypass it in 2015. The Gezhouba {GEZ-OO-BAH} Dam was built just downstream from this structure, near Yichang. For 10 points, name this controversial structure, built along the Yangtze River in China, which is the largest dam in the world.
A: Three Gorges Dam
Q: This river's lower portion is controlled by a series of floodgates that prevent it from flowing into the Atchafalaya {AT-CHA-FUH-LIE-UH} River, which is shorter and steeper. The upper portion of this river begins at Lake Itasca, and St. Anthony's Falls is the only true waterfall located along it. (*) A series of locks and dams are located along the upper portion of this river, which supposedly flowed backward during the 1811-12 New Madrid Earthquakes. For 10 points, name this river, which rises in central Minnesota and travels southward, through 10 U.S. states before reaching New Orleans, Louisiana.
A: Mississippi River
Q: This U.S. state's Voyageurs {VOY-YAH-ZHUR} National Park lies east of a border anomaly called the Northwest Angle in its Lake of the Woods region. This state's western border is formed by the Red River, (*) which separates it from North and South Dakota. This state's northeast portion contains the Canadian Shield, as well as its port city of Duluth. Other cities in this state include Rochester, the home of the Mayo Clinic, and two cities that lie across the Mississippi River from each other. For 10 points, name this Great Plains state with the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the state's capital.
A: Minnesota
Q: The largest convention center in the U.S. is located in this city, and the Canal Street railroad bridge lies on its namesake river. That river's branches converge to form the Main Stem at Wolf Point, and the tomb of Stephen Douglas is located in this city. The neighborhood of Streeterville contains its Navy Pier, and the Lake Point Tower is located east of its Lake Shore Drive. Its Orange Line connects Midway Airport with "the Loop," and it holds the tallest building in the U.S. For 10 points, name this home of the Willis Tower, the largest city in Illinois.
A: Chicago
Q: The High Tauern is a subset of the central part of this mountain range, and the Greywacke zone separates the two eastern subsets of it. The Jura Mountains lie to the north of it, and the Brenner Pass is the lowest pass through this range. The Frejus Road Tunnel and Frejus Rail Tunnel connect two countries spanned by this range. The St. Bernard Pass goes through this mountain range between Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc. For 10 points, name this European mountain range containing Lake Geneva and Matterhorn.
A: Alps
Q: The northern end of this feature is located near Cape York Peninsula by the Torres Strait. The Dunk Island is located in this feature, and the Willis and Coringa Islands lie to the east of it. The Whitsunday Islands are popular tourist destinations near this feature, in which the Lizard Island National Park is located. Cities such as Ayr, Cairns, and Mackay are located near this feature. For 10 points, name this large organic formation located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, the largest reef system in the world.
A: Great Barrier Reef
Q: This country is home to the largest waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss. The largest national park in Europe contains the former Skaftafell National Park in this country. Its largest airport is named Keflavik, and its second largest city is Akureyi. With its source at Hofsjokull, Thjorsa is this country's longest river. Eight percent of this country is covered by Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Europe. This island nation is located on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, and the island of Surtsey is its southernmost point. For 10 points, identify this Scandinavian nation with capital at Reykjavik.
A: Republic of Iceland [accept Lydveldid Island]
Q: This state contains Wiki Peak as part of the Nutzotin Mountains, and it contains the George C. Thomas Memorial Library. The Homer Spit is located in the Kenai Peninsula of this state, and is bordered by an arm of the Cook Inlet. A collection of totem poles can be found in its Sitka National Park, and the Iditarod Trail Race occurs in this state. The Yukon River empties into the Bering Sea in this state, and it contains the highest mountain in North America, Mount McKinley. For 10 points, name this northernmost U.S. state with cities such as Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Juneau.
A: Alaska
Q: A prominent national park covers the entire northwestern corner of this U.S. state, whose capital is located in its farthest southeastern county. Francis Warren Air Force Base is located west of that capital, between it, and the city of Laramie. (*) This state, one of two in the United States that appears perfectly rectangular, is the location of the Sundance Film Festival and the largest rodeo in the United States. For 10 points, name this western U.S. state, which contains the Wind River Indian Reservation, most of Yellowstone National Park, and has its capital at Cheyenne.
A: Wyoming
Q: This country controls a glacier covered island in the South Atlantic which is the most remote island in the world. This nation's dependency of Bouvet Island is located over 1000 miles north of its Antarctic territory of Queen Maud Land. In another island belonging to this country, terminally ill residents must be flown to the mainland, while near its largest city is the world's largest seed vault. Spitsbergen is the largest island of this nation, and is part of its Svalbard archipelago. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country where dozens of islands may be found in Oslofjord.
A: Norway
Q: Production of this commodity hit an over 50 year low in 2017, due to a combination of bad harvests and poor weather. Italy, France, and Spain are the 3 largest producers of this commodity, whose "port" variety was being smuggled into Boston by John Hancock in the 1768 Liberty incident. The Chianti {KEE-AHN-TEE} (*) version of this commodity uses the symbol of a black rooster, while California's Napa Valley is one of America's largest producers of this commodity. For 10 points, name this commodity that is made by fermenting the juice of grapes.
A: Wine
Q: One man who voyaged with this explorer described him as a "sea ape" with a shark tail and long whiskers similar to a human mustache. This man died on his namesake island, which is the largest of the Commander Islands, and the International Date Line shifts diagonally through a (*) body of water named for him. This man was set on 2 Kamchatka expeditions, the second of which was known as the Great Northern Expedition, in order to explore Eastern Siberia for Peter the Great. For 10 points, name this Danish explorer who names the body of water separating Russia and Alaska.
A: Vitus Bering
Q: Bolshiye Koty is a town located on the western shore of this lake, and the largest bay in it is the Barguizin Bay. The mountain region Dauria lies to the east of this lake, whose Proval Bay was created by an 1862 earthquake at a river delta. The islands of Ushkani and Olkhon are located in this lake, and the Selenga and Barguzin rivers drain into it. Its sole outlet is the Angara River, and it is located in the republic of Buryatia and the province of Irkutsk. For 10 points, name this Russian lake, the oldest and the deepest in the world.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: This region's village of Kings Point has the highest proportion of Iranian in the country. This region is home to the oldest Hindu temple in the US as well as a high population of Indians in its hamlet of Hicksville. Manhasset Bay separates this island's affluent Cow Neck and (*) Great Neck peninsulas, which were the inspiration for West Egg and East Egg in The Great Gatsby respectively. This island is located across the East River from Manhattan. For 10 points, name this large island south of Connecticut which contains the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.
A: Long Island (accept Queens before "island," prompt on New York City )
Q: This state is the location of the Spirit Cave Man, near its west-central town of Fallon. This Western state's southern border was moved to a valuable river that provides water and power to its largest city. This state saw a "silver rush" in its western town of Virginia City, and it shares Lake Tahoe (*) with its western neighbor of California. This state records the least amount of rainfall in the 50 states on average, and shares the Hoover Dam along the Colorado River with its neighbor Arizona. For 10 points, name this Western state, whose largest city is Las Vegas and capital is Carson City.
A: Nevada
Q: The Governor's Mansion in this state's capital caught fire in 1993 due to faulty Christmas tree wiring. 80% of this state's population lives on the Wasatch Front, and that region contains cities such as West Jordan and Ogden. (*) This state's southwestern city of St. George is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., while the Green River flows north to south through the eastern part of this state. For 10 points, name this western U.S. state, the only one with a majority religion, with capital at Salt Lake City.
A: Utah (the religion is Mormonism)
Q: The two nations that share this mountain disputed for many years whether to count the elevation based on rock only, or rock height plus snow height. Three Chinese mountain climbers made the first ascent from the northern, Tibetan (*) route in 1960, while most climbers today still use the "standard" route that begins in Nepal. Above 26,000 feet on this mountain has been referred to as the "death zone," and an area known as the "rainbow valley" is littered with the bright colored climbing outfits of hikers who perished in the attempt. For 10 points, name this tallest mountain in the world, located in the Himalayas.
A: Mount Everest
Q: A city in this country names a salad that is traditionally made from tomatoes, boiled eggs, olives, anchovies and olive oil. That city is also home to a seaside promenade "of the English." One city bordering this country is governed by the Grimaldi family while a film festival is held annually in this country's town of (*) Cannes.This country's region of Provence, whose largest city is Nice, completely surrounds the microstate of Monaco. For 10 points, name this European country with a resort coast on the Mediterranean in its southern Riviera.
A: France
Q: A gate built during Expo 86 and the Millenium Gate were built in the largest of these places in Canada. Binondo is the oldest example of these places in the world, and is found in the city of Manila. Flushing, Queens is a growing example of one of (*) these districts, while the older one in New York City is found in lower Manhattan. The largest of these neighborhoods in the US, once run by Tong Gangs, is found in San Francisco, and grew heavily in response to the California Gold Rush. For 10 points, name these ethnic neighborhoods that may feature Dragon Gates.
A: Chinatown s
Q: This nation's southern border is defined by the Coco River. The Swan Islands of this country are approximately 95 miles north of its coast, and 500 miles from New Orleans. The Caratasca Lagoon is located in the northeastern part of this country, and the La Mosquitia region of this country contains the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve. This country that borders the Pacific Ocean through the Gulf of Fonseca is also home to the Islas de la Bahia. For 10 points, name this Central American country borderd by Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala with capital at Tegucigalpa.
A: Honduras
Q: Movement of the Cadell Fault 25,000 years ago caused one part of this river system to flood low-lying adjacent areas, creating the Barmah wetlands, home to a unique species of red gum trees. This river system contains an unusual eel-tailed catfish and the oldest extant fish traps in the world are located upstream on this river system at Brewarrina. High levels of iron sulfide in the lower course of this river system oxidize when exposed to air during droughts causing acidity levels of below 2 pH in some parts. One part of this system arises from the confluence of the Culgoa and Barwon Rivers and flows across its namesake "Downs" before meeting the other part at Wentworth. A complex system of barrages has been constructed to prevent the influx of seawater from the Coorong Lagoon as its flows into Lake Alexandria near Swan Hill and it is bordered on its west by the Lake Eyre basin. Edwards Crossing was the first bridge over this river system as it flows along the border between Victoria and New South Wales and it provides up to 40% of the freshwater to Adelaide. For 10 points, identify this vast river system of Australia, the combination of its two longest rivers.
A: Murray-Darling River System [prompt on either, but only accept both]
Q: Gordon Sato's Manzanar Project has established artificial plots of this ecosystem in arid Eritrea, contributing to a local camel-based economy. A natural park named for the Cacheu ("cah-SHAY-oo") River is the largest to protect this ecosystem in West Africa in a belt stretching south of the Saloum. Fragmentation of this ecosystem on Borneo has endangered the proboscis monkey. The world's largest example of this ecosystem provided protection to cities like Bagerhat and (*) Khulna during the 1970 Bhola Cyclone. This ecosystem sequesters the highest value per hectare of blue carbon in the world. The largest example of this ecosystem, located in the Ganges Delta, is the Sundarbans. For 10 points, name this type of coastal wetland forest whose namesake trees possess a dense tangle of roots above the water.
A: mangrove forest [or mangrove swamp or mangrove thicket or mangal; accept Cacheu River Mangroves Natural Park or Parque Natural dos Tarrafes do Rio Cacheu; prompt on jungle or forest or wetland or swamp or thicket by asking, "Characterized by what vegetation?"]
Q: The Tanezrouft region lies in this location, which also contains the Tassili n'Ajjer. The lowest point in this region is the Qattara Depression, and it also contains the Tibesti and Ahaggar mountain ranges. This region contains an extinct volcano known as Mount Koussi, and the sirocco winds originate in this location. The French tested their first nuclear bomb in the Grand Erg of this region, which is bordered by the Sahel to the south. For 10 points, name this largest North African desert, which contains the Nile River.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: This location is home to the world's largest fresh water sand bar and dunes system, Sandbanks Provincial Park. Although not Jamaica, Kingston is a city in this region. Most of this province's area is located east of the Lake of the Woods, and the city of Thunder Bay is located in this province. Other notable cities in it include Mississauga and Windsor, and the Golden Horseshoe is its most densely populated area. It is bordered to the west by Manitoba. The CN tower in Toronto is located in, For 10 points, name this most populous Canadian province that contains Ottowa.
A: Ontario [prompt on Canada before "province"]
Q: Rainfall over a region with large deposits of this substance creates the world's largest reflective surface. A major breeding ground for flamingos is also found in that region in Bolivia. Large amounts of this mineral may also be found in the (*) Etosha Pan in Namibia. A large sculpture named "Spiral Jetty" juts into a body of water named for this substance. That body of water was formed from the evaporation of Lake Bonneville and sits just northwest of the capital city of Utah. For 10 points, name this substance found in evaporating lakes known as their namesake "flats."
A: salt (accept NaCl , Great Salt Lake , Salt Lake City , and Salt Flats )
Q: This nation's Naitasiri Province contains the Sovi Basin, and its northernmost point is the Udu Point, which was recently hit by two earthquakes. Rewa River is the widest river in this nation and has its headwater in Mount Tomanivi, the highest point in this nation. The Kadavu Island is the third largest island in this nation, and its international airport is located by the Bligh Water in Nadi. The Koro Sea is located in this country and a large portion of the population lives on its two largest islands, Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. For 10 points, name this South Pacific island nation with the capital at Suva.
A: Republic of Fiji [accept Matanitu ko Viti]
Q: This country contains the Town of Diamantina, and the island of Marajo is located at the mouth of this country's longest river. This country contains the Mantiqueira Mountains in its southeast, and the longest river that runs entirely in this country is the Sao Francisco. This country also contains the Iguazu Falls near Curitiba, and a region full of swamps and marshes is known as the Pantanal. Rocky slopes descend into the sea at its Guanabara Bay. For 10 points, name this South American country whose cities include Sao Paulo and Rio di Janeiro.
A: Federative Republic of Brazil
Q: This body of water's dangerous tradition of deep sea saturation divers is depicted in the 2019 documentary Last Breath. Farouk Al-Kasim is credited with pioneering an industry in this body of water in which the companies Petoro and Equinor operate. The Brent Complex, based around this body of water, sets global price benchmarks for an industry that predominates in this body of water. In 1977, The Economist connected the discovery of a resource south of this body of water near (*) Groningen ("KHRO-ning-un") with one country's namesake "disease." The world's largest sovereign wealth fund is financed with revenue from this sea's Ekofisk Field. Stavanger ("stah-VONG-er") and Aberdeen, cities on this sea, are centers of Europe's petroleum industry. For 10 points, name this sea whose resources have boosted the GDPs of the Netherlands and Norway.
A: North Sea [accept Noordzee or Nordsjøen; prompt on Atlantic Ocean or Atlantische Oceaan or Atlanterhavet until "sea" is read; anti-prompt (ask, "Can you be less specific?") on Wadden Sea or Waddenzee]
Q: This river's source is in the Himalayas, and as its flows south, it forms the western border of Punjab province. This river's tributaries include the Chenab {SHAY-NOB} and Zanskar Rivers, and a namesake endangered blind dolphin is found in this river. This river provides most of the potable water in the nation of Pakistan, (*) and its outflow is into the Arabian Sea near the port city of Karachi. For 10 points, name this longest river in Pakistan, once the site of a namesake ancient civilization, that is the key water source for that nation's economy.
A: IndusRiver
Q: One project aims to reintroduce jaguars and red green macaws into Ibera National Preserve, which protects one of these ecosystems in Argentina. The state of Mato Grosso do Sul contains the largest of these ecosystems, the Pantanal, which along with the (*) Amazon is the native habitat of the giant otter. Although typically a savannah, the llanos region transforms into one of these ecosystems during the rainy season. Lake Okeechobee drains one of these locations that is west of Miami. For 10 points, name these flooded ecosystems exemplified by bayous and the Everglades.
A: wetland s (accept swamps , floodplains and marshes , accept bayou and the Everglades before mentioned)
Q: Many species may leave this body of water through Lessepsian migration. The eastern shores of this body of water contain its largest port city, where the Kingdom Tower is being built, while its western shores border the disputed Hala'ib Triangle. An inlet of this body of water contains the two port cities of Eilat (*) and Aqaba, and its southernmost end is the Bab-el-Mandeb, located between Djibouti and Yemen. For 10 points, name this body of water separating Northeastern Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
A: Red Sea
Q: Bright orange types of these objects called balagan are built at Us Khatyn ("oos khah-TUN") for the largest celebrations of Ysyakh ("uss-YOCK"). Norman Foster drew inspiration from these objects for the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center. A so-called "district" of these objects around the Gandan Monastery uses what3words's geocoding services as part of its nation's postal system. These objects are topped with a tunduk, a hoop with two crossed groups of wooden bands, which features within a (*) sun on one country's flag. Bags of airag, or fermented horse milk, are attached to the tops of a type of these structures called ger ("gare"). These structures' woolen felt covers and circular wooden frames are designed to be dismantled and carried on camel or yak saddles. For 10 points, name these tents used by Central Asian nomads.
A: yurts [accept gers until read; prompt on tents until read by asking, "What specific type of tent?"]
Q: This European country is one of the northernmost in the world, and the Archipelago Sea is located along its southwest coast. This country's landmass is rising by a one centimeter a year, because of post-glacial rebound, and the Baltic Sea separates this nation from Estonia. (*) This nation shares the Gulf of Bothnia with Sweden, as well as its western land border, which it also shares with Norway. For 10 points, name this country, the easternmost of the Scandinavian nations, with capital at Helsinki.
A: Finland
Q: Many of these places dotted the American West during the late 1800's, and one of these places named Pripyat {PREE-PEE-YAHT} exists in the Ukraine. Times Beach, Missouri became one of these types of places after dioxin contaminated the soil, while a portion of Niagara Falls, New York called Love Canal (*) became one of these because of the dumping of various forms of toxic waste. Picher, Oklahoma became one of these because of lead contamination, while Centralia, Pennsylvania became one of these because of an underground coal fire. For 10 points, name these locations that had to be abandoned for various circumstances.
A: Ghost towns (accept "abandoned towns" until "abandoned"; accept equivalents to towns like "cities")
Q: This "line" was named over 2,000 years ago when the Sun was in the namesake constellation during the summer solstice, however, precession has altered its location since. When this "line" passes through the Caribbean, it passes through the Straits of Florida and the Bahamas, (*) before heading into the Atlantic. Due to unusual national borders, this "line" passes through India three times and Bangladesh twice before entering Myanmar. For 10 points, name this imaginary line where the sun is directly overhead during the summer solstice, and which lies north of the Equator.
A: Tropic of Cancer (today, the line is within the constellation of Taurus; prompt on "Northern Tropic" or just "Tropic")
Q: Lake Retba in Senegal and Lake Hillier in Australia are both this color, due to a native algal growth combined with high salinity. A group of limestone cliffs that are this color form the upper portion of the "Grand Staircase" at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. (*) The microscopic organism Foraminifera {FORE-AH-MUH-NIFF-ER-AH} causes Harbour Island Beach in the Bahamas to appear this color, which is also the color of the Balos Bay Beach in Crete. For 10 points, name this color, the combination of both white and red.
A: Pink
Q: The Chambeshi {SHAWM-BAY-SHEE} River is considered the source for this river, which is known as the Lualaba {LOO-AH-LAH-BAH} above Boyoma Falls. A series of "pools" referred to as Livingstone Falls prevents ocean-going ships from traveling on this river, but it is navigable elsewhere. (*) This river forms the boundary between the two national capitals of Kinshasa and Brazzaville, the only location on Earth where this occurs. For 10 points, name this river, the second longest in Africa, and deepest in the world.
A: Congo River
Q: This Pacific island's native peoples are called the Chamorro {SHAH-MORE-OH}, and it was first visited by Ferdinand Magellan's ships in 1521. This island was occupied by the Japanese during World War II, until its 1944 liberation by American troops. This island's largest city is the coastal village of Dededo {DAY-DAY-DOE}, (*) but its capital is the interior village of Agana. This island makes most of revenue from tourism and hosting various U.S. military bases. For 10 points, name this overseas U.S. territory that was the target of threats of missile tests from North Korea's Kim Jong-un.
A: Guam
Q: The Blue Ridge Mountains are a subrange of this mountain range, but the Adirondack Mountains are not, since they were formed separately in geologic history. The Piedmont is a region of this mountain range located east of the Blue Ridge from New Jersey (*) to Alabama, while its namesake "Plateau" region is west of the "Valley and Ridge" region of this mountain range. This mountain range contains the so-called "Southern Sixers" in North Carolina and Tennessee, which are the tallest mountains in its range. For 10 points, name this mountain range which runs through the Eastern United States.
A: Appalachian (s) Mountains
Q: Description acceptable. The nation that contains these bodies of water once drew up a plan to reverse their flow southward toward areas with little rainfall. One of these bodies of water, the Ob, is the westernmost of three of these, and flows into the world's largest estuary. Another of these bodies of water, the Lena, (*) flows northward from the Baikal Mountains past the city of Yakutsk, which is the coldest city in the world. For 10 points, name these bodies of water, which includes the Yenisei {YEN-IH-SAY} along with the Lena and the Ob, which flow through a namesake rugged eastern region of Russia.
A: Rivers of Siberia (accept "Rivers of Russia" before "Russia" is mentioned; accept "Rivers flowing through Siberia" or "...through Russia" before mentioned; prompt on "rivers" alone)
Q: The sloop Black Duck was recently discovered in the eastern portion of this body of water whose depth rarely allows it to completely ice over. Cold winds passing over the warmer waters of this body of water often causes "lake-effect snow," (*) which can accumulate to over twenty feet or more in communities along its edge. The primary inlet for this lake is the Niagara River, and the Welland Canal allows ocean-going ships traveling out of it to bypass the Niagara Falls. For 10 points, name this lake, which separates its namesake Canadian province from the United States, the smallest of the Great Lakes.
A: Lake Ontario
Q: The southern portion of this North American mountain system is called the Boston Mountains and contains its highest point. The eastern portion of this mountain system is the site of the St. Francois Mountains, and a "Belt" that was once the nation's leading lead-producing (*) region. This mountain range is actually a dissected plateau, and the cities of Springfield and Branson are located within it. For 10 points, name this region, covering the southern half of Missouri and northern Arkansas, which is the most extensive mountainous area in the U.S. between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains.
A: OzarksMountain (s)
Q: This storm moved through the Lesser Antilles and across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before coming ashore on the U.S. mainland. It was the first Category 3 or above storm to hit the U.S. since Wilma in 2005, and was the most violent to hit the state of Texas (*) since Carla in 1961. This storm came ashore at the town of Rockport, Texas, and its winds were so fierce that the National Weather Service issued an "extreme wind warning." For 10 points, name this massive storm, which dropped nearly three feet of rain on the Houston metro area, swamping large sections of the city.
A: Hurricane Harvey
Q: This nation spent over 5 billion dollars to expand its most famous feature to accommodate ever-larger shipping traffic. 75% of this nation's population lives in urban areas, the highest in Central America. This nation's city of Colon {COE-LONE} lies on the Caribbean Sea, (*) and is the northern gateway for its most famous feature. The Darien Gap lies along this nation's border with Colombia and is the only unconnected portion of the Pan-American Highway. For 10 points, name this Central American nation that is home to a famous canal.
A: Republic of Panama
Q: This non-Pacific Ocean nation's Hebrides {HEB-RIH-DEES} islands contain the Isle of Lewis and the rugged Isle of Skye. The River Tweed separates this country from its more populous southern neighbor, and its largest city, Glasgow, is situated on the River Clyde. (*) This nation's inland freshwater lakes are referred to as "lochs" {LOCKS}, and the largest of these is Loch Lomond {LUH-MOND}. The Central Lowlands of this nation contains over half of its population, and its four largest cities. For 10 points, name this nation, the northernmost of the United Kingdom, with its capital at Edinburgh {EDD-EN-BURR-OH}.
A: Scotland
Q: This state capital was named both Missouri Crossing and Edwinton before it received its current name from the Northern Pacific Railway. This state's capital building burned to the ground in 1930, and was replaced by an Art Deco high-rise which is the tallest building in its state. (*) The Missouri River flows through this state capital, which is the second-largest city in its state behind Fargo. For 10 points, name this city, which was renamed after a German chancellor in order to attract German residents, and is the capital of North Dakota.
A: Bismarck, North Dakota
Q: The Hengduan {HING-DWAN} Mountain range separates this nation from China, and three other mountain ranges run north-south through this nation. The Irrawaddy River is the longest river in this nation, while the Salween River separates this nation from Thailand. (*) This nation's southern tip forms the northern portion of the Malay Peninsula, and India and Bangladesh lie on its western border. For 10 points, name this nation whose capital is Naypyidaw {NAY-PIH-DAW} and former capital was the city of Rangoon, now Yangon.
A: Myanmar {MEE-YUN-MAR} (accept "Burma")
Q: The northern end of this body of water contains the Beaver Island archipelago {ARK-AH-PELL-AH-GO}, and due to its many beaches, it is often called America's "Third Coast." This body of water's hydrology is the same as another body of water to its east, and the Mackinac {MACK-IH-NAW} Bridge (*) separates this body of water from Lake Huron. This body of water's largest bays include Grand Traverse in Michigan and Green Bay in Wisconsin. For 10 points, name this lake that is the largest body of water to lie within the borders of the United States, and lies next to Chicago.
A: Lake Michigan
Q: The central portion of this nation is the location of the saline Lake Assal, one of the lowest points on Earth. In ancient times, this African nation was a part of the Land of Punt, and it lies on the northern edge of the Great Rift Valley. This nation is the site of the only American military base (*) in Africa, Camp Lemmonier {LUH-MON-YER}, which is located just outside this nation's namesake capital city. For 10 points, name this small African nation, located on the Red Sea, and bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
A: Republic of Djibouti {JIH-BOO-TEE}
Q: This U.S. state contains the Grinnell Glacier in its northwestern Lewis Range and its western mountainous region was the site of extensive copper mining. This is the only U.S. state to border along three Canadian provinces, (*) and has seen extensive growth in its sparsely populated east due to the discovery of oil in the Bakken Formation. This state contains the Crow Reservation and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in its southeast. For 10 points, name this western state, whose largest city is Billings, and capital is Helena.
A: Montana
Q: Originally established by the khanate of Kokand, this city is situated along the Alaarcha and Alamedin rivers, and Erkindik Boulevard is one its main avenues. North of this city is the Chu River, which forms part of its country's border with a northern neighbor, and the Kant air base, owned by Russia, is located 20 miles east of it. From 1926 until 1991, this city was named after Mikhail Frunze [pron: froon-zeh], an equestrian statue of whom can still be found in this city's Ala-Too Square. Today it is served by the Manas International Airport and is the seat of a government headed by Kurmanbek Bakiyev. The capital of a country that is home to Lake Isyk-Kul and the Tienshan range, For 10 points, identify this capital of Kyrgyzstan.
A: Bishkek
Q: Islands in this body of water include Archangel island, which serves as a biological reserve known for lizards. The northern part of this body of water could flood locations such as the Imperial Valley except for the presence of a massive delta formed by the Colorado river, which ultimately runs into this body of water. While visiting places such as Concepcion Bay and Tiburon Island, once home to the Seri tribe, John Steinbeck wrote his The Log from this body of water and one of the names for this body of water came in 1540 when Francisco de Ulloa named it after his leader. For 10 points, name this sea that lies between mainland Mexico and the Baja peninsula.
A: Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez
Q: This country's northern lakes include Chiuta and Shirwa, and port towns include Xai-Xai and Lichinga. Ethnic groups in this country include the Shangaan in the southern regions, such as the Gaza province, while the north is dominated by the Makua. The Ruvuma River forms part of this country's northern border, and this country disputes the name of a lake which borders its Niassa Province. Its capital city lies in the southern tip and was once known Lourenco Marques, and the Zambezi River empties into the this country's namesake channel in the Indian Ocean. For 10 points, name this former Portuguese colony with capital at Maputo.
A: Mozambique
Q: Permanent settlement on the site of this city began in the mid-17th century with the construction of the Da Khure monastery, and after part of its country gained independence, this city was renamed Niislel Khureheh. Situated southwest of the Hentiyn Mountains, one of this city's main features is the Suhbaatar Square, named after its country's liberator. Formerly known by its Russian name of Urga, this city is also home to the Gandan monastery, while the Trans-Siberian Railway connects it to both Moscow and Beijing. Situated on the Tuul River and having a name that means "Red Hero," for 10 points, identify this city near the Genghis Khan International Airport, the capital of Mongolia.
A: Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar
Q: In October 2016, a town in this state decided by a margin of 6 votes to change its name to Utqiagvik [oot-GHAR-vik]. It's not California, but almost all citizens in its town of Whittier live in a single massive apartment building called the Begich Towers. KLM Flight 867 was caught in a volcanic plume from this state's Mount Redoubt, which is part of a chain of peaks that include the Islands of the Four Mountains and the Rat Islands. Zinc ore from the Red Dog Mine in this state's (*) Brooks Range is shipped via ports on the Chukchi Sea. This state's national parks include the Gates of the Arctic and Katmai, which is across a strait from Kodiak Island. For 10 points each, name this state that contains Denali National Park, the site of Mt. McKinley.
A: State of Alaska
Q: Standing in Kluane National Park, it was first climbed in 1925 by an expedition led by Albert MacCarthy. . Rising from the St. Elias mountains, it reaches a height of 17,224 feet over the Mentasta Pass. In 2005, Jean Chretien proposed that it be renamed after Pierre Trudeau, but after a backlash from geologists it was left bearing the name of the founder of the Canadian Geological Survey. For 10 points, name this highest mountain of Canada.
A: Mount Logan
Q: A breakaway province within this Asian nation contains Krubera Cave, the deepest known cave system in the world. This nation, which has disputed with its northern neighbor, Russia, over the Abkhazia {AHB-KAW-ZEE-AH} region, lies along the Black Sea, (*) and its largest port city is Batumi. This nation is located in South Caucasus Mountains, and its southern neighbors include both Turkey and Armenia. For 10 points, name this former Soviet Republic which fought a short war with Russia in 2008 and has its capital at Tbilisi {TIB-LEE-SEE}.
A: Georgia
Q: Like the Mediterranean Sea, this body of water has almost no tides, because it is almost completely closed in by landmasses. This Asian body of water contains no large islands, and its salinity is lower than the nearby Pacific Ocean. The name of this body of water is controversial, as both North and South Korea (*) refer to it as the "East Sea," while its current name reflects the nation that lies to its east. For 10 points, name this body of water that separates the Korean Peninsula and the Russian Far East from the namesake island nation.
A: Sea of Japan (accept "East Sea" until mention)
Q: It continues to dispute its border between its southern neighbor and this country's Zamora and Morona-Santiago Provinces. Cotopaxi is its highest active volcano, while its two major river systems are the Esmereldas and the Guayas. Its three main regions are La Costa, La Sierra, and El Oriente, and its capital is serviced by Mariscal Sucre International Airport. This country's highest point, Chimborazo, is the point on the earth's surface farthest from the center, and the capital of this country is surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes like Pichincha. Owner of the Galapagos Islands, For 10 points, name this South American country whose largest city is Guayaquil and whose capital is Quito.
A: Ecuador
Q: The first expedition to climb this mountain landed at McMurdo Sound in December of 1966, and, led by Nicholas Clinch, all seven members reached its peak. In 2001, NOVA sponsored a group including author Jon Krakauer to ascend its East Face, and that expedition logged its height at about 16,000 feet. Located in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, the highest point at its southern end is Mount Craddock. The second-shortest and by far the southernmost of the Seven Summits, this is, for 10 points, which tallest mountain in Antarctica?
A: Vinson Massif [I think "Mount Vinson" is acceptable too]
Q: Limnology is the study of this type of entity, and the difference between it and another similar body of water is the temperature and whether rooted plants could grow in it. The largest one of these bodies of water in the Caribbean islands is located in the Dominican Republic, while the deepest one (*) of these bodies of water in the world is located in Siberia. One of these, called "Maracaibo" {MARE-AH-KYE-BO}, is actually an inland sea, while another one of these in Africa is called "Chad." For 10 points, name these bodies of water that are smaller than seas but larger than ponds.
A: Lakes
Q: Description acceptable. One of these entities in its namesake U.S. state is named "Disappointment" because surveyors reached it, and were disappointed to find that it was not the tallest in its area, the San Gabriels. One of these entities in its namesake U.S. state is called "Lassen," and is located in a namesake park in Shasta County. (*) One of these entities in its namesake state is named "Whitney," and is the tallest of its kind in the Lower 48 states. For 10 points, name these entities located in a namesake Western state, which include "ranges" like Cascade and Sierra Nevada.
A: Mountains in California (accept "Peaks" instead of mountains; prompt on partial answer)
Q: Natives of this island often refer to themselves as the "Children of the Sweet Potato," due to its resemblance to the plant oriented south-to-north. The longest river on this island is the Zhuoshui {ZO-SHWEE}, flowing through the northeast, and a namesake "Strait" separates this island from its mainland (*) rival. This island's Yushan {YOO-SHAWN} Range contains the Jade Mountain, which is the highest point along the Tropic of Cancer. For 10 points, name this island located in the western Philippine Sea with its capital at Taipei {TYE-PAY}.
A: Taiwan
Q: A writing script called Dalecarlian was common in this country's province of Dalarna until the 20th century. Residents of this country often take a coffee break called a fika and bake a layered sponge-cream dessert topped by green marzipan called a princess cake. Its lowest point contains a biosphere reserve along the banks of the Helge River, which passes by the city of Kristianstad. Oland is an island in this country separated from the mainland by the (*) Kalmar Strait, and it also controls Gotland. Volvo was founded in this country. The capital of this country spans fourteen islands at the junction of Lake Malaren and the Baltic Sea. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country bordered by Norway and Finland, with capital Stockholm.
A: Sweden [or Sverige]
Q: The Australopithecus [AUS-TRAH-LA-PITH-UH-CUSS] fossil nicknamed "Lucy" was found in this country. The flag of this country includes an emblem consisting of a yellow star on a blue shield on a green, yellow, and red tricolor. This country contains the Ahmar {AH-MARR} Mountains, as well as the largest continuous mountain range in Africa, its namesake (*) Highlands. This country contains the most UNESCO World Heritage sites in Africa, and is the most populous landlocked country in the world. For 10 points, name this African nation with capital at Addis Ababa [AHD-DEES--AH-BUH-BAH].
A: Ethiopia
Q: Isla Martin Garcia lies near the coast in this body of water, and cities on its shore include Colonia del Sacramento and Juan L. Lacaze. One bay in this body's western bank receives a namesake river, as well as the Salado River. That bay, which stretches from Point Piedras to the north point of Cape San Antonio, is Samborombon Bay. The Paraguay River drains into a larger one near this body of water, while another river that leads to this body rises in Santa Catarina state in Brazil, and is the namesake of one of the countries that borders this body. Montevideo and Buenos Aires are on the shores of, for 10 points, what estuary where the Parana and Uruguay Rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean named for silver?
A: Rio de la Plata [or River Plate]
Q: This province contains the eastern half of a greenstone-mining belt jointly named for Snow Lake and a city named after the fictional Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin. The largest population of Icelanders outside of Iceland is around the municipality of Gimli in this province whose capital contains the Exchange District and The Forks. British conservationist Grey Owl was an animal caretaker at this province's Riding Mountain National Park and its city of (*) Churchill is nicknamed the "Polar Bear Capital of the World." Much of this province is in the bed of the prehistoric Lake Agassiz and it is the only prairie province with coastline, since its northeast borders Hudson Bay. For 10 points, name this Canadian province between Ontario and Saskatchewan whose largest lake shares a name with its capital, Winnipeg.
A: Manitoba [or Le Manitoba]
Q: It is separated from its western neighbors by the Aras and Arpacay rivers. The cities of Goris and Mogrhi are found in this country's southernmost area, Syunik. The provinces of Tavush and Gegharkunik in this country border its major body of water, Lake Sevan. Its military administers a neighboring country's province of Nagorno-Karabakh, and in turn this country separates the exclave of Naxcivan from Azerbaijan. For 10 points, name this homeland to a group that was once the object of genocide by Turkey, a former Soviet republic whose capital is Yerevan.
A: Armenia
Q: This country's third most populous city, La Ceiba, has an annual carnival celebrating Saint Isidore the Laborer. This country controls the Swan Islands, a series of islands that rise from the Cayman Trench northeast of its Bay Islands archipelago. In 2007, part of the hillside around the Toncontin airport in this country's current capital was removed to make descending into the Choluteca River Valley less dangerous. Conservative leaders throughout this country's history wanted to set its capital at (*) Comayagua. The term "banana republic" was coined by author O. Henry in reference to this country. One coup against a former president of this country in 2009 led to that man's flight to neighboring Costa Rica and his return a year and a half later. For 10 points, name this Central American country formerly led by Manuel Zelaya, with capital at Tegucigalpa.
A: Republic of Honduras [or Republica de Honduras]
Q: These things are commonly infested with a mollusc commonly consumed in the Philippines known as Tamilok or the Teredo worm. The creation of one of these things during the War of the Spanish Succession occurred near the Isles of Scilly. Several of these structures known as sloops are found in (*) Lake Ontario and are extremely well preserved. One large example of these structures was discovered 375 miles south of Newfoundland and was created after a collision with an iceberg. For 10 points, name these remains of destroyed ships.
A: shipwreck s [prompt on ship ]
Q: In this country, the meadow on which which a princess was married gave rise to a local name for a festival. A fossil quarry in this country that was probably a lake during the Eocene is where a fossil known as "Ida" of the primate Darwinius masillae was found. The Hercynian Forest identified by classical geographers is traditionally placed in the south of this country. This home of "Theresa's meadow" and the Messel pit is the largest country where the (*) dirndl is traditionally worn. A picturesque castle in this country that was opened to the public after its builder's death in 1883 inspired the Sleeping Beauty Castle. Cuckoo clocks were first manufactured in a large forest in this country, which is divided into federal districts called Lander. For 10 points, name this country, the home of the Black Forest and Oktoberfest.
A: Federal Republic of Germany [or Bundesrepublik Deutschland]
Q: David McOmish argued that the arrangement of these structures in East Chisenbury demonstrates evidence of early rituals. A large example of these structures in Maine is located near Damariscotta River and is nicknamed Whaleback. Fig Island off the coast of South Carolina contains one of the best preserved examples of these structures in North America. The earliest examples of pottery from the (*) Jomon era were first discovered at these structures in Omori. They're not dolmens, but Jens Worsaae claimed that these structures in Denmark were evidence of the early Stone Age. For 10 points, name these archaeological structures primarily composed of shells and other forms of waste products.
A: shell middens ["shell" is not required after it its read; accept kitchen-middens; or shell rings; or shell heaps; or shell mounds; or kitchen mounds; or køkkenmødding; prompt on more generic descriptions, such as dump or refuse]
Q: The northern portion of this system is composed primarily of precambrian igneous rocks from up to 4 billion years ago, being part of the Laurentian Shield. This system's North Channel and Georgian Bay bound its (*) Manitoulin Island to the north and southeast respectively. Another island in this system is a national park where researchers observed the relation between the native moose and wolf population. The St. Lawrence river is the main outlet of this system. For 10 points, name this system of five large freshwater bodies straddling the US-Canada border.
A: Great Lakes (prompt on the US-Canada border before mentioned)
Q: This geographical feature is right next to a hill noted for its wide, flat top, Badacsony. Szigliget castle offers a view of this feature which is near a subterranean lake, called Cave Lake, in Tapolca. The resort town of (*) Tihany is at the tip of a narrow strait leading to this feature. This feature's namesake town of Fured is also near the Zala River's entry point into this feature. The world's largest thermal lake, Lake Heviz, is also in a nearby town by this feature. For 10 points, name this largest lake in Hungary.
A: Lake Balaton
Q: The highest point in this range may have taken its name from a word in Mapudungun, the language of a people inhabiting a nearby region. That highest point in this range is the site of the Polish Glacier. The highest peak in this range is the second of the Seven Summits and is north of a non-Brazilian Christ the Redeemer of these mountains. It contains the highest capital city in the world and the farthest point from the Earth's center, Mt. (*) Chimborazo. This range contains the Altiplano and La Paz, both of which are in Bolivia. For 10 points, name this mountain range, whose highest peak, Aconcagua, is located in Argentina.
A: Andes Mountains [or the Andean Mountains]
Q: Lora Knight built the Tea House on Fanette Island in this lake's Emerald Bay where an eccentric named Captain Dick enjoyed displaying his self-amputated toes to guests. This lake's watershed includes Freel Peak and its native inhabitants spoke a language isolate called Washo. Goodwin Knight was convinced by Alexander Cushing to support an event on its shores that featured the release of 2,000 pigeons orchestrated by Walt Disney. This body of water is drained by the Truckee River to Pyramid Lake and is bordered by the (*) Carson Range. Currently, this body of water is suffering from eutrophication from settlement of cities like Stateline, reducing this lake's clarity in part due to traffic from around Homewood and Squaw Valley, which hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics. For 10 points, identify this lake on the border of Nevada and California in the Sierra Nevadas.
A: Lake Tahoe
Q: In this state, Knife Creek Gorge and the River Lethe cut through the ashfall of Novarupta in a national park. The Messenger Feast was once celebrated in this state while the Nalukataq ceremony is still practiced and involves tossing people on a blanket. The Ahtna River drains the Chugach Mountains in this state, which contains Mt. Redoubt and several other active volcanoes. Controversy has arisen in this state over the potential contamination of Pebble Creek and (*) Bristol Bay by a copper and gold mine while another body of water in this state contains Bligh Reef. A bus along the Stampede Trail in this state was the home of Christopher McCandless until he starved to death in a national park named for a mountain called "The Big One," Denali. For 10 points, identify this state that includes Kodiak Island and the highest point in North America, Mt. McKinley.
A: Alaska
Q: This country's Cuvette Centrale contains numerous swamps and habitat for the forest elephant. Conflict between the Lendu and Hema peoples in this country's region of Ituri led to the first ever-conviction by the ICC. After Emmanuel de Merode was shot, the oil company SOCO announced in June 2014 it would stop exploring in this country's first national park. That park in this country includes the world's largest lava lake within the Nyiragongo Volcano among the Virunga Mountains. The success of the Playstation 2 led to a dramatic increase in conflict among Mai Mai militias over tantalum and (*) coltan in this country's North and South Kivu provinces. This country has hydroelectric potential west of the Malebo Pool along the Stanley Falls and major copper deposits in the province of Katanga. For 10 points, identify this country currently led by Joseph Kabila from Kinshasa.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [or DRC; prompt on "Congo"]
Q: This state's Rattlesnake Hill in the town of Redstone quarried rocks used to build the Library of Congress and the Willey family tragedy attracted many artists to its Conway Valley. Lonesome Lake and Greenleaf are high-altitude huts in this state located near glacial tarns atop Mount Lafayette and Franconia Ridge, which are operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club throughout its (*) Presidential Range. Crawford Notch was a popular painting subject in this state whose southern lowlands contain the isolated granite monolith of Mount Monadnock. Its Lake Winnipesaukee drains into the Merrimack River from the White Mountains. Theodore Roosevelt hosted negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War in this state, which is bordered on its west by the Connecticut River. For 10 points, identify this state home to Portsmouth, whose largest city is Manchester and whose capital is at Concord.
A: New Hampshire
Q: A gypsum "signboard" found at one of this culture's cities is both the physically largest and one of the longest tokens of its writing. The relative abundance of objects containing this culture's script in (*) Mesopotamia,and lack of the reverse, suggests it was primarily this culture's merchants that transported goods. Unicorns are the most commonly depicted animals on the objects best known for displaying this culture's writing, seals. Asko Parpola has used the homophony of "fish" and "star" in Dravidian languages to suggest that one was represented by this culture's script. For 10 points, identify this Bronze Age culture from South Asia whose writing remains undeciphered.
A: Indus Valley Civilization [or Harappan Civilization]
Q: Description acceptable. The CGIIRC of the Brazilian agency FUNAI [spell out] protects people with this characteristic. The BBC documentary The Blank on the Map culminated in David Attenborough's interaction with New Guineans possessing this characteristic. Survival International has criticized (*) tourist agencies that offer safaris to see the Jarawa and others with this characteristic. The Gibson Desert's Pintupi Nine were the last group of people with this trait in Australia. Alfred Kroeber gave a name meaning "man" to a Yahi who gave up this status by walking into Oroville, California. John Allen Chau was killed trying to proselytize to the Sentinelese, who violently enforce, for 10 points, what characteristic?
A: uncontacted tribes [be generous; accept synonyms for "uncontacted" like isolated or lost or voluntarily isolated; accept synonyms for "tribes" like peoples]
Q: John Sfakianakis once remarked that the only store missing in this city was a "Filene's Basement" in an article discussing the 30-billion-dollar project of adding a five-story megamall to it. A 2014 book by Ziauddin Sardar about the eventual destruction of this city calls it a "reconfigured utopia" since modernity has made this city "mundane." The ALJREIC group's 3.1-billion-dollar investment plan in this city includes building its massive Anjum Hotel. Its Raffles Palace Hotel is popular since it is near the tourist sites of the Mountain of Light and a mountain that contains the "Cave of the Bull." In order to construct the world's second-most-costly building here, the Ajyad Fortress was destroyed; that building contains the world's largest clock face and is part of the Abraj Al Bait Towers. A highway from Jeddah is the main way to enter, for 10 points, what birthplace of the prophet Muhammad, the most popular Islamic tourist destination?
A: Mecca
Q: The reverend of this city, Emmanuel Heath, wrote a firsthand description of an event here where the ship Swan was wrecked and a landslide at Judgment Cliff destroyed 800 meters of land. William Link infamously excavated a Blondel pocket watch frozen at the time of 11:43 AM in this city, which was originally a small community known as Cagway. The Giddy House is a red brick artillery fort in this city, which has been tilted by quicksand. Governor Edward D'Oley invited a group called the Brethren of the Coast to make their base in this city, which served as the capital of its colony until it was moved to Spanish Town. Sometimes called the "Sodom of the New World," this city is where Calico Jack was hanged, a couple decades after it was destroyed in 1692 by an earthquake. For 10 points, name this city once run by Henry Morgan, a haven for pirates in British Jamaica.
A: Port Royal, Jamaica
Q: A desalination plant on the southern end of this body of water opened 14 years late and at five times the planned cost in 1992. One limestone formation along this body of water is an arsenic-filled spring that looks like a pumpkin. An irrigation canal connected to this body of water overflowed for two years into a brackish sinkhole and created a now-abandoned tourist trap called the Salton Sea. This body of water meets the Dolores River before running past (*) Moab, and it, along with the Virgin River, flows into Lake Mead where it is held by the Hoover Dam. For 10 points, name this American river that flows through the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: The Lasagongma ["Lah-sah-gong-mah"] spring and Bayan Har Mountains in this country are sources of major rivers, and a salt lake in its Kumtag Desert is called Lop Nur. This nation has a tiny western border with one nation's Wakhan ["Wah-kahn"] Corridor, which is in the Pamir Mountains. It contains the cities of Kashgar and (*) Harbin, and it disputes Aksai Chin with a southern neighbor. An annual tidal bore called the Silver Dragon occurs in this nation's Hangzhou Bay. For 10 points, name this country that contains the Grand Canal, as well as cities like Shenzhen and Nanjing.
A: People's Republic of China [or Chung-hua Jen-min Kung-ho-kuo; or Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo]
Q: This archipelago hosts an annual "Shark Week" coinciding with the migration of grey reef sharks to its waters, where the world's first shark sanctuary was created in 2009. On this archipelago, millions of harmless golden jellyfish migrate horizontally throughout the day across Jellyfish Lake. Dangers to this archipelago from climate change, such as the acidification of the pristine reefs of its Rock Islands, are discussed in the documentary Before the Flood by politician Thomas Remengesau ("reh-men-GEH-sao"). The only state-level administration outside of Japan where Japanese is an official language is this archipelago's (*) Angaur State. This archipelago contains the islands of Koror and Babeldaob ("bah-bel-dah-ob"), the latter of which is home to one country's capital of Ngerulmud ("nuh-gur-ul-mud"). For 10 points, what archipelago, divided between the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, is named in honor of the Hapsburg ruler Charles II?
A: Caroline Islands [or the Carolines; accept Nuevas Filipinas or New Philippines; prompt on Micronesia; accept Palau before "Palau;" reject "Philippines"]
Q: One explanation of the unusual height of this mountain range's inhabitants credits the high calcium levels in the water flowing from such sources as the Jadro ("YAH-droh") Spring and the Tara River, the latter of which cuts a huge gorge through this range. A subset of this mountain range called Velebit witnesses some of the strongest examples of a cold katabatic wind called the bora. Several of the subterranean rivers found beneath this mountain range's karst topography confluence to form a series of sixteen cascading lakes at (*) Plitvice ("pleet-VEET-seh"). This range, which forms the south-western border of the Pannonian Basin, is where the Drina river arises and is the historic home of the Illyrian people. The city of Podgorica ("pod-GOH-reet-sah") is separated from the coast by, for 10 points, what extension of the Alps found in the western Balkan peninsula?
A: Dinaric Alps [or Dinarides or Alpet Dinaride or Dinarsko gorstvo; accept Dinaric after "Alps"' prompt on Alps or Alpet]
Q: East Asian plot techniques informed a writing manual named for this term "in the real world" by Matthew Salesses. This term is spelled with an ash in the title of an Alex Langlands book that recreates medieval beekeeping, haymaking, and thatching. Matthew B. Crawford outlines a "soul" form of this term in an "inquiry into the value of work" about shop class. This term names an anti-industrial decorative arts movement whose Acanthus wallpaper and Red House were designed by William Morris. Film crew snack services are known by this term, whose "studio" genre includes casting and woodworking. This term names a broad set of hobbies supplied by Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and Etsy. For 10 points, what term for skilled, artisanal trades that create handiwork follows "Mine" in a building video game?
A: craft [or word forms like craftsman or crafting or handicrafts or Cræft; accept Minecraft; accept Arts and Crafts; accept craft services; accept Shop Class as Soulcraft; accept Craft in the Real World; prompt on handiwork; prompt on arts by asking "what other term is it named for?"]
Q: A ceremony in this country consists of exhuming the remains of a family member seven years after death and is the "turning of the bones." Only a man with still-living parents can perform the ala volon-jaza, or first cutting of a baby's hair, that signals a child's entrance into society in this country. Dramatic "forests" of limestone needles called the tsingys are found in this country, as well as the Avenue of the Baobabs. The main language of this country sounds similar to a dialect from Borneo, but has (*) Bantu and Swahili words, reflecting the mix of people in its Malagasy culture. For 10 points, name this island country off the coast of mainland Africa, known for its lemur population.
A: Madagascar
Q: In 2017, the president of this country proclaimed the New Year's festival of Yennayer to be a public holiday celebrated on January 12. A large example of a traditional horsemanship contest called a fantasia is put on yearly by the Shawi people who inhabit this country's Awras region. Outside of Oman, this country is home to the world's second-largest Ibadi community, which is centered in a valley whose chief town is Ghardaia. This country is home to the Ouled Nail ("OO-led nah-EEL") confederacy as well as the (*) Mozabites, the latter of which speak a Zenati language and include the author of its national anthem, titled "Kassaman." This country contains the region of Kabylia ("kah-BILL-ee-uh") and a pair of "Grand Ergs" labeled Occidental and Oriental. For 10 points, name this country where many Berbers live in the [emphasize] eastern reaches of the Atlas Mountains, which it shares with its neighbor Morocco.
A: Algeria [or People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, or l-Jumhuriyya al-Jazaʾiriyya ad-Dimuqratiyya as-Saʿbiyya, or Republique algerienne democratique et populaire] (The second clue refers to the Berber flag.)
Q: This city's Fairground Pavilion features a "floating roof" and an entryway that is decorated with terracotta sculptures of farm animals. A former hospital in this city is home to Leonard McMurray's giant bronze statue of Praying Hands, and is now part of a trio of triangular skyscrapers called the CityPlex Towers. A 75 foot tall statue of an oil worker named the Golden Driller is found in this city, as is a university whose prayer tower is meant to look like a cross from any view, but is often described as looking like a UFO. The entrepreneurs J. B. Stradford and (*) O. W. Gurley helped develop a neighborhood in this city where mayor G. T. Bynum publicly funded a search for graves in 2018. This city is home to Oral Roberts University, as well as an area that was largely burned down after the shoeshiner Dick Rowland was accused of assaulting a white woman. For 10 points, what city's Greenwood District contained the "Black Wall Street" destroyed by a race riot in 1921?
A: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Q: An uncontacted tribe inhabits an archipelago in this body of water that has a capital at Port Blair. Cities on this body of water include Port Elizabeth and Saint-Denis, and Diego Garcia, along with the Chagos Islands, comprises a British territory named for it. Its division from another ocean is located at Cape Agulhas in (*) South Africa. Reunion and the Andaman Islands are located within this body of water. For 10 points, identify this ocean that contains the Maldives ["Mall-deevs"] and Madagascar, and borders the Bay of Bengal and its namesake subcontinent.
A: Indian Ocean [or the Bay of Bengal before "Port Elizabeth" is read; or the Andaman Sea before "Port Elizabeth" is read]
Q: In 2019, the artist Luke Cornish painted a mural titled "Not Welcome to...[this place]" which was later defaced. It's not in New York, but a massive Chabad Lubavitch center called the Central Synagogue is found in a suburb called this place's "Junction." The Sculpture by the Sea exhibition was started in this place, where hundreds of men gathered wearing women's clothing in 1907 to protest a requirement that they wear a tunic at this place instead of just trunks, which was passed by the Waverley Council. The obscenely wealthy (*) Bellevue Hill neighborhood is northwest of this place, which was controversially locked down in March 2020 by the Liberal government of Scott Morrison after thousands gathered here, resulting in its country's first COVID cases. An Aboriginal word for surfing lends its name to, for 10 points, what suburb of Sydney which is home to Australia's most-visited beach?
A: Bondi Beach [accept North Bondi or South Bondi or Bondi Junction; prompt on Waverley before "Waverley"; prompt on Sydney with "What specific location in Sydney?"]
Q: This river is called "the world's most beautifully landscaped cesspool" in a 1965 documentary narrated by Katharine Hepburn that calls for its preservation. The headwaters of this river pass through four namesake numbered lakes in northern Coos ("KO-ahss") County. The Central Lowlands formed by this river's valley include a conurbation often called the "Knowledge Corridor." In the 1930s, much of this river's watershed was diverted to flow into the (*) Quabbin Reservoir. A series of dams along this river proposed by governor Abraham Ribicoff were defeated thanks to a protest movement centered on Old Saybrook, which is where this river enters Long Island Sound. Most of the Vermont-New Hampshire border is formed by, for 10 points, what longest river in New England, which passes through Hartford in its namesake state?
A: Connecticut River
Q: The main gathering place for Shi'a Muslims in this city is the Mochi Gate, which sits in front of the Mochi Baagh, a formerly prominent place of public speech. The death of 70 people in a 2016 church bombing in this city prompted violent protests in its majority-Christian Youhanabad district. Local tradition holds that this city was founded by and named for a golden-skinned son of Rama, whose brother founded the nearby city of Kasur. This city's Mughal-era landmarks include the Wazir Khan and Badshahi Mosques and the (*) Gurdwara Dera Sahib, which commemorates the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev. A park honoring Muhammad Iqbal is found in this city, whose film industry is colloquially known as Lollywood and is the center of Punjabi language film. For 10 points, name this city, the second most populous in Pakistan after Karachi.
A: Lahore, Pakistan [or Lavapuri]
Q: A geographic feature which shares its name with this country is also known as the Great Dala and extends eastward to the Emin Valley. The leader of this country works in the Akorda, and the capital of this country, formerly Aqmola ("AK-mola"), has been located on the Ishim River since 1997. The right side of this country's flag features an eagle soaring beneath a (*) sun, and this country exports very little potassium, despite the claims made in a Sacha Baron Cohen movie. This largest landlocked country in the world contains the northern coast of the rapidly sinking Aral Sea, and it also borders the Caspian Sea to its west. For 10 points, name this former Soviet republic with its capital at Astana.
A: Republic of Kazakhstan [accept Qazaqstan Respublikasi]
Q: Though it's not San Francisco, a site in this city that may have been inspired by the Panopticon briefly housed Al Capone. This city's Elfreth's Alley is the oldest continuously-inhabited street in the United States. Its Center City district is partially bounded by the (*) Schuylkill ["SKOOL-kill"] River, and it is served by the SEPTA transit system. This city is separated from Camden, New Jersey by the Delaware River, and it contains Eastern State Penitentiary, which was founded by Quakers. For 10 points, name this largest city in Pennsylvania.
A: Philadelphia
Q: This natural phenomenon is affected by the "Charleston Bump." Bache discovered that this phenomenon experiences a separation at the "cold wall" after passing the Blake plateau. This feature forms the western boundary of the Sargasso Sea, and was originally mapped by (*) Benjamin Franklin. This feature explains why ocean travel from North America to Europe is faster than the reverse trip. Along with the Canary current, this feature drives the North Atlantic gyre ["jye-urr"]. For 10 points, name this warm-water boundary current stretching from the eastern U.S. through the north Atlantic.
A: Gulf Stream
Q: A proposed building in this city, which would have independently rotating floors, is called the Dynamic Tower. An underwater restaurant serves a hotel designed by Tom Wright in this city, which connects to Jumeirah ["Joo-MAY-rah"] Beach. This city contains artificial islands in the shapes of a world (*) map and a palm tree. A flower inspired the Y-shaped base of a 163-story building in this city. This city is home to the world's tallest building. For 10 points, name this city, which is home to the sail-shaped Burj al-Arab and the Burj Khalifa, the largest city in the UAE.
A: Dubai ["doo-bye"]
Q: A large plateau in the north of this country hosts a monastery only accessible by climbing a rope. The remains of medieval castles in this country, built by a ruler of the Solomonic dynasty are found in Gondar. A group of churches in this country sit in 40-foot holes, carved out of the surrounding rock, and includes Bet Giyorgis. One church in this country claims to house the Ark of the Covenant in (*) Axum. The Akobo and Pibor rivers make up part of this country's border with South Sudan, and this country disputes control of the Ogaden region with Somalia. For 10 points, name this nation with capital Addis Ababa.
A: Ethiopia [or Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; or Ityop'iya; or YeEtiyop'iya; or YeEtyop'iya]
Q: The Chuvash people live primarily on an upland named after this river. The middle section of this river, which rises in the Valdai Hills, is determined by its confluences with the Oka and Kama rivers. Another name for this river is Idel("ID-il"), and at the confluence of this river with the Kazanka River lies the capital of (*) Tatarstan, Kazan. A city now named after this river received the title Hero City in 1945, and, on the Mamayev Kurgan, contains the statue "The Motherland Calls." This river passes through Astrakhan before flowing into the Caspian Sea. For 10 points, name this Russian river, the longest river in Europe.
A: Volga River
Q: This region's largest city grew around the settlement of Gastown. This division that contains Haida Gwaii and the city of Kelowna is home to Butchart Gardens in its capital. A gold rush took place along the Fraser River in this province, which contains the resort town of Whistler and (*) Pacific Rim National Park. It is separated from a large island by the Georgia Strait and from a neighboring country by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For 10 points, name this westernmost Canadian province, which contains the cities of Victoria and Vancouver.
A: British Columbia
Q: Kern Canyon and the Hetch Hetchy Valley are located within this mountain range, and the Fredonyer Pass is near its Mount Lassen. This range is home to a mountain named for a geologist who discovered the first glacier in the United States on Mount Shasta, which is in this range. It contains the highest point in the contiguous United States and a site that contains (*) Half Dome. Mount Whitney and Yosemite National Park are in, for 10 points, what mountain range in which Lake Tahoe lies on California's border with another state?
A: Sierra Nevada
Q: A Japanese saying and pun about this city claims that you should never say "magnificent" or "enough" before seeing its beauty. 14,000 cryptomeria trees line an avenue in this city, making it the world's most tree-lined street. Ingredients for this city's scrumptious shaved ice are harvested annually from nearby Lake Chuzenji, which lies beneath the inactive volcano Nantai. A group of three monkeys enshrined in this city gave rise to the proverb "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Three mountain kami sacred to this seat of (*) Tochigi Prefecture areenshrined in its Rinno-ji Temple. That temple contains this city's Taiyuin ("tie-you-een") Mausoleum, which honors a deified gongen form of Iemitsu, who once led a shogunate. For 10 points, what city north of Tokyo is home to a prominent Tosho-gu shrine honoring Tokugawa Ieyasu?
A: Nikko
Q: During World War I, this nation's city of Iasi temporarily replaced its current capital, which is the site of the Telephone Palace and the Arcul de Triumf. It contains the western part of the historical region of Bessarabia, which is separated from an eastern neighbor by the Pruth River. This nation contains the cities of Constanta and (*) Timisoara, and its city of Cluj-Napoca is located in the Carpathian Mountains. This country includes Wallachia and Moldavia, and its Black Sea coast contains the mouth of the Danube. For 10 points, name this Eastern European country, with a capital at Bucharest.
A: Romania [or Rumania]
Q: The beach resort of Langstrand is located between Swakopmund and another city in this country. Possession Island is the largest of its Penguin Islands, and a Chinese naval base is being built at a city in this country named for its many cetaceans, Walvis Bay. The Dunedin Star and other (*) wrecked ships litter this nation's Skeleton Coast. A desert in this country that contains Brandberg Mountain is the oldest in the world, and access to the Zambezi River is provided by its thin Caprivi Strip, which is north of Botswana. For 10 points, name this country with a capital at Windhoek.
A: Republic of Namibia [or Namibie; or Republic of Namibia]
Q: MODERATOR NOTE: Make clear that "Greatest Snow on Earth" is in quotes. In 1964, this body of water was separated from the artificial reservoir Willard Bay. The Weber River, which is home to mountain whitefish, empties into this body of water. An effect named for this body of water causes the "Greatest Snow on Earth," and Pink Floyd was a (*) flamingo often seen near this body of water. Robert Smithson created Spiral Jetty on the shores of this body of water. The so-called "golden spike" was originally located just north of this body of water, and this body of water is all that remains of Lake Bonneville. For 10 points, name this lake in the Western United States, the namesake of a city in Utah.
A: Great Salt Lake [prompt on Great Salt until "lake" and accept after; prompt on Salt Lake; do not accept or prompt on "Salt Lake City"]
Q: The last pre-colonial ruler of this city was Kosoko and held the title oba. The Portuguese possibly named this city after a major port near the tip of Iberia. With a major port sheltered by a namesake lagoon, this African city consists of "Mainland" and "Island" portions, the latter of which includes Victoria Island and a namesake island. This city is south of Ibadan, within (*) Yorubaland. This city lies 50 miles from Porto-Novo, and it was part of the Kingdom of Benin prior to British rule. The largest city in Africa, for 10 points, name this city, a national capital until its 1991 replacement by Abuja, which is currently the largest city in Nigeria.
A: Lagos, Nigeria
Q: This sovereign nation controls the Kerguelen ("kar-GUY-len") Islands. Wallis and Futuna in this country are not within another region of this country whose capital is Pape'ete. This country contains the most time zones of a single country. The European Space Agency launches rockets in Kourou in this country due to its equatorial location. The (*) Comoros, once part of this country, advocates for a union with this country's possession of Mayotte. Guadeloupe and Martinique are in this country due to a deal in which, in exchange, it gave up Quebec. For 10 points, name this country containing Corsica and the only one of the Guianas not to gain its independence, whose capital is Paris.
A: France [accept Republique Francaise or French Republic]
Q: This country's capital city contains a monument honoring Mrs. Chippy, the cat of explorer Ernest Shackleton. The northernmost outpost of this country is a station located on Raoul Island. One of this country's overseas territories is the only polity in the world to have a flag featuring the Union Jack on a yellow background. This country's possessions include (*) Niue ("NEW-ay"), Tokelau, and the Cook Islands. This nation's Firth of Thames is located to the east of the Coromandel Peninsula, which can be seen from this country's largest city across the Hauraki Gulf. Two kinds of birds that were native to this country before extinction were Haast's eagle and the moa, killed off by the indigenous Maori. For 10 points, name this country home to North and South Island and the world's southernmost capital city at Wellington.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: In this region, Cadman Plaza sits near one end of a long avenue called Flatbush which runs to the only indoor full-size shopping mall in this region. Fifteen golden figures adorn this region's main public library, which is in Grand Army Plaza. One architectural work named for this city was completed by Emily (*) Roebling after her husband got caisson disease. This region within a larger city includes the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone in its beachside amusement park. Home to Coney Island, for 10 points, name this most populous New York City borough which names a brick bridge, where the streets are full of hipsters.
A: Brooklyn [prompt on New York City until mention; prompt on Long Island]
Q: Early sites where this river was crossed include Glenns Ferry and Three Island Crossing. A proposal to remove dams from the lower part of this river sought to increase the spawn of fish in two of its tributaries, the Tucannon and the Grande Ronde. The diversion of water from this river through the Minidoka Irrigation Project allowed for the reclamation of over one million acres of land for farming. This river passes through the (*) Milner Dam before going over both the Shoshone Falls and the Twin Falls. This river partially comprises the border between Oregon and Idaho, where it flows through the deepest gorge in North America, Hells Canyon. This river was given its name because American explorers misinterpreted a Shoshone tribe gesture for salmon. For 10 points, name this river that flows from Yellowstone National Park, the largest tributary of the Columbia River.
A: Snake River
Q: In this country, a ruined palace is present in Gbadolite. Malebo Pool lies on this country's main river, which is navigable from there until Boyoma Falls, requiring land travel from this country's ports of Matadi and Boma. This country's South Kasai region has its capital at (*) Mbuji-Mayi. The Ebola River lies in the northern part of this country, as does the Ituri Rainforest. This country's mineral rich state of Katanga seceded in its namesake crisis, which ended in the rule of a man who Africanized its colonial names, including the cities Stanleyville and Leopoldville. For 10 points, name this country with capital Kinshasa.
A: Democratic Republic of the Congo [accept Congo-Kinshasa before mention]
Q: In 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901 crashed into this location. A group from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology permanently studies this location, which is on an island shared by Mt. Bird. This volcano is the second tallest in its continent after Mt. Sidley, and it is named for one of the ships used on John (*) Franklin's failed expedition to complete the Northwest Passage. The island on which this site is located also contains Mount Terror, and shares a name with both a sea and an ice shelf. For 10 points, name this mountain on Ross Island, the southernmost active volcano in the world.
A: Mount Erebus
Q: The only Amtrak station in this state is located in its town of Sandpoint. The town of Dickshooter lies in the Owyhee Mountains, which this state shares with its western neighbor. Challis National Forest contains this state's highest point, Borah Peak, which is located in this state's Lost River Range. Twin Falls is the nearest major city to this state's (*) Craters of the Moon National Park. The Salmon River is a popular site for whitewater rafting in this state, which contains the cities of Pocatello and Coeur d'Alene. For 10 points, name this "Gem State", with capital at Boise.
A: Idaho
Q: The Sirius Patrol works within this region's largest national park, which includes Land named after King Frederick VIII. Cape Morris Jesup is regarded as the northernmost point in this region. The Dorset Culture once lived in the extreme northwest of this region, prior to their expulsion by the (*) Thule Culture. Following its discovery by Gunnbjorn ("GUN-byorn"), Eastern and Western Settlements were settled in this region by the Norse. More than one third of this island's population lives in its capital of Nuuk, and over seven eighths of its population is Inuit. Containing the only non-Antarctic permanent ice cap, for 10 points, name this largest island in the world.
A: Greenland [accept Kalaallit Nunaat]
Q: A section of an aqueduct terminating in this modern-day country is the longest known tunnel from antiquity; that aqueduct supplied water to this modern-day country's city of Gadara. Three two-headed busts were among the lime plaster and reed statues discovered at ʿAyn Ghazal in this country. A gigantic stone statue that once stood on the citadel of this country's capital now only survives as an elbow and three fingers; that statue in this country's capital depicted (*) Hercules. A site in this country contains the "Temple of the Winged Lions." To reach that site in this country, visitors must pass through the "Siq," a passageway that opens onto the treasury of al-Khaznah. The explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered the ruins of an ancient Nabatean city in this country. For 10 points, name this country in which Petra is located.
A: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan [or al-ʾUrdunn]
Q: Under Bob Hawke, Australia passed a policy allowing this substance to be mined at only three sites: Ranger, Nabarlek, and Olympic Dam. In 1979, runoff from a mine for this substance breached a dam at Church Rock and flowed into the nearby Navajo Nation. The flooding of Cigar Lake caused a price bubble in 2007 for this commodity, and Charles Steen invested in a mine in the Four Corners region for this substance named "Mi Vida." The sale of this substance was investigated in 2002 by Joseph Wilson on a trip to (*) Niger, which led to the discovery that the Bush administration's claims of its sale to Iraq were false. Katanga contains the Shinkolobwe (SHEEN-koh-LOAM-bey) mine, which exported this substance for the Manhattan Project. For 10 points, name this commodity that is usually processed from pitchblende to yellowcake and used as a fissile material.
A: Uranium [or yellowcake or pitchblende before mention]
Q: One waterway in this country was built along with the Carasu irrigation scheme as part of a plan to bypass the Chilia and Sulina branches of a major river. A pair of figurines found in this country from the Hamangia culture show a "sitting woman" and a "thinker" and the longest river entirely in this country, the Olt River, unusually flows southwards through the Turnu Rosu Pass after passing the city of Brasov. Its region of Maramures is home to eight (*) wooden Eastern Orthodox churches and the city of Ploiesti is the center of oil production in this country's region of Wallachia. The Carpathian Mountains dominate this country's middle and separate the lowlands of the Danube Delta from Transylvania. For 10 points, name this Eastern European country with capital at Bucharest.
A: Romania
Q: Much of the religious history of this place was first surveyed by Katherine Routledge. This place's society was led by an ariki, who was supposed to be a direct descendant of its mythical first settler, Hotu Matu'a. Inhabitants of this place once annually competed to fetch the first tern egg and thus be recognized as a medium. The most famous monuments from this place originally had objects made of scoria called (*) pukao atop them. This place's many petroglyphs include a "script" called Rongorongo. It's not Delphi, but this place's endonym means "navel of the world." This place turned to the Bird Man cult after it was depopulated from the introduction of rats and near-total deforestation. Makemake is a god from-for 10 points-what island home to many Moai statues with giant heads?
A: Easter Island [or Rapa Nui; or Isla de Pascua]
Q: Each September, this country's capital begins hosting a month-long flower festival called Floriade. Stupid people in this counntry are often likened to a native pink and grey bird called the galah. In January 2019, toxic algae killed millions of fish near Menindee in this country's longest river. As of 2016, many GPS systems shifted this country about five feet northwest to account for movement from its measured position in 1994. This country's Lake (*) Hillier and Hutt Lagoon are both bright pink. This country's poisonous snakes include three species of taipan. Yellow parrots called budgerigars, or "budgies," are from this country. A large sheet of limestone along its southern coast makes up the Nullarbor Plain. The Darling is the longest river in-for 10 points-what country whose fauna include wild dogs called dingos and eucalyptus-eating koalas?
A: Commonwealth of Australia
Q: Nobles from one of this island's ethnic groups build houses with oversized boat-shaped roofs called tongkonan. Cloth patches on seat headrests are given a name appending the prefix "anti-" to this island's largest city, which was a major exporter of products used to make hair oil. The Toraja and Buginese are major ethnic groups from this island. Sea cucumber fishermen called trepangers from this island were the first known Asian people to have contact with Australian aborigines. This is the largest island on which one can find a kind of long-tusked swine called the babirusa, and like (*) Lombok, it is just east of the Wallace line. The neck of this oddly-shaped island's Minahasa Peninsula was struck by a deadly earthquake in September 2018. The Strait of Makassar separates Borneo from-for 10 points-what easternmost of the Greater Sunda islands?
A: Sulawesi [or Celebes]
Q: This city is overlooked by a roughly globular telecommunications tower on Hum Hill. The "yellow bastion" fortress overlooks this city's old district, which is home to the Gazi Husrev-Beg mosque and market, and the Avaz Twist Tower is in its new district. A triangular yellow-and-orange national library sits near this city's Bascarsija [bosh-char-shi-yuh] marketplace, where one can find the (*) Sebilj fountain. A "tunnel of hope" once connected this city's airport to its center, which lies on the Miljacka [mill-YAHTS-kuh] River. Dents in this city's streets that were filled with red paint have been dubbed this city's "roses." This city's War Childhood Museum commemorates a time when its main street was nicknamed "Sniper Alley" during a siege in the 1990s. For 10 points, name this Balkan capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A: Sarajevo
Q: In 2011, a cougar was killed in this state after wandering from South Dakota to its coastal city of Milford. A National Historic Site in this state preserves the studio of Impressionist painter J. Alden Weir, who founded its artists' colony in Cos Cob. In this state's "Blue-Blazed" system of hiking trails, the Natchaug traverses its rural northeastern "Quiet Corner," where this state received "Joshua's Tract" from the Mohegan ("MO-hee-GANN") people. White clam "apizza" is popular in this state, the location of the restaurant Mystic Pizza. Cigna and Aetna are headquartered in this state's capital, which is nicknamed "the Insurance Capital of the World." This state's Fairfield County contains the cities of Stamford and Bridgeport. For 10 points, what New England state contains Yale in New Haven?
A: Connecticut [or CT]
Q: In one holiday, these people face babies towards each other until they cry, with the assistance of a priest in an ogre mask. These people oil their hair to resemble gingko leaves, and traditionally lift their aprons to each other to demonstrate they have no weapons. Bagel salesmen and schoolteachers are compared to these people in the first full chapter of Freakonomics, which discusses them throwing matches. Between 2002 and 2016, 81 of the 88 champions of these people were Mongolian. They're not emperors, but according to myth, the first of these people was the thunder god Takemikazuchi ("TAH-kay-mee-KAH-zoo-chee"). The yorikiri and oshidashi are two strategies these people commonly utilize when trying to force their opponents out of the dohyo's fighting ring. For 10 points, name these athletes of Japan's national sport.
A: sumo wrestlers [accept rikishi or sumotori or osumosan; prompt on Japanese wrestlers or wrestlers by asking "of what sport?"]
Q: Beer magnate Thomas Loel Guinness rented this man his equipment for one dollar a year. Fidel Castro freed more than 80 political prisoners after this man reformed Cuba's lobster management program. This man installed a "false nose" with eight portholes into a former mine-sweeper that was destroyed in 1996 in Singapore. Louis Malle directed a 1956 film based on a book by this man that became the first documentary to win the Palme d'Or. This person's team added a mechanical claw to a new invention called a bathyscaphe ("BATH-uh-scaff"). Wes Anderson used this man as the real-life inspiration for Steve Zissou. The Silent World was written by this man, who co-created the Aqua Lung scuba tank with Emile Gagnan ("gan-YAWN") and captained the research ship Calypso. For 10 points, name this French oceanographer.
A: Jacques Cousteau [or Jacques-Yves Cousteau]
Q: Two bulls fight each other in this country's annual Corrida of Grmec ("GRR-metch"). Wooden windmills can be found by the Pliva Waterfall near this country's city of Jajce ("YA-eet-sa"). This country's capital names "roses" such as one in Markale ("MAR-ka-leh") market, which were formed by filling red resin in craters left by bombing campaigns. This country's only coastline stretches twelve miles around the city of Neum ("NEH-oom"). The Mehmed Pasha Sokolovic ("soh-koh-loh-veech") Bridge in this country's city of Visegrad ("VEE-sheh-grahd") serves as the setting for Ivo Andric's ("EE-vo AHN-drich's") The Bridge on the Drina. The free city of Brcko ("BIRCH-ko") was divided between this country's Republika Srpska and its namesake "Federation" by the Dayton Agreement. For 10 points, name this former Yugoslav republic whose capital is Sarajevo.
A: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Q: This activity may cause a "Patagonia picnic table effect" when it involves a "vagrant." J. Drew Lanham discussed his passion for this activity in The Home Place and drew attention to a Haitian-born pioneer of it enslaving people in New Orleans. During an annual "count," citizens can use the Merlin app to log this activity for John Fitzpatrick's group at Cornell. Fans of this activity might use "digiscoping" and consult guides by David Sibley and Roger Tory Peterson to complete their "life lists." In 2020, the white dog walker Amy Cooper accosted Christian Cooper while he did this activity in Central Park. During this activity, one might view trogons, buntings, swifts, plovers, and warblers. For 10 points, the Audubon Society supports what activity that involves observing calls, nesting, and plumage?
A: birdwatching [or birding; or bird observation; accept any answers about birds or specific birds; accept citizen ornithology; accept Black Birders Week or Great Backyard Bird Count or eBird; prompt on general answers like nature walks or animal illustration or going outdoors; prompt on citizen science; prompt on twitching]
Q: Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt proposed that the most famous items from this location were transported by "walking." A notable quarry in this location is Rano Raraku. Giant stone chicken houses were found in this location, which names a large species of extinct palm. This location's inhabitants used the Rongorongo script, likely invented following European contact beginning in 1722 with (*) Jacob Roggeveen. Structures on this island lying between pukao and ahu partially inspired Kon-Tiki, due to Thor Heyerdahl seeing similarities between Peruvian statues and those on this Pacific Island. For 10 points, name this Polynesian island famous for its giant moai statues and named for a holiday.
A: Easter Island [or Isla de Pascua or Rapa Nui; anti-prompt on Rano Raraku until mention]
Q: In his book Tubes, Andrew Blum called a "technology corridor" in this state "the bullseye of America's internet." The Great Stalacpipe Organ makes music by tapping stalactites in this state's Luray Caverns. Every July, "saltwater cowboys" drive wild ponies south across the (*) Assateague Channel to this state's Chincoteague Island. Harriet Beecher Stowe's book Dred is a tale of maroons living in this state, where northern sections of the Great Dismal Swamp lie. A 1969 tourism campaign spawned the ubiquitous slogan that this state "is for lovers." Herbert Hoover built a presidential fishing retreat near a tributary of the Rappahannock River in this state's Shenandoah National Park. For 10 points, name this state where visitors tour historic homes like Mount Vernon and Monticello.
A: Virginia
Q: It's not wrestling, but in the 2019 World Cup for this sport, Mia Krampl won third despite her knee injury by executing a figure four. Ashima Shiraishi became one of this sport's most accomplished athletes at the age of 13. Techniques such as gastons and laybacking were used by Adam Ondra to complete this sport's first 9c rating. In this sport, flagging is a method for maintaining stable body position to prevent a barn-door swing. Three distinct forms of this sport were controversially scored together as a single event at this sport's 2021 Olympic debut. Pitons and crampons are used by athletes in the "ice" form of this sport, whose other types include free solo. For 10 points, name this sport whose athlete Alex Honnold was the first person to ascend Yosemite's El Capitan without a rope.
A: rock climbing [accept mountain climbing or mountaineering or ice climbing; accept sport climbing; accept specific types of climbing such as free soloing before read; do not accept or prompt on "hiking"]
Q: In this country, large fossils of Basilosaurus proto-whale skeletons protrude from the ground at Wadi al-Hitan, and Gebel Elba in its far southeast is the northern limit for many species of the Afrotropical Ecozone. Prehistoric paintings of horizontal humans with outstretched arms are found at the Cave of the Swimmers in this country's Gilf Kebir plateau on whose northern limits are scattered deposits of green desert silica. Chalk rock formations form this country's (*) White Desert outside Farfara, while the cave where St. Anthony the Great allegedly endured temptation is part of its Eastern Desert. The Bitter Lakes are found along a waterway that extends South from Port Said in this country, while the oasis of Siwa is found in its Qatarra Depression. For 10 points, identify this country with capital at Cairo.
A: Egypt
Q: This river was initially spanned by the Cathedral Bridge, which was then replaced by the Hohenzollern. The source of this river is at Lake Tomasee, and it is called the "Vorder" until it merges with its "Hinter" branch. This river forms an inland delta as it flows into Lake Constance, and the cities of Bonn and Cologne lie on its shore. This river, which winds around Lorelei rock, has tributaries called the Main and the Ruhr. In its Alpine course, this river forms the border between Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria. For 10 points, name this river that flows through Western Germany.
A: Rhine River
Q: Note to moderator: Read the answerline carefully. In 2017, the Center for Investigative Reporting found that drug addicts were forced to work in this industry under the pretext of staying at Oklahoma's Christian Alcoholics & Addicts in Recovery rehab center. A 2020 book by Tom Philpott argues that this industry is collapsing due to overproduction rather than misdirected insurance and subsidies. A 2011 article by Mark Bittman highlighted Montana and Kansas passing "gag laws" that prevent people from trespassing in this industry's facilities and taking photographs. This industry's increasingly crowded "CAFOs" are often likened to "factories." The Cabinet Secretary overseeing this industry, Sonny Perdue, has relaxed standards for school lunches and herbicide use. For 10 points, the USDA regulates what industry that produces food?
A: agriculture [accept USDA or United States Department of Agriculture or Agriculture Department; accept agribusiness or ag-gag laws; accept factory farming or growing food or crops or clear-knowledge equivalents; accept meat or poultry or slaughterhouses or concentrated animal feeding operations or similar answers; prompt on food] (The Philpott book is called Perilous Bounty.)
Q: This state's only endemic bird species is a uniquely social species of scrub jay found along the Lake Wales Ridge, an ancient island chain that contains this state's most prominent point at Sugarloaf. Phosphate-rich pebbles are mined at Bone Valley upstream from Port Charlotte in this state. The Hillsborough River in this state flows into a body of water across from the historic Ybor City cigar-making district on the Pinellas Peninsula. A group of herpes-infected (*) rhesus monkeys inhabits the forest near Silver Springs in this state where the Big Cypress Preserve helps protect an endangered subspecies of cougar. The Apalachicola River drains the northwest of this state while the St. John's River drains the northeast and meets the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville. For 10 points, identify this state where the Kissimmee River flows to Lake Okeechobee south of Orlando.
A: Florida
Q: A singer with this surname worked with Nas on the album Distant Relatives and released a 2005 song that samples the lyric "out in the street they call it murder." A musician with this surname released the album Love Is My Religion after leaving the band The Melody Makers. The "I-Threes" were backup singers for a musician with this surname nicknamed "Tuff Gong." That musician with this surname held hands with the feuding politicians Edward Seaga and Michael Manley at a 1978 "Peace Concert." After surviving an assassination attempt, a musician with this surname released the album Exodus, which includes a song that urges "baby don't worry about a thing / cause every little thing is gonna be alright." For 10 points, give this surname of the musician Ziggy and his father, a Jamaican reggae pioneer.
A: Marley [accept Bob Marley or Robert Nesta Marley; accept David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley; accept Damian Robert Nesta "Jr. Gong" Marley] (The song in the first sentence is "Welcome to Jamrock;" the song in the penultimate line is "Three Little Birds.")
Q: Robert Bezeau built an entire village made of plastic bottles in this country. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is located on this country's Causeway Islands, where this country explores its natural history in the Frank Gehry-designed Biomuseo ("BEE-oh-moo-SAY-oh"). A World Heritage Site protects the biodiversity of the Gulf of Chiriqui in this country's Coiba National Park, and major destinations include the Bocas del Toro archipelago. The Ciudad del Saber ("syoo-DAHD del sa-BER") in this country is located on the (*) formerly-American Fort Clayton, which overlooks Lake Miraflores. The only break in the Pan-American Highway can be found at the Darien Gap in this country, where the damming of the Chagres River created Gatun Lake. For 10 points, name this country whose namesake canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
A: Panama
Q: A city along this river hosts the world's largest yearly celebration of George Washington's birthday; that city also has seven flags on its coat of arms. Many Virgin Galactic launches take place near this river at Spaceport America. This river's floodplain includes the world's largest bosque ("BOSS-kay") ecosystem. This river irrigates the chile fields of the town of Hatch. This river forms the western boundary of the Tularosa Basin, which contains large gypsum dunes in White Sands National Park. This river, whose lower valley names a region that contains cities such as McAllen and Reynosa, forms the eponymous bend of Big Bend National Park. Laredo, Brownsville, and Juarez lie along, for 10 points, what river that forms much of the US-Mexico border?
A: Rio Grande [or Rio Bravo del Norte; or Rio del Norte; or Po'soge; or Paslapaane; or Hanapakwa; or Mets'ichi chena; or To Ba'aadi; accept Lower Rio Grande Valley or alle del Rio Grande]
Q: This ethnic group pioneered a delicacy of baby eels cooked with garlic and pepper. Members of this ethnic group traditionally hang silver thistles to ward off spirits on farmhouses called baserri. This ethnic group is represented by a flag with a red background and white and green crosses. This ethnic group's language uses the letters T and X together to represent the sound "ch." Whalers of this ethnicity working in Iceland developed a pidgin tongue. A center of this ethnic group's cuisine is Donostia, which is also known as San Sebastian. This ethnic group's language is the only extant non-Indo-European language that is indigenous to Western Europe. Gipuzkoa and Biscay are part of this ethnic group's autonomous area. For 10 points, what ethnic group inhabits a "Country" in Northern Spain that contains Bilbao?
A: Basque people [or euskaldunak or euskotarrak or Euskara speakers; accept Basque Country or Euskadi; prompt on Vasco or Vasconic or Vascones; do not accept or prompt on "Spanish" or "French"]
Q: In 2011, a religious movement in this country tricked over 400 English teachers into traveling to Mexico, where they were beaten for not watching videos. A speech writer for this country's former president included incantations in speeches and led a cabal known as the "eight fairies." A religious movement in this country whose name translates to "New Heaven and Earth" exacerbated COVID-19 spread by encouraging practitioners to breathe in each other's spittle. The world's largest megachurch is in this country and has over 800,000 Pentecostal congregants. The first female president of this country was removed in 2017 over charges of corruption related to her top aide, the daughter of a cult leader, accepting bribes from chaebols ("cheh-balls"). For 10 points, name this country formerly led by Park Geun-hye ("gun-HEH").
A: South Korea [or the Republic of Korea; prompt on Korea]
Q: Barry Lopez's book on these animals lists "outlaws" like "Three Toes of Harding County." This animal appears in an Italian idiom meaning "Good luck." The extirpated "red" species of these animals has been reintroduced to coastal Texas. Dave Mech has disavowed a book that inspired myths about these animals' dominance hierarchies. Louis XV sent the army to pursue one of these animals nicknamed the "Beast of Gevaudan" ("zhay-vo-DON"). 19th-century bounties on these animals were often claimed by hunters who trained borzoi and laced caribou carcasses with strychnine ("STRICK-neen"). The La Brea tar pits preserved fossils of their "dire" species. The concept of "ecology of fear" comes from these animals, which prey on moose on Michigan's Isle Royale ("royal"). For 10 points, name these Holarctic canines that hunt in packs.
A: wolves [or grey wolf; prompt on wild dogs or canids or canines; accept timber wolf, werewolf, red wolf, dire wolf, or wolfers; accept Of Wolves and Men; accept "in bocca al lupo"; accept Russian wolfhounds]
Q: In 2016, Fernando Donis filed a copyright lawsuit against this city over his design of a large art piece shaped like a picture frame in this city. The world's largest flower garden is this city's Miracle Gardens. A building in this city features a Y-shaped cross-section that decreases with height, forming 26 terraces arranged in a spiral pattern. A commemorative tennis match was played on the helipad of a building in this city whose exterior is shaped like the sail of a dhow and is contrasted with the wave design of the nearby Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The World Islands are an artificial archipelago off the coast of this city, the home of the "seven-star" Burj Al-Arab hotel and the Burj Khalifa. For 10 points, name this largest city in the United Arab Emirates.
A: Dubai
Q: An area in this country is known for its frequent flashes of lightning, and is located at the mouth of the Catatumbo River. Due to its large oil deposits, this country, along with Ecuador, is one of the two non-Middle Eastern members of OPEC. It claims half of its neighboring nation of Guyana, and it is the location of the mouth of the Orinoco river. Home to lake Maracaibo, this country is the location of the highest interrupted waterfall in the world, Angel Falls. For 10 points, name this South American country bordering on the Caribbean Sea with its capital at Caracas.
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Q: This city will host the 2020 World Expo and contains a technological park called Internet City whose tenants are 100% foreign-owned. It runs alongside the Hajar Mountains, and until the 20th century it was known primarily for the production of cultured pearls. This city is home to the largest mall in the world and the artificial World Islands alongside the Palm Jumeira. The Burj Al Arab hotel is designed to look like a sailboat in this city, but it is dwarfed by the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern city on the Persian Gulf, the largest in the United Arab Emirates.
A: Dubai
Q: Pierre Rigoulot translated a 2000 book titled for this city's "Aquariums," which is actually about its prison system. This city is found north of a massive statue of two women in traditional dresses hoisting a bronze map called the Arch of Reunification. A tower in this city is a replica of the Washington Monument, and is made of 25,550 blocks, one for each day of its dedicatee's life. The tallest unoccupied building in the world is this city's 105 Building. A blossoming magnolia inspired a stadium in this city that has the largest capacity in the world. This city is home to the torch-like Juche ("JOO-cheh") Monument as well as the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which houses the mausoleum of Kim Il-Sung. For 10 points, name this capital of North Korea.
A: Pyongyang [accept The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag]
Q: A language from this region is often transliterated with the Wylie system. In that language of this region, an Ophiocordyceps ("OH-fee-oh-COR-diss-eps") fungus that forms a mainstay of the rural economy is called "summer grass, winter worm." Painters from this region originated elaborate cloth artworks called thangkas ("TONG-kahs"). People in this region often mix roasted barley flour with butter tea. The Jokhang Temple in this region, which contains the traditional provinces of Kham and Amdo, is maintained by the Gelug school. Most prayer flags originate from this region, which is the center of the Bon religion. A former seat of this region's government is the Potala Palace. For 10 points, name this region, a current territory of China formerly controlled by the Dalai Lama.
A: Tibet [or Xizang; or Zangqu; accept Bod or Bo or Poi; accept Kingdom of Tibet or Tibet Autonomous Region or the Tibetan Plateau; prompt on Western China or Zhongguo or Xibu; prompt on the Himalayas]
Q: The claim that a person with this profession was shot by police rather than dying after his vehicle hit a barricade and overturned was the subject of a sedition case. Several people with this profession were run over by a car that was supposedly driven by the son of a Minister of State for Home Affairs. The BKU, an organization for these people, led a recent "rail roko" protest. People with this profession stormed the Red Fort to protest a law that would let them sell outside the government-run mandi system. Since 2020, many people with this profession from Punjab have marched towards Delhi to protest a law that changes their markets. Members of this profession often produce jute and pulses such as lentils. For 10 points, the Green Revolution gave new practices for planting to what people?
A: Indian farmers [or kisan; accept word forms like farming; accept Punjabi or Sikh in place of "Indian"; accept growers or agriculture workers or equivalents]
Q: All 120 of this country's tribes trade in its "River of Mosquitos" market. Residents of this country's capital can ride crowded dala dala buses through the streets where "Bongo Flava" hip hop originated. This country has the world's largest population of albino people, centered in its cities of Shinyanga and Mwanza. An island owned by this country is where the House of Wonders was built in Stone Town and where Freddie Mercury was born. This country's Gombe Stream National Park is home to chimpanzees studied by Jane Goodall. The Ngorongoro Crater in this country was the site of archaeological digs at the Olduvai Gorge. Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro are located in, for 10 points, what East African country whose cities include Dodoma and Dar es Salaam?
A: Tanzania [or the United Republic of Tanzania]
Q: The Uravan Mineral Belt is a major source of uranium and vanadium in this mountain range. Threatened Canadian lynx primarily live in the San Juan mountains in the south of this range, and prairie oysters made of fried and coated animal gonads are also named for this mountain range. Benjamin Bonneville used the South Pass to lead the first wagon crossing of this mountain range. The Bitterroot subrange of this range was crossed by Lewis and Clark. Pikes Peak and the Tetons are famous landmarks in this range, which is the Continental Divide. For 10 points, name this mountain range of North America stretching from Mexico to British Columbia.
A: The Rockies [accept Rocky Mountains]
Q: This city's Meschansky District contains many Jewish monuments even though its Zaryadye district was its original Jewish settlement, and it houses the largest community of Israeli expats in the world. This city contains an amusement park officially called the Central Park of Culture and Leisure and an obelisk known as the Monument to the Conquerors of Space. A series of skyscrapers built during the mid-twentieth century in this city are known as the Seven Sisters, which stand in contrast to the famous "onion domes" found on Saint Basil's church. This city is home to Gorky Park and the Bolshoi Ballet and its country's head of government resides in the Kremlin. For 10 points, name this capital of Russia.
A: Moscow
Q: A speaker who lists challenges for this activity declares "My advice is-give it up!" in Gerard Nolst Trenite's poem "The Chaos," which opens Arika Okrent's book Highly Irregular. Programs that assist this activity are susceptible to the Cupertino effect. In 1990, former Portuguese colonies signed a treaty to regulate this activity, which Germany reformed in 1996 to standardize the Eszett ("ess-TSETT"). William Barfee uses his "magic foot" to triumph at this activity in a William Finn musical set in Putnam County. "Blue-backed" books taught this activity, whose simplification was the goal of a board supported by Teddy Roosevelt and Andrew Carnegie. Indian-American kids dominate a competitive form of this activity run by Scripps. For 10 points, what activity often requires an extra letter U in British English?
A: spelling [accept orthography or punctuation; accept pronunciation or equivalents; accept spelling bees or spelling reform or spell checkers or Simplified Spelling Board or Blue-backed Speller; accept The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; prompt on grammar or language or linguistics or speaking English or writing or reading or similar answers; prompt on bees; prompt on autocorrection]
Q: This company hired mosaic artisans from King Hassan II of Morocco during a project that reused material from St. Louis's abandoned Riverfront Square for the agricultural pavilion The Land. This company's founder, who inspired Philip Glass's opera The Perfect American, led "El Grupo" on a 1941 trip to South America to promote the Good Neighbor Policy. Nathalia Holt profiled this company's "queens" Mary Blair and Ruthie Thompson, who worked with its Nine Old Men. Michael Graves designed this company's Swan and Dolphin hotels and worked on its model town, Celebration. This company, which produced The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos, has been led by the CEOs Michael Eisner and Bob Iger, who acquired Lucasfilm and Marvel. For 10 points, what company built Epcot at its Orlando "World?"
A: Disney [or The Walt Disney Company or Walt Disney Studios; accept Disneyland or Disney World or Walt Disney World Resort; accept Epcot before read]
Q: This city's Checkerboard Hill was used as a landmark for pilots approaching its old airport's Runway 13. This city is the eastern endpoint of the world's longest sea-crossing bridge. The longest escalator system in the world is this city's Central-Mid-Levels Escalator. This city's Mass Transit railway and its double-decker trams, which connect its Happy Valley to Causeway Bay, both use Octopus cards. Blue taxis are limited to Lantau Island in this city, which replaced the dangerous Kai Tak airport with one built on reclaimed land that is the main hub of Cathay Pacific. The main part of this city is connected by rail to Kowloon and the New Territories across the Pearl River Delta. For 10 points, name this Chinese Special Administrative Region connected by bridge to Macau.
A: Hong Kong [or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or HKSAR; or Xiang Gang or Heung Gong]
Q: A common breakfast dish from this country is the chocolate rice pudding champorado. A sour kumquat hybrid sometimes named for this country is also called calamansi. A dessert from this country, whose name translates to "mixed," often contains ingredients like crushed ice, evaporated milk, and ube. The signature dishes of a fast food chain from this country are the Yumburger and the Chickenjoy. This country's national dish is made with a marinade that consists of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf, and pepper. A boiled fertilized duck egg is this country's street food balut. A Magnolia ice cream parlor, which serves this country's dessert of halo-halo, developed into the first Jollibee in this country's Quezon City. Adobo is the national dish of, for 10 points, what Asian country whose capital is Manila?
A: Philippines [or The Philippines or Republic of the Philippines or Republika ng Pilipinas]
Q: The Xingu ("sheen-GOO") region of Brazil has begun efforts to do this task using the new muvuca strategy. Marc Benioff promoted this task by creating 1t.org ("one-T-dot-org"). A movement to perform this task was started by the first African woman to win a Nobel Prize, Wangari Maathai. A controversial paper from Thomas Crowther's group inspired a goal adopted at the 2020 World Economic Forum to do this task one trillion times. A viral donation challenge to do this task 20 million times was created in October 2019 by YouTubers Mark Rober and Mr. Beast. This task was the focus of a program that sought to protect the Sahel from the expansion of the Sahara by creating a "Great Green Wall." For 10 points, name this action undertaken to combat climate change and reverse deforestation, which is often done on Arbor Day.
A: planting trees [or reforestation; accept the Green Belt movement or the GBM; prompt on environmentalism]
Q: The southern part of this mountain range includes the Chitwan Valley within the Inner Terai, which is home to the Tharu people, who have natural malaria resistance. The cliffs of the Paro Valley in this mountain range feature the sacred Taktsang monastery while the Nangpa Pass between Cho Oyu and another mountain in this range was the site of a 2006 massacre. Lhotse is separated from the highest point of this mountain range by the South (*) Col while the Angsi Glacier in this range gives rise to the Yarlung Tsangpo River, whose deep canyon defines its eastern boundary before turning into the Brahmaputra River. For 10 points, name this Asian mountain range that contains nine of the ten highest peaks in the world, including Mt. Everest.
A: Himalayas [prompt on "Greater Ranges"]
Q: This state contains Steens Mountain, which creates a rain shadow over the Alvord Desert. The Warm Springs Indian reservation is located northwest of the Great Basin Desert in this state, which contains the Silicon Forest in and around its largest city. This state includes part of the Columbia River Gorge as well as Crater Lake. A city in this state is known for its abundant food trucks, and the majority of this state's people live in the Willamette Valley. This state's largest city has the nickname "City of Roses" due to its abundant rose gardens. For 10 points, name this Pacific state with a capital at Salem.
A: Oregon
Q: The largest island in this country is known for its ridge-backed hunting dogs, and roasted pigs are presented to The Temple of Lady Xu at Sam Mountain in this country. One people who inhabit this country are legendarily descended from the 100 eggs formed by the union of a fairy and a dragon while the Hat Then long poems are features of its Tay minority group. The Degar people of its (*) Central Highlands along the southern part of the Annamite Range were christened Montagnards by French colonizers while prominent karst islands make up the rugged Ha Long Bay. The Red River drains the north of this country while its South contains an array of rice paddies as part of the delta of the Mekong. For 10 points, identify this most populous country of Indochina that is bordered by the Gulf of Tonkin and has capital at Hanoi.
A: Vietnam
Q: In 2016, this country slapped ExxonMobil with a fine five times larger than its GDP for not paying the correct royalties on oil drilled in it. In 2006, at least 100 elephants were slaughtered by poachers in a series of killings in this country's Zakouma National Park. The east of this country primarily consists of the Ouaddai ["wah-DYE"] region and it is the site of the Ennedi Plateau. This country's highest point is (*) Emi Koussi, and its largest body of water is located southwest of the Bodele Depression. That body of water that shares its name with this country is primarily fed by the Chari River. This country fought one conflict with its northern neighbor over the Aozou ["OW-zoo"] Strip. The north of this country is home to the Tibesti Mountains. For 10 points, name this African country with its capital at N'Djamena.
A: Republic of Chad
Q: In this province, John Simcoe helped to create a ruling class known as the Family Compact. Discontent with that group in this province triggered an 1837 rebellion led by William Lyon Mackenzie. Etienne Brule was the first Frenchman to live among the Algonquin people of this province. The Grand Trunk Railway, which was the largest railway in the world at the time, had its western terminus in this province's city of Sarnia. The four political entities that united in Confederation were New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and this province. This province was once named Upper Canada, in contrast to the French Lower Canada. For 10 points, name this province that lies west of Quebec.
A: Ontario [or Upper Canada until it is read]
Q: The Chengkuo Canal irrigated part of this river's basin using water from the Wei River during the Qin dynasty. During the siege of Kaifeng, this river's dikes were disastrously broken and allowed for that city's immediate capture. An 1887 flood of this river immediately preceded the Taiping Rebellion. Pictographs, clay, oracle bones, and bronze utensils along this river provide evidence of the Shang dynasty, the successors to the Xia. The Grand Canal built by the Sui dynasty connected the Yangtze River with this one. For 10 points, name this dangerous and colorful Chinese river that accumulates soil called loess as it flows east.
A: Yellow River (also called the Huang He)
Q: The barren Tanezrouft part of this region adjoins the Erg Chech, and the highest points of this region, including Emi Koussi and Bikku Bitti, are in the Tibesti Mountains. This desert lends its name to the common name of one of the two species of myrtle. A tiny fox with huge ears named the fennec fox is indigenous to it. The nomadic Tuaregs live in this desert and sometimes transport salt across it from Taoudenni to Timbuktu on camels. This desert is bounded to the south by a savanna called the Sahel and to the north by the Atlas Mountains. For 10 points, name this largest hot desert in the world, which is found in North Africa.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: The world's largest uninhabited island, Devon Island, is in this country. A lake within this county is named after Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll. Pioneers in this country developed the butter tart, and another foodstuff developed in this country involves brown gravy being poured onto French fries and cheese curds. This country manufactures 71% of a foodstuff that is classified into categories like 'golden colour' and 'delicate taste'. Banff National Park and Jasper National Park are both located in this country. For 10 points, name this country, home to the northern half of Niagara Falls.
A: Canada
Q: The village of Ingoldmells in this county is home to the first Butlins holiday camp. Landmarks in one town in this county include the Ice Factory and the Dock Tower, which are remnants of its former importance in the fishing industry. A cathedral in this county was the tallest building in the world until its spire collapsed in 1549, and Salisbury and that cathedral are the only two to hold copies of the Magna Carta. The Humber Bridge connects East Yorkshire with this county. For 10 points, the towns of Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Boston are situated in which English county?
A: Lincolnshire [accept Humberside or North Lincolnshire]
Q: Two of these people using the surfboat Fox became the first to row across the Atlantic Ocean in 1896 and setting a still standing record for a pair rowing across the Atlantic. The Chapel in the Hills was built by these people near Rapid City, and the experience of this group in the Dakotas was described in Giants in the Earth. (*) America Not Discovered by Columbus was written by one of these people who are sometimes known as sloopers, who convinced his home state of Wisconsin to recognise Leif Erikson Day. For 10 points, members of what immigrant community celebrate Cleng Peerson's journey on the Restauration to New York from Stavanger.
A: Norwegian-Americans
Q: Architect Derek Walker referred to American theorist Melvin Webber as "the father of the city" when designing one of this town's most notable features. One of this town's cyclist and pedestrian 'redways' links its suburbs of Wolverton and Newport Pagnell. This town's Walton Hall holds the headquarters of the Open University. This town's large system of 'grid roads' is infamously full of roundabouts, and it was mainly intended for London population overflow in the 1960s. For 10 points, name this North Buckinghamshire settlement, the largest of the 'new towns'.
A: Milton Keynes
Q: It's not Bristol, but three quarters of all slave ships taking part in the Atlantic Trade departed from this city; a result of this city's maritime history was ethnic diversity, including the oldest Chinese and Black-African communities in Europe. This city's Chinatown contains a notable paifang. This city's Anglican cathedral is the largest complete Anglican cathedral in the world, and its Catholic cathedral, colloquially known as Paddy's WigWam, caters to this city's large Irish population. For 10 points, name this English city, in which two Premier League football clubs play on either side of Stanley Park, and is the home of the Beatles.
A: Liverpool
Q: One of these things in Medellin has been credited with aiding development of mountainside barrios since its inauguration in 2004. A square of the first four English letters and a picture of one of these things usually alternate for the title of "least used emoji on Twitter". A triple red stripe on the London Underground map represents one of these things which runs from Royal Victoria Dock to Greenwich Peninsula. For 10 points, name this type of transport exemplified by the Emirates Air Line.
A: cable cars [or gondolas or aerial tramways]
Q: The first people to land on this feature were William Colbeck, Per Savio and Carsten Borchgrevink. An indentation in this feature was named the Bay of Whales by the captain of the Nimrod. This feature was discovered by two ships named Terror and Erebus, whose captain, for whom it is (*) named, said there was "no more chance of sailing through [this feature] than through the cliffs of Dover." This feature was formerly known simply as 'the Barrier' or 'the Great Ice Barrier'. Scott and Amundsen both started their journeys to the South Pole by crossing this feature in 1911. For 10 points, name this largest ice shelf on Earth, located in a namesake sea in Antarctica.
A: Ross Ice Shelf (prompt on the Great Ice Barrier)
Q: The only music venue in the word which records performances live-to-vinyl is this city's Blue Room which was started by Jack White who now lives here. While at college in this city, Morris Frank became the first american to receive a seeing eye dog and started the Seeing Eye organisation. The roots of "Meat and Three can be traced to this city whose Maxwell House Hotel gave its name to the coffee brand. This city's Centennial Park is home to a (*) full scale replica of the Parthenon. This largest city on the Cumberland river is home to a number of colleges including Vanderbilt and Fisk which gained it the nickname "Athens of the South." For 10 points, name this home of Country music, the state capital of Tennessee
A: Nashville
Q: Members of the Gurung tribe collect psychedelic honey from cliffs in one part of this mountain range. This range's Lake Manasarovar is located close to Mount Kailash, which is sacred in four different religions. This mountain range features many ice stupas as well as the Khumbu Glacier, the world's highest. The rivers Sutlej, Brahmaputra, and Ganges all have their sources in this mountain range, where India and Pakistan have fought numerous wars over Kashmir. For 10 points, name this mountain range which is home to Mount Everest.
A: The Himalayas
Q: TWO ANSWERS REQUIRED. These two countries share a circuitous border on the island of Market. These countries' languages are combined in the Meankieli ["Mee-yan-key-lee"] dialect, spoken near their border on the Tornio River. These countries, which disputed control over the Aland ["Oh-land"] Islands, are mainly separated by the Gulf of Bothnia. Many people fled west from one of these countries to the other during the Winter War, and these two countries share the area of Lapland with Russia and Norway. For 10 points, name these Nordic countries with capitals at Stockholm and Helsinki.
A: Sweden and Finland
Q: Orthoclase gives the pink tinge of the Hazards mountain range on this island and an area of cool, temperate rainforest can be found in the Tarkine on this island. Mount Ossa is this island's highest peak. The deciduous beech and Huon pine are native to this island. The North and South Esk meet to form the Tamar River at Launceston on this island, and the largest city on this island is situated on a large natural harbour formed by the estuary of the (*) Derwent River. A significant heritage attraction on this island is a former convict settlement at Port Arthur. The city of Hobart is, for 10 points, situated on which island separated by the Bass Strait from the Australian mainland.
A: Tasmania
Q: A biscuit from this county, named for its popularity at Whitsuntide fairs, was sold by John Cooper Furniss. Baked pilchards poke their heads through the crust of a pie from this county, where two farmers reversed their surname to name a nettle-wrapped cheese. This county is home to fairings, stargazy pie and Yarg, and The Seafood Restaurant is one of several eateries owned by Rick and Jill Stein in its town of Padstow. This county traditionally puts cream on top of jam on its scones. For 10 points, name this county known for beef pasties.
A: Cornwall
Q: An island off the coast of this peninsula was named Claudia by early explorers, though its current name is the eighth-oldest English place name in the United States. It's not Cornwall, but the town of Truro on this peninsula was depicted in three paintings by Edward Hopper. A beach on this peninsula is named after Guglielmo Marconi, as he made the first transatlantic wireless transmission from this peninsula's town of Wellfleet. This peninsula was the site of the summer residence of John F. Kennedy at Hyannis Port. For 10 points, name this peninsula comprised of Barnstable County, with short ferry connections to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in Massachusetts.
A: Cape Cod
Q: Trevor Paglen and the Chim Pom collective contributed to a Franco Mattes-curated art exhibition in the area around this location. That exhibition round this location was Don't Follow the Wind. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reported a local lack of sympathy for the misleadingly-named "50" of this location. Abnormal thyroid growth was found to have affected over a third of (*) children in the area surrounding this location a year after an incident in this location. That incident at this location is only the second level 7 nuclear event with the first being Chernobyl. Site of a 2011 disaster, for 10 points, name this tsunami-stricken nuclear power plant on Honshu.
A: Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
Q: A hawthorn branch from this town that unusually flowers in the winter as well as the spring is a traditional gift to the monarch. Iron oxide deposits under this town give the water of one of its wells a reddish hue, leading to legends about the healing properties of the well. It contains the ruins of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Mary, which according to legend became the first Christian church in England when it was founded by Joseph of Arimathea, who brought the Holy Grail to this town. In 1191, monks digging here discovered the supposed graves of Arthur and Guinevere. Only the tower of St. Michael's Church remains atop the terraced conical "tor" that towers over this town. This town neighbors the town of Pilton, where a "Pyramid Stage" is annually built for a major musical festival. For 10 points, name this town in Somerset, England that is sometimes identified as the mythical Avalon.
A: Glastonbury
Q: One airport in this country that accommodates flights from Sunair and this country's national carrier has an active railway line crossing its only runway. This country contains a prefabricated church designed by Shigeru Ban. This country's northernmost strip includes Ninety Mile Beach, which in reality is only 88 kilometres long. Fiordland National Park, situated in this country's Southland region, contains (*) Mitre Peak, which overlooks Milford Sound. With a tallest peak at Aoraki / Mount Cook, for 10 points, the North and South Islands make up the most part of which country of the Southern Pacific?
A: New Zealand OR Aotearoa
Q: A dumpling made from mashed potato and potato flour local to this region is notable for its central depression. Although its name is pre-Indo-European, the Old Slavic word for "damp" has been suggested as an etymology for this region's name. The Rybnik Coal Area is located in this region and the (*) Lusatian strip is the only area of this region located in Germany. The upper portion of the Oder River runs through this region including its largest settlement of Wroclaw [vrots-wav]. Located mostly in south-eastern Poland, for 10 points, name this industrially-important region of central Europe.
A: Silesia OR Schlesien OR Slask OR Slezsko OR Schlasing OR Slunsk
Q: William Driver, the first to call the U.S. flag "Old Glory", returned 65 people to this island. This island is named for a midshipman on the HMS Swallow whose father's death is depicted on John Trumbull's painting of the Battle of Bunker Hill. John Tay converted everyone on this island to Seventh Day Adventism. Ned Young and John Adams settled on this island and here murdered (*) Matthew Quintal with an axe; Quintal had earlier burnt the ship they used to reach this island, which had set out on a breadfruit trading mission to Tahiti. For 10 points, name this Pacific island, most notable as the destination of several of the Bounty Mutineers.
A: Pitcairn Island [accept Pitcairn Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands]
Q: A 10 mile gorge on this river has been formed by a waterfall called "place of big noises" by the Khoikhoi, now known as the Augrabies Falls. Africa's largest canyon carries an intermittent tributary of this river called the Fish River.. This river rises in Lesotho, where water has been diverted by dams to (*) Gauteng. The wealth of the Namibian Sperrgebiet to the north of this river is due to the erosion of kimberlite pipes over thousands of years. Unlike its major tributary, the Vaal, this river is not named for the colour of the silt it carries. Delineating the border with Namibia, for 10 points, name this longest river in South Africa.
A: Orange River (accept Gariep, Groote or Senqu)
Q: Tilikum Crossing is one of many bridges in this American city, which sits on top of the Boring Lava Field. In 2013, the only tree was stolen from this city's Mill Ends Park, the world's smallest. Twelve-member teams pass through this city on the way from Timberline Lodge to Seaside in a relay race called (*) Hood to Coast. The world's largest independent new and used bookstore, Powell's Books, is in this "City of Roses." For 10 points, name this city on the Willamette River, Oregon's largest.
A: Portland, Oregon
Q: This peninsula will eventually be connected to the mainland by the planned Parallel Thimble Shoal Tunnel. An island off its coast is the setting of a festival that was the subject of a Newberry Medal winning book by Marguerite Henry. Sailboats called skipjacks are used for fishing near this peninsula, due to a law restricting powerboats in the body of water to its east. One of the largest poultry companies in the US, Perdue Farms, began in this peninsula's largest town of Salisbury. Its barrier island Assateague is the site of an annual tradition in which wild ponies are driven across a narrow channel to Chincoteague Island. The longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world connects this peninsula's southern tip of Cape Charles to the city of Virginia Beach. This landmass contains the Eastern Shore and lies between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. For 10 points, name this peninsula containing most of Delaware, whose name combines Delaware with two other states.
A: Delmarva Peninsula
Q: In this city in the 1930s, the meteorologist Wilhelm Gustloff organized a local Nazi party before being shot by the young Jew David Frankfurter, an event described in Gunter Grass's novel Crabwalk. In a 1929 disputation in this city, Ernst Cassirer challenged Martin Heidegger on his concept of "thrownness," inspiring Heidegger to write Kant and the Problem of Metaphysics. Ernst Kirchner (KEERK-ner) spent the last 20 years of his life painting in this city, where he committed suicide. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island in one of the 40 tuberculosis sanatoriums constructed in this city, which was also the site of the fictional Berghof (BAIRG-hoff) sanatorium visited by Hans Castorp in Thomas Mann's novel The Magic Mountain. Klaus Schwab (SHVAHB) founded an organization that uses a five-day annual meeting in this city to bring together business elites and world political leaders. For 10 points, name this ski resort in the Swiss Alps that is home to the annual World Economic Forum.
A: Davos
Q: Li Ying's 2007 documentary about this site opens with footage of a 90-year-old swordsmith at work. A plan to raze this site and replace it with a dog-racing track was aborted thanks to a letter written by Vatican ambassador Bruno Vittel. On its grounds, a bronze statue of a homing pigeon atop a globe sits adjacent to a statue of a German shepherd. The most recent addition to this site was a memorial to Radhabinod Pal, the lone dissenter in a 1946 trial. In 1978, it was the site of a secret ceremony at which a head priest consecrated the memory of fourteen men given the designation "Class A" by the IMTFE. Every August 15, this site is mobbed by journalists eager to report on which politicians visit, as Junichiro Koizumi did annually during the early 2000s. For 10 points, name this Shinto shrine that is infamous for honoring Japanese war criminals.
A: Yasukuni Shrine
Q: Martin Horne sued the US Department of Agriculture over the legitimacy of a strategic reserve of this product. The chunche is a building used to prepare this product in Turpan, Xinjiang which produces 75% of China's total output of this product. Lorraine Collett, who was working to produce this foodstuff, was drying her hair and wearing her mother's (*) red bonnet when she was signed to advertise this foodstuff. Buddy Miles voiced a singing piece of this foodstuff which had a minor hit with "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." For 10 points, name these dried grapes sold by Sun-Maid and mixed with Bran in a popular cereal.
A: Raisins (Accept sultanas before Lorraine)
Q: The 1930s saw the successful re-introduction of North American beavers to this state's western area. The Monitor Range lies entirely within this state, near its city of Eureka, located on Lincoln Highway, "the Loneliest Road in America." The entirety of this state is located within the Basin and Range Province, and it is the driest U.S. state. The Humboldt River drains into its namesake Sink in the northwestern portion of this state, also home to the manmade Lake Mead. . Lake Tahoe stands on this state's border with California, west of Carson City. For 10 points, name this state, whose Mojave Desert includes Las Vegas.
A: Nevada
Q: The land of Oogaboo in found in the northwest corner of this country, whose subcultures include the Tottenhots and Hammerheads. Boboland and the Nome Kingdom are among the neighbours of this country, whose capital is bordered by a field of dangerous flowers ruled by field mice. East and West are sometimes are reversed in maps of this country. The practice of wearing a special set of (*) tinted glasses inside this country's capital was discontinued upon the death of its most famous ruler, who also founded that capital. You might find Gillikin and Munchkin counties in, for 10 points, what country surrounded by a deadly desert, whose capital is the Emerald City?
A: Oz
Q: It's not Turkey, but this is the largest country home to a syncretic religion for which the Tambur instrument is a key symbol, called Yarsanism. The winter solstice is celebrated by reading poetry and eating fruit all night in this country's "Chelle" or "Yalda Night" tradition. For a festival in this country, items corresponding to alphabet letters such as pudding, apples, and garlic are arranged with a mirror, candles, and a live goldfish for a display called "Haft-seen." This contemporary country is the origin of an evaporative cooling system where (*) "windcatcher" towers circulate air through underground irrigation tunnels called Qanat. A celebrated mosque in this country with ornate floral tilings and colorful stained glass is called the Nasir al-Mulk or "Pink Mosque." The New Year is celebrated on the vernal equinox in this country's festival of Nowruz. For 10 points, name this country whose largest cities include Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tehran.
A: (Islamic Republic of) Iran [or Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran; accept Persia]
Q: The village of Kimmeridge on this coast is notable for being home to Britain's oldest working oil pump. A 17th century euphemism for hanging notes the rope-making industry in one town on this coast: "stabbed with a Bridport dagger". The MSC Napoli was controversially beached in January 2007 at Branscombe, part of this area. (*) The fossiliferous nature of this coast was brought to national fame by the work of Mary Anning around Lyme Regis. Stretching from Exmouth to Studland Bay, for 10 points, name this south coast World Heritage Site named for the middle period of the Mesozoic.
A: The Jurassic Coast (prompt on south coast; prompt on Dorset coast)
Q: Despite an orange, curry-like appearance, a stew from this city is actually a savory mustard and pickle flavored dish thickened with hard-boiled egg yolks called "Diabo." This city likely got its name from an ancient complex dedicated to an indigenous sea goddess, the A-Ma temple. Among this city's other historical attractions is the orphaned facade of what once was a Jesuit church, the Ruins of St. Paul's. Another popular item from the cuisine of this Asian city is "African Chicken," based on a piri-piri pepper sauce, though its most famous dish is a molasses and soy sauce flavored (*) ground meat dish called "Minchi." The unique legal status of this city, the world's most densely populated international-level polity, led it to become the largest gambling center globally with an industry seven times larger than Las Vegas's. For 10 points, name this special administrative region of China, a former Portuguese colonial port city across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong.
A: Macau [or Oumen; accept elongated official names]
Q: A critically endangered species of silversword named for this mountain thrives in the cinder desert at its peak and David Douglas who gave his name to the Douglas Fir died in a cattle trap on this mountain. The Palila is only currently found on the slopes of this mountain which has provoked opposition to building the Thirty Meter Telescope here. The only alpine lake in (*) Hawaii, Lake Waiau is located on this peak, thought to be world's tallest if measured from the seafloor. For 10 points, name this highest peak in Hawaii, home to a large number of observatories, which rises around 35m higher than Mauna Loa.
A: Mauna Kea
Q: A man from this state named Ken Nelson misinterpreted an archaeology paper, smoked the psychedelic venom of a toad from another state, and published a pamphlet under the pseudonym Albert Most. The "Silent Wings" museum in this state honors WWII glider pilots. Businessman Stanley Marsh-who used the Arabic numeral "3" instead of the "pretentious" Roman numeral for "the third"-paid the group Ant Farm to construct art installations in this state. This state's Loving County is the (*) least populous in the US. Pantex, the only nuclear weapons producer in the US, is in this state's panhandle in a city along Route 66. This state's petroleum industries are regulated by its Railroad Commission. The Canon de Santa Elena is found on an international border in this state's Big Bend National Park. For 10 points, name this state home to Cadillac Ranch and cities including Denton, Lubbock, and Amarillo.
A: Texas (The toad is the Sonoran Desert Toad and its venom contains 5-MeO-DMT.)
Q: Long tracking shots of this desert are coupled with audio of film scholar Lotte Eisner reading from the Popol Vuh in Werner Herzog's early documentary Fata Morgana. It is now thought that an eroded dome, and not a meteorite impact, caused the 30 mile diameter-wide Richat structure which is sometimes termed the "Eye" of this desert. Ancient depictions of humans in the Roundhead style were succeeded by the pastoral "Bovidian," according to the chronology revealed by the rock art at this desert's site of Tassili. It is the primary habitat of a species of fox that uses its disproportionately large ears to dissipate heat, the fennec. A city on the southern edge of this desert became a center of 16th century Islamic learning due to the establishment of a famous school at its Sankore Mosque. For 10 points, name this site of Timbuktu, the largest desert in the world.
A: Sahara desert
Q: This place is home to a gumbo that has varieties named after pigeon peas and chicken; that dish is asopao. An amphibian with "common" and "mountain" varieties which is named for its two-part mating call is a symbol of this place; that animal is a type of frog known as the coqui. This place's El Yunque ["JOON-kay"] National Forest is the only tropical rainforest administered by the National Park Service. Shipping things to this place costs twice as much as shipping to nearby (*) islands due to a law requiring goods shipped in the US to be carried on American ships; that law was temporarily waived in September 2017 in response to a natural disaster on this island. For 10 points, name this US territory affected by Hurricane Maria whose capital is San Juan.
A: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Q: This city's tallest building, the Devon Tower, was built as part of its Core to Shore development program. Roscoe Dunjee founded this city's first black newspaper and supported the sit-in campaigns led by schoolteacher Clara Luper. This city's historic Criterion Theater was torn down as part of an I. M. Pei-designed urban renewal plan that created the Myriad Botanical Gardens. In 1959, this city's Chamber of Commerce leader Stanley Draper began a campaign to annex surrounding land, making it the largest city by area on the Great Plains. The Field of Empty Chairs and the Gates of Time are located in this city, along with an arena that temporarily hosted the NBA's Hornets following Hurricane Katrina. Once home to the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, for 10 points, name this city, the capital of a state founded after an 1889 land run led by Sooners.
A: Oklahoma City [or OKC]
Q: Attempts to disturb one of these objects made the noosphere ["NOAH-sphere"] angry and exacerbated the Syrian Civil War, according to Andrei Breivichko, the founder of a church dedicated to one of these objects. Arrowheads were dipped in the water surrounding one of these objects by the Clackamas people, who worship that one of these objects as "Tomanowos" [tuh-MAH-noh-wus]. A description from Acts 19:35 suggests that the "image of Artemis" originally worshipped at the temple in (*) Ephesus may have been one of these objects. A confederation of Oregon tribes sued the American Museum of Natural History for access to the "Willamette" [will-AM-it] one of these objects. Robert Peary [PEE-ree] controversially took pieces of the "Cape York" one of these objects from the Inuit, who had used them as a source of material for tool construction. The Black Stone in the Kaaba is often hypothesized to be, for 10 points, what kind of celestial object?
A: meteorites [accept meteors or meteoroids; prompt on rocks or stones]
Q: A horse from this country who became a national icon in the 1870s for her perfect record in 54 races is the namesake of its Kincsem ["KEEN-chem"] Park. This country's Bakony Mountains lies just north of a lake whose largest inflow is the Zala River. Another lake in this country is the world's largest thermal lake, Lake Heviz. Tokaji ["TOH-kye"] wines are produced in this nation's UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tokaj. The Drava River forms much of this country's border with (*) Croatia. Debrecen, near its border with Romania, served as its capital during World War II. After that war, the new currency of the forint was introduced here due to hyperinflation. For 10 points, name this country whose largest ethnic group is the Magyars and whose capital Budapest lies on the banks of the Danube River.
A: Hungary
Q: Local legend holds that Muhammad safely landed in this country at a cove called the Prophet's Hole. During David Livingstone's exploration of this country, he discovered a native red-eyed megabat now called Livingstone's flying fox. In 2005, this country's capital was evacuated due to the eruption of Mount Karthala, one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. This country, which takes its name from the Arabic word for "moon", is the world's largest exporter of the flower which provides the primary scent in Chanel No. 5, the ylang-ylang (y'lahng y'lahng). In the 20th century, it was discovered that natives of this country had long been salting and eating coelacanths while the rest of the world assumed that fish was extinct. This country gained its independence in a 1974 referendum in which its islands of Anjouan and Moheli voted for independence, while the nearby island of Mayotte voted to remain a French department (day-part-mahnt). For 10 points, name this archipelagic nation in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel whose capital is Moroni.
A: Union of the Comoros [or Udzima wa Komori, or Union des Comores, or al-Ittihad al-Qumuri, or al-Ittihad al-Qamari]
Q: Stelae ("STEE-lee") near the shores of this body of water feature a high priest holding a kero beaker in one hand and a snuff tablet in the other. The Kalasasaya compound, or "Stopped Stones," along this body of water feature a sunken central enclosure surrounded by descending staircases. Totora reeds from this body of water were used to make boats by a civilization that followed a three-rule law code: "do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy." The "Virgins of the Sun" were sent to an island in this body of water to learn fine weaving and beadwork, making them wives for the kuraka class. A monumental door near this body of water features a carving of a deity with rays emanating from its head as it holds a staff in each hand; that door is the Gateway of the Sun. The Tiwanaku culture was centered on this body of water, as was an empire expanded by Pachacuti. For 10 points, name this Bolivian lake sacred to the Inca.
A: Lake Titicaca
Q: An island in this body of water is home to a museum purporting to be an "archive" that plays the heartbeats of its visitors. To revitalize the economies of a depopulated archipelago in this body of water, the Benesse Corporation puts on a namesake Triennial Art Festival held throughout the archipelago's abandoned villages. According to local tradition, this body of water was home to an island of demons defeated by a culture hero known as "Peach Boy." Visitors can venture to this body of water's "Rabbit Island," as well as Itsukushima Island, which is home to a giant camphor wood torii that is said to be "floating." This body's largest island, Awajishima, was the epicenter of the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake. The two Naruto Whirlpools are often toured by visitors from Kobe, a port on this body. For 10 points, what so-called "sea" separates Shikoku, Kyushu, and Honshu?
A: Seto Inland Sea [or Inland Sea]
Q: This country controls the islands of Conway Reef and Kia. This country is home to the earth-oven cooking system of Lovo, as well as the Kava drink. This country's longest rivers are the Sigatoka and Rewa. Savusavu is located in this country. This country's main international airport is located along Bligh Water. This country's indigenous inhabitants are called the iTaukei. This country's highest point is Mt. (*) Tomanivi. The Koro Sea is located in this country. The Methodist Church in this country supported a coup d'etat that toppled its prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry, who belongs to its prominent Indian minority. Nadi and Lautoka are cities in this country, whose two major islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. For 10 points, name this island country in the South Pacific with capital at Suva.
A: Republic of Fiji
Q: In a textbook on these projects, Laura Wildman challenges the notion that they are "radical" modern inventions by showing one took place six separate times in Billerica, Massachusetts. Peter Brewitt's book on three of these projects contrasts the relatively easy Marmot example with a more contentious effort following the passage of the 1992 Elwha Act in a community that had just fought the "spotted owl wars." The largest project of this type to date was completed in 2014 under the supervision of the National Park Service and took place in Washington's Olympic Peninsula. A proposal to perform four of these operations on structures operated by the Army Corps of Engineers will damage the economy of Lewiston, Idaho. The retained sediment approach to these projects is less damaging than rapid release. These projects are often more effective than adding ladders in restoring the salmon population. For 10 points, name this type of project that restores a river to its free-flowing state.
A: dam removal [or dam demolition or equivalents; prompt on answers like ecosystem restoration or river restoration; prompt on dams by asking "what type of project involving a dam?"; do not accept or prompt on answers like "dam construction"]
Q: The self-described hippie Paul LaBombard Jr. became a millionaire developer in this city, after he changed his name to Pritam Singh and started a Sikh commune, camping in this city's harbor on Christmas Tree Island. This city was also the birthplace of the first black actor to become a millionaire, the vaudeville performer Stepin Fetchit. Artist John Martini shows his work at the Lucky Street Gallery in this city, also home to Mel Fisher's Heritage Museum and the Fort East Martello Museum, which houses a "haunted doll" named Robert. Sloppy Joe's Bar was the favorite hangout of this city's most famous resident, who lived here with Snow White, a cat with six toes that would prowl around Mallory Square. For 10 points, name this home of the Ernest Hemingway House, which is the southernmost point in the continental United States, located at the end of the Overseas Highway connecting the Florida Keys.
A: Key West, Florida
Q: Explorer George Kourounis became the first to set foot at the bottom of this landmark in 2014 and collected data on the extremophile organisms that inhabit it. To dispel rumors surrounding his death, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow did donuts around this landmark. This landmark was created when Soviet geologists set a pit (*) on fire to prevent the spread of methane gas. This landmark is sometimes called the "Shining of the Karakum" after the desert it is located in. For 10 points, name this Turkmenistani landmark that shares its name with an Auguste Rodin sculpture.
A: the " Gates of Hell " [or the Door to Hell , or the Darvaza gas crater , accept " Shining of the Karakum " before mention]
Q: In this location, The Bubbles flank Jordan Pond which can be accessed on the carriage roads. Somes Sound is the only fjard in the United States and is located in this park. This park contains two small exclaves, Isle de Haut and part of the Schoodic peninsula. For parts of the year, this park's (*) Cadillac mountain is the first to see sunlight in the continental US. This park is accessible through the town of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island. For 10 points, name this eastern-most US national park named for a former New France colony and located in Maine.
A: Acadia National Park [accept Mount Desert Island until "park"; prompt on Acadia ]
Q: Data collected from albatrosses in this region show a bifurcation in the patterns surrounding movement here. This region is located just south of the subtropical convergence zone and is home the Halobate s species of sea skater as part of the (*) plastisphere. Contrary to popular belief, this region is not actually visible by satellites but consists mainly of microplastics and fishing nets. For 10 points, name this region of floating trash found off the coast of California near the waters of Hawaii.
A: Great Pacific Garbage Patch [or Pacific trash vortex ; prompt on partial answer]
Q: Since three of the four branches of the Austronesian language family are exclusive to this island, it is believed to be that family's homeland. Mark Moskowitz studied the odd practice of stripping at funerals on this island. Apart from the Kavalan tribe, tribes of aboriginal plains-dwellers have not been recognized on this island, though they still typically support the Pan-Blue Coalition. Major fault lines caused the 1999 921 earthquake on this island, where the formerly Dutch fort Zeelandia is located. The (*) Portuguese named this island for its beauty and named a group of islands to the west after their fisherman. The Pescadores are located west of this island, where a giant New Year's fireworks show takes place at a tower with 101 floors. For 10 points, name this island formerly known as Formosa, which contains most of the Republic of China.
A: Taiwan [or Isla Formosa until "Formosa" is read]
Q: This subnational polity's highest point is at Cerro Mohinora, and it is home to its country's tallest waterfall, Piedra Volada. Although this state is 1/3rd desert, it is also the 2nd-most forested in its country, with the rest of its area comprising mountain and steppe. This state's name comes from the Nahuatl for "the confluence of the rivers", describing the confluence of the Conchos and Grande rivers. (*) . This state's namesake desert has been described by the WWF as the most biodiverse in the world, home to such plants as yucca, lechuguilla, honey mesquite, and fire-barrel cactus. This state is home to one of the largest canyon systems in the world, Copper Canyon, which contains the Basaseachic Falls in the Sierra Madre Occidental range. For 10 points, what is this largest Mexican state with a namesake capital, which is ironic considering that it is the namesake of a tiny dog famous for Taco Bell commercials?
A: Chihuahua
Q: A zone that makes up part of one of these features in Texas lies along the Balcones Fault Zone; both that example of one of these places and a namesake plateau are named after Haden Edwards. A February 2018 rumor accused Nestle and Coca-Cola of trying to privatize one of the largest examples of these locations; that one is named for the Guarani people. Muammar Gaddafi planned to connect one of these locations with Libyan cities in the Great Manmade River project. These locations are divided into (*) Contributing, Discharge, and Recharge Zones, and one of them makes possible center-pivot agriculture in much of the American Midwest. A potential threat to one of these places named Ogallala was a major cause of opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline. For 10 points, name these underground water deposits that are an important source of freshwater.
A: aquifers
Q: A legendary character in this region has as many noses as days remaining in the year, and children are told to search for him on December 31st not realizing that he has only one nose left. Festival-goers in this region often run alongside people holding pitchforks who throw fireworks into the crowd, a tradition that evolved from this region's "devil's dances." This region's namesake donkey is often used to symbolize its cultural value of seny ("sen"), or level-headedness. Acrobats from this region wear a black sash called a (*) faixa ("FY-shuh"), which acts as a foothold allowing them to build human towers up to ten stories high. A Christmas tradition in this region involves beating a log with a stick while commanding it to defecate gifts in the song Caga tio. The Three-Branched Pine is an important symbol for nationalists in this region, where fans created a flag called the senyera by forming yellow and red stripes in the Camp Nou ("kahm NO") to support their soccer team in a 2012 "El Clasico" game against Real Madrid. For 10 points, name this autonomous community in northeastern Spain that is home to FC Barcelona.
A: Catalonia [or Catalunya; or Catalonha; or Cataluna]
Q: North West River is the oldest settlement in this region, established by trader Louis Fornel in 1743 and within view of the nearby Mealy Mountains. This region's 2nd-largest settlement is on the shores of Lake Melville and is home to a military base that was home to 11 Fat Man atomic bombs in 1950, and later served as an alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle. Red Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site in this region that preserves a 16th-century Basque whaling station, (*) and this region is home to the autonomous Inuit-administered region of Nunatsiavut, which has its capital at Nain. Home to the second-largest underground power station in the world at Churchill Falls and with highest point at Mt. Caubvick in the Torngat Mountains, for 10 points, what is this region which constitutes the mainland part of the province it shares with the island of Newfoundland?
A: Labrador
Q: Tania Murray Li's 2014 book Land's End discusses how the recent shift towards this crop in the Lauje ("LAU-zhay") highlands has led to the privatization of land and increasing inequality. Frosty pod rot and a namesake swollen shoot virus are serious diseases affecting this crop. Products of this crop are hung in a bag in the Broma process, while the van Houten ("HOW-tin") family pioneered the use of a hydraulic press and alkaline salts to process this crop. The Harkin-Engel Protocol has been largely ineffective in combating (*) child trafficking and slavery used to produce this crop. A new method for processing a "ruby" version of this crop was introduced in 2017. West Africa produces two-thirds of the global output of this crop, the largest export commodity of Ivory Coast. This crop is fermented and ground to produce a thick "liquor," which can then be separated into a fatty "butter" and a bitter powder. For 10 points, name this seed that is processed to make chocolate.
A: cocoa bean [or cacao bean; or Theobroma cacao]
Q: The first known location of this substance's creation is the Areni-1 cave in Armenia. In 1985, Austrian producers of this substance added the toxic antifreeze ingredient diethylene glycol to sweeten this substance. The 1976 Judgement of Paris concluded with American varieties of this substance being declared superior. (*) Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are mixed in the Bordeaux variety of this substance. For 10 points, name this alcoholic beverage often made from fermented grapes.
A: wine [accept specific varieties, if unsure, use Google]
Q: The infamous "Action Park" featured one of these locations with a narrow loop-de-loop that visitors would often be stuck in. Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin is sometimes referred to as the world capital of these locations and is home to one of them named for Noah's Ark. One of these locations features attractions such as "Humunga Kowabunga" and "Mayday Falls" and is known as (*) Typhoon Lagoon, which is one of two of these locations at Walt Disney World. For 10 points, name these attractions where one might float on a lazy river or ride a water slide.
A: waterparks [prompt on "parks" alone, prompt on "theme parks" or "amusement parks", antiprompt on "waterslide"]
Q: This city contains its state's only memorial of a Confederate sailor at its Louis Amateis-designed Dignified Resignation monument. Geoffrey Jellicoe's last landscaping project in the United States was this city's Moody Gardens. After the deadliest natural disaster in American history took place in this city, a 10-mile long (*) seawall was built to minimize future damage. For 10 points, name this Texas city devastated by a Category 4 Hurricane in 1900.
A: Galveston
Q: Australia's Hanging Rock is an example of a type of volcanic formation named after these objects, caused by stiff magma erupting through a narrow vent and congealing in place. The name of the city of Manchester likely derives from a Latinization of a Celtic word for these objects. A feature named after these objects is the site of the African Renaissance Monument, next to Africa's westernmost lighthouse on Senegal's Cap-Vert. A feature most likely named after these objects is separated from the (*) Gros Ventre Range by a valley known as Jackson Hole. The Cathedral Group is part of that mountain range, whose tallest mountain lends its name to a national park in Wyoming. For 10 points, French voyageurs probably named the Teton Range after what body part, whose rounded shape makes it a common namesake of hills and mountains?
A: breasts [or nipples]
Q: This province's largest lake is Lake Mistassini, which is fed by the Rupert River. A hydroelectric project in this province has sites on the Eastmain River. This province is home to magma intrusions known as the Monteregian Hills. The Chic-Choc Mountains are located in this province, where the Nord and (*) St. Maurice Rivers rise from the Laurentian Mountains. The Manicouagan Crater is in this province, which borders Ungava Bay. The Plains of Abraham are located outside the capital of this province, which includes the Gaspe Peninsula in its south. This province largest city lies at the confluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. For 10 points, name this Canadian province that contains Montreal.
A: Quebec
Q: A port on this body of water is the site of the former Fort St. George. An island in this body of water was home to a prison that was called "Black Waters" by political prisoners. Japan committed the Homfreyganj Massacre on an island in this body of water. The Cooum and Hooghly Rivers flow into this body of water, which the port of Tuticorin lies on. Port (*) Blair is the capital of a territory located in this body of water. The Chola Empire extended control over much of this body of water, whose northern shore is home to the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located in this body of water, which the Ganges and Irrawaddy Rivers flow into. For 10 points, name this northeastern bay of the Indian Ocean located east of India.
A: Bay of Bengal [prompt on Indian Ocean; anti-prompt (ask "can you be less specific?") on Andaman Sea]
Q: Before the 16th century, the site of this city hosted a number of Picunche villages whose denizens herded guanacos, and it eventually became the southernmost point of the Qhapaq Nan, later known as the Camino Real. Joaquin Toesca designed the facade of this city's La Moneda palace, (*) and a number of other improvements were made during the Supreme Directorship of Bernardo O'Higgins. Sights in this city include its large Parque Forestal, a prominent statue of the Virgin Mary on San Cristobal Hill, and its main street, La Alameda. This largest city in the Longitudinal Valley is set to host the 2023 Pan American Games. Set on a number of hills around the Mapocho River, this city was founded in 1541 by Pedro de Valdivia, who named it after St. James. For 10 points, what is this capital and largest city of Chile?
A: Santiago
Q: Known as the Senqu at its source at Thaba Putsoa Mountain, this river has been known to freeze in winter due to the high altitude of the Maloti Mountains from which it eventually flows to the ocean at Alexander Bay. This river forms part of the border of 3 different countries, and the largest city on it is Upington, which is located near this river's Augrabies Falls. The largest dam on this river is the Gariep Dam, (*) which was central to this river's namesake Project that was proposed by the government of Hendrik Verwoerd in the early 1960s. The major tributaries of this river are the Caledon, Fish, and the Vaal, which meets this river southwest of Kimberley. For 10 points, what is this longest river in South Africa, named by Colonel Robert Gordon of the Dutch East India Company in honour of the royal house of William V?
A: Orange River
Q: Yanardag lives in this country. The telpek is a traditional sheepskin hat from this country. This country's government has promoted the cultivation of a national kind of muskmelon, which has its own holiday. A golden horse which is a symbol of this country is named for one of its major tribes; that is the Akhal-Teke. This country contains three-quarters of (*) Sarygamysh Lake, which it shares with its northern neighbor. This country's major export is natural gas, and it is currently constructing a pipeline which will connect it with India. A notable archaeological site in this country is the ancient trading center of Merv, which is located near its city of Mary ("MAH-ree"). Many gold statues of this country's former ruler were torn down in the years following his death in 2006. This country, which is famous for its carpet industry, is covered by the Karakum desert. For 10 points, name this Central Asian country with capital Ashgabat.
A: Turkmenistan
Q: 2019 should see the opening of the City Circle Line in this city, adding a third line to this city's Metro system. Alongside the island of Saltholm the artificial island Peberholm was created during the construction of the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe which connects across the Øresund [UR-ruh-son] to Malmo [MAL-muh]. The majority of this city lies on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand and it is home to the Tivoli Gardens, the Amalienborg and Christiansborg Palaces, and the statue of the Little Mermaid. For 10 points, name this city, the capital of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen
Q: This body of water is home to the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world, the PS Waverley. The western limit of this body of water is a line joining St Govan's Head to Hartland Point and this body of water has the second-largest tidal range in the world. The islands of Flat Holm, Steep Holm and Lundy lie in this body of water, which was known as the Severn Sea until Tudor times. Swansea is the largest city on this body of water's northern coast. For 10 points, give this body of water separating south-west England from southern Wales, named after an English city.
A: Bristol Channel [accept Severn Sea before mention; accept Mor Hafren]
Q: This city is built around the largest natural harbour in the world, which can be crossed on a solar-and-sail powered ferry. As of the end of 2016, according to Demographia, this city's property is the second-least affordable in the world, behind Hong Kong. This city was shrouded in smoke during major wildfires in the surrounding country and suburbs in October 2013. The coastline of this city includes Bondi Beach and this city has a famous namesake harbour bridge. For 10 points, name this city, the most populous in Australia and site of a famous opera house.
A: Sydney
Q: Nationalists of this region use an unofficial coat of arms called the Zazpiak Bat, which combines the arms of a claimed seven provinces, and the inhabitants of this region invented the sport of pelota. This region was the base of the terrorist group, ETA [EH-tuh], and the San Fermin festival, including the famous running of the bulls, occurs in Pamplona within this region; though this region's largest city is Bilbao. For 10 points, name this region of south-western France and north-western Spain, home to a linguistically-isolated eponymous people.
A: the Basque Country [accept Euskadi, Pays Basque or Pais Vasco]
Q: After one event in this country, the discovery of an old tree stump indicated that the surrounding peat bog was not in fact a crater caused by that event. That 1908 event in this country resulted in the destruction of 2000 square kilometres of forest. A more recent similar event occurred when a 20-metre-wide superbolide disintegrated at high altitude, the resulting shockwave injuring almost 1500 people in this country's city of Chelyabinsk. For 10 points, name this country where a meteor was likely responsible for the Tunguska event in Siberia.
A: Russia
Q: An entrance to one of these structures features a paving design called Chromatic Induction in a Double Frequency by Venezuelan op artist Carlos Cruz-Diez. That structure of this type is divided into color-coded quadrants based on the palette of Joan Miro. They're not banks, but a group of these structures built in the 1910s using concrete and steel are sometimes known as "jewel boxes." Janet Marie Smith and a firm now known as Populous designed a trend-setting structure of this type which helped revitalize the district of (*) Inner Harbor. The style and layout of that structure were heavily influenced by an abandoned brick railroad warehouse on the site. A structure of this type contains a 73-foot "sculpto-pictorama" by Red Grooms that includes two flamingos and occasional streams of water. The 2012 opening of that "contemporary" structure in Miami broke the "retro" trend inaugurated twenty years earlier by one of these structures in Baltimore. Famous walls in these structures include one in Boston called the Green Monster and one in Chicago that is covered by ivy. For 10 points, name these venues that include Camden Yards and Wrigley Field.
A: baseball park [or ballpark; or diamond; or baseball stadium; prompt on stadium and equivalents; accept any answer indicating a venue for baseball or MLB]
Q: The Kartvelian language family is indigenous to the area of this mountain range and lower elevations of parts of this range are covered by Colchian forests. Dagestan lies on the northern side of this mountain range, whilst Abkhazia lies to the south of the major part of this range. A 2008 war in this mountain range was fought over the region of South Ossetia, and this range includes Europe's highest point, Elbrus. For 10 points, name this mountain range that separates Russia from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
A: Caucasus [accept Caucasia; accept more specific answers, e.g. Greater Caucasus or Lesser Caucasus]
Q: This island was the site of Frobisher's initial discoveries of "gold", which turned out to be iron pyrites, and is also the most likely location for Helluland described in some Icelandic sagas. Mt Thor, on this island, has the largest measured sheer vertical drop on Earth, at 1,250 m, and this island is the fifth-largest in the world. This island is the location of Iqaluit [ih-KAL-oo-it], the capital of Nunavut [NOO-na-voot], the newest and largest territory of Canada. For 10 points, name this largest island of the Canadian Arctic archipelago.
A: Baffin Island [accept Qiqiktaaluk]
Q: Warriors of this ethnic group are termed Morans and must undergo ritual circumcision, called emorata. Older warriors of this ethnic group become junior elders at the Eunoto ceremony, to which they are summoned by blowing on the horn of the Greater Kudu antelope.The name of this ethnic group is found in a game reserve titled for them and "Mara", and this people perform the adumu, or jumping dance. For 10 points, name this semi-nomadic cattle-herding ethnic group of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, famed for their distinctive dress and customs.
A: Maasai
Q: This region's Valdes [VAL-des] Peninsula contains salt lakes located up to 40 metres below sea level. This non-European region contains the Welsh-speaking settlement of Y Wladfa.. The Colorado and Barrancas rivers mark this region's northern limit. This region includes the southern section of the Andes, the Tierra del Fuego [TEE-ehr-ra DEL FU-way-go] archipelago and substantial pampas. For 10 points, name this large rural region of southern South America, including areas of both Chile and Argentina.
A: Patagonia
Q: This city has more trees per person than any other city in Europe and the collapse of the dam wall of the Dale Dike reservoir in 1864 caused a Great Flood in this city. Like Brighton and Hove, this city contains parts of a national park within its boundaries; that national park is the Peak District. The World Snooker Championship is held at the Crucible arena in this city, whose nickname is the Steel City. For 10 points, name this city of southern Yorkshire, home to football teams called United and Wednesday.
A: Sheffield
Q: Historically, this body of water was often known as the Archipelago, or Chief Sea, and the men-only monastic promontory of Mount Athos extends into this body of water. Subunits of this body of water include the Argolic and Saronic Gulfs. This body of water contains the Sporades [SPO-ra-dees] and the Cyclades [SI-kla-dees], and its north-eastern limit is marked by the Thracian Chersonese. The islands of Crete and Rhodes mark the southern limit of, for 10 points, this body of water that separates Greece from Turkey, traditionally named after the father of Theseus.
A: Aegean Sea [do not accept or prompt on 'Mediterranean']
Q: The lower and middle reaches of this river is the habitat of the baiji and an 18th century English name for this river was the "Blue River", which fell out of use as it was entirely unrelated to its local name. An upstream reach of this river flows through the Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage Site in Yunnan, alongside upstream portions of the Salween and the Mekong. This river is the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country and is the site of the world's largest hydroelectric power station, the Three Gorges Dam. For 10 points, name this major Chinese river, the longest in Asia.
A: Yangtze River [accept Chang Jiang or Yangzi Jiang]
Q: These biomes tend to be found where the falling limbs of Hadley Cells create areas of permanent high pressure; however, in Asia, they are often further north, due to the atmospheric heating provided by the Tibetan Plateau. Types of these biomes include hammada, reg [REGG] and erg, and they are usually inhabited by xerophytic organisms. The largest example of these regions is actually found in Antarctica, though the largest hot one is the Sahara. For 10 points, name these very dry places, often sandy and inhabited by cacti.
A: deserts
Q: This city's modernist central railway station was designed by Robert Boughey ("BOH-ee"), an American who once taught architecture in this city. A former horse-racing ground which hosted several massive political rallies now includes a mausoleum for three of its country's leaders. This city's location along a number of important trade routes led to the construction of two palatial seventeenth-century caravansaries ("kair-uh-VAN-suh-reez") known as the great and small Katras. A firm headquartered in this city requires its customers to adhere to set of (*) social values called the "sixteen decisions." In a suburb of this city, the Rana Plaza suffered a major industrial accident which resulted in over a thousand deaths; that incident led to a number of reforms to this city's textile industry. An organization based in this city is a notable practitioner of solidarity lending; that microfinance organization is Grameen Bank. This metropolis is located at the confluence of the Padma and Meghna rivers near the Bay of Bengal. For 10 points, name this megacity, the capital of Bangladesh.
A: Dhaka
Q: This island was where the eggs of the last breeding pair of white-tailed sea eagles in the UK were taken in 1916. The Cuillin dominates the centre of this island and is the site of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, the only Munro to require advanced climbing skills to summit. This island is the site of the Talisker distillery and a Scottish Gaelic college at Kilmore. The largest settlement on this island is Portree, and it has been linked to the mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh by this island's namesake bridge since 1995. For 10 points, name this largest island of the Inner Hebrides in Scotland.
A: Isle of Skye [accept An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or Eilean a' Cheo]
Q: The Bruniquel Cave in this country provided evidence of elaborate structure-building by Neanderthals. It's not Egypt, but a legend in this country claims that the array of standing stones at Carnac are a petrified Roman legion. An extremely well-preserved aqueduct in this country used to carry water from a spring at Uzes across the Gardon River to the Roman town of Nemausus. The Hall of the Bulls contains prehistoric paintings of aurochs and stags in the Caves of Lascaux in this country. For 10 points, name this country where Roman Lutetia now lies under Paris.
A: France
Q: This nation is home to the world's only wild cork palms. This nation's highest mountain, Pico Turquino, is part of the Sierra Maestra range. One of the world's only true panopticon prisons was located on this nation's Isla de la Juventud. This nation's Holguin ["OL-gween"] province was among the first landing sites of Columbus on his first voyage, and this nation contains the cities of Bayamo and Camaguey, as well as the Bay of Pigs and Guantanamo Bay. For 10 points, name this Caribbean island nation with capital Havana.
A: Cuba
Q: Welwitschia, a plant living fossil that can live to be over 2000 years old, is endemic to this region, while the Dead Vlei in this region contains preserved camel thorn trees. Those trees were once watered by the Tsauchab river, which runs through Sesriem canyon before drying up. Cape Cross, a major cape fur seal colony, is located on the Skeleton Coast in this region, where ships lost in its frequent fogs often ran aground. Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the Sperrgebiet, where diamonds are mined in this desert. For 10 points, name this coastal desert of south-west Africa.
A: Namib Desert
Q: About to celebrate its centennial on July 19, this system consists of 199 kilometers of track and 368 stations serving 15 separate routes transporting around 6 million people daily in and out of the city. For ten points, name this light rail subway system that services the French capital of Paris.
A: Metropolitain
Q: Passing through Lake Timsah and the Great and Little Bitter Lakes, this waterway under an 1882 Convention is open to vessels of any country during peacetime. For ten points, name this canal that connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
A: Suez Canal
Q: Covering an area of 81,300 sq. mi., this area is a major rice-producing, situated to the south of the Yangtze River Basin. It is bounded by the provinces of Hupeh to the north, Kiangsi to the east, Kwangtung to the southeast, and Kweichow and Szechwan to the west. For ten points, name this province of China whose name means "South Lake" in Chinese.
A: Hunan
Q: At just under twenty-five thousand feet, Kula Kangri is this nation's tallest peak. In 1998, its revered Taktsang Monastery burned down. Its people call themselves Drukpas, which means "dragon people" in the official language of Dzongka. While its traditional capital is Punakah, the druk grapyo established the palace elsewhere. For 10 points, name this small Himalayan state with its official capital at Thimphu.
A: Bhutan
Q: The county named for him lies between Yancey and Avery counties and contains the town of Spruce Pine. He died in 1857 by slipping down a waterfall in the mountains he spent his career exploring. For 10 points-name this North Carolina professor buried near his namesake peak that, at more than 6,600 feet tall, is the highest east of the Rockies.
A: Dr. Elisha Mitchell
Q: In Japan, this fish of genus Gadus is known as tara, though it is smaller than its Atlantic Ocean cousin - a dark-spotted fish with three dorsal fins, two anal fins, and a chin barbel. For ten points, name this fish of vital economic importance in the northern Atlantic, desired not only as a food source but as a source of oil from its liver.
A: Cod
Q: The native people here were the now-extinct Guanche. Once called the Fortunate Islands by the Romans, they were created from the group of volcanoes which can still be seen at Pico de Teide on Tenerife. For 10 points, name this group of islands off the northwestern African coast, named for the abundance of dogs that inhabited the island, not for yellow birds.
A: Canary Islands
Q: Like Sumatra, it was once known as Taprobane thanks to Alexander the Great's general Onesicritus, and classical geographers long debated whether it stretched nearly to the coast of Africa. Fronted on the west by the Gulf of Mannar, this island was formerly connected to the Asian mainland by a series of limestone shoals known as Adam's Bridge. For 10 points, name this teardrop-shaped island on whose eastern side lies the Bay of Bengal and which is separated from India by the Palk Strait, formerly known as Ceylon.
A: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka [or Sri Lanka Prajathanthrika Samajavadi Janarajaya]
Q: This dormant stratovolcano's most recent major eruption occurred in 1781 and 1782, ten years before a member of George Vancouver's expedition named it for a British admiral. Its slopes contain twelve glaciers, including the Palmer Glacier, and it is only sixty miles east of its state's major population center, making it the second most visited summit in the world after Mount Fuji. For 10 points, name this fourth highest peak in the Cascades and highest point in the state of Oregon.
A: Mount Hood
Q: Features in it include Angels Landing, the Great White Throne, The Watchman, the Three Patriarchs, Kolob Arch, and the Virgin River Narrows. Originally known as Mukuntuweap National Monument, it is located at the junction of the Great Basin, the Colorado Plateau, and the Mojave Desert. For 10 points, name this national park that exhibits nine different exposed sedimentary rock formations known as the Grand Staircase, located near the city of St. George in southwestern Utah.
A: Zion National Park
Q: Designed by Argentinian-born architect Cesar Pelli, this structure completed in 1997 remains controversial for its 73.6-meter high pinnacles make this set of buildings taller than Chicago's Sears Tower, even though the Tower's roof is actually higher from the ground. For ten points, name these twin towers, arguably the tallest skyscrapers in the world and designed to house the headquarters of the national petroleum company of Malaysia.
A: Petronas Twin Towers
Q: Built between 1933 and 1975, this one-mile-long structure is 550 feet tall from the bedrock base to the blacktop of the two-lane road it supports. It generates around 6500 megawatts of power from the artificial reservoir Franklin Roosevelt Lake in Washington. For 10 points, name this dam controlling the flow of the Columbia River, the largest masonry project in North America.
A: Grand Coulee Dam
Q: Located at the confluence of the Chuviscar and Sacramento Rivers, its namesake capital city's plaza commemorates the execution of Miguel Hidalgo. This state contains the Conchos River, Copper Canyon, and the cities of Hidalgo del Parral and Juarez. It borders Sinaloa and Sonora on the east, Durango on the south, and Coahuila on the east. For 10 points, identify this state, the largest by area in Mexico.
A: Chihuahua
Q: Originating in the Sahara and blowing off the North African coast during the spring and summer, as it passes over the southern part of the Mediterranean Sea, these winds often pick up moisture. As such, when they arrive on the north shore, blowing primarily across Italy, Sicily, and Malta, they produce humid, oppressive, and rainy conditions. For ten points, what is this series of winds in North Africa and southern Europe?
A: Sirocco
Q: Located in Colbert and Lauderdale counties, it is a thirty-five mile stretch of river that drops over 130 feet in height, first navigated by the Atlas in 1828. The Wilson and Wheeler Dams made the stretch navigable and created a major nitrate trade corrider along the Tennessee River. For 10 points, name this area improved by the Tennessee Valley Authority, located in northwest Alabama and home to a hydroelectric power plant.
A: Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Q: It is connected to Thredbo with a steel-mesh chairlift and walkway system constructed to allow sunlight to pass through to its plants. Surrounded by Townsend, North Ramshead, and Carruthers, this mountain is an excellent place from which to view Watsons Crags on Twynam. While studying Bogong moths in 1840, Paul Strzlecki became the first European to scale this mountain and named it. For 10 points, name this summit, an easy ascent via Charlotte Pass, which forms the highest point in the Snowy Mountains, the Great Dividing Range, and Australia.
A: Mount Kosciuszko
Q: Its tributaries include the Prut, Morava, and Sava, and it is formed by the confluence of the Brigach and Breg Rivers at Donaueschingen. A canal completed in 1992 connects this river to the Main River, allowing travel between the North and Black Seas. For 10 points, name this river originating in the Black Forest and passing through the capitals of Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria, the second-longest river in Europe.
A: Danube River [or Donau; or Dunaj; or Duna; or Dunav; or Dunarea; or Dunay]
Q: The "BTC Pipeline" opened on May 25, 2005 and is expected to transport a million barrels of oil a day by 2009. The pipeline, the world's second largest, carries oil from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, running through three countries. [5/5/5/5/5/5] For 5 points per answer, name those countries and the three cities on the line, one in each country, that are the "B, T, and C" of the pipeline's name. You have 10 seconds.
A: Republic of Azerbaijan [or Azarbaycan Respublikasi], Georgia [or Sak'art'velo]. and Republic of Turkey [or Turkiye Cumhuriyeti] are the countries; Baku, Tblisi, and Ceyhan are the cities
Q: Its westernmost point is near Attu Island, while its easternmost point is near Carolina Atoll as a result of the 1995 change that made it much more convoluted to enable the Phoenix Islands to better conduct business with the rest of Kiribati [KEER-ih-bahs]. For 10 points, some of the boundary between the United States and Russia is formed by what map line, westward travel across which requires advancing the calendar by one day?
A: International Date Line
Q: The Betsileo and Merina ethnic groups migrated to its interior around the eleventh century. Its rivers include Onilahy and Tsiribihina, and its largest lake lies northeast near Toamasina, and is called Alaotra. The Maromokotro mountain dominates its north, while its largest city lies southwest of the Betsiboka river. For 10 points, name this island country found west of Reunion and Mauritius and south of Comoros, and across a channel from Mozambique, with its capital at Antananarivo.
A: Republic of Madagascar [or Republique de Madagascar]
Q: At just under twenty-five thousand feet, Kula Kangri is this nation's tallest peak. In 1998, its revered Taktsang Monastery burned down. Its people call themselves Drukpas, which means "dragon people" in the official language of Dzongka. While its traditional capital is Punakah, the druk grapyo established the palace elsewhere. For 10 points, name this small Himalayan state with its official capital at Thimphu.
A: Bhutan
Q: Massanutten Mountain splits the river for which this valley is named, loosely translated as "daughter of the stars." Settled primarily by German immigrants, it became an important source for iron. The song named after it has been proposed as a new state song for Virginia. For 10 points, name this valley bounded by the Alleghenies on the West and the Blue Ridge to the East.
A: Shenandoah Valley
Q: It was first navigated by ship in 1775, when Juan Manuel de Ayala sailed the San Carlos through it, six years after it was documented by Jose Ortega. Its name was coined by John Fremont, who compared it to a similarly named "horn" of the Bosporus outside Constantinople. For 10 points, name this strait between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, now spanned by an orange, 1.7-mile suspension bridge.
A: Golden Gate [or Chrysopylae]
Q: For eight hundred years, this river was plagued by a massive log jam that was partially solved by the namesake of the largest city on its banks. The confluence of Tierra Blanca and Palo Duro creeks forms the Prairie Dog branch of this river, whose mouth is close to the Old River Control Structure that maintains the water levels of the Atchafalaya and Mississippi south of the thirty-first parallel. For 10 points, name this river that flows through Shreveport and forms much of the border between Texas and Oklahoma.
A: Red River of the South
Q: Welsh immigrants to this region founded a settlement called Y Wladfa (oh lad-vah). Early explorers of this region wrote sensationalized accounts of its native Tehuelche (tay-HWAIL-chay) people. A country's strategy of displacing this region's natives with European immigrants was called "the conquest of the desert." A popular myth about this region originated in Antonio Pigafetta's account of traveling through it with the Magellan expedition. This region was said to be inhabited by a race of huge barbarians called its "giants." This region to the south of Araucania (ah-rau-kah-NEE-ah) is an ancestral homeland of the Mapuche people and the southernmost region inhabited by "gaucho" cowboys. For 10 points, name this frontier region of far southern South America that includes Tierra del Fuego.
A: Patagonia [accept Patagonian Giants; prompt on "South America" before "desert"]
Q: Its highest point was once known as Mount Victoria but became Mount Tomanivi after independence. It controls the ethnically distinct island of Rotuma and is coterminous with the Koro Sea. Of this country's over three hundred islands, arranged in such groups as the Yasawa and Mamanuca, the largest are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. For 10 points, name this island group in the South Pacific, located east of Vanuatu and south of Tuvalu, still struggling to manage relations between the "Girmitiyas" and natives from the capital of Suva.
A: Sovereign Democratic Republic of Fiji [or Viti]
Q: Fed by the Bear, Weber, and Jordan Rivers, it reached a peak surface area of 2400 square miles in 1873 and a low of 950 square miles in 1963. Located at the foothills of the Wasatch Range, it was part of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, usually draining through the Snake River. For 10 points, name this dense body of water located in northern Utah.
A: Great Salt Lake
Q: Concurry and Charleville are found in this state's interior, while its coastal towns include Cooktown, Cairns, and Townsville. A northern extension of it borders the eastern part of the Gulf of Carpentaria as well as the Coral Sea and Torres Strait. That landmass, the Cape York Peninsula, contains Australia's northernmost point. For 10 points, name this state found north of New South Wales and east of the Northern Territory.
A: Queensland
Q: The central plain is bounded by the Bongos Massif in the northeast, the Tondou Massif in the southeast, the Karre mountains in the west, and the Dar Challa mountains in the north. It is bordered by Chad, Sudan, Cameroon, and the Congo. For ten points, name this country with capital at Bangui whose name says exactly what it is.
A: Central African Republic
Q: The diversion of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya over the late twentieth century has resulted in a dramatic decrease in this lake's area and volume. This also resulted in a closer connection between the mainland and the island of Vozrozhdenya, a testing ground for biological weapons during the Soviet era. For 10 points, name this saltwater lake between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, once the fourth-largest inland body of water on Earth.
A: Aral Sea
Q: The Fulidu, Kardiva, and Ariyaddu are among the channels which run through this country. The government of this Islamic nation is concerned about the seventy percent divorce rate. The Divehi-speaking population is spread out among seventy-four islands, none of which have an elevation higher than six feet above sea level. For 10 points, name this archipelago southwest of India.
A: Republic of the Maldives
Q: The government of this archipelago also administers Shag and Clerke rocks, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands. This island group, whose highest point is Mount Usbourne at 2314 feet above sea level, consists of two main islands, the eastern one having the alternate name Soledad, and several hundred smaller islands, including Pebble, Sealion and Saunders. Penguin habitats and sheep farms dominate the landscape of this group. For 10 points, name this overseas territory of the United Kingdom, found three hundred miles to the east of the South American mainland and governed from Stanley, not Argentina.
A: Falkland Islands [or Islas Malvinas]
Q: Along with the Reunion solitaire and Rodriguez solitaire, its ancestor apparently started its trek across the Indian Ocean 43 million years ago, using the Mascarene Islands as stepping stones before many of those volcanic islands fell beneath sea-level. First observed by Portuguese sailors around 1507, the appearance of this blue-gray-plumed avian found on Mauritius had made it difficult to determine its phylogeny. For 10 points, name this fifty-pound, flightless bird that became extinct in 1681.
A: Dodo
Q: There will be live coverage of a joint venture between Chinese and Taiwanese navigators as they climb this mountain. For ten points, name this mountain for which people finally reached the top of this mountain also known as Godwin-Austen.
A: K2 (accept early "Godwin-Austen")
Q: The main route between the Connecticut and Hudson River Valleys that eventually became part of the Yellowstone Trail, it also names 25 species of the native North American plant genus Polemonium with clusters of drooping blue or violet leaves. For ten points, give the two-word name that alludes to a Biblical dream by the eponymous patriarch at Bethel featuring angels going up and down the namesake structure.
A: Jacob's Ladder
Q: The area around its harbor is known as the Condamine, while Fontvieille is a manmade platform of twenty-two hectares reclaimed from the sea. Despite having only three miles of coastline and thirty thousand people, it joined the United Nations in 1993 with the blessing of the Grimaldi line. For 10 points, name this principality, nine miles east of Nice [NEECE], where Monte Carlo can be found.
A: Monaco
Q: It was first mapped in 1866 by Doudart de Lagree and Marie-Joseph-Francois Garnier. The first dam on the upper part of this river, Manwan, was built in 1993, and over fifty are scheduled to follow. Its source is in the highlands above Yunan Province, and it picks up volume in Cambodia from Tonle Sap before flowing into the South China Sea. For 10 points, name this river which forms an enormous delta in southern Vietnam.
A: Mekong River
Q: Its central basin is known as "the cuvette," and its navigable portion begins at Kisangani. It receives the Luapula and Lualaba Rivers, from whose effluence at Boyoma Falls this river receives its name. Further downstream, following the addition of the Ubangi River, is the Pool Malebo, a widening of this river near two national capitals shortly before it tumbles over the Livingstone Falls on its way to the Atlantic Ocean. For 10 points, name this second longest river in Africa, which forms part of the boundary between a namesake "Republic" and "Democratic Republic."
A: Congo River [or Zaire River]
Q: Tourists here still use the seven Pictorial Guides to the region created by Alfred Wainwright. In addition to Grayrigg Forest, Borrowdale valley, the fell of Cold Pike, and Crinkle Crags, it contains Scafell Pike, the highest point in England, and such features as Windermere and Ullswater, which give it its name. For 10 points, the county of Cumbria is home to what mountainous region of England, the home and namesake of a group including Thomas Gray, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and William Wordsworth?
A: Lake District [or Lakeland Falls]
Q: Extending for more than 2,175 miles along the east coast, sections of this mountain range include the Clarke and McPherson ranges, the beautiful Blue Mountains, the Snowy Mountains, and the Grampians. For ten points, name this range home to the sources of the Murrumbidgee, Darling, and Murray rivers, one of whose peaks is Australia's tallest, Mount Kosciusko.
A: The Great Dividing Range
Q: It faces the island of Elephantine, on which stands the ruins of the city of Yeb. Known to the Greeks as Syene, this city was the southern outpost of ancient Egypt. For ten points, name this namesake of a High Dam.
A: Aswan or Assuan [prompt on "Syene"]
Q: Located near this city is the Bandelier National Monument wherein lies the ruins of dwellings of Pueblo Indians. For ten points, name the city wherein lies the National Laboratory where the nuclear and hydrogen bombs were developed which was hit by wildfires.
A: Los Alamos, New Mexico
Q: It originally lay east of the Aker River until it a 1624 fire leveled it. Each year, it hosts the Holmenkollen ski jump competition, while its Philharmonic Society holds concerts in Aula Hall. This city on a namesake inlet of the Skagerrak was formerly called Christiana. For 10 points, name this capital of Norway.
A: Oslo
Q: SD2. The area now named for him was actually discovered by Semyon Dezhnyov, but Dezhnyov's report was lost until after this man's first mission. On his second expedition, he enabled the scientific work of Georg Wilhelm Steller, founded the city of Petropavlovsk, and saw the St. Elias Mountains. The mission ended when he died of scurvy on the Commander Islands. For 10 points, name this Danish-born explorer who sailed the Gabriel and St. Peter through his namesake strait, establishing that Russia and North America are not connected by land.
A: Vitus Jonassen Bering
Q: Originating at Shlisselburg and passing through Ivanovskaya, it receives the Volkhov and Svir tributaries. Despite being only forty-six miles long, its watershed is over one hundred thousand square miles, because it indirectly receives outlet from both Lake Saimaa and Lake Onega. Flowing out of Lake Ladoga, its Bolshaia and Malaya branches create a forty-six-island delta into the Gulf of Finland. For 10 points, in 1703, Zayachy Island in what river became the foundation of the new city of St. Petersburg?
A: Neva
Q: It is separated from the mainland to the east by the Kerch Strait, connected to the north by the Isthmus of Perekop, and indented on the west by the Bays of Karkinit and Kalamita. It is mostly steppe, with the Alpine Meadow Mountains running parallel to the forested coastline that contains the resort of Sudak. For 10 points, the Sea of Azov and Black Sea affront what Ukrainian peninsula, whose major cities include Symferopol, Yalta, Sevastopol, and Balaclava?
A: Crimean Peninsula [or Krymsky Poluostrov]
Q: Because they were once part of the Duchy of Normandy, French is still an administrative language on these islands. Their traditional dairy industry has led one member of this group to become the namesake of a cream and a cow. They were also the only part of Britain occupied by Germany during World War II. For 10 points, give the collective name of Guernsey, Jersey and Alderney, located just off the French coast in a certain body of water.
A: Channel Islands
Q: The Imperial Valley was cut off from it by the delta of the Colorado. It is part of a depression in the earth's surface that extends inland to the Coachella Valley. Its coastline includes the island of Tiburon, while the shore cities of La Paz, Guaymas, and Mazatlan are major tourist centers. For 10 points, name this arm of the Pacific Ocean which separates Mexico from a western peninsula.
A: Gulf of California [or Sea of Cortez]
Q: This region's coat of arms contains a bearded vulture and seven towers, the latter of which is reflected in its German name, Siebenburgen. Its major rivers include the Olt, Somes [SOH-mesh] and Mures [MOO-resh], which drain into the Danube. Mostly consisting of a plateau about 1000 feet above sea level, its western side slopes down to the Pannonian Plain and Bihor Mountains. For 10 points, name this region that borders the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, whose name literally means "beyond the forest."
A: Transylvania [or Erdely; accept Siebenburgen before it is read]
Q: Its Weeks Island site was decommissioned in 1999 after contamination from a sinkhole. It is now housed in several caverns created by artificial salt erosion, at Big Hill, West Hackberry, Bayou Choctaw, and its largest location, Bryan Mound near Freeport, Texas. Established by the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, it is currently believed to have the capacity to lower unit prices by up to twenty cents. For 10 points, name this storage network that contains a volume of seven hundred million barrels, intended to insulate the U.S. from sudden supply shocks in a certain fossil fuel.
A: Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Q: Named after Francis Egerton, this landmass contains the Manson and Prince of Wales Icefields as well as the settlements of Eureka and Grise Fiord. The United States Range lies on this island, whose northern lobe is known as Grant Land. Within its British Empire Range is Mount Barbeau, the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains in North America. For 10 points, name this largest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands in Canada and home of Alert, the northernmost settlement in the world.
A: Ellesmere Island
Q: From the highest peak in them, which was named for an 1819 event, one can theoretically see all but one of the thirty-four other summits as well as Bucknell's Thrush. The highest and easternmost expression of the Allegheny Plateau, they are a continuation of the Poconos and were once known as the Blue Mountains before being renamed under Dutch influence. For 10 points, Kaaterskill Falls, Hunter Mountain, and Slide Mountain are found in what mountain group located in southeastern New York state?
A: Catskill Mountains [or Catskills; prompt on Blue Mountains before it is read]
Q: This group is home to the Pipo River, which crosses the Quemado Bridge near a landmark known as the Train of the End of the World. Its Picton and Lennox Islands were hotly disputed in the 1840s, and a scenic spot here is Lapataia Bay. Other islands include Gordon and Navarino, and one of its few cities is Punta Arenas. For 10 points, Ushuaia, sometimes considered the southernmost city in the world, is located in this Chilean archipelago whose name translates as "land of fire."
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: It was formed by two eponymous volcanoes, but the only remnant of the eastern one is Kamakou. Found on the northwest of the Pailolo Channel, its features include Halawa gorge and the Kalaupapa peninsula. The peninsula is the only portion of the island in Kalawao County, as the rest is administered with its southeastern neighbor of Maui. For 10 points, name this "Friendly Isle" located southeast of Oahu and north of Lanai, where a state-operated Hansen's Disease Treatment Center has replaced Father Damien's leper colony.
A: Molokai
Q: Flanked on its north side by its eponymous five lakes, it is found at the confluence of the Eurasian, Okhotsk and Philippine plates and overlooks the Hakone forest region and Saruga Bay. The whole formation is named from a word meaning "everlasting life." For 10 points, Hoei-zan [hoh-AY-zan] is the newest of eight peaks on what mountain located on the border of Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures, the highest point in Japan?
A: Mount Fuji-san [or Fujinoyama]
Q: Home of the world's longest aerial tramway and Microsoft's original headquarters, it is bounded by its "Sunport" and Kirtland Air Force Base to the south, and the Sandia Mountains to the north and east. Celebrating its tricentennial in 2006, it is divided into quadrants by the former Route 66 and the Rio Grande. For 10 points, name this seat of Bernalillo County at the foot of the Manzano Mountains, which is the most populous city, and location of the flagship university, in New Mexico.
A: Albuquerque
Q: Vevey, Montreux, and Evian-les-Bains all lie on it, and its counterpart to the north is at Neuchatel. Subject to frequent seiches in the water level, it is formed by three rivers, including the Dranse and Venoge. Separated by the strait of Promenthoux into "Grand" and "Petit" portions, it has Haute-Savoie departement on one shore and Lausanne on another. For 10 points, the Rhone River flows through what lake, lying on the border of France and Switzerland and located in the namesake canton of the Swiss capital?
A: Lake Geneva [or Lac Lemanus; or Lac de Geneve; or Genfersee]
Q: 2. The German instance of this geographic term is bordered by the Frisian Islands and Jutland, while the New York one is bordered by the east coast of New Jersey and the south coast of Long Island. The one in southern California contains the Channel Islands, while the one also known as that "of Bonny" contains the islands of Sao Tome and Principe. For 10 points, the defunct state of Biafra formerly lent its name to what type of bay, also seen off the coast of Benin and in a "Great Australian" example?
A: bight
Q: All the "towns" here are actually code names for locations in the Al-Ghawar oilfield, the only concentration of people in the region. Enclosed on the north by the Nejd highlands and on the south by the Hadhramaut plateau, this region is connected to the Nafud desert to the north by a narrow corridor known as the Dahna. The remains of the lost city of Ubar are believed to exist under, for 10 points, what desert region that covers much of the southern Arabian Peninsula?
A: Ar-Rub al-Khali [or Empty Quarter]
Q: A significant rise in water level of Devils Lake would cause an outflow into the Sheyenne River, a tributary of this river. Formed by the confluence of the Otter Tail and Bois de Sioux, it was the location of massive flooding in 1997. A floodway saved the largest city along its banks, which is located at its confluence with the Assiniboine River. For 10 points, Winnipeg is found on what river, which forms the border between North Dakota and Minnesota and also flows past Grand Forks and Fargo?
A: Red River of the North [accept Sheyenne River before it is read]
Q: The Tabaqah one is found in Syria and the Akosombo in Ghana, while Pakistan is home to the Mangla and the rock-fill Tarbela. The highest arch model is the Inguri in Georgia, while the Sunnar aids cotton farming on Gezira plain in Sudan. An example of the gravity model is found in Washington. For 10 points, Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake is formed from the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee iteration of what example of hydroelectric engineering?
A: dams
Q: The area through which this thirty-mile long feature cuts may once have been a lake sixteen miles in diameter that filled with volcanic sediments. Its sides illustrate seven periods of accumulation, named Beds I through IV, then Masek, Ndutu, and Naisiusiu. The site is named for the Maasai word for the wild sisal plant. For 10 points, name this location in the Serengeti Plains of northern Tanzania, where fossils and tools of early humans were found by the Leakey family.
A: Olduvai Gorge [or Oldupai Gorge]
Q: The Dinka and Nuer pastoralists live in one wetland along the course of this river. The Gezira Scheme irrigates land for cotton production from an eastern branch of this river. Navigation of the other major branch of this river is made impossible due to the presence of a large swamp called the Sudd, which prevented further Roman exploration of this river. The construction of the Aswan Dam led to the creation of Lake Nasser on this river. All six of this river's cataracts are located in Sudan. For 10 points, name this African river with red, blue and white branches, the longest river in the world.
A: River Nile
Q: This state is home to the fried chicken chain, Federal Donuts, whose owner has opened a chain of hummus restaurant named for a street in Tel Aviv, Dizengoff. A coconut cream is coated in cinnamon to produce this state's delicious sounding Irish potato candy. Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart opened America's first automat, a self-service restaurant, in this state. After feeding a homeless man in this state, Julius Sturgis was given a recipe which led him to start America's oldest commercial (*) pretzel business. This state was where Lebanese Bologna was developed and Amoroso Sandwich rolls are central to this state's two most famous sandwiches. For 10 points name this state where the Oliveri brothers first made the "Philly Cheesesteak."
A: Pennsylvania
Q: Cherry Island, this lake's only remaining island, is an example of a crannog, an Iron Age artificial island. Urquhart Castle overlooks this lake, whose only natural island, Dog Island, was submerged by the connection at Fort Augustus of the Caledonian Canal. This lake in the Great Glen was the subject of a BBC-sponsored sonar scan in 2003, while the "surgeon's photograph" taken by this lake is now thought to edit out a toy submarine. For 10 points, name this long, deep, and murky lake in Scotland, supposedly home to a namesake monster.
A: Loch Ness
Q: The earliest defined Clovis fire-pits are found at the Naco and Lehrner mammoth kill sites in this state. One archaeological site in this state was formerly owned by the actress Acquanetta and the Sinagua people built this state's poorly named Montezuma Castle. A characteristic red-on-buff style of pottery was produced in a city in this state, Snaketown. Father (*) Kino described an multi-storey adobe structure in this state with internal and external walls; that site is Casa Grande. For 10 points, name this state where Jack Swilling used the ancient canals of the Hohokam to bring to life a city from archaeological remains, dubbed "Phoenix."
A: Arizona
Q: In a controversial mid-1990s decision, Canadian northwestern wolves were reintroduced into this national park. It's not on the Colorado river, but this national park includes a namesake Grand Canyon located on its namesake river and a tourist attraction named for its regularity. This US national park sits atop a geological hotspot and as a result is home to one of the world's largest supervolcanoes as well as the geyser Old Faithful. For 10 points, name this oldest national park in America, situated in Idaho, Montana and most prominently Wyoming.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: Excavations at the Terra Amata site show that Paleolithic humans built structures to protect against this phenomenon. It's not rain, but this phenomenon can help to cause widespread flooding in the "Cevenol Episode". The "Mas" farmhouse traditionally faces south to avoid the effects of this phenomenon and several bell towers such as that at Ramatuelle are designed to counteract this phenomenon. The (*) Venturi Effect created around the Gulf of Lion [lee-on] and the funnelling effect of the Rhone valley are thought to speed this wind. With a name in Languedocien meaning "masterly", for 10 points, name this strongest wind of southern France.
A: The Mistral (prompt on "wind" before mention)
Q: This country is home to the world's longest continually navigable underground river. It's not Italy, but that river, the Rubicon, is fed by multiple losing streams characteristic of this country's Condroz region. A boat lift in this country replaced a series of four lifts classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the tallest in Europe; that lift is located in this country's (*) Hainaut province. A canal in this country completed in 1939 joins the river Scheldt to the city of Liege. For 10 points, name this country whose Albert Canal joins the river Meuse in Wallonia to the city of Antwerp in Flanders.
A: Belgium
Q: The only native mammals on this archipelago, an endemic dwarf goat-antelope, giant dormouse, and shrew, were all exterminated by humans, though two endemic wall-lizards including Lilford's remain extant. The largest of these islands are sometimes called the "Gymnesian Islands" in contrast to the smaller "Pityusic" or "Pine Islands." Mayonnaise is thought to have originated in this archipelago's city of Mao, and these islands' cuisine also includes a lobster stew. The center of this archipelago's capital is home to one of the only circular castles in Europe, Bellver Castle. The (*) Serra de Tramuntana range runs along the largest of these islands, whose northernmost point is the scenic Cap de Formentor. An EDM genre known as these islands' "Beat" became widespread in the 1990s because of the popularity of vacationing and clubbing on the island of Ibiza. For 10 points, name this Spanish archipelago in the Mediterranean, including the capital of Palma and the islands of Menorca and Mallorca ("mai-YOR-kuh").
A: Balearic Islands [or Illes Balears; or Islas Baleares; accept the Balearics]
Q: Paspaley Pearling Corporation planned a "pearling and marine entertainment center" on the southeast end of this location, a mile west of Daria Island, and this area's easternmost section is being developed into the OQYANA complex. "Seahorse" villas are being constructed near St. Petersburg Island in this area, a few miles southwest of the Deira Islands and Port (*) Rashid, as well as being used for the nearby Heart of Europe project. Located due north of the Palm Jumeirah, for 10 points, Lebanon is the only commercially developed island of the 300 that comprise this artificial archipelago in Dubai, which is roughly in the shape of Earth's continents.
A: The World Islands [or Juzur al-Alam]
Q: This city is bordered to the East by the Titiwangsa Mountains, and the Houses of Parliament in this city were built on the edge of its Lake Gardens. Completed in 1994, a tower located in and named for this city is the seventh-tallest telecommunications tower in the world but only remained this city's tallest structure until 1998. This city's Merdeka Square, also called the (*) Padang, was used as a sports venue by the Selangor Club, as well as to announce the 1957 independence of the country of which this city is the capital. For 10 points, name this city, home to the Petronas Twin Towers, the capital of Malaysia.
A: Kuala Lumpur
Q: This country's pre-colonial royal court is the traditional origin of a sexual practice aimed at female orgasm and ejaculation called "Kunyaza" promoted by contemporary public health experts. The martial dance tradition of "Intore" originates with a minority ethnicity in this country, which is also home to an artform where women produce colorful geometric designs using cow dung mixed with sanitizing ashes, called "Imigongo." It's not Australia or Poland, but this country features abundant milk bars where citizens consume it hot, cold, and fermented, exploding in popularity after its government's "Girinka" program began giving (*) free cows to every family in 2006. This country's northwest border runs through the volcanic Virunga mountains adjacent to Lake Kivu to this country's west. This country's rapid development under a relatively benevolent dictatorship garnered it the nickname "the Singapore of Africa" under Paul Kagame's administration. For 10 points, name this country ravaged by a 1990s genocide against its Tutsi minority.
A: (Republic of) Rwanda [or (Repubulika y'u) Rwanda, (Republique du) Rwanda, or (Jamhuri ya) Rwanda]
Q: The artist Charles Gough achieved notoriety for dying in this British national park, falling off its Striding Edge. Runners in this national park seek to complete the Bob Graham Round in 24 hours. A 'pictorial guide' to this national park was written by Alfred Wainwright. Graphite mining in this national park gave rise to a cottage pencil industry in its town of Keswick. England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, is located in this national park. For 10 points, name this primarily Cumbrian national park, the location of Ullswater and Windermere.
A: Lake District [or the Lakes, or Lakeland]
Q: Disney Cruise Liners abandoned a controversial plan to build a cruise ship port on an uninhabited islet in this country, which home to a large number of domesticated chickens, Egg Island. Over 60,000 flamingos live on Inagua island in this country, where the Eleutheran Adventurers settled. Its capital is home to Fort Fincastle and is located on New Providence, although the largest island in this country is (*) Andros Island. Sidney Poitier grew up on Cat Island in this country. The Lucayan Archipelago is formed of this country and the Turks and Caicos Islands. For 10 points, name this West Indian country north of the Caribbean with its capital at Nassau.
A: The Bahamas
Q: The Lobau is a floodplain north of this river that is known as a popular nudist site. The island Ada Kaleh in this river remained a Turkish exclave for decades after it was forgotten about by the Congress of Berlin. Trajan had built what was the longest bridge in the world near this river's Iron Gates, while Charlemagne attempted to build a canal between this river's basin and the Rhine. The Szechenyi Chain Bridge links two formerly separate cities on this river, Buda and Pest. For 10 points, name this second longest European river which flows through Bratislava and Vienna.
A: River Danube
Q: In a 2013 study, Theresa Steele suggested that the increased size of these objects in archaeological sites in South Africa indicated a population increase. The archaeological site of Fig Island in South Carolina is home to three well -preserved rings made of these objects. Edward S. Morse kickstarted Japanese archaeology by finding the first fragments of Jomon pottery in a mound of these objects in Omori. These objects were harvested by the Nootka peoples and used to make (*) dentalium jewelry. Wampum beads were made of these objects and they were used both to assert authority and as a form of currency. For 10 points, name these objects frequently found in middens, the calciferous remains of molluscs like clams which have been eaten.
A: shells (prompt on molluscs or mollusca; accept specific shells; prompt on waste remains)
Q: One of these archaeological sites contains a building called the Pompeion, where the Panathenaic procession began each year, and was the original site of the Stele of Hegeso sculpted by Kallimachos. Italian archaeologists recently discovered one of these sites at the village of Udegram in the Swat Valley, containing Dardic artifacts dated prior to the "Gandhara culture." At one of these places in Japan, visitors try to lift the Miroku Stone with one hand to test their virtue after they cross the Ichinohashi Bridge. A large one of these sites circles a "potter's quarter" at the Kerameikos in ancient Athens. The oldest one of these in Europe may be Gross Fredenwalde, and the sacred Okunoin on Mount Koya is the largest in Japan. The city of Worms is home to one of these known as Heiliger Sand, while a more modern one features Jacob Epstein's Art Deco sphinx sculpture for Oscar Wilde. For 10 points, name these kinds of places that include Pere Lachaise in Paris.
A: cemetery [or gravesites; or burial grounds, or equivalent terms; accept "Potter's Quarter/Potter's Workshop" before "potter's" is read; accept Kerameikos before "Kerameikos" is readd]
Q: Traditional beliefs on this island hold that humanity was created by the brother-sister spirits Puntan and Fu'una at Fouha Rock near Umatac Bay on this island. The belem-bao-tuyan, a musical bow developed on this island, may be inspired by the African berimbau. The daughter of a Spanish captain and her lover tied their hair in a knot before jumping into the sea at Two Lovers' Point at Tumon Bay, this island's tourist center. A military construction plan will leave a 100-foot buffer around the last remaining Serianthes tree on this island. This island's limestone forests were populated by its namesake flycatcher, which went extinct after the invasive brown tree snake was introduced here. With its largest city at Dededo, both this territory and the Northern Mariana Islands are home to the Chamorro people of Micronesia. For 10 points, name this island with its capital at Hagatna ("ha-GOT-nya") which, along with American Samoa, is a US Pacific territory.
A: Guam [or Guahan]
Q: This country consumes 75% of all the minty Italian digestif Fernet-Branca ("fer-NET BRAHN-kuh") produced worldwide, since its signature cocktail, the "Fernando" or "Fernandito," mixes it with cola. That drink comes from this country's second largest city, where the "reduction" preserved as the Jesuit Block is a World Heritage Site. This country was the first to develop a "civilian" settlement in its (*) Antarctic land claims, where Emilio Palma became the first human born on the continent in Esperanza Base. Hundreds of prehistoric stenciled paintings are found in this country's "Cave of the Hands" in its Santa Cruz province. This country's remote Chubut province is home to the descendants of 19th-century Welsh settlers. This country's national symbol is said to be inspired by the Incan deity Inti, and is named "The Sun of May." For 10 points, name this South American country named for its association with silver.
A: (Republica) Argentina [or The Argentine Republic] (The second-largest city is Cordoba.)
Q: On April 23, lovers in the four provinces of this region celebrate a holiday in which men give women roses in exchange for books. Some of this region's 7.5 million residents claim to inherit a type of commonsense wisdom called seny. A cultural institution in this region was founded by a Swiss merchant known in Zurich as Hans Gamper. A Benedictine abbey in a mountainous area of this region is the site of a black Madonna nicknamed "la Moreneta" (mor-ay-NAY-tah). Montserrat Abbey is located in this region, which celebrates St. Jordi's Day and has a yellow-and-red striped flag called the Senyera. The largest city in this region hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics and contains Park Guell (gway) and the Sagrada Familia. For 10 points, name this autonomous region of Spain whose largest city is Barcelona.
A: Catalonia [or Catalunya; or Cataluna]
Q: These geographical features are the most common sites where epishelf lakes are formed. A rare example of this type of landform found on a body of fresh water is Huron Bay on the Lake Superior coast of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. An unusually isolated instance of this kind of feature lends its name to a national park where the Saguenay River joins the Saint Lawrence in Quebec. At one of these features, a recurrent 10-meter vortex is formed by perhaps the strongest (*) tidal current on earth, called Saltstraumen. The western region of the South Island of New Zealand is named for these features, including a celebrated one called Piopiotahi or Milford Sound. Unlike similar features formed by rivers called "rias," these landforms emerge when glacial erosion proceeds to the coast below sea level. For 10 points, name these narrow, steep-sided inlets ubiquitous on the Norwegian coast.
A: fjords [accept answers of "fiordland;" prompt on inlets; prompt on sounds before mentioned by asking "which, in this case, are examples of what specific type of geographical feature?"; prompt on glaciers before "Huron Bay" by asking "which in this instance are developing what kind of landform?"]
Q: The equestrian "Red Hunter," or Tohazie, legendarily left this body of water to found the Kingdom of Dagbon. Gustav Nachtigal observed coral-wearing dancers near this body of water, where the author of "Travels and Discoveries" recorded the presence of unique swimming kuri cattle. Pearl millet was domesticated north of this lake, which is given the prefix "Mega" to denote its expansion during the Holocene "humid period." The Sao civilization built walled cities that were later taken over by an empire whose royal chronicle, the Girgam, documented their move to this body of water, which is home to the Kanuri-speaking horsemen of the Sayfawa dynasty. In the lands around this lake, the semi-mythic Duguwa dynasty founded an empire that ran a slave trade under Mais ("mize") like Idris Alooma. For 10 points, the Kanem-Bornu Empire arose around what lake in the Sahel named for a country west of the Sudan?
A: Lake Chad [or Lac Tchad; or Buhayrat ta-Shad; accept Lake Mega-Chad]
Q: One of four buildings with this name in Tbilisi honors Hovhannes Tumanyan, Armenia's national poet, and was mostly destroyed in the 1930s on Lavrentiy Beria's orders. Another building with this name was constructed under the sponsorship of King John V as the Church of Santa Engracia. A never-built building with this name in Moscow would have contained Lenin's embalmed body. The existence of diurnal motion was demonstrated by Leon (*) Foucault using a pendulum suspended from the ceiling of a building with this name. The remains of Kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umberto I are housed in Rome's building of this name, which has the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. Originally the Church of Sainte Genevieve, Paris's building of this name was converted to a "temple of the nation" during the French Revolution, and holds the remains of Voltaire and Rousseau. For 10 points, give this name of several mausoleums in Europe which literally means "all gods."
A: Pantheon (s)
Q: An "analytic" form of this discipline was spearheaded by Brian Berry, who was one of the so-called "space cadets" studying under William Garrison, a pioneer in the use of computers to facilitate this discipline's practice. In the 1950s, Fred Schaefer attacked the "orthodox" methods of Richard Hartshorne in a bitter debate that inaugurated a paradigm shift known as this discipline's "quantitative revolution." That shift led to the formulation of a statement that begins "everything is related to everything else," which is known as Waldo Tobler's "first law" of this discipline. In the 19th century, world leaders were influenced by an English practitioner of this discipline who outlined the "Heartland" theory in an article that dubbed Central Asia the "pivot of history." For 10 points, Walter Christaller and Halford Mackinder were practitioners of what discipline, the study of places on Earth?
A: geography [or urban geography; or political geography; or human geography]
Q: One island in this archipelago contains the Quiraing ("kwih-RAHNG"), a famous hiking trail that loops around the Trotternish peninsula, as well as waterfalls dubbed the Fairy Pools and the "Old Man of Storr" rock formation. An island in this group names a set of chess pieces dated to the 12th century CE found at Uig ("oog") Bay. Rows of brightly-colored houses line the fishing village of Tobermory on this group's island of Mull. This group contains a holy site where the "Law of Innocents" was released by Adamnan, and where his cousin St. Columba cloistered at Iona Abbey. A "Condominium" of islands around Vanuatu called the "New" version of these islands was ruled jointly by the English and French. This group's island of Staffa inspired Felix Mendelssohn with echoes of Fingal's Cave. For 10 points, name these islands separated into Inner and Outer divisions off the west coast of Scotland.
A: Hebrides [accept Outer Hebrides or Inner Hebrides; accept Skye before "Uig Bay" is read]
Q: Bally Manufacturing's attempt to corner this city's leisure industry in the 1970s hit a snag when preservationists objected to its planned demolition of the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel. A hotel in this city was rebranded in 1990 after contentious negotiations with Merv Griffin and recently closed under the ownership of Carl Icahn ("icon"). Lucy the Elephant was built to attract tourists to this city, where Joseph Fralinger invented saltwater taffy. This city was known as "The World's Playground" during Prohibition, when its dominant political machine was run by bootlegger Enoch "Nucky" Johnson. The recently-closed Trump Taj Mahal resort was located on this city's iconic boardwalk. For 10 points, name this resort city with many casinos that is located on the Jersey Shore.
A: Atlantic City
Q: Emmeline Pankhurst's daughter Sylvia was invited to live in this city in 1956 after supporting an anticolonial movement in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1894, this city's founder ordered thousands of eucalyptus trees to be imported from Australia, some of which still stand on its Mount Entoto. Its landmarks include the Tiglachin Monument, which bears depictions of Cuban soldiers, and one that commemorates the victims of a massacre at the Debre Libanos monastery. This city's name, which means "new flower," was coined by the empress Taytu Betul. It is one of its country's two "chartered" cities, along with Dire Dawa (dee-ray dah-wah), and is the headquarters of the African Union. A rezoning plan that would expand this city's borders is the subject of protests by the oppressed majority Oromo ethnic group. For 10 points, name this city founded by Menelik II, which was the seat of power for Haile Selassie.
A: Addis Ababa
Q: Named for a Georgia congressman who promoted exploration in its surrounding region, it is neighbored by Mount Shinn and Mount Gardner. Located in the Ellsworth range, it was first conquered by a group of four led by Nicholas Clinch in 1966 as part of a joint expedition by the National Science Foundation and the American Alpine Club. For 10 points-name this mountain, the highest peak in Antarctica.
A: Vinson Massif
Q: Among the varieties of this animal species are Tatersall's Sifaka, a particularly acrobatic and colorful version, the much larger indri, the avahi, and the hairy-eared pygmy variety. A research center at Duke University examines these slim-bodied prosimians related to the loris and the potto. For 10 points-what are these primates, living mainly on the island of Madagascar?
A: lemur
Q: TOSSUP.Now known as Black Creek, it was owned by the Hooker Chemical Company, which sold it for a dollar to the school board of Niagara Falls, New York. In 1976, heavy rains caused groundwater seepage and over four hundred chemicals, including dioxin, were discovered in the landfill that had been covered. For 10 points-name this notorious Superfund site.
A: Love Canal
Q: At milepost 86 on it, one can view the four thousand foot-tall Peaks of Otter near Bedford. Its year-round Visitor Center is at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, while the campground at Mount Pisgah is almost five thousand feet above sea level. For 10 points-name this 469-mile scenic route that links the Shenandoah and Great Smoky National Parks.
A: Blue Ridge Parkway [prompt on Skyline Drive]
Q: Isle au Haut, one of the more than one thousand islands off this state's coast, sits at the entrance to Penobscot Bay. The bay's namesake river flows from Chamberlain Lake, while Moosehead Lake is the source of the Kennebeck. Cities include Caribou, Millinocket, Waterville, Auburn, Lewiston, and Bangor. For 10 points-name this state at the extreme northeast of the U.S.
A: Maine
Q: The eastern Koolau and western Waianae ranges divide it into the leeward, windward, and central sections. The Diamond Head crater lies located on its southeastern coast, while Kaneohe Bay is on its east. Kauai Channel separates it from the island of that name, and a trip south across Kaiwi Channel lands one on Molokai. Waipahu and Kailua are among its cities. For 10 points-name this most populous island of Hawaii, the location of Honolulu.
A: Oahu
Q: Here, wave-carved granite cliffs reach sixty feet in height. Offshore are reefs and rocky islets, one of which hosts Longship's Lighthouse. Although one can sail from this place to the Isles of Scilly, this Cornwall promontory is an extremity of land travel. For 10 points-name this westernmost point on the British mainland.
A: Land's End
Q: A national park since 1986, it boasts such varied scenery as the summit of Wheeler Peak, the sagebrush of its alluvial base, and the depths of the Lehman Caves. It is bordered by the Sierra Nevada on the west, the Columbia Plateau on the north, the Rockies on the northeast, the Colorado Plateau on the east, and the Mojave Desert on the south. For 10 points-name this topographic feature covering parts of six states and containing Death Valley.
A: Great Basin
Q: The Store Baeljt Bridge links the city to the mainland, and its inner harbor divides Sjaelland and Amager islands. The city hall and the Church of Our Lady sit along Amailienbourg Square. Christiansborg Palace sits on the island of Slotsholmen, and near Langelinie Promenade sits an oft-beheaded statue. For 10 points-name this home of Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid, and the governmental apparatus of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [or Kobenhavn]
Q: Contained within its boundaries are Deer Island, Black Island, and Hecla Island, and its surrounding lowlands have been the subject of an intense preservation campaign. Named for the Cree word for "muddy water," it is fed by the Red River and drains through the Nelson River into Hudson Bay. For 10 points-name this Canadian lake that shares its name with the capital of Manitoba.
A: Lake Winnipeg
Q: It's not Rome, but Mount Baker neighborhood lies on one of the "seven hills" that this city was built on. The suburb of Issaquah is on Lake Sammamish near it. The Duwamish River flows into Elliott Bay near this city, and the Kitsap Peninsula lies to the west of this city. Bellevue is one of its eastern suburbs, and it is located near the Olympic Mountains. Known as the (*) "Emerald City", this seat of King County contains Pike Place Market. One of its landmarks was built for the 1962 World's Fair and has a "hovering disk" at its top. This city on Puget Sound features the Space Needle. For 10 points, name this most populous city in the state of Washington.
A: Seattle, Washington
Q: Haikou is the largest city on this island, whose indigenous residents are the Li people, speaking the Minnan dialect. It is separated from the mainland's Lizhou Peninsula by its namesake thirty mile wide strait and is the eastern boundary of the Gulf of Tonkin. For 10 points-name this island, the largest under the actual control of the People's Republic of China.
A: Hainan Island
Q: The indigenous Ona, Yahgan, and Alacaluf called this archipelago their home. The northern part is relatively flat and home to an oil field; the southern and western parts are home to Monte Sarmiento and Monte Darwin, both over seven thousand feet in height. For 10 points-name this island group found by Ferdinand Magellan at the southern tip of South America.
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: The western branch extends around 700 miles and has barrancas that compare with the dimensions of the Grand Canyon in the United States, while the southern branch is home to the Valley of Oaxaca. In it, one can find Pico de Orizaba, also called Citlaltepetl, the highest peak in its country. For 10 points-name this extension of the Cordillera, a large mountain range in Mexico.
A: Sierra Madre Mountains
Q: Three of the islands in this group voted for independence in 1975, while Mayotte chose to remain a French dependency. Its first president was Ahmed Abdallah Abderrahman, who was assassinated in 1989. Its highest peak is Karthala, a still-active volcano on the largest island of this group. Other islands include Mwali and Nzwani, which were formerly known as Anjouan and Moheli. Located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, FTP, identify this island nation with capital at Moroni.
A: Comoros
Q: It is home to the Vatna Glacier, Europe's largest, as well as both the Vatnajokull tundra region and and more hot springs than any other nation. It is also the site of over two hundred volcanoes, including Heimaey, which destroyed an island in 1973, and Surtsey, which created an island in 1963. For 10 points-name this northerly country with its capital at Reykjavik.
A: Republic of Iceland [or Lyðveldið Island]
Q: At its narrowest point, it is only fifty-five miles wide between Cape Dezhnyov and Cape Prince of Wales. Parts are as shallow as one hundred feet, and during the winter, ice fields cover its entirety, connecting the Diomede Islands to the Chukchi and Seward Peninsulas. For 10 points-name this waterway which separates Alaska and Siberia and may have been the entryway for Native American immigration.
A: Bering Strait
Q: Found in South Glamorgan, this city lies on the mouths of the Severn, Taff, and Ely near the Bristol Channel. Docks built by the Marquess of Bute and the Glamorganshire Canal helped the city become a major coal port, and it now has the largest covered stadium in Europe, Millenium Stadium. For 10 points-name this capital and largest city of Wales.
A: Cardiff
Q: This unlucky city was completely leveled by an earthquake in 1647, and it has been inundated several times by the Mapocho River. In 1863 the Campania Church, with doors that opened inward, caught fire from a falling lamp, and two thousand worshipers perished. It was laid out according to Pedro de Valdivia's plan for a gridiron pattern on the hill of Santa Lucia. For 10 points-name this city of the Andes, the capital of Chile.
A: Santiago
Q: This body's rampaging duckweed infestation has nearly overtaken Zapara and Los Parajos Islands. General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge crosses the Tablazo Strait and connects Cabimas with this lake's namesake city, found near its confluence with another body flanked by the Guajira and Paraguana Peninsulas. The Merida and Sierra de Perija ranges flank its basin, through which runs this lake's major tributary, the Catatumbo River. For 10 points, identify this brackish body of water which sits atop a major oil reserve, considered the largest lake in South America and found in Venezuela.
A: Lake Maracaibo
Q: To obtain water from this desert, the town of Cgungungo uses a renowned system of plastic sheets to capture fog. A leading source of sodium nitrate and copper, it lies two thousand feet above sea level and is over seven hundred miles long. Flanked by the Pacific Coastal Range and the Andes, it is considered the driest hot desert on earth. For 10 points-name this desert in Peru, Argentina, and Chile.
A: Atacama Desert
Q: This river rises out of a bog near Kalene Hill before meeting the Shire, its last great tributary. Its largest tributary is the Kafue River, it includes the Ngonye Falls, and after it flows through thr Sesheke Plain, it is joined by the Cuando River. The Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams lie on it, and it enters the Barotse Plain after flowing over the Chavuma Falls. This river flows along the Eastern tip of the Caprivi Strip where it runs roughly parallel to the Okavango, and empties near Chinde into the Indian Ocean. For 10 points, identify this river which flows along much of the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, a Southern African river that creates Victoria Falls.
A: Zambezi
Q: In 2007, one of this polity's northern counterparts adopted a "National Conversation" spurred in part by the population of this polity's smallest city, St. David's, named after its patron saint. The Usk River rises in this country's Brecon Beacon's Park, and flows to a body bounded by Hartland Point and St. Govan's Head, Bristol Channel Channel, after earlier passing the city of Newport. Geological studies in this country led to the classification of the Ordovician and Silurian periods, where Cardigan Bay composes part of the coast of Snowdonia. Also including the city of Swansea, for 10 points, name this country in the U.K. whose capital is Cardiff.
A: Wales [or Cymru [prompt on UK or United Kingdom]
Q: In 1825, one city of this name served as the provisional capital of Uruguay during its uprising against Brazil. The city of this name on Luzon lies near the source of the Chico River, while another city of this name is the home of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Peralta Adobe is the oldest building in the U.S. city of this name, which is also home to a mansion with a bunch of dead-end doors, the Winchester Mystery House. That city is located along Coyote Creek and the Guadalupe River in Santa Clara County, and is California's third-largest. For 10 points, name this name shared by a Silicon Valley mecca and the capital of Costa Rica.
A: San Jose
Q: Its name is derived from the Arabic for "soaked bread." An Andalusian version of it is based mostly on almonds and grapes, but it is most commonly based on an ingredient brought from the New World to Spain, where it is classified as a salad. For 10 points-identify this Spanish dish, often identified as a soup, usually based on tomatoes, and always served cold.
A: gazpacho
Q: This country's 8888 revolution led to brutal police actions in the areas around Kandawgyi and Inya lakes. Its Kachin ethnic group is the namesake of its northernmost state, a source of jade and home to the peak Hkakabo Razi. The Staff of Kakusandha is housed in this country's Shwedagon Pagoda, which overlooks a river system connected by the Twante Canal which flows into the Gulf of Martaban, and includes the Pegu, Sittang, and Salween rivers. It also owns the Coco Islands, part of the Andamans. For 10 points, name this nation dominated by the Irrawaddy River, whose military dictatorship currently detains Aung San Suu Kyi, with capital at Yangon.
A: Union of Myanmar [or Burma]
Q: Cultural life in this country's capital centers on the Avenida Amazonas. Rural migrants who come to cities in this country speak the pidgin language "Media Lengua." A volcano in this country temporarily dammed the Rio Chambo when it erupted, and lies just north of its city of Riobamba. This country's independence was won during a battle on the slopes of an active volcano outside of its capital. In addition to Mount Pichincha, the mountains Chimborazo and Cotopaxi are in this country. For 10 points, name this country that owns Isabela, San Cristobal, and the rest of the Galapagos, whose largest city is Guayaquil, with a capital at Quito.
A: Republic of [or Republica de] Ecuador
Q: Caroni Swamp is the home of the national bird of this country, the scarlet ibis. One of this country's islands is also called Bird of Paradise Island, and it is home to the mud volcano system known as the Devil's Woodyard. This country contains the asphalt deposit of Pitch Lake, and the major island of this nation is separated from the South American coast by the Gulf of Patria. This country celebrates Arrival Day for its substantial Indian minority. For 10 points, identify this nation named for its two major islands which lies northeast of Venezuela in the Caribbean and has its capital at Port of Spain.
A: Trinidad and Tobago [prompt on Trinidad]
Q: In the early 1990s, it was revealed that the Soviet navy had been using this body of water as a dumping ground for their spent nuclear reactors. Containing the Solovetski Islands, the Mezen, Northern Dvina, and Onega rivers empty into it, while Kandalashka Bay lies at its southern section. A canal system at Belomorsk links this body of water to the Baltic Sea. Its northern section lies between the Kola and Kanin peninsulas, and at the mouth of the Northern Dvina is its largest port at Arkhangelsk. FTP, identify this north Russian body of water with a colorful name.
A: White Sea
Q: Used primarily for irrigation, its numerous hydroelectric plants include one on the Hume Reservoir. Flowing southwest through the lagoon of Lake Alexandrina, it runs into the Indian Ocean after receiving its main tributary, the Darling, at Wentworth. For 10 points-name this longest river and water source of almost all arable land in Australia.
A: Murray River
Q: This city's Dynamo Stadium hosted a 1996 music festival that was lauded as a key event in its country's cultural freedom. Russky Island is separated from this city by the so-called "Eastern Bosporus," referencing similarity to Constantinople that inspired the name of Golden Horn Bay. It lies between the Ussuri and Amursky Gulfs, and was closed to foreigners for decades due to its housing a naval force that had earlier lost the Battle of Tsushima. Sergei Witte oversaw a major project connecting the capital to this city, the Trans-Siberian Railroad. For 10 points, identify this city lying across the Sea of Japan from Honshu, the largest Pacific port owned by Russia.
A: Vladivostok
Q: The principal outlet for this city's exports is Apapa Quay. There are plans to add eight square meters of reclaimed land from the Atlantic Ocean via the Eko Atlantic City project to this city, which has a major port at Tin Can Island. This city's namesake state is located south of the state of Ogun and has capital at Ikeja, and much of it is spread across the islands of Iddo, Ikoyi, and Victoria. Located on the Bight of Benin, it is Sub-Saharan Africa's most populous city but was deemed to be unsuitable for a neutral legislative capital following the Biafran War. For 10 points, identify this city that in 1991 was replaced by Abuja as the capital of Nigeria.
A: Lagos
Q: To the east of this city are the Pirita River Gorge and Lake Ulamiste. The baroque Kadriorg Palace of Niccolo Michetti is located east of its old town, and its highest point is occupied by a medieval fortress built by Valdemar II. Its waterfront Haabersti District contains the beaches at Kakumae on the Kopli Gulf. Other attractions include the Lutheran Toomkirk, the gothic Church of Saint Olaf and a fortress remodeled to house its country's parliament, the Riigikogu. Located on Toompea Hill, FTP, name this city on the Gulf of Finland, the capital of Estonia.
A: Tallinn
Q: Russian satellite Cosmos 954 plunged into this river's source in 1978. The Liard River joins it at Fort Simpson, and the Redstone and Keele rivers enter it north of Wrigley. This river broadens to four miles in width at Norman Wells, and its water transportation routes terminate at Tuktoyaktuk, North of the Sans Sault Rapids. Its namesake, discovering that it did not terminate in Cook Inlet, dubbed it "Disappointment River" after exploring from a trading post of Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca. Flowing into the Beaufort Sea, for 10 points, identify this river that begins at Great Slave Lake, the longest in Canada.
A: Mackenzie River
Q: Putrefied shark is part of this country's traditional cuisine served as part of thorramatur. Dalvik is located on a gulf on this nation that is also the site of its second-largest urban area, Akureyri. Grimsey is north of this country while Heimaey and Surtsey are to its south. One feature in this nation is the namesake of the word (*) "geyser". Glaciers cover about 11 percent of the land, and the largest glacier here is Vatnajokull [vat-nah-YOH-kull]. The Faroe Islands lie to the southeast of this island, while it lies south of the Denmark Strait and east of the Norwegian Sea. For 10 points, name this island south of the Arctic Circle which includes the city of Reykjavik [RAKE-yah-vik].
A: Iceland
Q: 2. The Mont-aux-Sources is its northernmost extension, and to the west and south it is continuous with the Maluti Range. Its erosion carved peaks like Champagne Castle, Monks Cowl, and the Sterkhorn form a high plateau that rises to the 11,425 foot Thabana-Ntlenyana. Meltwater and runoff from this range combine to form the Tugela River, the chief tributary of the Vaal. Known to the Zulu as Quathlamba, meaning "a battlement of spears," FTP, name this mountain range that forms the eastern border between Lesotho and South Africa named from the Afrikaans for "Dragon Mountain."
A: Drakensberg Escarpment or Mountains or Range
Q: In this state, the city of Albury is located on the Hume Highway and has a twin city called Wodonga in another state. This state contains the Jervis Bay Territory, along with Cape Byron on its northeast coast. In 1813, Gregory Blaxland found a way through the Blue Mountains, which lie to the west of this state's most populous city, which lies south of Gosford and (*) Newcastle. This state contains one third of its country's population, and it is located south of Queensland. For 10 points-name this state, located north of Victoria on the eastern coast of Australia, that has Sydney as its largest city. It is named after a country in the United Kingdom.
A: New South Wales
Q: Though it's not Scotland, this region saw a battle at the jetty of Aberdeen between natives and European settlers, and the Moplahs of this region rebelled against the anti-Khilafat policies established by its colonizers. The Japanese occupation of this region saw a massacre of its inhabitants at Humphrey-gunj, and the Chola king Rajendra I captured this region and its southern counterpart and used it as a base of operations in his expedition against (*) the Sri Vijaya Empire. The lack of totemism within the primitive peoples of this region was contrasted with Australian and Arunta totemism by Radcliffe-Brown during his ethnographic study of this region's inhabitants. For 10 points, name this island group that constitutes a union territory of Indian along with the Nicobar Islands in the southeastern Bay of Bengal.
A: Andaman Islands [accept "Andaman and Nicobar" until "totemism"]
Q: 3. Divided into North and East arms and South and West shores, its West Mirage Islands are a bird-breeding paradise. Explored extensively in 1771 by Samuel Hearne, important towns on it include Fort Providence and Fort Resolution, while the largest city on its shores sprang up during a gold-rush in the 1930s. Both the Hay and its namesake river flow into it and its northern location causes it to be ice-filled for eight months of the year. FTP, name this lake drained by the Mackenzie on whose edges Yellowknife sits, the deepest in North America and second largest in Canada after the Great Bear Lake.
A: Great Slave Lake
Q: 2. It forms part of an island group with the Ilhas Desertas, the Ilhas Selvagensas and Porto Santo. The Romans knew about it but it had to be rediscovered by Zarco and Texeira in the 15th century. The British briefly occupied it in the 19th century and used its main port of Funchal, and the Spanish ran it from 1580 to 1640, but otherwise since Henry the Navigator's time the Portuguese have controlled, FTP, what island near Morocco that is best known for a very nice kind of wine.
A: Madeira
Q: The Jim Thompson House in this city commemorates that American's attempt to preserve its nation's culture, and its Erawan Hotel contains a shrine to Brahma. The port of this city is located at Klhong Toei, and this city was formerly divided into two municipalities, one of which was Thon Buri. The Chatuchak shopping extravaganza occurs weekly in this city, whose major sites include Wat Pho University and Wat Phra Kaew, which houses the Emerald Buddha. This city is located in the Chao Phraya River delta, and was modeled after the former capital Ayutthaya. For 10 points, name this home of the King Rama IX Park, the capital of Thailand.
A: Bangkok [or Krung Thep]
Q: The Green Wall, a ring of planted forests, is being built to prevent this region's expansion. The Junggar Basin is located within this desert, which also contains the Helan Mountains and the Alashan Plateau. In its northwest, many dinosaur eggs have been found in the Nemegt Basin. It lies northeast of the Tarim Basin and the (*) Taklamakan Desert. This desert's north is bounded by the Altai Mountains, and the Tibetan Plateau lies to its south. For 10 points, name this desert located on the border between China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: Its outlet is spanned by the immense General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge. Its chief tributary is the Catatumbo River, and it was discovered in 1499 by Alonso de Ojeda, whose namesake city is on its shores along with Cabimas. It is found between two mountain ranges, the Cordillera Oriental and the Cordillera de Merida. For 10 points-name this Venezuelan lake, the largest in South America.
A: Lake Maracaibo
Q: Fed by the Weber, Bear, and Jordan Rivers, islands in it include Antelope and Fremont. A remnant of prehistoric Lake Bonneville, it supports no life except brine shrimp and colonial algae. Promontory Point extends from the north into it. For 10 points-name this shallow but expansive body of water in Utah.
A: Great Salt Lake
Q: Uros, Amantani, Taquile, and Isla del Sol are a few islands located in this body of water, and the Taraco and Yampupata Peninsula protrude into this body of water. This body of water is fed by the Ilave, Coata, and Ramis Rivers among others, and it empties into the Desaguadero River. Divided into two parts by the Strait of Tiquina, it has the highest elevation of any major lake in the world. Located on the border of Peru and Bolivia is, for 10 points, what second largest lake by area and largest by volume in South America?
A: Lake Titicaca
Q: Just sixteen miles long but four thousand feet at its widest, it flows by Roosevelt Island and Hell Gate. It separates Manhattan from Long Island in addition to linking New York Bay and Long Island Sound. For 10 points-identify this body of water spanned by eight bridges including the Brooklyn Bridge.
A: East River
Q: The northeast part of this state contains the Goshute Valley just east of the Ruby Mountains. A Paiute Indian Reserve surrounds this state's Pyramid Lake, and its most populous city, which has suburbs like Sunrise Manor and Henderson, is served by McCarran International Airport and lies west of Lake Mead. Once the site of the Comstock Lode in Virginia City, this state now houses the "biggest little city in the world." For 10 points, identify this state that lies on the eastern shores of Lake Tahoe and contains cities like Reno, Carson City, and Las Vegas.
A: Nevada
Q: As it is filled almost entirely by snowfall, it is one of the clearest lakes in the world, recording clarity depths of up to 142 feet. The seventh deepest lake in the world, it has no outlet, and Wizard Island rises 764 feet above the surface on its west side. It was formed by the collapse of Mount Mazama. For 10 points-name this body of water, the central feature of a national park in Oregon.
A: Crater Lake
Q: One town in this state hosts an annual Old Spice festival in honor of its nickname, the "Armpit of America," while another town is planned to feature a 10,000-year clock on Mount Washington funded by the Long Now Foundation. The eastern portion is home to sights like Cave Lake State Park and Steptoe Valley, near the aforementioned town of Ely. The central portion is fed by the Reese River, which has its terminus at the town of Battle Mountain, joined in the north of this state by towns like Elko and Winnemucca on the Humboldt River. This site of Walker Lake and Pyramid Lake is also home to such cities as Paradise and one known as the "biggest little city in the world." FTP, name this state which boasts Reno and Las Vegas.
A: Nevada
Q: Covering almost five hundred thousand square miles but no more than three hundred feet deep, its arms include Laizhou Bay, the Bo Gulf, the Liaodong Gulf, and Korea Bay, while it is connected to the Sea of Japan by the Korea Strait. Its name comes from deposits received from the Han and Huang He. For 10 points-name this Pacific sea.
A: Yellow Sea
Q: It consists of three groups, the Line Islands, the Phoenix Islands, and the Gilbert Islands; the latter was the name of this country when it was a British protectorate. A 1995 law moving the International Date Line to its east enabled it to become the first country to welcome the new millennium. For 10 points-name this Pacific island state whose capital, located on Tarawa atoll, is Bairiki.
A: Republic of Kiribati (pronounced either phonetically or as "KEER-uh-bahs") [or Ribaberikin Kiribati]
Q: With a name meaning "place of the young spring," this state underwent a large increase in population when copper was discovered in 1854 at Ajo and in 1877 in Bisbee. Seats in its legislature are dominated by representatives from Maricopa and Pima counties. For 10 points-name this state whose major cities include Flagstaff, Tucson, and Phoenix.
A: Arizona
Q: 2. Despite not flowing through Virginia, Thomas Jefferson described this river as the most beautiful in the United States in his Notes on the State of Virginia. Cities on this river, which served as the southern boundary of the Northwest Territory, include Paducah, Evansville, Louisville and Wheeling. Flowing 981 miles from western Pennsylvania to its mouth in Cairo, Illinois, for 10 points, identify this river that forms the northern border of Kentucky and West Virginia and the southern border of its namesake state.
A: Ohio River
Q: Big Pine lies between the Inyo Mountains and a range by this name, while the Pemigewasset River fed a feature in another range with this name, Cannon Peak's recently-collapsed Old Man of the Mountain. Besides those New Hampshire mountains, this adjective also describes a New Mexico area rich in Gypsum and namesake of a research site. Onega, Dvina, and Mezen bays indent a body of water with this name that is bounded by the Kola Peninsula and is home to the city of Arkangel'sk. For 10 points, identify this color which describes some "Sands" in the Southwest as well as Sea in Northern Russia that narrowly connects to the Baltic.
A: White
Q: 1. Evidence for its existence includes the Campbell Beach Ridge, the Blanchard and Herman beaches and the grooves in the Souris and Red River valleys. Other proofs are the topography of the Sheyenne and Assiniboine Rivers. It drained into Hudson Bay after the melting of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, but its remnants were left in North Dakota, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Minnesota and Manitoba. FTP, identify this largest of the glacial lakes, which was named for a 19th century Swiss geologist.
A: Lake Agassiz
Q: A period of orogeny named after this mountain range was the last event in the building of Pangaea. The central portion of this mountain range reaches its top height at Basegi and cradles part of the Ufa River. The southern end of this range is connected to the Mugodzar Hills and the Iremel Range. The Kama River rises from its western portion, and its namesake river flows into the (*) Caspian Sea. Vaygach Island and Novaya Zemlya are extensions of this mountain range, which runs from the Kara Sea in the north down to the northern border of Kazakhstan. For 10 points, name these mountains that run down western Russia, often considered a boundary between Europe and Asia.
A: Ural Mountains
Q: One mountain in this nation, Pico Espejo, is the site of the world's longest cable car, and its central region is called Los Llanos. One major river in this nation has its higher basin in Canaima National Park. This country contains the Caroni River, but its major river system has its mouth at Delta Amacuro. This nation's many (*) tepuis [TEP-wees] include Auyantepui [AW-yan-TEP-wee], which is the site of the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls. This country contains Lake Maracaibo, and its primary river is the Orinoco. For 10 points, name this South American country whose capital is Caracas.
A: Venezuela
Q: German schoolchildren know that Iller, Isar, Lech flow from the right and Altmuhl, Wornitz, Naab, and Regen flow from the left as seven of many tributaries arising from this river, whose delta is a designated World Heritage Site. For 10 points-name this European river which is nowhere near the "blue" color of a Johann Strauss waltz.
A: Danube River
Q: Explored in the late 1730s by Sieur de la Verendrye, this state receives most of its irrigaton and power from the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River. Home to the International Peace Garden, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and Fort Lincoln, it is currently considering changing its name to improve its image to tourists. For 10 points-name this state located between Montana and Minnesota.
A: North Dakota
Q: The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is located in this state, and it contains the Arbuckle and Ouachita Ranges. Its biggest lakes include Lake Texoma and Eufaula Lake, and its highest point its Black Mesa. The Glass Mountains rise in this state whose western border is near the Canadian River, along which the Antelope Hills lie. One of its well-known features includes Beaver (*) , Cimarron, and Texas Counties, and some of its cities are Lawton and Norman. For 10 points, name this state including Tulsa that lies north of Texas and has a panhandle.
A: Oklahoma
Q: Originally called Rio Dulce, or Sweet River by Spanish explorers, its Indian name was Isondega, or Blue Water. Formed by the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers at the Hartwell Dam, its main tributaries are the Broad and Little Rivers. It flows through the Clark Hill Reservoir before it passes near its namesake nuclear weapons site near Aiken. FTP, identify this southern river that forms the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina and enters the Atlantic in its namesake Georgia port city.
A: Savannah River
Q: An island off this island's coast, Uunartoq Qeqertoq, was discovered in 2007. Peary Land, the extreme north of this island, is too dry to maintain an ice sheet, and Cape Farewell is the only forested area on this island. Summit Camp is a year-round research station found on this island, located in the world's largest national park in the northeast of this island. Possessing the world's second largest ice sheet, for 10 points, identify this territory with capital at Nuuk that belongs to Denmark, the largest island in the world.
A: Greenland or Kalaallit Nunaat
Q: This nation owns the islands of the San Blas Archipelago, Taboga, and Coiba Island, home to a namesake species of howler monkey. Its southern portion extends along the Azuero Peninsula, featuring the fishing town of Pedasi and a region dubbed Arco Seco or the "Dry Arc." Its highest point is at Baru volcano, while the Bocas del Toro region in the northwest is home to indigenous Ngobe-Bugle or Guaymi peoples. It is indented by the Gulf of Chiriqui near its city of David, while native Choco peoples inhabit its eastern province of Darien, on its namesake gulf. That gulf sits east of the Pearl Islands of this nation, as featured on the TV show Survivor. FTP, name this country sandwiched between Costa Rica and Colombia, the site of a famous canal.
A: Panama
Q: Fry's Island and Canvey Island lie within this river with tributaries that include the Churn, Leach, Cole, Ray, and Windrush Rivers. T.S. Eliot makes many references to this river in part three of The Wasteland, and artists including Canaletto, Monet, Whistler, and JMW Turner have all based major works on this river. Ending after Teddington Lock near the lighthouse at Nore is, for 10 points, what river that empties into the North Sea and flows through central London?
A: River Thames
Q: One of these geographical features connects the Malay Peninsula with the mainland of Asia and is named Kra. Madison, Wisconsin and Seattle, Washington are both built on this geographic feature and the Karelian one is between Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland and connects Finland to Russia. In 1914, a canal was built through one of these to provide a passage from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean through the country of Panama. For 10 points, name this geographic feature, a small strip of land that connects two larger bodies of land.
A: isthmus
Q: Neuseider Lake can be found in this country, which also features the Arlberg Mountain range in this country's Tyrol province. The Danube River flows through this country's city of Linz before heading into this country's capital, which features the Schonbrunn Palace. Thoroughly covered by the Alps, this country's highest mountain is the aptly-named Grossglockner. Home country to the 1815 Conference that set the balance of power after the Napoleonic Wars, for 10 points, name this central European country with capital at Vienna.
A: Austria or Оsterreich
Q: The California sugar is among the largest, with a trunk diameter of between two and four meters, while the Monterey is used in reforesting because its seeds germinate under heat such as in a forest fire. The Weymouth is still the most economically valuable variety, but the least widely distributed variety in North America is the Torrey, found near San Diego. For 10 points-name this genus of coniferous tree.
A: pines [or Pinus]
Q: Although nowhere near Los Angeles, it has a very lengthy full name beginning with "The city of angels," although its name goes on to proclaim it "the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world...given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn." For 10 points-name this city across from Thon Buri on the Chao Phraya River in the Malay peninsula, the capital of Thailand.
A: Bangkok [or Krung Thep]
Q: Inhabitants of this mountain range call themselves the Shleuh. Its landmarks include Dades Gorge and Mount Chelia. It iss is divided into five subranges, and the highest peak in the system, Mount Toubkal, is fifty miles south of Marrakech. For 10 points-name this mountain range which covers much of northwest Africa.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: 2. Mount San Antonio is the tallest mountain in this state's San Gabriel Mountains. The highest point in this state, Mt. Whitney, is also the highest point in the contiguous United States. It contains the western shore of the largest alpine lake in North America. 5 hours to the south of Mt. Whitney lies the lowest point in North America. This third largest state in the U.S. contains Lake Tahoe and Death Valley. Its San Fernando Valley holds the majority of this state's most populous city, Los Angeles. For ten points, name this state with capital at Sacramento.
A: California
Q: The Front Range and Clark Range are branches of this larger mountain range. Yoho National Park and Jasper National Park lie within this range, which also contains the sources of the Peace and Fraser rivers. At its southern terminus, the Sierra Madre range begins. The highest peak in this range is Mt. Elbert, which lies in the same state as a more notable mountain in this range, Pikes Peak. Containing a namesake national park in Colorado, this is, for 10 points, which largest mountain range in the western United States?
A: Rocky Mountains or the Rockies
Q: Its waters are diverted to the Sunday and the Great Fish, with which it forms the world's longest irrigation tunnel. Its chief tributary is the Vaal, and it rises in the Maluti Mountains of northern Lesotho. It sometimes runs dry before reaching the Atlantic Ocean, because its lower portion runs through the Kalahari and Namib deserts. For 10 points-name this South African river with a colorful name.
A: Orange River
Q: Today, they are located near Ellef Ringnes Island and the Adelie Coast. One was first discovered by James Ross in 1831, several kilometers from where Byrd and Bennett flew over it in 1926. For 10 points-name these two extremes which determine the position of compass needles.
A: magnetic poles [prompt on partial answer]
Q: They do not have specific feather tracts but rather densely packed, scaly feathers. This name refers to eighteen species of birds, including the Gentoo, Humbolt, Chinstrap, and Macaroni. For 10 points-name the flightless, swimming bird whose natural habitat lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere.
A: penguin
Q: 2. Highlights of this city include the Athenee Palace Hotel where characters used to meet in a noted trilogy by Olivia Manning as well as the Otopeni International Airport. Its nightlife is centered in the blocks around its train station, the Gara de Nord, while this city's Palace of Parliament is the second largest building in the world and a living embodiment of megalomania. Named after its legendary shepherd founder, FTP, name this capital city that used to serve as a hangout for Nicolae Ceausescu.
A: Bucharest
Q: To the west of this mountain range lies the Pechora basin, which includes the Illych and Usa rivers, and to its east lies the Ob basin. This mountain range rises from the Kara Sea in the north, and its nether-polar region contains its highest peaks, including Mount Karpinsky, and the highest peak of this mountain range, Mount Narodnaya. During World War II, the Soviet authority moved many factories to its foothills, which have long been regarded as the major mineral base of Russia. For 10 points, identify this mountain range that is considered the natural boundary between northern Asia and Europe.
A: Ural Mountains or Uralskiye gory
Q: In 1949, the United Nations established a Line of Control, splitting this region into two districts with capitals at Muzaffarabad and Srinagar. The UN expected the Muslim population to determine its fate as a nation but has intervened twice after three wars over this territory. For 10 points-name this area on the border between India and Pakistan.
A: Jammu and Kashmir
Q: First, B-22. Then, C-19, and now D-17, which was once part of the Lazarev Shelf in the Liddell Sea. All have detached over the past year, but the trend may cease due to recently reported thickening. For 10 points-name these large masses of frozen water and snow.
A: icebergs
Q: It was a flood of this river, as well as his non-existence, that prevented the Nestorian king-priest Prester John from capturing Jerusalem from the Saracens according to the medieval legend about him. The Ilisu Dam is a controversial project proposed to be built on this river at the border of Sirnak and Mardin provinces. If constructed, it would flood the archaeological site at Hasankeyf, an ancient ford of this river. The low-lying flats of this river nourish the stupendous watermelons of Diyarbakir. Saddam Hussein's hometown is named after this river, and the ancient capitals of Seleucia and Ctesiphon are built on opposite sides of this river, 35 kilometers south of the modern capital of Baghdad. For ten points, name the eastern one of the rivers that define Mesopotamia, which forms the Shatt-al-Arab when it joins the Euphrates.
A: Tigris River
Q: 3. The main body of this river is fed from the north by the Loup River, which irrigates the small town of Genoa. One of its principal tributaries flows through towns like Julesburg and Sterling after the initial course takes it through Waterton Canyon and an impound at Chatfield Reservoir. Its other main tributary passes through Gering and Scottsbluff and is impounded by Kingsley Dam, which results in Lake Ogallala and Lake McConaughy, its state's largest lake. This river flows south of the Sand Hills grassland region, underneath major cities like Grand Island, Fremont, and Columbus. FTP, name this river which meets the Missouri River south of Omaha, the major watershed of the Great Plains of Nebraska.
A: Platte River (do not accept North Platte or South Platte)
Q: Its tributaries include the Drava River in Croatia and the Tisza River in Serbia, the latter of which forms the border of Hungary and Slovakia. Flowing through ten nations before emptying into the Black Sea between Romania and Ukraine, this 1,771 mile long river passes through four European capitals, including Bratislava, Belgrade and Budapest. Originating near the town of Donaueschingen in the Black Forest of Germany, for ten points, identify this river that also flows through Vienna, Europe's second longest river.
A: Danube River [or Donau, Dunaj, or Dunay]
Q: This landmark is named after a barnstorming bush pilot from Missouri who sighted it in 1933. It flows over the tabletop mountain Auyan-tepui, past a replica of its namesake's Falamingo monoplane. For 10 points-name this Venezeulan waterfall, the world's highest.
A: Angel Falls
Q: TOSSUP Cinder cones and volcanic surfaces still dot parts of it, and the US government founded a geothermal plant there in the late 1970s. Within it are the low-level nuclear waste site of Ward Valley as well as Edwards Air Force Base. The Sonoran desert borders it to the southeast, and the Sierra Nevadas are to the north and west. For 10 points-name this desert, home to Joshua Tree National Park and Death Valley.
A: Mojave Desert
Q: Created in 1938 by the construction of Parker Dam, it has 450 miles of shoreline. It lies 150 miles south of Las Vegas and 200 miles northwest of Phoenix and supplies water to nearly twenty million people. For 10 points-name this body of water which is the current home of London Bridge.
A: Lake Havasu
Q: The Goyder Channel joins the northern and southern parts of this lake, and its southeastern coast consists of sand cliffs. The Tirari and Simpson Deserts border it to the north and east, and the main islands found within it are Brooks and Dulhunty. For 10 points-name this often dry lake, which, at fifteen feet below sea level, is the lowest point in Australia.
A: Lake Eyre
Q: A leading producer of cutlery since the fourteenth century, it lies at the confluence of the Don River and four tributaries. The first Bessemer-process steelworks were built here, and it also boasts the Mappin Art Gallery and Weston Park. For 10 points-name this central English at the foot of the Pennines east of Manchester.
A: Sheffield
Q: In the Old Testament it is called Chinneroth, while in the New Testament it is referred to as Genesaret, and its name in modern Arabic is Bahr Tabariyeh. Thirteen miles long and six miles wide, its eastern shores form part of the border with Syria. For 10 points-name this body of water whose seasonal droughts restrict Israel's water supply, a widening of the Jordan River.
A: Sea of Galilee
Q: The capital of this country hosts the so-called Republic of Uzhupis. Occupying the northern part of the Curonian Spit, its main port was once known as Memel. Its current second city, Kaunas, was an interwar capital, as the current capital was in the hands of Poland. For 10 points, name this country on the north of Kaliningrad, northeast of Poland, and northwest of Belarus, whose other border on the south of Latvia makes it the southernmost of the three Baltic republics.
A: Republic of Lithuania [or Lietuva; or Lietuvos Respublika]
Q: The Purgatoire is a tributary of this river, which flows through Garden City and Dodge City in Kansas and approaches Tulsa in Oklahoma. For 15 points, name this river which goes through Van Buren and Pine Bluff in its eponymous state.
A: Arkansas River
Q: Its lowest point is the St. Francis River at 230 feet, while its highest point is the modest Taum Sauk Mountain. Visiting baseball fans might enjoy a Farmington Firebirds game before taking I-55 and I-70 to see the River City Rascals of O'Fallon; however, this trip would pass through this state's most populous metropolitan area. It has a panhandle called the "heel of the boot." For 10 points, name this state that is home to Columbia, Springfield, Independence, and St. Louis.
A: Missouri
Q: Among the islands in this body of water is Bois Blanc Island, and across the Main Channel from Cape Hurd are Fitzwilliam and Manitoulin Islands, bordered on the northeast by the Georgian Bay. Cities on this body of water include Alpena, Port Austin, and Tawas City. Its namesake river empties into this lake's Saginaw Bay, coming through Flint. For 10 points, Lake Michigan is separated by the Straits of Mackinac from what other Great Lake, which borders Michigan and Ontario?
A: Lake Huron
Q: Of the three countries which border the Gulf of Fonseca, this one has the longest shoreline on that body. The ruins of Copan and Mount Las Minas may be found in this country, which has several prominent cities beside the capital, including the capital's twin city of Comayaguela and the industrial center of San Pedro Sula. For 10 points, name this country which borders Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
A: Republic of Honduras [or Republica de Honduras]
Q: Including the large Lake Orumieh in its northwest, this country controls Minoo and Larak Islands, and a 2007 IMF survey found that the exodus of educated professionals from this country gives it the highest "brain drain" in the world. Divided into provinces known as ostan, this country has a capital that lies at the feet of the Elburz Mountains, and it borders the Balochistan province of Pakistan. For 10 points, name this only country to border both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, an "Islamic Republic" found to the east of Iraq.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran
Q: A city in this country is home to Sankore University and Mosque, while its largest river flows past Segou and Mopti. It is also the site of Gao, the onetime Songhai capital, and Djenne, the site of a notable mud-built mosque. Arguably its most famous city is a town now a backwater of 32,000 people and its capital is located, as are many cities in this country, on the Niger River. For 10 points, name this country dominated by the Sahara, a former French colony that is the location of Timbuktu and Bamako.
A: Mali
Q: They are native to Malaysia, and almost all of those produced in the United States are descended from the farm of Eliza Tibbets. They were first brought to the U.S. by the same man who started the American wine industry, William Wilfskill. The deep red color of the Maltese variety has led it to be known as the "blood" kind of these; other types include the Jaffa. The Seville kind is notably sour, but is often processed into marmalade. For 10 points, name this citrus fruit which also comes in "Valencia" and "navel" varieties.
A: oranges [accept navel oranges before "Maltese" is read]
Q: Forming the divide between the Hudson and St. Lawrence watersheds, they were uplifted a mere five million years ago. Forty-six summits above four thousand feet have made this range popular with climbers, who scales Mounts Marcy and Tahawus. For 10 points, a six-million acre state park bounded to the east by Lake Champlain is coterminous with what range, the southernmost part of the Canadian Shield, located in New York and New England?
A: Adirondacks Mountains
Q: Home to such institutions as the Iliff School of Theology and Regis University, this city's art museum hired Daniel Libeskind to add a titanium-wrapped wing in 2006. Built around Sloan and Marson Lakes, and found to the east of the Front Range, it includes the meeting of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. For 10 points, name this capital, located about halfway between Fort Collins and Pueblo, where the statehouse was erected at exactly 5,280 feet above sea level.
A: Denver, Colorado
Q: Four of this state's southern counties joined with the north of a neighboring state in a 1941 attempt to found the "State of Jefferson." Home to the Malheur and Umatilla National Forests and the noteworthy John Day Fossil Beds, its Deschutes National Forest is the site of the Three Sisters peaks. Fort Clatsop in this state hosted the Lewis and Clark expedition and is close to the site of the present-day city of Astoria. For 10 points, name this state home to Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, and cities such as Eugene, Salem, and Portland.
A: Oregon
Q: The subrange of the Rockies by this name includes the Guadalupe and Sierra Blanca Peaks. The river of this name receives the McCloud and Feather and flows from the Klamath Mountains to join with the San Joaquin near Suisun Bay. The city of this name has such suburbs as Citrus Heights and Roseville and is thirty miles southwest of Folsom Lake. For 10 points, name this city, home to historical exhibits about the discovery of gold forty-five miles away at Sutter's Mill, and to a governor's mansion that no governor since Ronald Reagan has actually lived in.
A: Sacramento
Q: Many of this country's farms are near the Niari River. This country's major airport is found at Maya Maya, and its capital, which is found on the west of the Malebo Pool, includes such neighborhoods as Poto-Poto and Makelekele. Point-Noire is a major Atlantic port of this country, which is found to the north of the enclave of Cabinda and is the only eastern neighbor of Gabon. For 10 points, name this country whose entire eastern border abuts a much larger and similarly named "democratic republic."
A: Republic of the Congo [or Republique du Congo; or Congo-Brazzaville; prompt on the Congo]
Q: One of this country's largest cities is located on the Bahlui River and is home to the Church of the Three Hierarchs. Divided into such regions as Muntenia and Banat, this home country of the Apuseni Mountains has most of its northeastern border is formed by the Prut River. In addition to such urban centers as Iasi, its cities include Constanta, which is found in this country's southeast and is a port on the Black Sea. For 10 points, name this country formed from joining such historical places as Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania.
A: Romania
Q: Its major ocean ports include Cutuco and La Libertad, and this country's provinces include Morazan and Sonsonate. Bisected by the Lempa River, it still disputes owner ship of Coneja Island in the Gulf of Fonseca with its eastern neighbor. For 10 points, name this country bordering Honduras, Guatemala, and the Pacific Ocean, the only Central American country with no coast on the Carribean and the smallest state in that area.
A: El Salvador
Q: The Ilısu Dam, part of the GAP Project, is set to put many historical sites along the banks of this river, including the city of Hasankeyf, under water. Known as the Dijlah in both of the countries through which it flows, it was once home to ancient cities such as Ctesiphon, the eastern Seleucia, and Nineveh. For 10 points, cities such as Mosul and Tikrit are now on the border of what Turkish and Iraqi river, which forms the Shatt al-Arab with the Euphrates?
A: Tigris River [accept Dijlah before it is read]
Q: Quiberon Bay and the megalith sites of Kerzerho and Carnac lie in this region, which is bounded on its north and east by the Gulf of St. Malo. The departments (day-par-mon) of Ille-et-Vilaine (eel-ay-velahn), Cotes-d'Armor, Morbihan, and Finistere are found here, though it no longer contains a city known in this region's historical language as Naoned and to others as Nantes (nans). Cities such as Quimper, Rennes, and Brest are still found here. For 10 points, identify this peninsular, westernmost region of France, named for its longtime connection to England.
A: Brittany [or Bretagne; or Breizh; or Bertaygne]
Q: One of its major southeastern towns is found on the Hyblaei Hills, and much of its agriculture takes place on the Plain of Catania. Madonie Park is a major preserve in its north, and this home to such provinces as Enna and Raguse has such major urban areas as Noto. The autonomous region dominated by this territory also includes Pelagie, Panteleria, Egadi, and Lipari. For 10 points, name this home to Mount Etna and Syracuse, an island found across the Strait of Messina from the city of Reggio on the southwest of the mainlaind of Italy.
A: Sicily [or Sicilia]
Q: South of this country lies the Gulf of Amatique, while its north borders the Bay of Chetumal. It is home to such ruins as Lubaantun, Xunantunich (shoo-nahn-TOO-nitch), and Caracol. Tourists flock to coral reefs on offshore islands such as Ambergris Cay, but not to the miniscule city which became its new capital after Hurricane Hattie destroyed the old one. For 10 points, what country, once known as British Honduras, has a mere twelve thousand people living in Belmopan?
A: Belize
Q: Lakes found in this geographic feature tend to be of two very different types: either mineral and located below sea level, or very deep and biologically diverse, forming the heads of river systems like the Ruhuhu. The Beqaa Valley is one part of this geographical feature, whose generally violent history is explained by its fertility, most recently following the 2007 Kenyan Presidential election. South of the Beqaa, it is known as the Hula Valley between Lake Tiberias and the Golan Heights. Both valleys are part of the Dead Sea Transform, which also includes the Gulf of Aqaba and meets the Red Sea Transform south of the Sinai Peninsula. The Olduvai Gorge is in the Eastern branch of this feature; the Western branch includes Lakes Kivu and Tanganyika. For ten points, what is this geographical feature marking the boundary of the Arabian and African plates?
A: Great Rift Valley ( prompt on "rift valley")
Q: To commemorate the 2010 bicentennial of its salt mines, a polluted tributary of this river was dyed Uriburu Green. It's not Tampa, but a city along this river created the longest continuous sidewalk in the world inspired by Barcelona's Rambla. A dialect named for this river is used by the poet Oscar Conde and includes terms named after "Lombard villainy." This river's estuary is bounded by a line that runs from Cabo San Antonio to Punta del Este. The Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled in this river after the first naval battle of World War II. The most spoken dialect to use "vos" in place of "tu" originated along this river in neighborhoods like Palermo. The Superclasico is played between a team named for this body of water and Boca Juniors. For 10 points, the tango developed in dance halls along what river whose estuary borders Montevideo and Buenos Aires?
A: Rio de la Plata [or Plate River; accept Rioplatense Spanish]
Q: A namesake railway and the Boyd-Roosevelt Highway run parallel to its entire length. Flamenco Island is found just southeast of its mouth, and it incorporates the Gaillard Cut. Before passing by such cities as Paraiso and Cocoli, it moves northeast around Barro Colorado Island after widening into Lake Gatun. For 10 points, name this channel which moved out of U.S. control in 1999 and eliminated the need to sail around Cape Horn by providing a path from the Carribean to the Pacific through a certain isthmus.
A: the Panama Canal
Q: One place called this is a red light district on the right bank of the Elbe. The Vila Olimpia is an upscale district of another city called this, which also features the cable-stayed Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge over the Pinheiros River. The Pinheiros flows into the Tiete just downstream of the bridge, and though this place is only about 20 kilometers from the coast, the Tiete flows west, where it eventually meets the Pirana. The Edificio Copan, located in that same city, is the largest residential building by square footage in the world and was designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Pig's Eye Lake is an artificial body of water in another place called this, which also features the Fitzgerald Theater and a Cass Gilbert-designed state capitol building. For ten points, what is this place name, one of which is located at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers and another of which is the largest city in Brazil?
A: St. Paul (accept Sao Paulo)
Q: Off this country's southwest shore lie such islands it controls as Poula Wai and Kaoh Rung, while its northeast extends to a point at the end of Rotanah Kiri province. Its largest lake normally outflows across the Veal Poc plain and receives such tributaries as the Sreng and Sen. The cities of Pursat and Siemreab are found in the basin of that lake. For 10 points, name this country, whose eastern portion is watered by the Mekong River, which joins the outflow from Tonle Sap at Phnom Penh.
A: Cambodia
Q: This state's natural features include the Basaseachic waterfall and Copper Canyon. Its namesake capital is found in the Sierra Madre Occidental and is home to Quinta Luz, a former home of Pancho Villa. Delicias City and Hidalgo del Parral are other cities in this state. It is found between Coahulia on its east, Durango on its south, and Sinaloa and Sonora on its west. For 10 points, name this state, the largest in Mexico, which is home to Ciudad Juarez on the south of the Rio Grande and shares its name with a breed of dog.
A: Chihuahua
Q: In this city, Paul Sinoir ("sih-nwar") designed a blue Cubist villa that was restored by Yves Saint-Laurent, who had his ashes scattered in its rose garden. Winston Churchill's only painting created during World War II depicts this city's Kutubiyya Mosque. Juan Goytisolo ("goy-tee-SO-loh") lived the last two decades of his life in this city and praised a gathering space from an unfinished mosque that became UNESCO's ("yoo-NESS-ko's") first Masterpiece site for oral tradition. Abdullah al-Ghalib rebuilt this city's Ben Youssef Madrasa, which is one of the few remaining buildings in the Saadian style. Visitors can enjoy this city's signature lamb soup tangia and listen to Berber performers in its Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace. The Almoravids built this city's signature red walls while it was their capital, but it was later eclipsed by Fez and Rabat. For 10 points, name this central Moroccan city in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains.
A: Marrakesh [or Marrakech or Murrakush or Mrrakc]
Q: One mountain range called this includes the Pico de Orizaba, the third-highest peak in North America. That range is volcanic and dormant, as is the range by this name that straddles the border of Chile and Argentina. By contrast, another range by this name arose during the Alpine Orogeny at the collision zone of the African and Eurasian plates; the highest peak of that range is Mulhacen. The southern end of a different mountain range called this lies west of the Owens Valley and is drained by the Feather and Merced Rivers. That range was formed after comparatively recent volcanism on the western margin of the Basin and Range caused the upthrust of an eponymous batholith. For ten points, give this name that the range containing Mount Lyell and Mount Whitney shares with others once contained in the Spanish empire, whose name means "snowy mountain range."
A: Sierra Nevada
Q: Three-foot wooden sculptures carved by the Kerewe are found on the largest island in this body of water, which receives the Kagera River and extends into the Kavirondo Gulf. Also including such portions as Emin Pasha Gulf and Speke Gulf, this lake is home to the Sese Archipelago. From its north near Jinja, it gives water to a river that goes through Lake Kyoga. For 10 points, name this lake on whose shores Kampala, Entebbe, and various towns of Kenya and Tanzania sit, and supplies water via that northern river that ultimately forms the White Nile.
A: Lake Victoria
Q: An elevated section of this state's northeast includes Round Mountain and Armidale; arising near Tamworth, that mountainous area is known as the New England Tableland. In its southeastern Riverina district, the Murrumbidgee River flows past Wagga Wagga. It also entirely surrounds Jervis Bay. For 10 points, name this state, which is found south of Queensland, east of South Australia, and north of Victoria, and which has a Pacific Coast on which its cities of Port Macquarie and Sydney lie.
A: New South Wales
Q: This state's western Beaverhead County includes Monida Pass and the Pioneer Mountains, while a Chinook wind here caused the greatest recorded 24 hour temperature change in 1974. Trapper Peak in this state lies east of another state's Selway River, and is the highest peak of the Bitterroot Range. George Crook and Marcus Reno participated in a battle named for a body of water in this state, whose most famous national park contains Triple Divide Peak and Going-to-the-Sun Road. The phrase "I will fight no more forever" was delivered after a retreat to this state by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce. For 10 points, identify this site of Little Bighorn and Glacier Park, home tp Billings, Butte, and Helena.
A: Montana
Q: A result of the Petermann Orogeny, this feature was at the center of a fierce battle by the Central Land Committee eventually mediated by Bob Hawke. Ernest Giles discovered the nearby Finke River and Lake Amadeus, and may have been out-publicized for the discovery of this feature by William Gosse, who mapped it after heading North from Mount Woodroffe in the Musgrave Mountains. Similar to the Kata Tjuta and Conner features, it lies in the Southwest corner of a state that is also home to the MacDonnel range. For 10 points, identify this feature located in near Alice Springs the Northern Territory, a distinctive Australian rock formation.
A: Ayers Rock [or Uluru]
Q: Thousands of gymnasts flock to this city to learn under Gabby Douglas's mentor, Liang Chow. To prevent Halloween vandalism in the 1930s, this city's Playground Commission encouraged residents to only give out candy after trick-or-treaters told a joke. Jaume Plensa's Nomade is in a garden in this city named for the Pappajohn family. This city's Henry Wallace House is in its Sherman Hill District. This city's tallest building is owned by the insurance conglomerate Principal. The World Food Prize is administered from this city by the estate of Norman Borlaug. Waukee and Ankeny are suburbs of this city, the site of a state fair where Norma Lyon crafted hundreds of butter cows. The largest gold dome in the US is on a building in this city that [emphasize] replaced the "Old Capitol," which is now part of its state's flagship university, represented by the Hawkeyes. For 10 points, name this capital of Iowa.
A: Des Moines ("duh MOIN")
Q: A binational effort between Brazil and Paraguay centered on building one named for Itaipu Island. William Wilcox oversaw the creation of one of these first attempted by Alhazen, which created the Toshhka Lakes and the subject of the New Valley Project, a body named for the leader of the Free Officers Movement. The destruction of the Shen Nong Hanging Coffins and extinction of the Baiji dolphin have resulted from the creation of one of these in Hubei province. For 10 points, name these structures which often provide hydroelectric power, whose examples include the Aswan and Three Gorges, as well as one in the United States named for Hoover.
A: Dams
Q: Fathers in this ethnic group distribute wealth before dying and receiving a predator burial to avoid the curse of engooki. Newborns in this ethnic group are isolated in huts called inkajijik ("in-kah-jih-jik") for "three moons," after which they are named and have their heads shaved. This ethnic group's traditional god appears black when benevolent and red when spiteful and is named Enkai. Men of this ethnicity performing the adamu dance participate in a jumping contest. People of this ethnicity created the elongo shield and wear red blankets called shuka. A region named for this ethnic group and "spots" of bushy trees is the endpoint of the Great Migration of wildebeest. In 2022, people of this ethnicity were evicted from the Ngorongoro ("nn-gore-on-gore-oh") Conservation Area, part of their traditional cattle grazing lands on the Serengeti. For 10 points, name this nomadic ethnic group of Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania.
A: Maasai [or Wamasai; accept Maasai Mara]
Q: Ulysses Grant dispatched Horace Capron to establish an agricultural system on this island, the birthplace of Koshamain, which is home to its country's first musical road. The islands of of Rebun and Rishiri lie off the coast of this land mass, while to its North the La Perouse Strait separates it from the Kuril islands, Sakhalin, and the Sea of Okhotsk. Reached from its larger Southern neighbor via the massive Seikan Tunnel across the Tsugaru Strait, for 10 points, name this traditional home of the Ainu people with capital at Sapporo, a Japanese island to the North of Honshu.
A: Hokkaido [or Yezo]
Q: Torry, Ritta, and Kreamer islands lie in this body of water, the namesake of the 1928 San Felipe Segundo hurricane. Fed by Taylor Creek and the Kissimmee River, this body is the namesake of an 1837 victory for Zachary Taylor over Bowlegs that sought to enforced the provisions of the Treaty of Payne's Landing. It spans several counties, including Hendry, Martin, and Palm Beach, and is second only to Lake Michigan in size among US freshwater lakes. For 10 Points, identify this lake which comprises the headwaters of the Everglades, located in Florida.
A: Lake Okeechobee [prompt on the Lake or the Big O]
Q: The manifesto "Crabs with Brains" supports this state's modern-day music revival of manguebeat ("mon-GHEH-beet"). Dancers from this state carry a massive cloth doll called a calunga in maracatu ("mar-ah-cah-too") dances and use an umbrella in frevo ("FRAY-voo") performances. It's not Curacao, but the oldest synagogue in the Americas is in this state, whose blue-on-white flag originated from the 1817 Priest's Revolution here. In 2011, the largest festival in the world was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and held in this state's city of Caruaru ("cah-roo-ah-roo"). A high concentration of spinner dolphins live near this state's archipelago of Fernando de Noronha ("Fernando jee no-ROAN-yah"). This state's city of Olinda ("oh-LEEN-dah") rivals its capital, which is often compared to Venice due to its widespread canals. This home state of Lula da Silva shares its name with an orange-red wood used for violin bows. For 10 points, name this northeastern Brazilian state whose capital is Recife ("heh-SEE-fee").
A: Pernambuco [accept pernambuco wood; accept Pernambucan Revolt or Pernambuco Revolution]
Q: The Swedish explorer Sven Hedin discovered the lost Buddhist town of Dandan Oilik in this desert. Another of its great explorers was the Hungarian Aurel Stein, who discovered documents revealing the lost Tocharian language in its town of Miran. A popular but apocryphal explanation of its name claims it translates to "you can go in but cannot get out." This desert is bounded to the south by the Kunlun Mountains, to the north by the (*) Tien Shan, and to the west by the Pamirs. It makes up the greatest portion of the Tarim Basin. The Silk Road dodged this desert by forking into northern and southern branches. This second largest shifting sand desert in the world is located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. For 10 points, name this largest desert completely within China.
A: Taklamakan Desert
Q: Description acceptable. Stefan Thomke's extensive research on people performing this job connects a misleading statistic about them to a 1999 Six Sigma certification by Forbes. A code similar to RFID developed for this job appears in a Hub and Spoke system with a central number representing a destination train station like Churchgate. In one city, the majority of performers of this job are still members of the Warkari ("var-kar-ee") movement from Pune ("POO-nuh") who would travel to the Ballard Pier for work. A man with this job relays letters between a widowed accountant and a lonely wife in a 2013 film directed by Ritesh Batra. People with this job have a uniform consisting of a white kurta and topi. People with this job travel to Nariman Point or Colaba via train or bicycle before returning boxes to customers' homes. For 10 points, Mumbai's dabbawalas ("duh-BAH-wah-luhz") perform what job that involves carrying tiffin boxes?
A: food delivery [or word forms such as delivering food; accept meals or lunch in place of "food"; accept lunch dabbawalas or tiffin wallahs until "dabbawalas" is read; prompt on delivery or synonyms by asking "of what?"; reject "grocery delivery"] (The film is The Lunchbox.)
Q: Matthew Edney compared this discipline to pornography, citing an image of the Virgin Mary created by Vincente de Memije. A scholar in this discipline becomes obsessed with his mistress's birthmarks in a "Fantastic" series by Francois Schuiten ("fran-SWAH SKOY-ten") and Benoit Peeters ("ben-NWAH PEE-ters"). The product of this discipline is compared to an "uneven dialogue" tilted to the elite in a Brian Harley paper on "Knowledge and Power." Photozincography allowed for the first major projects in this discipline by Britain's OS. Loxodromes are created in the marine subfield of this discipline by ECDIS. Modern deconstruction of this discipline criticizes plagiarism deterrents called paper towns and conformal images. This discipline inputs cadastral surveys into GIS software to produce images adjusted for projection. For 10 points, name this discipline of creating maps.
A: cartography [accept gynocartography; prompt on making maps or equivalents by asking "what is the name of the field?"; prompt on making nautical charts or equivalents; prompt on geography; prompt on geoinformatics; prompt on surveying until "surveys" is read; prompt on GIS or ArcGIS by asking "used in what discipline?"] (de Memije's image depicted the Virgin Mary imposed over the Spanish Empire. The second sentence refers to Cities of the Fantastic. Harley wrote "Maps, Knowledge, and Power." The OS is the Ordnance Survey.)
Q: During this activity, singers called nahham ("nah-HAHM") performed bahri ("bah-ree") songs that evolved into the genre of fidjeri ("FIDGE-ree") music. "Skinning" after this activity was perfected by Moro villagers of Jolo loyal to the Sultan of Sulu. Forced chastity was believed to improve Lucayan slaves' performance in this activity on Venezuela's Cubagua ("koo-BAH-gwah") island. Greased cotton and tortoise shells aid in this activity undertaken by the Paravar people around the Gulf of Mannar ("muh-NAR"). A pidgin language named for luggers has emerged in this activity's global center at Broome in Western Australia. Mikimoto Kokichi's seeding innovations led to a higher demand of amas ("AH-mahs") for this activity in Ise ("ee-SAY") Bay. A trail including the Bu Mahir Fort commemorates this activity on Bahrain's Muharraq ("moo-HAH-rahk") Island. For 10 points, people who perform what activity "naked," or without specialized equipment, may risk decompression sickness while retrieving a prized good from mollusks?
A: pearl fishing [or pearling; or pearl diving; or pearl harvesting; or word forms such as fishing for pearls; accept Bahrain Pearling Trail; accept Pearling Path; prompt on fishing or diving or word forms by asking "for what?"]
Q: These geographical features commonly name a sickness caused by Coccidioides ("cock-sid-ee-OY-deez") fungi observed among the laborers who worked with "scrapers" that evolved into the first bulldozers. The Delta smelt is a threatened fish found in an estuary in one of these features that includes the Eastside Streams. An upwarping of Earth's crust below one of these features is called the Stockton Arch. Tule ("TOO-lee") grass wetlands produce namesake radiation fog in one of these features that has been continually sinking in cities like Corcoran due to groundwater-based agriculture. The "Golden Empire" is a nickname for one of these features whose southern Tulare Basin contains Fresno. The cities of Burbank and Calabasas are located in one of these features named for San Fernando. For 10 points, uptalk characterizes an often stereotyped accent named for what type of feature in Southern California?
A: valleys [accept San Fernando Valley; accept Valley girls or Valleyspeak or Valley accent; accept Central Valley or Great Valley; accept San Joaquin Valley; accept Sacramento Valley; accept Valley Fever]
Q: In the 2010s, the government of this island initiated two heavily criticized cullings of tens of thousands of its namesake flying foxes. Flowers endemic to a southwestern peninsula on this island where dozens of maroons jumped to their death include the mandrinette and this island's national flower, the boucle d'oreille ("BOO-kluh dor-RAY"). An "underwater waterfall" illusion occurs near that spot on this island, Le Morne Brabant ("luh morn brah-bawn"). The oldest botanical garden in the Southern Hemisphere is named for this island's district of Pamplemousses ("pomp-luh-moose"). Bernardin de Saint Pierre's time on this island was the basis of his novel Paul et Virginie, in which it is referred to as Ile de France ("eel duh frawnce"). This island, which names the largest plurality-Hindu African country, was home to an animal eaten to extinction by Dutch sailors. For 10 points, name this Mascarene island whose largest city is Port Louis ("loo-ee") and which was once home to the dodo bird.
A: Mauritius ("muh-RISH-us") [or Maurice; or Moris; accept Ile de France or Isle de France until read; accept Mauritian flying fox or Mauritius fruit bat]
Q: Falling water levels at this lake prompted the construction of the controversial Bujagali hydroelectric plant. Valuable fishing rights spurred a recent border dispute over this lake's one acre Migingo Island. In 2007 and 2008, the region around this lake was the site of over thirty albino killings which were condemned by Jakaya Kikwete. Many of those albinos lived on its largest island, (*) Ukerewe. Rivers that empty into this lake include the Simivu, the Mara, and the Grummeti, which feeds Speke Gulf. This lake's largest inflow is the Kagera River, and settlements along its shores include Mwanza, Bukoba, Jinja, and Entebbe. This lake's major outflows are the Katonga River and the White Nile. For 10 points, name this lake shared by Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, the largest lake in Africa.
A: Lake Victoria
Q: In the 19th century, wealthy bourgeoisie in this city built tall but skinny single-family homes known as "master's houses." The artist Carey Young secretly filmed lawyers working in a large building in this city that cost 10 times architect Joseph Poelaert's original budget. The protagonist of W. G. Sebald's novel Austerlitz searches for masonic symbols in this city's Palais de Justice ("pah-LAY duh zhoo-STEECE"). This city lends its name to a verb describing the wanton destruction of historic buildings. This city claims to be home to the world's first Art Nouveau building, the Hotel Tassel, which was designed by Victor Horta. Words such as "Gymnich" and "trilogues" are characteristic of a unique form of English spoken by non-native Eurocrats in this city's Berlaymont Building. For 10 points, name this city whose European Quarter contains the administrative center of the EU.
A: Brussels [or Ville de Bruxelles; or Stad Brussel; accept Brusselization]
Q: The success of Gooderham and Worts brewing company in this city prompted the restoration of the area of well-preserved Victorian architecture that comprises its Distillery District. Attractions in this city include Sir Henry Pellatt's massive castle called Casa Loma. It is the largest city in an urban zone known as the "Golden Horseshoe." Its inner harbor is shielded by a namesake archipelago which includes Algonquin, Muggs, and (*) Centre Island. Two rows of ten submerged fountains are at the heart of its business district at Dundas Square. This city was originally bounded by the Don and Humber Rivers, and its busiest road is Yonge Street, which starts at the shore of Lake Ontario. Originally named York, for 10 points, name this capital of Ontario and largest city in Canada.
A: Toronto
Q: This island is the only home of the Red-billed Streamertail, a hummingbird that is known locally as the Doctor Bird. The Christian sect of Bedwardism is almost exclusively practiced on this island. Its northern coast contains the staircase-like waterfall known as Dunn's River Falls, which is near its town of Ocho Rios. Known to its original inhabitants as the "Land of Wood and Water," this island includes the region of Cockpit Country, which has served as the site of many (*) slave rebellions because of its rigid Karst topography. It is divided into three counties, which are in turn divided into fourteen parishes. This island's highest point is at Blue Mountain Peak, and it is indented by the Portland Bite, Anotto Bay, Morant Bay, and Montego Bay. For 10 points, name this Caribbean island that is home to the Rastafari movement and has its capital at Kingston.
A: Jamaica
Q: This country includes very loud waves at Boka Pistol in part of its Shete Boka national park. That part of this country uses the peels of the lahara orange to produce a namesake blue liqueur. Maho Beach in this country is a popular place to spot planes landing on the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport, which also features flights to this country's island of Saba. The Arawakan language is believed to have influenced the (*) Papiamento creole currently spoken in constituent countries of this country. This country shares with France the island of Saint Martin and also controls the ABC islands that formed its namesake Antilles until 2010. For 10 points, name this European country which contains the islands of Curacao and Aruba in addition to its capital, Amsterdam.
A: The Netherlands [or Holland; prompt on Curacao, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Aruba, or Bonaire]
Q: This ethnic group's gievrie ("GEEAYV-reeay") drum, based around a frame, and goavddis ("GOEAHVD-dees") drum, based around a bowl, often show a sun cross in the center. This ethnic group's flag contains a red and blue circle against a red and blue field divided by green and yellow stripes. Traditional songs called joik ("YOYK") come from this ethnic group. Shamans from this ethnic group, among which Laestadianism ("leh-STAHD-ee-uhn-ism") began, are called (*) noaidi ("NOEAH-ee-dee"). The Chernobyl incident led traditional meat of this ethnic group to be destroyed because of excessive radiation from cesium. This ethnic group speaks languages such as Pite, Lule, Skolt, Inari, and Kildin, which the word tundra comes from, and lives around Rovaniemi ("ROE-vuh-nee-uh-mee") and Troms ("TROOMS"). For 10 points, name this reindeer-herding ethnic group of Northern Scandinavia.
A: Samit [accept Saami or Sapmi or Sapmelas or Same; accept Lapps or Lappic or Lappish or Lappland but note that these names are considered derogatory by many Sami people; do not accept "Swedes" or "Swedish" or "Norwegians" or "Finns" or "Finnish"]
Q: The French priests Laval and Caret were expelled from this island, where the London missionary George Pritchard controversially pulled down a flag to symbolize objection to the French presence. This island's "moral state" was the subject of a pamphlet published in the South African Christian Recorder by Robert FitzRoy and Charles Darwin, who applauded the work of missionaries on this island during a stopover on the Beagle voyage. In 1769 Charles Green observed the (*) transit of Venus from this island as part of the Endeavour expedition, which employed Tupaia, an indigenous nobleman from this island, as a guide to the vast expanses of the Pacific. For 10 points, what island colonized by France in the 1840s is now the most populous in French Polynesia?
A: Tahiti (accept The Moral State of Tahiti)
Q: Description acceptable Archaeological remains from this community include the "Burgundian cap" found in one of its cemeteries and the ruins of the so-called "farm beneath the sand." It has been speculated that residents of this place may have been bought out by an Anglo-Azorean syndicate of lumber merchants, enslaved to raise bananas on Madeira, or pillaged by marauding Basque pirates. Jared Diamond's Collapse discusses the difficulty of raising cattle in this place, whose residents relied on goats as their primary livestock. Hans Egede's Hope expedition unsuccessfully searched for (*) missing residents of this place. The sandstone church of Gardar was the cathedral of this place, whose final appearance in the documentary record is the notation of a wedding at Hvalsey church in 1408. The "Eastern Settlement" and "Western Settlement" were the two primary divisions of, for 10 points, what North Atlantic outpost colonized by Eric the Red?
A: Norse Greenland (prompt on "Greenland"; accept equivalent answers indicating Greenland in the Viking age or late medieval period; accept Eastern Settlement or Western Settlement before "Eastern")
Q: The SOCAR towers in this country's capital is composed of two towers of different heights that curve around each other as they rise; that capital of this country is the largest city below sea level. This country's national language uses an upside-down letter e to represent the sound /æ/ ["a" in that]. This country contains the autonomous exclave of Nakhchivan. The Flame Towers are in this country's capital, which lies on the (*) Absheron peninsula. This country's tallest mountain, Mount Bazarduzu [baz-ar-doo-joo], is located on the border between it and Dagestan. The disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh is surrounded by the territory of this country. For 10 points, name this country to the east of Georgia and Armenia whose capital, Baku, is on the Caspian Sea.
A: Republic of Azerbaijan
Q: One town in this country features Liberation Forest, in which twenty thousand maple trees were planted to commemorate its liberation by Canadian forces. Its largest city includes a canal lined neighborhood called the "Golden Bend" and has its main harbor at Westport. One of its cities has an "Old Church" with a leaning brick clock tower and is known for its namesake (*) Chinese-inspired blue and white pottery. This country is divided into twelve regions, including Drenthe, Flevoland, North Brabant, and Zeeland. Its second largest city is the busiest port in Europe, and its third largest city houses the World Court. For 10 points, name this country which joins Belgium and Luxembourg in the Benelux group and which contains the cities Rotterdam, the Hague, and Amsterdam.
A: the Netherlands [or Holland]
Q: This city's outskirts contain a megalithic stone arch called the Gate of the Sun, which was built by the extinct Tiwanaku people. It is just southeast of the Ulla Ulla National Reserve, which maintains one of the world's largest populations of vicunas. A fire in the 1860s led to the nicknaming of this city's "Burned Palace," which is located in its central square called the Plaza Murillo. The Yungas Road connects this city to Coroico and is nicknamed the (*) Road of Death. It is overlooked by the Illimani, the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real. This city forms a metropolitan area with El Alto. It is the second largest city in its country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra, but is the highest national capital in the world. For 10 points, name this city which serves as the capital of Bolivia along with Sucre.
A: La Paz
Q: Between 1998 and 2007, this country and a northern neighbor experienced attacks from a goonch catfish. A Scottish botanist who worked extensively in this modern-day country, William Roxburgh, coined the scientific name of an aquatic animal locally known by the sound it makes: "susu." A brown-antlered subspecies of Eld's Deer called the sangai is native to a park on this country built atop floating islands. The oldest national park in this country is named after an author who described hunting "the Bachelor" in Man-Eaters of Kumaon. That author, Jim Corbett, hunted an animal along this country's northern border with the most confirmed human fatalities in history. This country's government released 25,000 flesh-eating turtles into one of its rivers to address the problem of corpse pollution. For 10 points, name this country that is cleaning the environment of a long-snouted dolphin in the Ganga River Plan.
A: India [or Republic of India; or Bharat Ganarajya] (The susu is the Ganges river dolphin. The sangai inhabits Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur. Corbett hunted Champawat, a Bengal tigress that killed over 400 people.)
Q: This state borders the northern shores of Lake Chapala. This state is home to a dish of deep-fried minnows called charales ("chah-RAH-les"). By composing a new tune, Jesus Gonzalez Rubio repopularized a courtship dance from this state in which a man dances around his dropped hat. A sport in this state in which a galloping horse drifts 50 meters to a stop opens up rodeos called charreadas ("chah-ray-AH-dahs"). This state is home to a soccer team nicknamed "The Sacred Flock" that is supported by tapatios ("tah-pah-TEE-ohs"). During a famine in this state's city of Cocula, starving peasants used stew pots to soften goat meat, creating the first birria tacos. The Cuervo family once dominated the production of an alcoholic beverage made of blue agave plants out of this state's city of Tequila. This state, which separates Zacatecas ("sah-cah-TAY-cahss") and Michoacan ("mee-cho-ah-CON"), is the home of mariachi music. For 10 points, Puerto Vallarta is located in what Mexican state whose capital is Guadalajara?
A: Jalisco ("ha-LEE-skoh") [or Xalixco, Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco, or Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco]
Q: 26 or so people have drowned in this state's Round Valley Reservoir, which was then labeled this state's Bermuda Triangle. The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer supplies water to much of this state. Perth Amboy and Asbury Park are two of the many beach towns on this state's coast. This state's northeast contains numerous palisades by a river near (*) Fort Lee. This state's south is dominated by Cape May. The Raritan river runs through the center of this state, where the Passaic and Hackensack rivers also meet. This state contains large pine barrens along the Garden State Parkway. The Delaware River forms most of the western border of this state. For 10 points, name this state home to Trenton and Newark.
A: New Jersey
Q: A B29 Superfortress crashed into this lake while performing atmospheric research, leaving a mostly intact wreck. US 93 was rerouted away from this lake with the construction of the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. The town of St. Thomas lies partially submerged beneath this lake, around where the Virgin and Muddy rivers feed into its Overton Arm. A popular diving spot in this lake is the former site of an aggregate classification plant used by the (*) Six Companies. This lake's main dam, which separates this lake from Lake Mohave, was alternately named for Boulder Canyon by Harold Ickes. Most of Las Vegas's water supply comes from this lake, which in the summer of 2022 reached its lowest level for decades. For 10 points, name this reservoir formed from the Colorado River on the Arizona-Nevada border by the Hoover Dam.
A: Lake Mead
Q: This sort of area is the subject an ongoing program known as U.P.P. The usual name for this type of place derives from a new name given to Providencia, which in turn is that of an itch-inducing plant endemic to Bahia. These places got their name as they were originally given for settlement to demobbed soldiers from the (*) Canudos Campaign. These zones are typically built on hills, as with the largest one, Rocinha. Technically known since 2010 as subnormal agglomerates, these have been brought under the rule of law by "pacification," which has been largely successful in the North and South Zones of Rio. For 10 points, give the term for sprawling urban slums endemic to Brazil, such as Cidade de Deus or "City of God."
A: favelas (prompt on "(Brazilian) slums"; accept subnormal agglomerates before "subnormal")
Q: A custardy cake from this region called a far is often made with plums or raisins. A bicycle race to this region and back gave its name to a ring-shaped pastry filled with praline creme. The flag of this region contains black and white stripes with nine ermine-spots in the canton. A buttery cake from this region is called the kouign-amann. This region is in the western part of the historic region of Armorica. The mythological region of (*) Ys was located off the coast of this region. This region includes the department of Finistere, whose capital is Quimper. Saint-Malo is a popular tourist center in this region, which also includes the city of Brest. Rennes is the capital of this region, which has also historically included the city of Nantes. For 10 points, name this historically Celtic peninsula of northwest France.
A: Brittany [accept Bretagne; accept Breizh; accept Bertaeyn; prompt on France or Celtic France or any description of a northern, Atlantic, western, or northwestern part of France]
Q: This mountain range is the subject of Joaquin Miller's most famous poetry collection. The Maidu people inhabit this mountain range. In the foothills of this mountain range, floods threatened to overwhelm the Oroville Dam. This mountain range contains large basaltic columns at Devils Postpile. The Kaweah and Kern rivers drain much of the southern portion of this mountain range, while the American, (*) Stanislaus, and Tuolumne all drain the northern portion. Tulare County in this mountain range is home to General Sherman, the world's largest living tree. This mountain range's Mount Whitney lies in Sequoia National Park, while this mountain range also contains much of Yosemite National Park. For 10 points, name this mountain range which covers much of eastern California.
A: Sierra Nevada [prompt on North American Cordillera]
Q: Mountain peoples of this island were once known as "alzados" and accused of headhunting, while its northern mountains beyond Dalton Pass are inhabited by the Ifugao, who build terraces in order to grow rice. Volcanic features here include the crater that forms Taal Lake and the cone of Mount Mayon on its southeastern Bicol Peninsula. The Zambales Mountains on its western edge form the south end of the Lingayen Gulf, while the most famous peak here is Mount Pinatubo, whose 1991 eruption interfered with the closing of the U.S. military bases at Subic Bay and Clark Field. For 10 points, what home of Ilocano and Tagalog people is the largest island in the Philippines?
A: Luzon
Q: In this location, a group calling itself "The Perforating Mexicans" left a note telling the police not to search after a couscous maker was confused for a bomb. In 1813, four goldfish went blind after being placed in the basin of the Samaritan Fountain in this location. It's not a building, but the UX group also built a bar and movie theater in this location next to the Trocadero. Philibert Aspairt died and was supposedly identified by his hospital key in this location, where (*) Nadar developed early techniques for photographing with artificial light. Signs at the entrance to this location, on the site of a former quarry, read "Stop! This is the empire of death!" Bones from the Holy Innocents cemetery were reinterred at an ossuary in this location, which was named for a more famous Roman counterpart. For 10 points, name this network of underground tunnels in France.
A: Paris catacombs [or the Catacombs of Paris; prompt on Paris or France or ossuary or ossuaries or a combination of the above with "what specific location?"; prompt on catacombs with "of what city?"; do not accept "Roman catacombs" or "Catacombs of Rome"]
Q: In this province, the Karmutsen Formation, part of Wrangellia, contains exposed basaltic flows. A mountain in this province was named after Sir Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hinde. This province's Johnstone Strait is near Quadra Island, the largest of the Discovery Islands. The northern parts of the Salish Sea and Strait of Juan de Fuca are in this province. (*) Kelowna is the center of the Okanagan Valley in this province. The town of Whistler in this province hosted much of the 2010 Winter Olympics. An island in this province contains the city of Nanaimo as well as the provincial capital, Victoria. For 10 points, name this Canadian province which contains Vancouver.
A: British Columbia [accept BC]
Q: The longest tributary of this river runs through a province known as Caceres and also contains the Gabriel y Galan dam. In addition to that tributary, the Alagon, the Jarama is another tributary of this river. The Entrepenas and Buendia dams form an artificial lake on this river near the town of Bolarque known as the Sea of Castile. Bridges that cross this river include the Oscar Carmona Bridge and one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe, the 25th of April Bridge, which measures 1.5 miles in length and crosses this river at Lisbon. For 10 points, name this river which rises in the Sierra de Albarracin in eastern Spain, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula.
A: Tagus River
Q: Juan Villoro's book Horizontal Vertigo discusses his experiences growing up in this city. A person from this city is referred to as a chilango. Late on September 15, one politician annually rings a bell in this city in the Cry of Dolores. The Angel of Independence and monuments to the Battle of Chapultepec are contained in this city's (*) Paseo de la Reforma. Some chinampas still survive on the outskirts of this city. The original Zocalo was located in this city near the bed of the former Lake Texcoco. For 10 points, name this city formerly known as Tenochtitlan, the capital of the United States's southern neighbor.
A: Mexico City [accept Ciudad de Mexico; prompt on Tenochtitlan before mentioned]
Q: This geographic region's Isua greenstone belt contains one stromatolite contender for the oldest evidence of life on Earth. Records from Camp Century in this geographical region led to the discovery of Dansgaard- Oeschger events, short intense temperature increases. A proposed mining project at Kvanefjeld was the major issue in a recent election in this geographic region. The largest (*) national park in the world protects this landmass's northeast coast. On this landmass, a supply mission to Eismitte claimed the life of Alfred Wegener. This landmass's northernmost point is Cape Morris Jesup. The largest non-Antarctic ice sheet covers this landmass, whose largest city is Nuuk. For 10 points, name this Denmark-controlled largest island in the world, located in the Arctic Ocean.
A: Greenland [accept Kalaallit Nunaat]
Q: Residents of this state often bake a many-layered cake called bebinca for Christmas. Those residents of this state also prepare an alcoholic beverage from cashews called feni. A close relative of psychedelic trance music is named for this state because it was developed by people in its beach town of Anjuna. The body of St. Francis Xavier is stored in this state's Basilica of Bom Jesus. Daman and Diu [Dee-oo] were formerly part of this state when it was a union territory. The curry dish (*) vindaloo originated in this state. Konkani is an official language in this state, alongside Marathi [muh-RAH-tee]. Panaji is the capital of this state, whose largest city is named for Vasco da Gama. Maharashtra and Karnataka surround this state. For 10 points, name this Indian state which was a former Portuguese colony.
A: Goa
Q: Swedish archaeologist Gustav Nordenskiold was arrested after being accused of looting at this site. The rise of tourism at this site was promoted by a scale replica of its "Battle Rock" at the World's Columbian Exposition and by the photographs of William Henry Jackson, who was guided here from Parrott City by the prospector John Moss. Acowitz, a member of the Ute nation, commented that his people knew of this place, but never visited it for fear of disturbing the spirits of the dead. This site was first reported to the (*) Smithsonian by cowboys who had settled at Alamo Ranch and explored the upper course of Mancos Canyon. The Wetherill family acted as guides and assistants for the first excavations of this area, which includes Spruce Tree House, Balcony House, Cliff House and other well-preserved Anasazi dwellings. For 10 points, identify this southwest Colorado national park whose Spanish name refers to the green color of its vegetation.
A: Mesa Verde (National Park)
Q: This city's yellow molue buses were often replaced by blue buses as part of its Bus Rapid Transit system. Air Peace is based at an airport serving this city, Murtala Muhammed International Airport. This city's Brazilian quarter, or Popo Aguda, includes its city hall, while its suburb of Lekki contains a large free trade zone. The Eyo festival is held on an island that is the oldest part of this city, which also contains Victoria Island. (*) Ikeja ("ee-KAY-jah") is the capital of a state which is named for this city and is surrounded by Ogun State. This city's name refers in Portuguese to a lagoon that connects to the Bight of Benin. This city or Kinshasa is the most populous city in Africa. For ten points, name this traditionally Yoruba city that, before the construction of Abuja, was the capital of Nigeria.
A: Lagos, Nigeria [or Eko]
Q: The protagonist of Beside the Ocean of Time dreams about coming to this island chain. This island chain is home to the legendary "Mermaid's chair," whose sitter can allegedly tell the future. The Old Man of Hoy refers to a bunch of a caves indenting the cliffs of one part of this island chain, whose Breckness Monastery is found nearby its black Craig. Within this group of islands, the navy ship Royal Oak sank, and the Odin stone on this isles are part of the Standing Stones of Stenniness. The Churchill Barriers are this group of island's series of four roads connecting its locales, such as the well preserved Skara Brae. The Ring of Brodgar was a Neolithic monument at this location, whose largest island is Mainland. Cities at this island chain include Finstown, Stromness and Kirkwall. For 10 points, name this Scottish island chain that is not the Shetlands or the Hebrides.
A: Orkney Islands
Q: In the 1970s, as part of one country's National Integration Program, many families were relocated to areas of this river's basin dubbed "land without people." This is the larger of the two river systems linked by the Casiquiare canal. The port city of Belem is located on the mouth of this river. This river's (*) "meeting of the waters" occurs where the Negro and Solimoes rivers converge near Manaus. The pink river dolphin is endemic to, and alternatively named for, this river. This river flows from the Andes through Brazil before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. For 10 points, name this South American river that shares its name with the world's largest tropical rainforest.
A: Amazon River
Q: Aurel Stein studied fresco paintings and religious manuscripts preserved inside this region's Mogao Caves complex. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program is a reforestation plan intended to contain rainwater in this region. The Dzungarian Basin in this desert is separated from the (*) Taklamakan Desert by the Tian Shan Mountains. This region's Flaming Cliffs were the site of Roy Chapman Andrews' discovery of fossilized dinosaur eggs. This desert is bounded by the Altai Mountains to the north and was formed by the rain shadow of the Himalayas. For 10 points, name this desert located in northern China and Southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: In this country, the Kaduna and Benue rivers flow into a river which is dammed to create the Kainji Reservoir. The homeland of the Ogoni people in this country has been environmentally degraded due to the growth of this country's oil industry, which is centered around the city of (*) Port Harcourt. This country's "Middle Belt" separates its predominantly Muslim north from the predominantly Christian south and contains this country's capital, Abuja. The Yoruba and Igbo [EE-boh] ethnic groups are centered in this country. Lagos is the largest city in, for 10 points, what country, which is the most populous in Africa?
A: Nigeria [or Federal Republic of Nigeria]
Q: For some reason or another, this man once held an electric eel in one hand while gripping a piece of metal in the other to measure the eel's electrical capacities. This man gave the western world its first account of how the curare poison was created from plants. After a nine-month trip through the Russian empire in which he examined the gold mines of the Ural Mountains, this dedicatee of Poe's "Eureka" convinced the Russian czar to set up a system of observatories to measure the strength of "magnetic storms," a term he coined. The first scientist to use isotherms and isobars on a weather map, he attempted to unify all major scientific fields in a massive five-volume work called Kosmos. Along with botanist Aime Bonpland, this man climbed Mount Chimborazo during an epic tour of Latin America. He was the brother of the founder of the University of Berlin who reformed the Prussian education system. For 10 points, name this 19th century scientist and geologist who discovered a namesake cold current off the coast of Peru.
A: Alexander von Humboldt
Q: A 16th-century Englishman who tried to perform this action was found dead in the cabin of the Bona Esperanza on the River Arzina; that man was Sir Hugh Willoughby. A second, less fatal, attempt to do this resulted in the construction of "Het Behouden Huys," a cabin built of fir-wood planking that was rediscovered by Elling Carlsen. The ships Fraser and Express reached the Yugor Shar as part of an expedition to do this funded by industrialist Oscar Dickson. On that voyage, the last remaining ship, the Vega, rounded Cape Chelyuskin and spent the winter among the Chukchi, achieving international fame for its captain, who studied mineralogy at the National Science Museum of Stockholm. FTP, Willem Barents died attempting, and Adolf Nordenskjold successfully accomplished, what feat of sailing from Europe through the Arctic Ocean north of Siberia to the Bering Strait?
A: (sailing, traversing, etc.) the Northeast Passage [prompt on "opening trade with Russia," "sailing from Europe to China," or "discovering Novaya Zemlya"]
Q: In this country, the Ngadda River creates firki swamps near the city of Yerwa in its northern state of Borno. Ahmadu Bello University was founded in its northern city of Zaria. Its largest city contains the affluent Ikoyi neighborhood, and that city's airport is named for a former dictator, Murtala Mohammed. Its cities include Calabar and (*) Ibadan. Environmental degradation in its south has caused the Ogoni and Ijaw peoples to revolt against oil industries in this nation. This country is home to the largest population of Yoruba people. For 10 points, name this country home to the author Wole Soyinka and the cities of Abuja and Lagos.
A: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Q: This country's northwestern neighbor is home to the Gonarezhou National park, which lies along its border with this country, and the Ruyuma rivers forms the border between this country and its northern neighbor. The Monte Binga is the highest mountain in this country, and the Inhambane bay forms an inlet into this country. The southern town of Ponta d'Ouro is a popular tourist destination in this country. The Bazaruto archipelago lies off the coast of this African country, whose city of Beira is its second largest, and the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers empty into a waterway named for this country. Bordered by South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, and having its capital at Maputo, for 10 points, identify this country separated from Madagascar by a namesake channel.
A: Republic of Mozambique
Q: One exhibit on this island contains Warhol's versions of The Brooch, Madonna, and The Scream, and is located in the The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Another attraction in this location is a palace designed by J. C. Krieger, which was seldom used for a time after Juliane Marie's death, but is now often home to its country's royal family. This island is located to the west of Møns, which is home to a group of large white cliffs. One of the world's largest suspension bridges connects it to the island of Funen by a bridge across the Great Belt, and it is connected to Skane and nearby Malmo through a route passing through Amager, the Oresund Bridge. To its north lies the Kattegat, and to its east lie the Koge and Fakse Bays, both part of the Baltic Sea. For 10 points, name this Danish island which contains the majority of Denmark's capital, Copenhagen.
A: Zealand
Q: This river rises on the Two Oceans Plateau and receives the Pacific Branch of Two Oceans Creek near Moran Junction. Much of this river's course is located on an arid but fertile plain containing many basalt flows as well as the sinks of the Lost River and was also the route of the catastrophic draining of Lake Bonneville. This river's tributaries include the Palouse and Henrys Fork and the Shoshone Falls is located on this river which passes next to Fort Hall and the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Its largest tributary is the Salmon, which it meets near the Seven Devils Mountains in Hells Canyon Gorge, before it forms part of the Oregon-Idaho border. For 10 points, identify this river that flows through Grand Teton National Park and is the largest tributary of the Columbia River.
A: Snake River
Q: A smaller river of this name joins with the Humble River to form the traditional boundary for the city of Toronto. The fortress of Sarkel was flooded to create the Tsimlyansk Reservoir on this river. Failed attempts to link it with a longer river were carried out by John Perry and Peter the Great, but that (*) 63-mile long canal was only completed in 1952. The best known river of this name flows past the city of Liski and empties near Rostov. Gregor Melekhov lives in the basin of this river in a novel by Mikhail Sholokhov. For 10 points, name this Russian river that flows into the Sea of Azov, and which lends its name to a group of Cossacks.
A: Don River
Q: Frostwood Elementary School is a landmark of this non-Massachusetts city's Bunker Hill Village. Bear Creek Park is located in the northwest corner of this city, whose southern suburbs include Pearland, Friendswood and Alvin. This city relies on water from Lake Conroe and its namesake lake for its daily needs, and Buffalo Bayou runs through its downtown. Its tallest building is the JPMorgan Chase Tower in this seat of Harris County. This city features the junction of Interstates 10 and 45, and other cities nearby include Katy and Galveston. It is served by George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and other landmarks in it include Reliant Stadium and Minute Maid Park. For 10 points, name this largest city in Texas.
A: Houston, Texas
Q: It was in this region that Arthur Bonifas was axed to death when he led a group to try to trim a poplar tree in 1976, two years after the first of many tunnels under it was discovered and destroyed. It was also crossed in 1968 by would-be assassins headed for the Blue House, the same year that the so-called Bridge of No Return here was last used for prisoner exchange. Its northern side is home to the "Propaganda Village," which is inhabited by only a few employees who turn on and off its lights, and boasts the world's tallest flagpole. Cities in it include the site of extended negotiations ending in 1953, Panmunjom. Still guarded by United Nations troops, this is, for 10 points, what heavily fortified area between North and South Korea?
A: the Korean Demilitarized Zone [accept DMZ; accept whatever it is in Korean too]
Q: The People's Story Museum in this city occupies the building that used to be the Canongate Tolbooth, and walls of this city have included the Telfer and Netherbow Ports. The highest hill in this city is known as Arthur's Seat. David Rizzio was murdered in Holyrood Palace in this city, a building located on its Royal Mile. This "Athens of the North" is home to a palace built on (*) Castle Rock where monarchs like David I ruled from. A philosopher from this city wrote A Treatise of Human Nature, and it was the birthplace of James Boswell. For 10 points, name this city home to the author of An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, David Hume.
A: Edinburgh [or Dun Eideann]
Q: A documentary about one of these "rising" centered on musician Anderson Sa. The population of these places increased after the closing of corticos and they were established by soldiers returning from the Canudos War. A "model" one was filmed in Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us". One of these places was the setting of Fernando Meirelles' film, (*)City of God. Examples include the Mare Complex and Turano, both located on hills. Last November, one called Rocincha was occupied and "pacified" by the government of Dilma Rousseff in preparation for the 2014 World Cup in Rio. For 10 points, name these Brazilian shanty towns.
A: Favelas of Brazil [or Favelas of Rio de Janeiro; accept Slums of Rio de Janeiro or Slums of Brazil before mentioned, prompt on them afterwards]
Q: The Wild Azalea trail is the longest trail in this state, which unusually only has direct jurisdiction over 3 miles of offshore continental shelf instead of the 9 miles of other states. Its extreme northwest contains part of the oil-producing Caddo Lake as well as the town of Plain Dealing. Several unusually high, grassy hills in the south of this state, including Jefferson, Cote Blanche, and Avery Island, are formed by salt domes and this state also shares half of Sabine Pass with its western neighbor. Other major lakes in this state include Salvador, Calcaseu, and Maurepas while this state also contains the remnants of the Chandaleur Islands and the mouth of the Atchafalaya River. For 10 points, identify this state which includes university cities like Monroe and Lafayette, as well as a city on Lake Ponchitrain.
A: Louisiana
Q: A prominent example of grotto art can be found in the Dazu Rock Carvings in this polity, while rich deposits of titanium, cobalt and iron can be found in its Panxi region. Water from the Dujiangyan Irrigation System is still used by farmers in this "province of abundance". The current capital of this province served as the capital for the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms era. Home to cities like (*) Chongqing, its name means four streams, which derives from the four tributaries of the Yangzi that flow from north to south through this province. For 10 points, name this Chinese province with capital at Chengdu, known for its spicy cuisine.
A: Sichuan Province [or Szechwan Province or Szechuan Province; prompt on "China"]
Q: One state with this name has a sister-state relationship with Ohio, and is home to the city of Cascavel. That state also has its capital at Curibita, which has long been an eco-friendly city, while another city with this name is home to a park named after General Uriquiza. The Ibicuy islands are found at the delta of a river by this name, and the capital of the Corrientes province lies along the banks of that river. The Itaquirai river also empties into that river, and the yet unfinished Yacyreta dam lies along that river. This name is also shared by the capital of the Entre Rios province, and the aforementioned river by this name joins with the Uruguay River to form the Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, identify this name held by second longest river in South America.
A: Parana river
Q: Numerous minuature house-graves with windows are a feature of the Prazeres Cemetery in this city, located near the Estrela Basilica. Just north of this city lies a natural defensive region later fortified into the Lines of Torres Verdas. The unfinished neoclassical Ajuda Palace and the Jerominos Monastary are examples of Manuelite Architecture in this city, whose Pombaline Baixa was notably resistant. The ornate Belem Tower sits close to the Monument to the Discoveries in this city, which is located downstream from the Golden-Gate-inspired 25th of April Bridge. For 10 points, identify this city where the Tagus River is crossed by the Vasco da Gama bridge.
A: Lisbon [or Lisboa]
Q: One of the names of this country's largest lakes literally translates as "Booze Vat" and is a stunning green color. Its Central Highlands region is home to the "Hals" topography and such cities as Borgarnes. Its only native tree is the Betula pubsescens birch, which is being deforested because of topsoil erosion. This country's north is home to Dettifoss, the largest waterfall by volume in Europe, and Akureryi is the country's largest city outside the capital metropolitan area. This country's island of Surtsey emerged from the ocean in the 1960s. Vatnajokull covers 8% of the country, and has been the scene of Jokulhlaup, spectacular glacial eruptions and floods. For 10 points, name this North Atlantic island nation, home to Bjork and unpronounceable place names.
A: Iceland
Q: This river's headwaters are located on Delgado Chalbaud mountain, and it receives its first significant tributary, the Ugueto River, before passing over the Guaharibos Rapids. After receiving such additional tributaries as the Atabapo and Ventuari Rivers, it widens to almost 5000 feet, though it is not navigable near the rapids at Maipures. The Guri and Macagua dams, found on its tributary the (*) Caroni River, provide power to the region encompassing Ciudad Bolivar and Ciudad Guayana, which are located near its banks. Its delta is found in the Gulf of Paria, while it is connected via the Casiquiare Canal to the Rio Negro, which eventually flows into the Amazon. Flowing through the Llanos, its drainage basin encompasses parts of Colombia and most of Venezuela. For 10 points, name this South American river.
A: Orinoco River
Q: One of three official religions in this country is Bwiti. Mpongwe leaders of this modern-day nation like King Denis, King Louis, and King Glass accepted treaties with the Europeans in the 19th century. This nation's capital was founded by residents of the Elizia near the site of Fort d'Aumale, and its deep-water port is at Owendo. This country's major port's location on the Ogooue River at Cape Lopez was discovered in 1473. The Chaillu Massif and Crystal Mountains dominate the east and center of this country, whose large cities include Franceville, Moanda, Lambarene, and Port Gentil. Populated by impoverished youngsters seeking to attend Omar Bongo University, for 10 points, name this African nation with its capital at Libreville.
A: Gabon
Q: This nation's main mountain range, the Serra da Estrela, contains its highest point, which is often known simply as the "Tower," and it is also the source of the Mondego River, the longest exclusively in this country's territory, which flows past its cities of Coimbra and Figueira da Foz. The Arco da Vila can be found in its city of Faro, which is the capital of its southern region, known as the (*) Algarve. The sculpture She Changes, consisting of a gigantic net, is located in its second most populous city, which lies on the Douro River. Its capital contains sections like Baixa and Alfama, which notably survived an earthquake that struck here in 1755. Bisected by the Tagus River is, for 10 points, what country on the Iberian Peninsula, home to Porto and Lisbon?
A: Portugal
Q: This city is the proposed location of Rem Koolhas's death star shaped convention center, a feature of his master plan for a Waterfront City here. Its Jumeira Beach is the location of the Hydropolis Underwater Hotel, and the glossy sheen of its 21st Century Tower is often blanketed with a giant advertisement. This city contains the world's tallest hotel in the Rose Tower, and one of its towers was built to resemble a (*) dhow's sail and has a heli-pad which hosted a tennis match between Andre Agassi and Roger Federer. This city is also home to artificial lagoons called The Palm Islands and the World Islands, and its mainland attractions include the Burj al-Arab and the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. For 10 points, name this largest of the United Arab Emirates.
A: Dubai
Q: Aurel Stein studied fresco paintings and religious manuscripts preserved inside this region's Mogao Caves complex. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program is a reforestation plan intended to contain rainwater in this region. The Dzungarian Basin in this desert is separated from the (*) Taklamakan Desert by the Tian Shan Mountains. This region's Flaming Cliffs were the site of Roy Chapman Andrews' discovery of fossilized dinosaur eggs. This desert is bounded by the Altai Mountains to the north and was formed by the rain shadow of the Himalayas. For 10 points, name this desert located in northern China and Southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: The ecology of this river's upper section is still recovering from a 1991 pesticide spill near Dunsmuir. In 1985, sounds of humpback whale feeding songs were blasted along this river in a successful attempt to get Humphrey the Whale back into the ocean. It forms a delta with the (*) San Joaquin River and runs through or near the cities of Chico, Redding, and Davis. This river rises near Mount Shasta in the Klamath Mountains, and its principal tributary is the Feather River. It is fed by the American River near the site of Sutter's Fort, and runs between the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges before flowing into the Suisun arm of the San Francisco Bay. For 10 points, name this largest river in California, which shares its name with the state capital.
A: Sacramento River
Q: The village of Portobello merged with this city in 1896 and a dog in this city allegedly stayed at his owner's grave for 14 years, which earned him a large statue and the sorbequiet Greyfriars Bobby after the church where the cemetary was located. The Braid hills are in this city's southeast while the Pentland Hills are located to the North and the underground catacombs are known as this city's "vaults." The Princes Street Gardens stretch through the middle of this city across "The Mound," which holds this city's National Gallery, and Samson's Ribs are an unusual formation in the Salisburg Crags area of (*) Holyrood Park, which also contains Arthur's Seat. The Water of Leith is the main river in this city which drains to the River Forth and the Firth of Forth. For 10 points, identify this city whose main castle is located at the end of the Royal Mile next to the remnants of Loch Nor, the second largest city and capital of Scotland.
A: Edinborough or Edinburgh
Q: The Itelmen people still reside in this area while the Koryaks are found at the far north along Shelekhova Bay and the southernmost part of this area is Cape Lopatka, which is separated from Shumshu by a narrow strait. A famous species of brown bears are found in this area where the Klyuchevskaya volcano is the highest point and which also contains the near-perfectly conical Kronotsky, which is located near an unusual valley of geysers resulting from tectonic activity in the area. Petropavlovsk is the chief port and capital of, for 10 points, what mountainous peninsula situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Othotsk in the far east of Russia?
A: Kamchatka Peninsula [or Poluostrov Kamchatka]
Q: One island located in this body of water contains a number of rare bird breeding sites atop the Plateau des Tourbieres where Mont de la Dives is the highest point. The Kerguelen-Heard oceanic plateau lies underneath this body of water while another island in this body of water contains the Piton des Neiges. Another country located in this body of water has the lowest "high point" in the world on Villingili island. An island in this body of water contains the Haghier Mountains as well as several species of "dragon blood" trees, and another contains Mawson Peak, the highest mountain controlled by Australia, which also owns the immigration flashpoint of Christmas Island in this body of water. For 10 points, identify this body of water, home to the Cocos Islands, Socotra, Reunion, and the Maldives.
A: Indian Ocean
Q: The Asiatic Cheetah is unique to this country, and a range containing Zard Duh and Mt. Dena forms much of this nation's southwest border. The Anzali Lagoon is a major bird-watching location in this country while its largest river is the 450-mile long Karun. The Gilan Province in its north contains areas of temperate rainforest. The salty lake Urima is located in this country's northwest. The Bandar-e-Abbas is a major port in the southeast of this nation, which has extensive pistachio forest covering much of its center. Most of its lowest elevation is centered on the Khuzestan Plain while its highest point is a mythologically important dormant volcano. For 10 points, name this nation where Mt. Damavand is found in the Alborz Mountains and where the Zagros Mountains form its border with Iraq.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran [or Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran]
Q: Among this nation's offshore possessions are the Serrana Bank and San Andres island. The San Bernardo archipelago is found off the coast of this country, whose northernmost most point on its mainland is Point Gallinas, located on the Guajira Peninsula. Much of its southern border is formed by the Putamayo River, while the Guaviare and Meta are other major rivers in this country and its highest point is Pico Cristobal. Major cities such as Manizales and Bucaramanga lie in the densely-populated mountain valleys that are drained by the northward-flowing Magdalena River, which enters the Caribbean at Barranquila. For 10 points, identify this home of Medellin and Cali, a South American nation with capital at Bogota.
A: Republic of [or Republica de] Colombia
Q: One of this country's landmarks, a compound of enormous thatched-roof tombs at Kasubi, was recently burned down in a mysterious fire. A series of volcanoes are located in its far southeast at Mgahinga National park and it also contains an "impenetrable forest" at Bwindi, which is located in the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains, while the western slopes of Mt. Elgon make up much of its border around Mbale. Murchison Falls national park is known for its wildlife while excellent whitewater rafting is available at Jinja. This country's recent oil discoveries in Lake Albert have caused tension with the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. For 10 points, identify this country whose main airport is located 40 kilometers south of its capital at Kampala.
A: Republic of Uganda [or Jamhuri ya Uganda]
Q: One volcanic massif in this nation is Mount Ntingui, and towns around it include Moya and the main port which was modernized in the 1980s, Mutsamudu. Forests here have been severely reduced in favor of ylang-ylang farmlands, and the smallest island here is the site of the cities Fomboni and Nioumachoua. In addition to Mwali and Nzwani, also called Anjouan, this country's capital is found on an island that is home to the volcano Mount Karthala. This country claims control over an island with the capital Mamoudzou which is currently a dependency of France. For 10 points, name this country that includes Ngazidja with a capital at Moroni, an island chain in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa.
A: The Comoros [or L'Union des Comores; or Udzima wa Komori]
Q: In a letter to his king, this explorer records how he left from the Isle of Madeira to view a land filled with common trees and not "Hyrcanian Forests or the wild lands of Scythia." He came across a naked old man while visiting a place he called Arcadia and also named the largest waterway he found Vendome. According to map maker Thomas Munster, this explorer's Namesake Sea would lead to a direct path from America to Cathay and India. This man's second and final voyage was funded by merchant Jean Ango as while visiting the Caribbean he was consumed by cannibals. On his first voyage he named the land he discovered Nova Gallia or "Francesca," and that land includes Narragansett Bay, Maine and most of New York Harbor. For 10 points name this Italian explorer that is now the namesake of a Narrows Bridge in New York City.
A: Giovanni de Verrazano
Q: The Delft Island is located off of this country, and Mundal Lake lies along its west coast. One can observe estuarine crocodiles from the Kirindi Oya river in the Bundala National Park located in this country. The Kalu River is the second longest river in this country and to its west lies the Gulf of Mannar. The Knuckles mountain range is located in this country, and the city of Jaffna is located in its north. The Esala Perahara is an important festival in a city which houses the Asigiriya Cricket stadium, and visitors there should not miss the temple containing the sacred tooth of the Buddha. In addition to Kandy, this country's gem shopping center is located at Ratnapura, and one can see several ancient Buddhist sites in the city of Anuradhaputra. Somehow connected to its northern neighbor via Adam's Bridge, for 10 points, identify this country whose largest city is Colombo.
A: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka [I guess accept India until "Mundal Lake"]
Q: The Tassili-N-Ajjer is a long northwest-trending ridge located just west of the Haggar Mountains while the El Djouf is border on the east by the Tagant Plateau, which holds several gueltas that harbor resident crocodile populations. The Tanezrouft Basin in is located in this area Bualus Period names the earliest known rock art in this region, such as that at Gilf Kebir which contains the "Cave of the Swimmers," and this region is theorized to have acted as a period "Pump" during the Neolithic Subpluvial. A major scheme to pump water from the Sirt and Kufra basins in this area is actively underway and a major music festival in this region is held at (*) Essouk. The first French nuclear tests took place in this area which includes the Grand Ergs as well as the Great Sand Sea. For 10 points, identify this desert north of the Sahel.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: The Tsaratanana Massif in the north and the Ivakoany Massif is the south form most of this island's central highlands. A "spiny thicket" ecoregion is found it its extreme south, where four unusual "chevron" features are found on its beaches. The Tsimiroro heavy oil fields are located in its West near the Avenue of the Baobabs. The Canal des Pangalanes is a long waterway on its Eastern Coast near the Maosola Peninsula. Unique karst topography can be found in the limestone at the Tsingy reserve on this island, whose highest point is at (*) Maromokotro. Its capital is often paired with the name "Queen's Hill." Consisting of a formal crustal remnant of Godwana that broke off from India 60 million years ago, for 10 points, identify this island located across the Mozambique Channel from Mozambique.
A: Madagascar
Q: Sikaram Sar and Laram Peak were the original boundaries of this border, of which the Sulaiman Mountains are a major component, and which also follows the crest of the Chagai Hills and passes through the Safed Koh raange. The Toba Kakar range contained a railroad through Bolan Pass along this border and Badakhshan, a major source of lapis lazuli, was located on this border and contains the Baroghil pass, which allows entry into the Wakhan Corridor. Abdur Rahman (*) Khan was a major negotiator in the drawing of this border, which participants in Operation Cyclone often crossed, and which was first negotiated in 1893 as the Durand Line. For 10 points, identify this border that divides both the Balochi and Pasthun ethnic groups, located just south of Tora Bora and crossed by the Khyber Pass.
A: the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan [accept the Durand Line before it is read]
Q: A group of islands in this sea are known by the collective name of the Brijuni Islands, while Zrce Beach is a popular spot on another island in this sea, Pag. Both the Krka and Cetina rivers drain into this body of water. The town of Stari Grad can be found on the largest island in this sea; that island is named Hvar. One river that empties into this sea receives waters from the Scrivia and (*) Trebbia rivers and is named the Po River. The Paklinksi Islands in this sea are owned by Croatia, while Albania's Strait of Otranto connects it with the Ionian Sea. For 10 points, name this sea between Greece and Italy.
A: Adriatic Sea [or Mare Adriatico]
Q: One major geological feature in this state is the Dripping Springs Escarpment, which forms the boundary of the Pennyroyal Plateau along with Muldraugh Hill. This state also contains a notable region of "knobs" formed by the Big Clifty Sandstone. The defining feature of its most famous region arises from the unique soil of the Eden Shale Hills. The Sheltowee Trace passes through its Red River gorge while the Jackson Purchase area of its East includes a cross-river exclave. This state contains two geologically distinct coal basins. Also containing (*) Daniel Boone National Forest is, for 10 points, which state containing the cities of Louisville and Lexington, a state known for its bluegrass?
A: Kentucky
Q: A complex seafood dish from this country is prepared by deep frying a vinegar-soaked crucian carp, stewing it for several hours, and then cooling it. A dish from this country called the "Lion's Head" shapes a meatball and cabbage to resemble a head and mane, respectively. It's not Italy, but a common street food from a city in this country is skewered quail. (*) Western influences on cuisine from a city in this country embody a cooking style called hai pai. This country produces a dish of sweet and sour pork ribs. Steamed soup-filled pork buns from this country are called xiao long bao. For 10 points, name this Asian country from which potstickers originate.
A: China [or People's Republic of China or PRC or Zhongguo or Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo; do not accept or prompt on "Republic of China"]
Q: This state's Lake Calhoun had its name officially changed to Bde Maka Ska in 2020. This state contains a national park centered on the Kabetogama Peninsula, Voyageurs National Park. Due to a historical oversight in border definitions, this state's Northwest Angle is separated from the rest of it by the (*) Lake of the Woods. The Vermillion and Mesabi iron ranges are located near this state's port city of Duluth. This state's Lake Itasca is the start of the Mississippi river, which flows through its Twin Cities metro. For 10 points, name this state, nicknamed the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," which contains St. Paul and Minneapolis.
A: Minnesota
Q: Lahpet is a fermented variant of this substance originating in Myanmar. The "gunpowder" version of this substance is popular in the Maghreb, where mint is often added to this substance. The word for this substance in a given language tends to vary depending on whether this substance was introduced through land or sea routes. Butter and salt are added in the traditional (*) Nepalese method of preparing this substance. Assam and Darjeeling are prominent producers of this substance. A popular contemporary variety of this beverage adds milk and tapioca pearls and is the "bubble" variety of this drink. For 10 points, what drink comes in caffeinated black and green varieties?
A: tea [or cha or chai; accept specific types such as green tea]
Q: This natural formation is home to the Arjin Shan Nature Reserve, and the dried Lop Nor Lake was the site of nuclear testing here, which is also home to significant yardang salt ridges. Its north is dominated by steppes with saxaul and salt-tolerant shrubs, and that same environment can be found around the Tarim river. It is located in the Tarim basin, and part of its south is bounded by the Kunlun Mountain range. To its north is the Kakshaal range, part of the Tien Shan. Home to its country's only population of wild Bactrian camels, it has almost no vegetation, as it is the world's largest shifting-sand desert. FTP, name this desert passed through on the Silk Road, found in the Uygur Autonomous region of Xinjiang, the largest desert in China.
A: Taklimakan Desert or Taklimakan Shamo or T'a-k'o-la-ma-kan Sha-mo (accept Tarim basin until "Tarim" is said)
Q: Qusar and Satli are 2 of the divisions in this country, which has a national assembly called the Milli Mejlis. Parties in this country include the Dalga Youth movement and the Citizen's Development party, and the Kura river flows past Mingechaur and Sabirabad in this country. It is divided into 59 Rayons , and the Aras river forms much of its southern border. Sumgait is near its capital, which is at a safe distance from rebels in one of its states. Known for drilling for oil off a peninsula that its capital lies on, this nation is north of Iran but west of the Caspian sea. Containing the Naxcivan exclave as well as the Armeniian disputed Nagorno Karabakh, for 10 points, name this former Soviet republic with capital at Baku.
A: Azerbaijan
Q: During the last Census in 2000, this city was found to have the thirty-third largest population in the US, but since then, it has suffered from large population decline. The present mayor is Frank G. Jackson, and the current Music Director of the city's orchestra is Franz Welser-Most. This city is located on the banks of Lake Eire, and the Cuyahoga River flows through it. Most famously, this city houses the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. FTP, name this second largest city of Ohio, home of the Indians, the Browns and Lebron James.
A: Cleveland
Q: The modern day name of this river comes from Greek, but in the countries where it actually flows through, it has been called "great river" or simply "the river". From 8000 BC to 1000 BC, this river had a third tributary, named Yellow, that followed through eastern Chad. The two sources for this river are Rwanda and Ethiopia, and these two tributaries meet at Khartoum. Following construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1970, this river has ceased to be used for irrigation, but it is still an important source of transportation. FTP, name this longest river in the world, which flows by the Pyramids and the Sphnix.
A: Nile River
Q: Joseph Hooker was the first European to describe the region surrounding this mountain, while a 1955 expedition headed by Charles Evans stopped a few feet short of its peak out of respect for local religious beliefs. Described in a 1903 book by Douglas Freshfield, its massif splits into four ridges each of which houses a glacier, with the Zemu glacier serving as the route attempted by Paul Bauer in 1929 and 1932. Rinzin Namgyal made the first map of this mountain, which is located on the border of Sikkim, just northwest of Darjeeling, from which it can be seen. With a name that translates from Tibetan as "Five Treasuries of the Great Snow," FTP, identify this Himalayan peak, the third highest mountain in the world.
A: Kangchenjunga or Kumbhkaran Lungur
Q: This is the first word in the name of an Onondaga nature center in New York that hosts an annual Golden Harvest Festival. This word names a dam that names the only river I could find that's named after a dam. Aliquippa, Pennsylvania is located in a county of this name and was once home to a Jones and Laughlin steel mill. These animals are the subject of a 2008 Nature article subtitled "[these animals] must die" due to their status as an invasive species in Tierra del Fuego. The name of the (+) Lenape chief Tamaqua roughly translates into a king of these animals. One of the most frequently requested items from the CBC archives is a recording of an interview of a man attacked by one of these animals. They are found in the family Castoridae and lend their name to the (*) French and Iroquois Wars. The city home to Nike headquarters is named after, for 10 points, what national symbol of Canada?
A: beaver [accept Beaver Lake Nature Center, Beaver Dam River, Beaver County , Beaver King , Beaver Attack! , the beavers must die , Beaver Wars , or Beavercreek ] "The original townships at the date of the erection of Beaver County (1800) were North Beaver, east and west of the Big Beaver Creek; South Beaver, west of the Big Beaver; and Sewickley, east of the Big Beaver-all north of the Ohio River; and Hanover, First Moon, and Second Moon, south of the Ohio."
Q: This city is home to America's oldest tofu shop, Ota Tofu. A repository for software design patterns named for this city was originally accompanied by WikiWikiWeb, the first ever wiki page. The second-largest copper repousse statue in the US, second only to the Statue of Liberty, is located in this city, and names an (+) AMC sketch comedy series; that statue stands in front of the first major postmodern tall office building. Prior to its renaming in 1935, the University of [this city] was named Columbia University. It shares its name with a city in Maine home to the largest airport commonly referred to as a jetport. Connor Shu of Sunset High School researched with the Moeck group of another university in this city. In 2011, this city was dubbed the "deadliest drug market" in its region of the country, while in 2010, ABC dubbed it "Pornland" for its widespread child trafficking. The mineral form of (*) calcium hydroxide is sometimes named for this city. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Oregon.
A: Portland, Oregon [accept Portlandia or portlandite ; accept Pornland before mention] The modernist architect Pietro Belluschi said after the opening of the Portland Building that there were only two good things about it: "It will put Portland on the map, architecturally, and it will never be repeated."
Q: This country is where Robin Birley's Envirotrade set up the Nhamibta forest as part of a controversial carbon credits project. This country's Nampula province contains a coral island at the mouth of Mossuril Bay which is named for the country and declined in importance after the founding of Nacala. This country's border territories are highlands such as the Maravia Highlands and Lichinga Plateau, as well as the area where Mount (*) Binga is found, the Chimoio Plateau. This country's namesake ocean current joins the Agulhas Current near its southeast coast. For 10 points, name this country, which was once called Portuguese East Africa and is separated from Madagascar by its namesake channel.
A: Republic of Mozambique
Q: William Hypolitus Keating first postulated this entity's existence while on Stephen Long's expedition. Shallow grooves created by the internal movement of this body are evinced by "beaded shelterbelts," which are areas in which belts of trees are taller or shorter depending on local soil effects. Landforms called "differential compaction ridges" were created by this body's constant refilling. Kennett and Firestone proposed the "Clovis comet hypothesis" in opposition to a theory that states that this body's drainage into the Atlantic likely resulted in a major stadial known as the Younger Dryas. This body's main outflow channel carved the Traverse Gap near Big Stone Lake, and spilled over a giant waterfall that receded to form St. Anthony Falls. Its waters exited via River Warren and the St. Lawrence River. For 10 points, name this body of water that, during the end of the last glacial period, covered most of Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan and Minnesota, named for the Swiss glaciologist Louis.
A: Glacial Lake Agassiz
Q: The Moab fault is a major feature visible from this location's visitor center. Visible from the main road and north of Hole-in-the-Wall is the Tower of Babel, one of many formations resulting from the shift of the salt flats atop the Colorado plateu. Entrada and Navajo sandstone make up the majority of this park's iconic structures, including the Eye of the Whale, Flatiron, Ring, and most famous "Delicate" one. For ten points, identify this US National Park in southeastern Utah.
A: Arches National Park
Q: An important historic building in this city is the Alfred Mullett-designed Assay Office, and its tony neighborhoods include Barber Town and Warm Springs. The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey overlooks this city. A university in this city is home to the Larry G. Selland College of Applied Technology, and is located across from Julia Davis Park. This home of America's largest (*) Basque community grew after the construction of the Arrowrock Dam. It where a newspaper that set off a gay witch hunt in the 1950s under the headline "Crush the Monster," the Statesman, is published. It forms a metropolitan area with Nampa and is located on a namesake tributary of the Snake River. For 10 points, name this capital and largest city of Idaho.
A: Boise
Q: The anoa and babirusa are endemic to this country. This country borders the Banda Sea and Makassar Strait, and Bandung and Surabaya are this country's third and second largest cities respectively. The Wallace Line runs through this country, and a separatist insurgency in the province of Aceh finally ended in 2005. Puncak Jaya is the country's highest mountain. For 10 points, name this archipelagic country that includes the islands of Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Java, and whose capital is Jakarta.
A: Indonesia
Q: This city contains Vodnik Square and the nearby Dragon Bridge, both damaged during an 1895 earthquake that devastated this city. Many of its landmarks were designed by Joze Plecnik, including the skyscraper Neboticnik and the Tromostovje or Triple Bridge in its Preseren Square. Among its many districts are Bezigrad, Vic, Moste and the most populous, Siska. Founded by the Roman fifteenth legion as Emona, this city served as capital of the Duchy of Carniola under Hapsburg rule and as capital of the Kingdom of Illyria during the Napoleonic Wars. The host of the 1821 Congress of Laibach, it is easily the largest city of its nation, whose second-largest city is Maribor. Located on a namesake tributary of the Sava River, FTP, name this capital of Slovenia.
A: Ljubljana (accept Laibach before mentioned)
Q: This body of water is home to the Farasan Islands and Dahlak Archipelago. International observers ensure freedom of navigation through its Straits of Tiran. The Bridge of the Horns is a proposed construction project that would cross the Bab-el-Mandeb, which is the southern entrance to this body of water, and it connects to the Gulf of Aden. Its largest port is Jeddah; it contains the Gulf of Aqaba; and it is part of the Great Rift Valley. For 10 points, identify this body of water, one end of the Suez Canal, which Moses allegedly parted during his escape from Egypt.
A: Red Sea
Q: The Benain and Leke rivers water the western part of this island, off whose southwestern coast the island of Pulau Roti is located. Lifau was the first European settlement here, near the present-day city of Pante Mankasar in the Oecussi enclave. The Ombai and Wetar straits lie to the north of this island, on which the Tetum and Atoni are the largest ethnic groups. On its northwestern Savu Sea coast lies the city of Kupang, the capital of the Nusa Tenggara province. Cities in its eastern half include Suai and Viqueque, along with a city home to the government of Jose Ramos Horta. For 10 points, name this island south of the Banda Sea, split into a province of Indonesia and an independent nation whose capital is Dili.
A: Timor
Q: The Chelif River rises in this mountain range. This range is comprised of many subranges, which include the High, Tell, and Aures Ranges, and it is located to the south and east of the Rif Mountains but north of the Great Western Erg. Its highest peak is Jebel Toubkal. Marrakech is in the foothills of this range, where people speak both Arabic and Berber languages. For 10 points, name this mountain range that runs parallel to the Mediterranean coast and passes through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: One waterfall in this country can be translated "Troll's Bonnet;" that waterfall is on a river draining its largest lake, Vanern. This country's highest point is Kebnekaise, and its westernmost point is Stora Drammen island. A tunnel-bridge combination across Øresund connects it to another country's island of Zealand. Located west of the Gulf of Bothnia, its oldest university is in the city of Uppsala, while its northernmost province, shared with its eastern neighbor, is Lapland. For 10 points, identify this Scandinavian country with its capital at Stockholm.
A: Sweden [or Sverige]
Q: Edwin James completed the first recorded ascent of this mountain. The Fifty-Niners flocked to this mountain in search of gold. There is an annual car race to the top of this mountain. This mountain was renamed from "El Capitan." Katharine Lee Bates wrote a song after ascending this mountain. That song is "America the Beautiful." For 10 points, identify this mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, located next to Colorado Springs, and named after the first American explorer who encountered it.
A: Pike's Peak
Q: The Howrah Bridge is an emblem of this city. That bridge spans the Hooghly River, which runs through this city. Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore was born in this city. It was the center of British control of India from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. The imprisonment of British soldiers in Fort William was called the Black Hole of this city. Bengali is the primary language of this city, and a majority of its residents are Hindu. For 10 points, identify India's fourth-largest city, located in the Ganges delta.
A: Kolkata [or Calcutta]
Q: GPS scans revealed that this mountain range grew approximately 4 centimeters during an earthquake in August 2016 that caused the deaths of 297 people. Its highest peak has a name meaning "Big Horn." A peak called "Mount Titan" found in this mountain range is one of "three towers" of a small republic. In ancient times, a river sourced in this range known for silt-colored yellow water, flowed down to an artificial hexagonal port expanded by Trajan called (*) Ostia. Geographically, this range separates a region often likened to a "heel" or "stiletto" named Apulia from more western regions, which contain subranges of these mountains such as the "Samnite" and "Campanian" ones. This range contains the headwaters of the Tiber river. For 10 points, what mountain range runs the length of Italy?
A: Apennine Mountains [or Apennini; do not accept or prompt on "Alps"]
Q: This island's unique liqueur named Kitron, made from a local citrus strain, was first distilled in the 1890s in its village of Halki. Ariadne was legendarily abandoned by the hero (+) Theseus on this island after she helped him slay the Minotaur and escape the labyrinth. This site of Mount Zeus in the Aegean was the first member of the (*) Delian League to attempt to secede in the 470s BCE. For the point, name this largest island of the Cyclades island group.
A: Naxos
Q: Charles Edward Stuart once fled to this island while dressed as Flora MacDonald's maid. This island's Rubha an Dunain peninsula is home to the so-called "Viking Canal." According to legend, this island was where Scathach [[SKAH-hak]] trained Cu Chulainn [[koo-KUL-in]]. In 1830, Hugh MacAskill founded this island's most famous distillery and named it for the local Talisker estate. This island's capital and largest city is Portree. For the point, name this Scottish island, the largest of the Inner Hebrides.
A: Isle of Skye (or Isle o Skye; accept An t-Eilean Sgitheanach; accept ilean a' Cheo)
Q: This polity's town of Glonn is known for its market days. In this polity, the Wuerm river joins the Amper river, which eventually flows into the River Isar, on which sits this polity's capital. The northernmost administrative division in this polity is Upper Franconia, while Swabia is in the southwest, near the Rhine and Lake Constance. This neighbor of Thuringia and home of the Zugspitze is the largest and most populous state in its country, as it includes Fuerth, Erlangen, Augsburg, and Nuremberg. A Catholic majority and the Alps characterize, for 10 points, this German state, with capital at Munich.
A: Bavaria
Q: One of this landform's cities features an orange-bricked prison museum located next to Mount Tento, and is the subject of a bunch of yakuza movies. Found between that city, Abashiri, and Kushiro is a park containing the crater lakes of Masshu and Kussharo, Akan national park. Its highest point is Mount Asahi, and it's separated from Kunashir island by the Nemuro strait. Its Southern end forms a cradle around Uchiura bay, and is bounded by the Tsugaru strait. One city on this island sits on the Ishikari river, and contains the Okurayama ski complex that was used in 1972. Separated from the Sakhalin by the La Perouse strait, FTP name this island southwest of the sea of Okhotsk, with capital at Sapporo, the northernmost island of Japan.
A: Hokkaido
Q: One can find the namesake flying fox of this country in national parks like Bel Ombre, located in its south. The Black River district contains its highest point of Mount Piton, and Cyclone Hollanda hit this island in 1994, causing the destruction of over half of the sugar plantations, its main economic base. Its most populous cities include those of Quatre Bones, Vacoas and Curepipe. Napoleon's only naval victory over the British took place at the Battle of Grand Port off this island, which was uninhabited until the Dutch named it after their stadholder in 1598. Once the home of the Dodo bird, for 10 points, name this island country with its capital at Port Louis, located some 500 miles east of Madagascar.
A: Mauritius
Q: This region of the world is generally characterized by hot and humid weather, with monsoons in June and December bringing heavy seasonal rainfall. The association containing this region's countries currently has ten members, though East Timor will be a logical future member. Home to the world's largest Muslim nation, where President Barack Obama spent part of his childhood, it is the most ecologically diverse place on Earth. Located between China and Australia, FTP, name this region in Asia, containing countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
A: South-East Asia
Q: The terminus of this river features Edgewater Beach and Villa Angela Beach, after it has been forced to its outlet by the Portage Escarpment, which feeds it toward the Euclid Creek watershed. Its proper tributaries include Tare Creek near its source and Tinkers Creek, which passes over Gates Mills Falls. Its main course passes over the Munroe Falls Dam and a dam at Lake Rockwell as well as one at the Gorge Metropark. It moves through towns like Brecksville, Valley View, Parma, and Newburg Heights as well as a city named for its namesake falls located in Summit County. It also flows through another city in the same county, which is dubbed the "rubber capital of the world." Also known for its tendency to catch on fire, FTP, name this river which flows through Cleveland, Ohio.
A: Cuyahoga River
Q: Though not New York or any city in Montana or Antarctica, this city features a foot bridge to Theodore Roosevelt Island. This city's Lambda Rising bookstore recently closed near its gay-friendly neighborhood of Dupont Circle. Benjamin Latrobe designed the building at the center of this city, whose other important buildings include Dumbarton Oaks. It is located right next to the site of military funerals at Arlington Cemetery. Its four divisions include Northwest and Southeast and the Tidal Basin is near its Watergate Hotel. For 10 points, name this city on the Potomac and Anacostia rivers between Maryland and Virginia.
A: Washington, District of Columbia [accept either underlined part; prompt "DC"]
Q: Its tributaries include the Mascoma and Mill rivers. The Westfield River meets up with this river near a non-Illinois Springfield, and the Deerfield River meets it just upstream. Interstate 81 crosses this river in the north, while Interstate 90 crosses it near the Chicopee. Its name is Algonquian for "long tidal river", and the "Great Attack" occurred at Essex along this river during the War of 1812. Named for a state which has had former governors Lowell Wicker, John Roland, and Jodi Rell, this is, for 10 points, what New England river which passes through Hartford to the Long Island Sound?
A: Connecticut River
Q: To this island's east is the Mona Passage. Pico Duarte is the highest peak of this island's Cordillera Central. In the southwest is the mountainous Tiburon Peninsula, which extends far beyond the rest of the island. The island's original inhabitants were five tribes, led by Cacique chieftains, of Tainos. This island east of the Windward Passage has a line visible from the air to the west of which nearly all trees are deforested. For 10 points, name the second-largest island in the Caribbean which contains Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, owing to its division between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
A: Hispaniola
Q: Buryats are the people who are indigenous to this body's largest island. Dauria is a mountainous region to the east of this body of water. Golomyankas are species of fish endemic to this body of water, and another species here is the nerpa. The aforementioned largest island is Olkhon; the first European to reach this body of water was Kurbat Ivanov. The rivers that drain into this lake include the Selenga and Barguzin Rivers, while the Angara River is this lake's sole outlet. For 10 points, name the world's second most voluminous lake after the Caspian Sea, which is also the world's deepest lake, and is located in Siberia.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: In the 3rd Century, the Hohokam people native to the area around this modern city built the largest pre-Columbian irrigation system using handheld tools. This city's founder, a Confederate minuteman named Jack Swilling, died while awaiting trial for robbing a stagecoach in Wickenburg. Barry Goldwater's first political post was on this city's council, and it lies on the northeastern reaches of the Sonoran Desert. For the point, name this city in Maricopa County, the capital and largest city of Arizona.
A: Phoenix (accept the Navajo Hoozdo)
Q: For the 1894 World's Fair in this city, George Turner Marsh designed a Japanese Tea Garden. Stamps depicting Vasco Nunez de Balboa were issued for a 1915 exhibition in this city honoring the completion of the Panama Canal. That event in this city saw the building of its Palace of Fine Arts. The opening of two bridges, including one connecting this city to Oakland, was celebrated at the Golden Gate International Exhibition. For the point, name this California city on a bay.
A: San Francisco
Q: One city on western edge of this region is known as La Villa Sur, and the city of Calama is located in the interior of this region where the Church of San Pedro is located. The Paranel Observatory is located in this region because there is little interference from artificial light or radio waves. Part of this region receives a fog known as the Camanchaca which produces enough moisture to support lichens and some cacti and the Loa River (*) flows through this region. The Cordillera de la Sal are located in this region that is surrounded on the east by Cordillera Domeyko. This region is composed mainly of salt basins, sand and Felsic lava flows, which have led it to be compared to Mars, and parts of this region have not seen rain in over 400 years. For 10 points, name this driest desert in the world, located mostly in Chile.
A: Atacama Desert
Q: This region is divided up into three administrative divisions labelled A, B, and C. The highest point in this region is Tall Asur and is located in the Ramallah and Al Bireh regions. A city in the south of this region contains Rachel's Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs; that city is Hebron. Controversy erupted recently due to an announcement to construct 500 new houses here in response to the murder of a family in an illegal settlement. Bordered on one side by a separation barrier and on the other by the Jordan River, for 10 points, what is this territory of contested status in relation to Israel which, along with the Gaza strip, forms the Palestinian territories?
A: West Bank [prompt on "Palestine"]
Q: A 1971 Sorcery Act passed by this nation's parliament banned black magic, with over a hundred men and women dying annually from accusations of witchcraft. A type of encephalopathy named kuru is common among the Fore [["foray"]] tribe of this nation due to their practice of funerary cannibalism. This Asian nation, which uses the creole "Tok Pisin," was once split into German and British dominated spheres. For the point, name this nation once administered by its neighbor across the Torres Strait, Australia.
A: Papua New Guinea (or Papuaniugini; prompt on "Papua"; do not accept or prompt on "New Guinea" or "Guinea")
Q: A city alongside this river is sometimes referred to as "land of the upside-down", in part because digital maps invert direction while traveling through it. Outlaws based primarily in a street along a segment of this river commonly hide their identity by covering their face with paper bags or wood boards. Clumps of a certain natural resource from this river are harvested through namesake (+) "droplet stones". Veritate, Hyades and Volar are species names of organisms endemic to this river. Returning tourists of cities along this river may purchase a namesake "express pass" through an interface called Spiegelmann, while first-time visitors often hop between those cities by riding the (*) Flying Fish. Celebrities that live along this river include the King of Spiders, Will and the Dream Master, Lucid. For 10 points, name this river that originates from Esfera and flows into a Nameless Town in the Vanishing Journey.
A: Arcane River
Q: Lolita of the L Orca Pod was captured off the coast off Fidalgo Island in this body of water. This body of water is home to the McNeil Prison Center which initially was the holding place for Robert Stroud who was also known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz". Enviromental concerns in this body of water include the destruction of glacial till deposits on the shores of the Henderson and Skookum Inlets by an overabundance of Geoduck. One city that lies on the shores of this body of water is home to the Bumbershoot Music Festival, and another city that borders this body of water is home to Evergreen State College. Another city on this body of water is Redmond, and the Columbia River empties into this body of water. For 10 points identify this body of water that borders the cities of Bellevue and Olympia, and is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
A: Puget Sound
Q: A Science Olympiad team in this state owns the scienceolympiad.com domain. The Channeled Scablands was a region located in what is now this state that formed due to the breaking of a section of the Cordilleran ice sheet; that region, which is not in Minnesota, New York, Idaho or Wisconsin, includes a lake that's just called Rock Lake which formed from the aforementioned (+) Missoula floods. The Rain City Superhero Movement led by real-life superhero Phoenix Jones was based in this state, which also has the largest ferry system in the country. The infamous 2007 RainFurrest furry convention was hosted in this state. Notable alumni from its namesake university include Rainn Wilson and Bruce Lee. The Snohomish-King county homeschool Science Olympiad team is located in this state that is currently governed by (*) Jay Inslee. The headquarters of Nintendo of America and Microsoft are located in this state. For 10 points, name this Evergreen State with its capital at Olympia named after the first president.
A: Washington [or WA ]
Q: This county was the most heavily affected by a series of mudflows and floods resulting from the Pineapple Express in early 2018. It's not in Arkansas, but this county was once home to the historic Arlington Hotel, which was destroyed in a fire in 1909, repaired, then destroyed again two years later by an earthquake. The 10-10-10 student film competition is part of an annual film festival held in this county. Shuji Nakamura, Nobel Laureate and inventor of the blue LED, teaches at this county's namesake university which (+) Jason Lezak, who anchored the 2008 4x100 freestyle relay in Beijing, swam for. In 2020, Prince Harry purchased the Riven Rock estate in a community of this county which Forbes called a "celebrity enclave" in 2021; that community is Montecito. The most beautiful UC school is located in this county. For 10 points, give this city, the primary setting of (*) Psych .
A: Santa Barbara County, California
Q: A sub-group of these people named the Hohokam built the largest canal system in North America to provide water to settlements like Snaketown. Athabaskan migratory people such as the Navajo and Apache called these people the "Ancient Enemies" due to frequent clashes for land and resources. These people, whose name comes from the Spanish for "village," built adobe brick homes at sites in Chaco Canyon. For the point, name this Native American culture of the American Southwest including the Zuni and Hopi, once known as the Anasazi.
A: Ancestral Puebloan Culture (accept Puebloans or Pueblo people; accept Anasazi before mentioned; accept Hisatsinom)
Q: Several of these entities were annexed by France after it sent the Alert and the Astrolabe. The "Bombay Castle" is located in this region, and two rival factions located here were the "Kingdom of Humanity" and the Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads, who were started by father-son pair James George and Franklin Meads. The discoverer of these entities was the commander of the whaling ship Cyrus, and they are found in the middle of the "Dangerous Ground". Tomas Cloma declared the Free Territory of Freedomland in this area. A detachment of troops guarding the (*) ship Sierra Madre are present in this location. Brunei claims Louisa Reef in this formation as part of its EEZ, and battles over it have included the Johnson South Reef Skirmish and the standoff over the Scarborough Shoals, in which the Chinese seized the area in question. For 10 points, name this archipelago fought over by six different Asian nations, an oil-rich group of islands found in the South China Sea.
A: Spratley islands [Prompt on "South China Sea"]
Q: The U.S. government created special coins which could not transmit this disease for the Palo Seco region of the Panama Canal Zone. The term "Lazaretto," a medieval location used to isolate potential plague victims, derives its name from the biblical Lazarus the Beggar, who was affected by this disease. King Kamehameha V created a "colony" for people effected by this disease on the island of Kalaupapa, which is where Saint Damien of Molokai served afflicted people. Wild armadillos can spread, for the point, what historically persecuted disease which causes skin lesions?
A: Leprosy (accept Lepers; accept Leper colony)
Q: The peninsula containing this location, but not this location itself, was annexed along with Stonecutters Island in 1899. Jackie Pullinger wrote about treating addicts living in this location in Crack in the Wall. A park containing the Chess Garden and the Eight Floral Walks contains the remnants of this location's south gate. Groups like 14K and (*) Sun Yee On flourished in this settlement, which was connected to a nearby pier by the Lung Tsun Stone Bridge. This site was informally governed by a Kaifong association. This site was located right next to the Kai Tak airport. The demolition of this site was planned for a few years before the 1997 handover. For 10 points, name this extremely dense, crime-ridden settlement in Hong Kong.
A: Kowloon Walled City [prompt on Hong Kong]
Q: The San Carlos Reservoir was created when the U.S. government dammed this river by building the Coolidge Dam near the city of Globe. Prior to the Gadsden Purchase, this river served as the boundary between the U.S. and Mexico in modern-day Arizona. This tributary, whose mouth is near the city of Yuma, is known as "Akimel" in the Pima tongue. For the point, name this tributary of the Colorado River which names a species of lizard known as its namesake "Monster."
A: Gila [[HEE-lah]] River (accept Keli Akimel before mentioned; accept Haa Si'il)
Q: Thirteen countries attended a 1934 Fascist International conference in this city overseen by Eugenio Coselschi. The system of capitulations in Egypt was abolished in an agreement signed in this city. A (+) 1936 convention in this city led to the remilitarization of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits by the government of Kemal Ataturk. The song "Smoke on (*) the Water" references the burning of a casino at an event in this city on Lake Geneva. For the point, name this Swiss city that holds an annual jazz festival.
A: Montreux [[mohn-"TRUE"]] or [[mon-TROH]] (accept Montreaux Jazz Festival, Festival de Jazz Montreaux, or Festival International de Jazz Montreux)
Q: In an incident in this state, "Bootlegger Cove" near Cook Inlet suffered landslide damage while William George Taylor of the FAA was killed in his control tower. That event, which was centered in this state, damaged the Million Dollar Bridge and later led to the deaths of twelve people in Crescent City, California. A pipeline in this state was built after Port Valdez was destroyed. For the point, name this state where the Good Friday Earthquake occurred in 1964, leveling Anchorage.
A: Alaska (accept Alaskaq; accept Anaaski)
Q: A landmark with this word as the first word in its name was referred to by Pierre-Jean De Smet as the "Register of the Desert." Edward Partridge purchased a piece of land in a city with this name which was to be the center of "New (+) Jerusalem," featuring the Temple Lot. A Wyoming rock along the Emigrant Trail that resembled Uluru is named for this word, which also names a city that was the starting (*) point of many trips across the Continental Divide en route to California. For the point, what word names a Missouri city in which Harry Truman is buried?
A: Independence (accept Independence, Missouri; accept Independence Rock)
Q: Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed in this region after its crew became distracted by a burnt-out landing gear indicator light. In this region, Hamilton Disston purchased over four million acres of land near St. Cloud to build canals. One book about this region is subtitled River of Grass and was written by Marjory Stoneman Douglass. This region's drainage was accelerated under the administration of Governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward. Home to the assimilated Seminole people, for the point, what is this large region of marshy wetlands in South Florida?
A: The Everglades (accept Everglades National Park)
Q: One site for this location occurs at the top edge of the Table of Roger II of Sicily compiled by Muhammad Al-Idrisi, located between three giant swamps. A priest who stayed at the court of Za Dengel claimed to have found this place, as did the missionary Jeronimo Lobo. Herodotus relates that Nasamonians attempted to find this place but were captured by dwarven sorcerers and that others who searched for it instead found an island called Tachompso. Two Englishmen searched for this place under the pretense of trying to find the Sea of Ujiji. (*) Ptolemy believed that its location was in the "Mountains of the Moon", while Pliny the Elder relates that it lay near Mt. Atlas. Protected by a dense barrier called the sudd, one modern candidate is at Gish Abbai, which was surveyed by James Bruce. Lake Tana partially fits this description. For 10 points, name this legendary location in modern Rwanda, Burundi, and Ethiopia, the headwaters of a bipartite river.
A: The Source of the Nile (accept equivalents like the headwaters or start of the Nile; accept Lake Tana before mention; if someone answers with the source of either the White or Blue Nile, be generous and accept it)
Q: A prominent landmark in this national park can be climbed using the Owen-Spalding route or an ascent pioneered by Glenn Exum. Cabins built elsewhere by Ben Sheffield were moved to form Colter Bay Village in this park. A peak in this park is named for an artist who frequently painted it, Thomas Moran. This park is located west of a mountain range mistakenly named (*) "Big Belly" by French explorers, the Gros Ventre Range. Its landmarks include Jenny Lake and the "most photographed barn in America". Land in an adjacent valley was added to this park after John D. Rockefeller threatened to sell it in a letter written to Harold Ickes. This park is located north of Jackson Hole and south of Yellowstone. For 10 points, name this national park in northwest Wyoming.
A: Grand Teton National Park
Q: In 2012, activist Greg Norton successfully led a campaign against creating a new one of these places. Currently, the Never Forgotten Foundation is attempting to build an enormous war memorial between Ingonish and Neils Harbour in this kind of place. Since 2002, Alan Latourelle has led the agency which manages these places. A theater troupe named for these places frequently discusses spiritualism at the Laurier House and performs historical shows at Bellevue House and Fort Wellington. There currently exist plans to create another five of these places, including Thaydene (*) Nene and Mealy Mountains. Two of these places are traversed by the restricted Icefields Parkway. Spirit Island is found within Maligne Lake in one of these places, named for trader Jasper Hawes. The oldest one of these things borders two others, Yoho and Kootenay, and contains the Valley of the Ten Peaks and the Bow River, as well as several Albertan glaciers. For 10 points, identify these nature preserves which include Banff.
A: Canadian national parks [or obvious equivalents; prompt on partial answer]
Q: On this island ancestral spirits called Taotaomona are believed to guard the pillars of the house, which are known as Latte Stones. It was once known as the Islands of the Thieves after a skiff was stolen from European travelers in Umatac Bay. It served as the processing center for Operation New Life after the fall of Saigon. Chief Matapang of Tumon murdered the Jesuit Diego de San Vitores in 1672 for baptizing his daughter without permission and sparked a (*) war which nearly exterminated its native population. Governed by a namesake Organic Act passed in 1950, it remains unincorporated despite a UN mandate. During the Japanese occupation American officer George Tweed evaded capture here for three years, and its capital of Hagatna was heavily damaged during the US reconquest. For 10 points, name this central Pacific territory home to the Chamorro people, the largest of the Mariana islands.
A: Guam
Q: This man's first wife was Isabel Richard, while his second wife was Dorothy Wentworth. This man once formed a mining entity named the Cathay Company, and in 1862 Charles Francis Hall found a stone house that once belonged to this man who founded the non-New Zealand Resolution Island. This man thought he may have found gold in the new world, but was massively disappointed to learn it was pyrite/fool's gold. This man fought in the Spanish Armada, and eventually died from injuries from fighting Spaniards in a different conflict in Brittany. Two peninsulas on this non-Henry Hudson man's namesake body of water include the Hall and Meta Incognita. The city of Iqaluit lies on a body of water of this 16th-century explorer and adventurer, and that city is in the territory of Nunavut. For 10 points, name this British explorer with a namesake bay that indents Baffin Island.
A: Sir Martin Frobisher
Q: This city was first conceived by Jose Bonifacio to shift power away from the southeastern municipalities. This city's Monumental Axis houses administrative buildings and joins with the Residential Axis to form an airplane shape. This city became the largest in the Federal District after it was developed under the "fifty years of progress in five" plan of Juscelino Kubitschek. Lucio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer were responsible for developing, for the point, what planned city that replaced Rio de Janeiro as its country's capital in 1956?
A: Brasilia
Q: The dessert Bananas Foster originated in a restaurant in this city founded by Owen Brennan. A former mayor of this city, Nicholas Girod, lived in a house supposedly constructed to house the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte which has since been converted to a popular restaurant. The Leidenheimer Baking Company in this city is its primary provider of muffuletta. This city is home to the Caf e du Monde which is located on Jackson Square. Po' boys and other Cajun-inspired cuisine can be found in this city's French Quarter. For the point, name this largest city of Louisiana.
A: New Orleans
Q: This one-time colony experienced widespread race riots after Police Constable Beesoo was killed by a Creole gang, who went on ransack the village of Souillac [[soo-LAHK]]. Along with the Seychelles, the Chagossian Islanders were forcibly relocated to this nation in an effort by the UK to build a military base on Diego Garcia. Due to island tameness, a native bird of this island called the Dodo was hunted into extinction after its discovery by Europeans in the 16th and 17th century. For the point, name this country, the highest on the human development index in Africa, governed from Port Louis.
A: Republic of Mauritius (or Republique de Maurice; or Repiblik Moris)
Q: This mountain range was the site of the death of president of the Philippines Manuel Quezon at one of many facilities opened by Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau to treat tuberculosis. A Millionaire's Row on Bolton Road by a lake in this mountain range attracted figures such as Alfred Stieglitz and John D. Rockefeller. An Olympics held in this mountain range in 1980 featured the surprising Soviet ice hockey defeat in the "Miracle on Ice." Saranac Lake and Lake George are found in, for the point, what mountain range in upstate New York where the Lake Placid Olympics were held?
A: Adirondack Mountains (accept Adirondacks)
Q: This state is home to Brunswick Landing, as well as the headquarters of T.D. Bank and L.L. Bean. A 31-foot-high statue of Paul Bunyan is present in this state's city of Bangor, part of its Penobscot County. This state contains Husson University as part of its Presque Isle city, and it is the closest U.S. state to (*) Africa. This state contains Cumberland County, as well as Aroostook territory. It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west and Quebec to the northeast. For ten points, what "Pine Tree" state known for its seafood industry contains Portland and Augusta?
A: Maine
Q: The only fully intact 17th century ship to ever have been salvaged is housed in this city's Vasa Museum. It's not Helsinki, but this city also contains a "House of Nobility" and the Drevikken and Flaten lakes. This city's metro is known as the "longest art gallery in the world", and it's home to the (*) Ericsson Globe and Friends Arena. Lake Malaren is also located in this city that hosts the annual Nobel Prize ceremonies and names a hostage-captor "syndrome." For ten points, name this fourteen-island city, the capital of Sweden.
A: Stockholm
Q: Chief Kepuha's conversion to Catholicism on this island allowed the Spanish to build Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral. The Sergeant Shoichi Yokoi was found living in (+) Talofofo Cave of this island in the early 1970s, returning to Japan soon after. His superior, Lt. Gen. Hideyoshi Obata, committed seppuku at this island's Mount Mataguac after failing to hold it. This island's motto is (*) "Land of the Chamorros," in reference to the dominant Austronesian group that still inhabit the island. For the point, name this unincorporated territory in Micronesia ceded to the US along with the Philippines and Puerto Rico at the end of the Spanish-American War.
A: Guam
Q: The Treaty of Fort Stanwix used this river to establish a new boundary between the British colonies and the Six Nations. Slaves often referred to this river as the "River Jordan" as they attempted to cross it with the help of the Underground Railroad. This river set the southern boundary of the Northwest Territory. This river is formed by the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers. The Mississippi meets up with this river in Cairo [kay-roh], Illinois. Louisville lies on, for the point, what river that separates Kentucky from its namesake state?
A: Ohio River
Q: During a war named for this natural substance, pro-French Nagriamel rebels armed with bows and arrows attempted to break away from the newly-created Vanuatu [[vahn-WAH-too]]. This fruit of Indo-Malayan origin names an Indian Ocean island group controlled by Australia which is sometimes named for Captain William Keeling. The crew of patrol torpedo boat PT-109, led by John F. Kennedy, built dugout canoes of this fruit's husk while stranded on Olasana Island. A type of "Milk" and "Oil" can be derived from, for the point, what tropical fruit first described to Europeans by Antonio Pigafetta?
A: Coconut (accept Coconut War; accept Cocos; accept Coconut Milk; accept Coconut Oil; accept Coconut Palm)
Q: This island is home to the "Cow Palace", an apartment inside of Building 64. The Model Industries Building on this island is located to the west of the New Industries Building. The (+) Agave Trail showcases the wildlife on this island. During World War I, Philip Grosser was kept on this island due to his (*) conscientious objecter status. Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin, escape from a location on this island. For the points, name this island in San Francisco Bay which housed a US Federal Prison until 1963.
A: Alcatraz Island
Q: The Belmont Building is part of this city's "Garden City" district. This city's tallest building is nicknamed for a certain leader's "pineapple" because it resembles a lotus plant. This city's urban area includes the Sixth of October City, and it also contains the Citadel of Saladin. The Mogamma is a building in (*) Tahrir Square, part of this city, and it contains the Al-Azhar University. This city, located near Memphis and the Nile Delta, is the most populated city in Africa. For ten points, name this Arab capital city of Egypt, located eight miles from the Pyramids of Giza.
A: Cairo
Q: Douglas Adams climbed this mountain in a certain suit at the behest of Save the Rhino. The Balletto and Credner glaciers are on this mountain. Hans Meyer named a peak on this mountain Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze, which was later renamed Uhuru Peak. This mountain's name may mean "Mountain of Greatness" or may be a misinterpretation of Wachagga people saying said mountain was unclimbable. This mountain's Kibo crest is a volcanic peak which is said to have destroyed a Maasai village. This mountain's namesake National Park is near the city of Mochi and the border with Kenya. For ten points, name this tallest mountain in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: The artificial lake Lalla Takerkoust and the Barrage Cavagna lie near this mountain range, which names a kind of native cedar tree and contains the Hautes plains. The Ziz and Sebou rivers have their source in this mountain range. The Cuvier's gazelle has its habitat in this mountain range. The (*) Jbel Bou Naceur is the highest point of this range whose "Middle" part contains the Rif region. The "Tell" and "Aures" subranges are part of, for ten points, what mountain range mainly inhabited by Berbers, located in the Maghreb of Northern Africa?
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: Hurricane Edna caused extensive damage to a lighthouse in this municipality's Peggy's Cove. The settlement of over 3,200 Europeans in what became this municipality was a catalyst for Father Le Loutre's War. Lawrencetown is within this municipality, whose Richmond District was heavily damaged in a 1917 event that killed over 1,600 people. That event involved a Belgian Relief steamship known as the SS Imo and the French cargo ship Mont Blanc. For the point, a major maritime explosion affected what Canadian municipality that is the capital of Nova Scotia?
A: Halifax (accept Kjipuktuk; accept Halifax Regional Municipality; accept HRM; accept Halifax Explosion or Disaster)
Q: This river's bends are known as its "knees", and the Rein da Tuma and Lai da Tuma are sources of this river. This river flows through the Ruinaulta Canyon. The Lorelei rock, which titles a Heinrich Heine poem, is on the right bank of this river. This river flows through the towns of Zons and Xanten. A "North (*) Westphalia" German state is named for this river, which begins in the Swiss canton of Graubunden and flows into Lake Constance. Cologne is the largest city on, for ten points, what river, the third-longest in Europe?
A: Rhine River
Q: This city is home to the Prometheus cinema which formerly hosted a statue of its namesake titan wielding fire before the statue was moved to a nearby garden of remembrance. The half-ruined (+) Polissya hotel is located in this city which is also home to the Azure Swimming Pool which remained in operation until 1998. Igor Kostin photographed a helicopter flying over a site just outside this city in preparation for incoming "liquidators." An oft-photographed (*) Ferris wheel in this city was scheduled to open for May Day celebrations but was permanently delayed when the city was evacuated due to an April 1986 disaster. For the points, name this Ukrainian town which was constructed to house workers from the Chernobyl Nuclear plant.
A: Pripyat (do not accept or prompt on Chernobyl)
Q: A district named for these objects surrounds the Gandan monastery, which was depopulated by Stalin-era purges. Herodotus described an early example of these objects used by the Scythian people. These homes were often distributed in a huree (+) circle according to the Secret History of the Mongols and were built to be easily (*) collapsible to facilitate transport by yaks. For the points, name these round tents used by steppe nomads of Central Asia for over three thousand years.
A: Yurts (or Ger; prompt on "Tents")
Q: This island contains the Ahmad Yani Airport and Iswahyudi Air Force Base, as well as the Brantas, Citarum, and Solo rivers, and its namesake sea contains the Thousand Islands. This island contains the pasisir and kejawen cultural regions. This island's Parahyangan region contains the Gris, Ciamis, and (*) Bandung regencies. A namesake "man", the first Homo erectus fossil, was found on this island. This is the world's most populous island, and it's located south of Borneo and Sumatra. For ten points, name this Indonesian island that contains Jakarta.
A: Java
Q: Carrie Lam is the current Chief Executive of this city which currently controls the island of Lantau. It is bordered to the North by the city of Shenzen and it currently holds the record for the most skyscrapers in the world, one of which is the International Commerce Center. Along with Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, this city is considered one of the "Tiger Economies." The region in which this city is located has the world's longest life expectancy and the Victoria Harbor sits between it and the Kowloon peninsula. Found on the Pearl River Estuary, this city is home to the Bank of China Tower. English first names are common in, for ten points, what city, the namesake of a special administrative region in China formerly occupied by the British?
A: Hong Kong
Q: The county seat of Sheboygan County lies on the banks of this body of water as does the White River Light Station Museum and parts of the Huron-Manistee National Forest. Some beach towns by this body of water include Muskegon and St. Joseph. Because of the dangers of the Straits of Mackinac, there are many shipwrecks in this body of water including the Eber Ward and Sandusky. The college town Evanston is located near this body of water, and some basins of this lake are Kalamazoo and Green Bay. For ten points, name this only Great Lake located entirely within the United States, whose banks border Milwaukee and Chicago.
A: Lake Michigan
Q: This city created the first municipal zoning ordinance in the U.S. in 1908. This city's Terminal Island built over 300 Liberty Ships after its shipyard's construction in 1941. The collapse of the (+) St. Francis Dam near this city ended the career of a civil engineer responsible for creating this city's namesake "Aqueduct", which fueled this city's growth post-1913. Frederick (*) Eaton partnered with William Mulholland to divert water from the Owens River to this city in the San Fernando Valley. For the points, name this West Coast city, the second-largest in the U.S.
A: Los Angeles (accept LA)
Q: Napoleon B. Broward campaigned on a platform to drain this geographical area. Ernest Coe campaigned to protect this area from development. Invasive species in this area include the Brazilian pepper and the Burmese python. This largest wilderness east of the Mississippi is protected under the Ramsar Convention. The Biscayne Aquifer is recharged in this area, home to mangrove forests. South Florida is home to, for the point, what protected wetland area home to the third-largest national park in the U.S.?
A: Everglades (accept Lake Okeechobee; prompt on South Florida)
Q: This river was first mapped out by Ernest de Legree, whose research prompted Europeans to try to build a ship crossing over the Khone Falls in this river. During the last day of Vassa, the serpent Phaya is said to produce mysterious lights on this river that locals call "naga fireballs." This river reverses and moves upstream during floods, flowing into the Lake Tonle Sap. Rising in the "Three Rivers Source Area" in the Tibetan Plateau, for the point, name this river which flows through much of Southeast Asia, including Cambodia and Vietnam.
A: Mekong RIver
Q: This city contains Mount Soledad, the location of the last home lived in by Dr. Seuss, as well as some legendary "Munchkin people." This city contains Black Mountain and Cowles Mountain, as well as the "College Area" community. The skyscrapers Symphony Towers and the Helmut Jahn-designed (*) One America Plaza are in this city, home to the Skip-Schumaker coached Padres. This city contains Balboa Park and borders Tijuana. For ten points, name this California city, home to a huge panda-breeding, open-air zoo.
A: San Diego
Q: This country contains the Farid Serhal Palace and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Waterfall in its town of Jezzine. This country's town of Bsharri contains its highest point, Qurnat as Sawda', and the Rue Verdun Street. This country contains the Litani hydroelectricity project and the artificial Lake Qaraoun in its (*) Beqaa Valley. This country is known as the "Pearl of the Middle East" and is the smallest sovereign state in mainland Asia. For ten points, name this country with capital at Beirut.
A: Lebanese Republic (accept Lebanon)
Q: The Ramsar Convention designated this location and others like it as places of international importance. The Kissimmee River is found near the northern boundary of this location which is primarily dominated by sawgrass and mangroves. A portion of this location, located in Collier County, is known the "Big Cypress." Lake Okeechobee borders the northern part of this area. Thousands of invasive Burmese pythons native to South Asia have been captured and removed from this location since 2002. For ten points, name this area in South Florida which contains millions of acres of protected marshes and wetlands.
A: Florida Everglades (Everglades National Park) Prompt on (South) Florida.
Q: In this state, the catastrophic failure of the St. Francis Dam ended the career of William Mulholland. This state is home to a desalination plant named for longtime civil servant Claude Lewis. In 1913, Fred Eaton began a campaign of lies and subterfuge to secure rights to the Owens River in this state, which he then ordered diverted which destroyed the economy of the Owens Valley. The Tuolumne [too-AWL-um-nee] River originates in a national park in this state and currently feeds the Hetch Hetchy aqueduct. For the point, name this state where water shortages have affected cities such as Los Angeles.
A: California
Q: This nation's districts are called ressorten , and they include Livorno and Centrum. The Johan Adolf Pengel International and Zong en Hoop airports are in this nation, which is the headquarters of Caricom Airlines and Gum Air. The Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge is also in this nation. The English-based creole (*) Sranan Tongo is a lingua franca used in this country home to Juliana Top. Brazil is bordered to the south and Guyana is bordered to the west by, for ten points, what nation with a Dutch-language majority which has capital at Paramaribo?
A: Suriname
Q: This state is home to the Wind River Reservation as well as Thunder Basin National Grassland. This second highest state contains Mount Moran and Mount Sacagawea, and it's highest point is Gannet Peak. This state's lowest point is the Belle Fourche River, and the state's famous laccolithic butte is located near this river in the Northern part of the state. This state contains Jackson Hole in its Grand Teton National Park and other rivers in this state include the Yellowstone River and the Snake River. For ten points name this state whose famous cities include Casper, Laramie, and its capital Cheyenne.
A: Wyoming
Q: Garabogazkol (gara-bog-az-kohl) is a lagoon on this body of water, the original habitat of the zebra mussel. Chechen Island lies on the western part of this body of water. The Alborz mountain range runs along the southern coast of this body of water and then merges into a mountain range in Khorasan. Cities on this body of water include Turkmenbasi, Derbent, Atyrau (a-tear-ow), and Baku. Some of the Caucasus Mountains can be found on its eastern banks and the Volga is the largest river to flow into this body of water. For ten points, name this largest lake in the world which borders Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia.
A: Caspian Sea
Q: This city features the historic Pitot House, Hermann Grima House, and Gallier House. Dillard University is located in the Gentilly neighborhood of this city whose Ninth Ward is home to the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music and the Jackson Barracks. This city's "Little Vietnam" is located in Village de L'Est. The oldest African American neighborhood is the Faubourg Treme which is located in this city. Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral are located in this city's French Quarter. This city is also known for its elaborate Mardi Gras and its historic avenue, Bourbon Street. For ten points, name this Louisiana city known as "The Big Easy."
A: New Orleans
Q: Residents of this city have partially re-appropriated a derogatory term for them, Jafa. This city's SkyCity Casino is home to the tallest freestanding structure in the (+) southern hemisphere, the Sky Tower. One nickname for this city, Sail City, is explained by its double harbors, Manukau and Waitemata. Named for George (*) Eden, patron of William Hobson, this city is also called Tamaki by its Polynesian population, which is the world's largest by most measures. For the points, name this city located on a namesake isthmus of North Island, the most populous in New Zealand.
A: Auckland
Q: Kashubian is recognized as a minority language in this country. This country is the northernmost member of the Visegrad Group and its western border is the Oder-Neisse Line. The Bug river forms part of its borders with Eastern neighbors; that river flows into the Narew and ultimately the Vistula. This country's most populous metropolitan area is centered around Katowice [KAH-TO-VEE-TSE], the capital of its Silesian voivodeship. Jagiellonian University is in this country's second most populous city of Krakow, which is near Auschwitz Concentration Camp. For ten points, name this Slavic country governed from Warsaw.
A: Republic of Poland or Rzeczpospolita Polska
Q: In 1980, Jimmy Stevens, head of this nation's Nagriamel movement, declared the independence of Espiritu Santo Island in the Coconut War, leading to the deployment of Papua New Guinean soldiers. This nation served as a joint Condominium between Britain and (+) France, and was nicknamed the "Pandemonium." Rapid U.S. withdrawal from this nation in 1945 led to the John Frum "cargo cult." Antoine de Bougainville named the islands that are now this nation the Great Cyclades, and they were (*) renamed the New Hebrides by Captain Cook. For the points, name this South Pacific archipelago.
A: Vanuatu
Q: This city's role was eventually replaced by the Mutapa state after settlers were sent to find new sources of salt. This city's walls were over five meters high and constructed without mortar, likely by the Gokomere people. Coins used to trade with Kilwa were found at sites in this city, including the Hill Complex and the Great Enclosure. 8 soapstone birds were found in this city and are now symbols that appear on the flag of this city's country. For the point, identify this African ruin that lends its name to a country with its capital at Harare.
A: Great Zimbabwe
Q: A plaque at the top of this mountain includes the line "O beautiful for spacious skies." This mountain's name is the title of the poem written by Katherine Lee Bates that became the song "America the Beautiful." The discovery of gold southwest of this mountain around Cripple Creek attracted gold miners called "Fifty Niners." Originally named James Peak, this mountain was renamed in 1890 to honor a general and explorer who climbed this mountain while assessing the southwestern Louisiana Territory. For the point, name this mountain in Colorado.
A: Pikes Peak
Q: As an apprentice, this man sailed with John Lok, an ancestor of philosopher John Locke, to West Africa. Sailing with the Gabriel and the Michael for Queen Elizabeth I, this explorer sailed to what he believed was Labrador. While on a search for the Northwest Passage, this man thought he discovered gold, but the 1350 tons of rock he brought home turned out to be hornblende. A US Air Force base in Nunavut bore this man's name. For the point, name this English explorer who names a bay on the southeast corner of Baffin Island.
A: Martin Frobisher
Q: The cousin of the founder of this city founded Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Treadwell Gold mine operated in this city. James Knox Taylor designed a governor's mansion in this city, which was almost replaced by a city named (+) Willow. This city included the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church which was partially built by the (*) Tlingit and it lies on the Gastineau Channel, across from Douglas Island. Replacing Sitka as capital, for the points, name this city isolated from much of Alaska.
A: Juneau
Q: In 1890, the southern tip of this U.S. county was converted from an army fort as part of the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. Antonio Armijo's route from Mexico to Alta California traversed this county along the Virgin River. This county was named for a senator and "Copper King" from (+) Montana whom Mark Twain called "the most disgusting creature that the republic has produced since Tweed." In 1931, the Pair-o-Dice Club was opened in this county, the first of (*) many such locations that included the Desert Inn and Hotel Last Frontier. For the points, name this county, the most populous in Nevada.
A: Clark County, Nevada
Q: While still a colony, this country lost control of the Ellice Islands, which later became Tuvalu. In 1995, this country unilaterally moved the international date line to encompass its Line Islands, fulfilling a campaign promise by Teburoro Tito. This country's former president Anote Tong has led efforts to have this country's population resettled in New Zealand and Fiji in the event of a climate change disaster. As a British colony, this country was known as the Gilbert Islands. For the point, name this Polynesian country with most of its population on the Tarawa atoll.
A: Republic of Kiribati
Q: In one of these structures, the central object was surrounded by 20,000 marine-shell disc beads in the shape of a falcon. The Ho-Chunk people are the primary visitors to the "effigy" types of these structures, which are built in the shape of stylized animals. Henry Brackenridge named the largest "platform" type of these structures called "Monks" in Collinsville, Illinois. "Builders" of these structures constructed over 100 at Cahokia and a "Great Serpent" one in Ohio. For the point, name these piles of earth often used by Native Americans for burial purposes.
A: Burial mounds (accept Cahokia Mounds before "Ho-Chunk")
Q: While walking on a promenade near this body of water, Empress Elisabeth of Austra was stabbed by anarchist Luigi Lucheni. According to Gregory of Tours, a tsunami developed in this lake in the 6th century, destroying a fort at (+) Taurendunum. The Strait of Promenthoux separates this lake into two parts, the "Little Lake" and the "Great Lake." The city of (*) Vevey lies on the northern shore of this lake and is home to Nestle's international headquarters. The Dranse and Rhone river flows into, for the points, which lake that shares its name with a Western Swiss city?
A: Lake Geneva
Q: Houses at this location contained beds and dressers in the same position in each house, with a larger bed to the right of the door in accordance with local tradition. The Grooved Ware people who built this site inspired a similar site at Rinyo. This site contained the earliest record of the human flea (+) in Europe. William Watt first investigated this location, which V. Gordon Childe also studied. This site, along with the Maes Howe, Standing Stones of Stennes, and Ring of Brodgar, form a Neolithic (*) Heart of a certain island chain. For the points, name this Neolithic settlement in the Orkney islands, the "Scottish Pompeii."
A: Skara Brae
Q: In this lake's portion of the Atlantropa project, German architect Herman So rgel planned to refill a basin around this lake to create a shipping lane to Africa's center. Septimius Flaccus and Julius Maternus discovered this lake for the Romans. Outflow from this lake causes massive dust storms when it enters the Bod el e Depression. Much of this lake's water comes from the Chari River, as well as the Yobe River from Nigeria. For the point, name this lake that borders Cameroon and Niger and shrank by 95 percent between 1963 and 1998.
A: Lake Chad
Q: The center of this object is formed from 5 sandstone trilithons and an outer sarsen circle was joined together using mortise-and-tenon joints. Jim Reinders created a version of this structure in Alliance, Nebraska where a key component was replaced by a 1962 Cadillac. Its (*) altar stone was misnamed because it was thought to be built by Merlin or used in rituals by druids. This structure is located on Salisbury Plain, although the materials used to build it were transported 150 miles from Wales. For ten points, name this circular Neolithic monument in Southern England, with a heel stone that aligns with the sun on the summer solstice.
A: Stonehenge
Q: The Alborz Mountains lie north of the Dasht-e Kavir salt desert in this country. The ancient civilization of Elam was located in what is now this nation, which faced a separatist movement in Khuzestan Province. The Zagros Mountains run down the west side of this country, from its border with (*) Azerbaijan to the Strait of Hormuz. The region of Balochistan is shared between this country and its neighbors to the southeast, Afghanistan and Pakistan. North of the Gulf of Oman is - for ten points - what nation that is home to the Persian Plateau?
A: Islamic Republic of Iran
Q: Amos Durfee was killed at this location during the Caroline Affair. The Skylon Tower and Rainbow Bridge overlook this location, which names a 1950 treaty that led to the establishment of its International Board of Control. The Cave of the Winds was behind the (*) Bridal Veil, which was separated by Luna and Goat Islands from the two major portions of this location. Its American section may dry up in 2,000 years, while heavy erosion means that the Horseshoe portion of this location will recede to Lake Erie in 50,000 years. For ten points, what major set of waterfalls is located between New York and Ontario?
A: Niagara Falls
Q: The Tsodilo Hills are in this region and are believed by Basarwa people to be where Nyambe dropped the first animals down the Rhino Trail. Ancient riverbeds called omiramba are in this area, although its only permanent river forms the Okavango Delta, home to the Moremi Game Reserve. The nomadic Khoikhoi people and the San (*) bushmen native to this region are linguistically distinct from the Bantu. Spanning Botswana and Namibia is - for ten points - what semi-arid savannah of southwestern Africa?
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: Upon viewing this city for the first time, one person likened it to the Spanish romance Amadis of Gaul. A pyramid with two sets of stairs, one painted blue and white and the other painted red, to symbolize the wet season and wartime, respectively, is part of this city's Temple Mayor. This city situated near (*) Lake Texcoco was located on a swamp, which hindered the escape of the conquistadores. La Malinche aided Hernan Cortes in capturing this city, where he held Moctezuma hostage. For ten points, name this city that served as the capital of the Aztec civilization, now known as Mexico City.
A: Tenochtitlan, prompt on "Mexico City" before mention
Q: The motion of this island's tectonic plate has left Kohala extinct while allowing Loihi to grow. This island is the current terminus of an archipelago beginning with the Emperor Seamounts. Its largest city of (*) Hilo is one of the rainiest spots in the world, with over three-quarters of the year receiving some rainfall. A place on this island called Ka Lae is the southernmost point in the United States. Nearby snow can be seen on the peak of Mauna Kea, while Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. For ten points, name this Pacific island that shares its name with the 50th state admitted to the Union.
A: Hawai'i (accept Big Island)
Q: The destruction of one of these locations by Typhoon Nina in 1975 killed over 100,000 people in Henan Province. Operation Chastise targeted these locations using "bouncing bombs", and the squadron that conducted the mission was nicknamed (*) "busters" of these objects. In 2014, ISIS took over one of these structures in Mosul, raising fears that it might collapse due to being built on water-soluble land. The Three Gorges one generates around 90 terawatt-hours of energy and is the hydroelectric kind of - for ten points - what structures that restrict the flow of rivers?
A: dams
Q: BR-230 is a highway traveling through this region, which receives dust from the Bodele Depression in the Sahara Desert. In this region, the Satere-Mawe people use gloves filled with bullet ants during initiation rites, while Manu National Park contains over 1300 species of butterflies. One apex predator of this region is the black (*) caiman, the largest extant alligator. Other aquatic species here include the electric eel and the red-bellied piranha, which can both be found in the Orinoco River. For ten points, what rainforest covers much of Brazil and shares a name with South America's longest river?
A: Amazon rainforest/jungle or Amazonia
Q: One of these structures is the Prasat Thom, one of the only structures that is fully intactat the Cambodian site of Koh Ker ["ko-kaye"]. They evolved from structures called mastabas in one culture. Two of these, "of the Moon" and "of the Sun," are located at the site of (*) Tenochtitlan, while Chichen Itza is the site of another step one. The most famous examples of these structures were originally covered in white limestone, and were first designed by the architect Imhotep. For ten points, name these buildings exemplified by the tombs of Djoser and Khufu in Egypt.
A: pyramids, accept step pyramids
Q: The northeastern part of this country has two wet seasons known as vuli and masika . Mary Leakey discovered the "Nutcracker Man" in this country's Olduvai Gorge, which helped demonstrate the evolution of humans in Africa. This country has a disputed border on Lake (*) Malawi, while the the Pangani River flows into the Indian Ocean and has its sources at Mount Meru and the highest volcano outside of South America, also the tallest mountain in Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro is in - for ten points - what country home to Serengeti National Park?
A: Tanzania
Q: This river runs through the Hula Valley, where a swamp was drained in 1951 by diverting this river upstream. Allenby Bridge, spanning this river, was destroyed during Operation Markolet, and the city of Umm Qais lies on the Yarmouk River, its largest tributary. The section of this river to the Sea of (*) Galilee is the western border of the Golan Heights. Iraq crossed this river in 1948, and the Six-Day War changed control of this river's West Bank. For ten points, what river ends in the Dead Sea and flows between Israel and a namesake country?
A: River Jordan (accept Nahar ha-Yarden or Nahr al-Urdun)
Q: Yellow PostBuses are operated by this country's mail service from its capital, which is home to the Marzilibahn funicular. The A2 motorway in this country runs through the Sonnenberg Tunnel, at its completion the world's largest fallout shelter. The 57-kilometer Gotthard Base Tunnel in this country is the world's longest and deepest traffic tunnel, and lies below the (*) Romansh-speaking Surselva Valley. That tunnel connects the Uri and Ticino cantons. Another infrastructure project in this country is the Seujet Dam on Lake Geneva. Zurich Airport services - for ten points - what Alpine country?
A: Switzerland or the Swiss Confederation
Q: In one painting, Caversham Bridge is shown cattle in this body of water, and Isis Lock was built at a canal here in 1796. Abingdon Road crosses this river over the Folly Bridge, and its Millennium Bridge was closed after reports of wobbliness. This river's first main bridges were (*) pontoons built by the Romans, and Robert McCulloch relocated another to Lake Havasu City. The Tower Bridge on this river was painted red, white, and blue for the Silver Jubilee. For ten points, what river is spanned by the London Bridge?
A: the River Thames
Q: The German U-boat 166 was sunk in this body of water, where Kaskida and Thunder Horse were found to contain oil deposits. Another site, Macondo Prospect, ceased production in August 2010. The first Europeans to cross this region were from the Narvaez Expedition, whose survivors included (*) Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. The Galveston hurricane formed over this body, where storm surge devastated New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. For ten points, what region of the Atlantic Ocean is bordered to the west by a namesake country?
A: Gulf of Mexico
Q: The northeastern part of this country has two wet seasons known as vuli and masika . Mary Leakey discovered the "Nutcracker Man" in this country's Olduvai Gorge, which helped demonstrate the evolution of humans in Africa. This country has a disputed border on Lake (*) Malawi, while the the Pangani River flows into the Indian Ocean and has its sources at Mount Meru and the highest volcano outside of South America, also the tallest mountain in Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro is in - for ten points - what country home to Serengeti National Park?
A: Tanzania
Q: It is said that Francis Drake spotted this geographic feature whilst searching for El Dorado, making him the first European to sight it. Mirador Laime [LIE-MEH] is a common location for taking pictures of this geographic feature. This geographic feature is in the Canaima National Park, and drapes over Auyan-tepui. Reaching this feature requires a flight from Ciudad Bolivar or from Puerto Ordaz. This geographic feature is known as Kerepakupai Vena in the indigenous Pemon language, and its current name derives from the name of the American aviator who landed on top of it in 1937. For ten points, name this highest waterfall in the world, located in Venezuela.
A: Angel Falls
Q: Songlines near this object discourage foreigners from approaching it; along with a similar landform named Kata Tjuta, it now names a national park. The Pit•jant•jat•jara people associate this landform with the Tjukurpa belief system, which includes the story of Kalaya, or (*) Emu, roaming around the Great Sandy Desert. In 1873, William Gosse became the first European to see this object, and a century later control over it was returned to the native Aborigines.For ten points, name this red, large sandstone formation in the Northern Territory of Australia.
A: Uluru (accept Ayers Rock)
Q: The "never shake a baby" campaign in this country started after the death of the Kahui twins, and a Guardian article referred to the "normalization" of child poverty this country's "most shameful secret." A statue of Richard Seddon sits outside this country's parliament, called the Beehive. This country claims Ross Dependency in Antarctica, and a major tourist destination in this country is Milford Sound. It's not in Europe, but this country is home to the Southern Alps. This country's two main islands are separated by Cook Strait, and its native people are known as the Maori. For ten points, name this Pacific country governed from Wellington.
A: New Zealand
Q: The tributary of the Kabompo merges with this river near Lukulu. Other tributaries of this river include the Lungwebunglu and the Luanginga, but the largest one is the Kafue River. The Cuando River flows into this river near the Kazungula Ferry. The upper part of this river lies on the Barotse flood plain and Chavuma Falls forms a border between two countries on this river. The Kariba Dam lies on this river and this river feeds into Victoria Falls. For ten points, name this river that forms the border between Zimbabwe and its northern border.
A: Zambezi or Zambesi River
Q: The Cruelest Journey was a video account of a voyage on this body of water, whose tributaries include the Bani and the Banue. Mungo Park was the first modern European to reach the inland portion of this river, which has an "Inner Delta" the size of Belgium. The Kandadji Dam on this river is partially funded by (*) OPEC, and the Oil Rivers form its delta. Although Ibn Battuta thought that this river was connected to the Nile, it actually flows past Timbuktu, and eventually into the Gulf of Guinea. For ten points, name this river of western Africa that is the namesake of two countries.
A: Niger River
Q: This nation's southernmost province has an industry assembling televisions from kits at cities like Rio Grande. Import Substitution Industrialization originated in this country, which houses the Yacireta scheme on the Middle Parana River. (*) Patagonia was claimed by this nation in the 1880s, and the Chaco followed soon after. San Martin is one of the villas miserias, or squatter slums, in its capital on the River Plate. This nation controls the Pampas, and its capital is across from Uruguay. For 10 points, name this nation with a capital at Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina
Q: In 2017, this state enacted an emergency order to permit a festival event in which people compete to slow a bull by hanging from its hump. The western part of this state may actually be the fourth-biggest asteroid crater in the world. This is the largest state that contains Auroville, an experimental community based around the Matrimandir (MAH-tri-MUHN-"deer"), a giant gold sphere. This state contains the southernmost part of the Coromandel coast and the Eastern (*) Ghats, and it surrounds the union territory of Puducherry. This state's Rameswaram (RAH-"mace"-wuh-ruhm) Island is the northern terminus of Adam's Bridge. Many centers of bharatanatyam (BUH-rut-NAHT-yum) performance are based in this state's capital of Chennai. For 10 points, the major ethnic group of which southeasternmost Indian state is also the largest minority group in Sri Lanka?
A: Tamil Nadu (The asteroid crater is the Kaveri Crater.)
Q: One city on this body of water was captured by Theodore Gabras and served as the capital of the Trebizond Empire. Besides the modern city of Trabzon, other cities on its shores include Varna and Kerch, which names a strait between this body of water and the Sea of (*) Azov. The Dnieper empties into this body of water at Odessa, and the Sea of Marmara is separated from it by another strait, the Bosporus. Yalta is located on a peninsula in this body of water, and the 2014 Winter Olympics were hosted in the resort town of Sochi on it. For 10 points, name this sea bordered by Crimea.
A: Black Sea
Q: Shaw and McKay used cultural transmission theory to explain why crime rates in these places persisted despite changed populations. The Death and Life of Great American Cities argued that the block, not this kind of place, was the basic unit of city life. They're not communities, but most participants in the Great Migration moved to (*) central examples of these areas, becoming part of the urban underclass. 'Edge cities' were created by 'white flight' from these places. Barrios and ghettos are monoethnic examples of these often gentrified places. For 10 points, name these hubs of daily life including locales like Chinatowns and Little Italies, as well as Harlem.
A: neighborhoods or 'hoods or districts or localities, accept locales before mentioned; do not accept suburbs or city/ies
Q: Ferdinand Preiss created sculptures of bronze and this substance, which was imitated by bakelite. The Somalia Amendment put one source of this material on the Appendix One of CITES, banning international trade of it in 1989. In 2016, over 100 tons of this material were deliberately burned in (*) Nairobi National Park, although fossilized ones are not regulated and are found in preserved wooly mammoths. Used in billiard balls and piano keys are -for ten points - what white dental material often harvested from elephants' tusks?
A: ivory (prompt on "teeth")
Q: The official name of a region in this state stems from a typo in an invoice to a local ABC affiliate. The Bruli dialect of Spanish is spoken by Canary Islanders in this state. A local businessman imported certain rodents to his farm in this state and released them into the wild, causing this state to have the largest nutria population in the US. Two cuisines from this state are contrasted as "country food" and "city food," and differ in whether they combine (*) lard or butter with flour as the base for a signature dish of this state. A salt dome in this state was where the first peppers for Tabasco were grown on Avery Island. This region was primarily settled after the "Great Derangement" by Canadian refugees. For 10 points, Acadiana is in which state, also home to Creole food?
A: Louisiana (The region that was typoed is Acadiana.)
Q: This river's source is in Zadoi County and it eventually flows south into Yunnan. The first European to find this river was Antonio de Faria, and there are floating markets on this river in Can Tho. It is crossed at one points by several "Friendship" bridges and at another junction this river meets the Ruak river. The city of Pakse lies on this river's banks and it is also the met by the Tonle Sap, which has a notable population of giant catfish. This river's name is derived from a term meaning "Mother of Waters" in Thai. This river flows through Vientiane and Phnom Penh. For ten points, name this largest river in Southeast Asia.
A: Mekong River
Q: This mountain was the subject of an unsuccessful movement to rename it after Winston Churchill following World War II. The "Mountaineer's Route" and the parent peak Pico de Orizaba are at this mountain, as well as the Keeler Needle and Crooks Peak. This mountain rises above Owens Valley and lies near the (*) Inyo and Tulare counties. This mountain also lies near the San Joaquin River and lies 85 miles from Badwater Basin. The Sierra Nevada range has its peak at, for ten points, what tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, located in California?
A: Mount Whitney
Q: Tippu Tip established a slave trading station at Tabora in this nation. This nation's scenic Stone Town was once part of the Sultanate of Oman and is located on an eastern archipelago. Some rare black rhinos live in the N-gorong-oro Crater in this country's north. This home of Mount (*) Meru has a national park around the Olduvai Gorge. This nation contains Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti National Park. For 10 points, name this nation with a former capital at Dar es Salaam, formed by the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
A: United Republic of Tanzania
Q: This lake contains Grand Island, and it borders the 12-acre Glensheen Historic Estate. County Road 12, often nicknamed the Gunflint Trail, was built to lead travelers to this lake. The Gooseberry Falls State Park, near the city of Two Harbors, borders this lake. The Ontonagon River flows into, while the (*) St. Mary's River drains this lake, whose largest island is Isle Royale. This lake borders the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Ontario and Minnesota. For ten points, name this Great Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.
A: Lake Superior
Q: The Powder River Basin is a major source of this substance in its Interior Province. Wyoming is the largest producer of this good in the US. An early public use of this material was in Baltimore as town gas. Pottsville and Hazelton have deposits of this substance south of its "money route" from near Scranton to New York City. (*) Seams or beds that became carbonized house deposits of this substance. It is mostly in the Appalachians in the US, which have undergone mountaintop removal mining. For 10 points, name this solid black fossil fuel.
A: coal; antiprompt on "lignite" or "anthracite" and ask "What are lignite or anthracite types of?"
Q: One ruler built a tank called the "liquid pillar of victory" with this river's water in his capital; that ruler was Rajaraja I. The triangular Doab plain is the 'land of two rivers' formed by the Yamuna and this river. The Third Buddhist Council was convened at a city on this river which featured a nine-mile-long wall around it, according to Megasthenes. That city located on this river was Pataliputra, the capital of the (*) Mauryan Empire. The cities of Varanasi and Patna are on its banks, and this river merges with the Brahmaputra in Bengal. For 10 points, name this sacred river of India.
A: Ganges River
Q: The city of Sansha was established in this area, which is the site of an ongoing land reclamation project on Mischief Reef. This body of water also features an island being built on Johnson South Reef, which was the site of a skirmish in 1988. This sea, which contains the Paracels Islands, is encompassed by the (*) Nine-Dotted Line, against which Brunei and Vietnam have filed official complaints. The Spratly Islands are also a source of conflict in this sea, which is connected by the Luzon Strait to the Philippine Sea. For ten points, name this disputed sea of the Pacific Ocean named after a large Asian country to its north.
A: South China Sea
Q: People living around this lake catch millions of midges by waving around nets or an oiled frying pan and compress them to make a savory cake called kunga. Surfing on this lake is enabled by strong mwera winds. The exclave islands of Chizumulu and Likoma lie in this lake. Two countries that border this lake refer to it by a name that translates from Yao as "Lake Lake." This is the largest lake situated between the Rovuma plate and the Nubian plate. A UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrates the explosive speciation of mbuna, haplochromine (*) cichlids ("SICK-lids") endemic to this lake. This is the largest lake drained by the Shire ("SHE-ray") River and is also called Lake Nyasa. For 10 points, name this southernmost of the African Great Lakes, bordered by Tanzania, Mozambique, and its namesake country.
A: Lake Malawi [accept Lake Nyasa before read] (Lake Nyasa translates to "Lake Lake.")
Q: These places, including Tin Can, have hinterlands that are also called spheres of influence. Most free and foreign trade zones were called "free" *these places*, like the Zona Franca east of the Olympic one in Barcelona. One relieving traffic to Hampton Roads is called (*) "dry" because it's inland. Their namesake "authorities" manage their terminal operators. Baltimore's Inner Harbor area and London's Canary Wharf used to be these places. For 10 points, name these places on the coast where ships dock.
A: ports; accept harbors or wharves or docks before mentioned
Q: The Ouray share a reservation with the Uintah people in the northeast of this state. The mild southwest of this state is called Dixie because settlers failed to grow cotton around Saint George in Washington County. Part of its growing Hispanic population works in its affluent Park City. The long, narrow Wasatch Front in this state is bookended by (*) Ogden and Provo. This state's town of Promontory was where the Transcontinental Railroad was finished. Brigham Young initially proposed this state as Deseret. For 10 points, name this American state where most Mormons live in Salt Lake City.
A: Utah
Q: This river's valley is home to the World Birding Center, a series of nine parks including ones in Roma and Harlingen. It's not in Iraq, but Bagdad Beach lies just to the south of the mouth of this river. The Charro Days festival is held along both sides of this river. Shantytowns called colonias along this river pose public health problems due to lack of clean drinking water. In 2020, there was a large (*) GOP swing in Cameron and Starr counties in this river's valley. This river is just south of SpaceX's Starbase and the vacation spot South Padre Island. Big Bend National Park is named for a section of this river, which divides the cities of Brownsville and Matamoros, and Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. For 10 points, name this river that establishes the eastern part of the US-Mexico border.
A: Rio Grande [or Rio Bravo del Norte]
Q: 'Park X' used to be this city's Greektown, but is now primarily South Asian. This city includes the largest underground area in the world, called RESO. The destruction of its Chinatown made space for the Guy Favreau complex and the Place du Quartier. The Francofolie festival in this city has non-jazz music, while its (*) International Jazz Festival is the world's largest. This island city includes Habitat 67 and McGill University, and is the second-largest in Canada. It's not Quebec, and this city is named after Mount Royal hill in its center. For 10 points, name this second most populous Canadian city, the capital of Quebec Province.
A: Montreal, Quebec
Q: In September 2022, this city instituted a controversial partial ban on commercial motorcycles, whose name, okada, stems from a defunct airline based in this city. This city's gangs of "area boys" patrol locations like the 7-mile Third Mainland Bridge. This city's suburb of Satellite Town borders Snake Island, one of this city's barrier islands. The Lekki Lagoon connects to this city's namesake lagoon, which lies just to the east of this city, and which has recently supported sand-dredging business for this city's land (*) reclamation projects. To relieve economic pressure on this city, as well as stop coastal erosion, Eko Atlantic City is being constructed between this city and the ocean. This city's namesake island contains Balogun Market, and this is the largest city on the Gulf of Guinea. For 10 points, name this largest city in Nigeria.
A: Lagos
Q: A book about people on this island is presented as a "story box" that holds their legends, and was written in collaboration with the ethnologist George Hunt. Explorer Ciriaco Ceballos is the namesake of an inlet and town on this island called Zeballos. This is the largest island on which flared heraldic shields made of copper were used as status symbols. An exiled Georgian prince and his Shanghai-born wife established the Abkhazi Garden in the largest city on this island. A no-bake coconut and custard bar is named after this island's city of (*) Nanaimo. This is the largest island across the Strait of Georgia from Point Roberts. The Emily Carr House and Butchart Gardens are located in a "Garden City" on this island. For 10 points, name this island home to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia.
A: Vancouver Island (The book in the first line is The Social Organization and the Secret Societies of the Kwakiutl Indians by Franz Boas. The copper shields are status symbols among Northwest Coast peoples, including the Kwakwaka'wakw and other peoples on Vancouver Island.)
Q: The Loop Current sends detached eddies into this body of water from the east. One state's tourism is protected by the Sigsbee Escarpment and De Soto Canyon limiting industry in this water body. The Pegasus pipeline begins at the city of Nederland bordering this non-lake water body. The brackish-water (*) mangrove rivulus and one state's sandhill cranes live around this body of water, and three nations' waters meet in its Eastern Gap. West Texas Intermediate is made around this water body. For 10 points, name this body of water, which Halliburton and BP helped clean after the Deepwater Horizon spill, bordered by Louisiana and Florida.
A: Gulf of Mexico; both parts required; prompt on the "Gulf"
Q: One island in this ocean is dominated by the "Crown Wastes". Black right whales feed in the northern half of this ocean, and the piping plover migrates along its "Flyway". Loggerhead turtles circulate along a subtropical gyre in the Sargasso Sea (*) in this ocean. Endangered sturgeon of this ocean travel up to the Bay of Fundy, and there is a large Japanese market for endangered bluefin tuna from this ocean. African Easterly waves help cause westward hurricanes, which cross a giant ridge in the middle of this ocean. For 10 points, name this ocean that contains most of the Gulf Stream.
A: Atlantic Ocean
Q: Clifford Geertz studied the double-cropping of this food with coffee in Java, called the "Cultivation System". Bunded fields using 'floodwater' grow this crop, which was collected using "fanners" in Charleston. Acadia Parish made this crop in the 1880s, and it was grown with rubber in Malaysia. (*) Guangdong province grows it with tea. The "theory of Japaneseness" is based on this staple. Basmati and Jasmine are long-grain varieties of this food. For 10 points, name this food with yellow, brown, and white varieties grown in paddies and terraces.
A: rice; accept types of rice
Q: One people living in these mountains have yearlong trial marriages called Watanaki before Catholic weddings. The puna basin along this mountain range contains most Aymara people . Most paramos are in this mountain range's cloud forests. The Urubamba Valley in these mountains is also called the "sacred valley of the (*) Inca". Most Colombians live in the northern part of this mountain range, which has Lake Titicaca in its altiplano in Bolivia. For 10 points, name this cordillera spanning South America.
A: the Andes mountains
Q: The Erythrean invasion concerns migration across this body of water. The longest swing bridge in the world spans this body of water. The brackish Manzaleh lies at the north of this body of water. This body of water includes Crocodile Lake and the Great Bitter Lake. The shores of this body of water contain the city of Port Said ("port suh-YEED"). This body of water was the brainchild of (*) Ferdinand de Lesseps, and it replaced alternative routes around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. In 2021, the Ever Given lodged in this waterway. The Mediterranean and the Red Sea are connected by, for 10 points, what Egyptian canal?
A: Suez Canal
Q: A design for a skyscraper in this city was scrapped because it bore too close a resemblance to the Japanese flag. This city is built around a set of lanes and alleys called longdhang ("lohng-dahng") , which are lined with traditional townhouses called shikumen. This city's Peace Hotel is located on Nanjing Lu and overlooks the historical (*) Waitan ("WHY-tan") district. The Hongqiao Airport serves this city, and the Huangpu river divides this city's area of Pudong from Puxi ("pu-shee"). This city's namesake "World Financial Center" lies across from the International Settlement, or Bund. For 10 points, name this city on the Yangtze River delta, the most populous in China.
A: Shanghai
Q: "The Battle for Birthday Mountain" chronicles a 2015 campaign for this country to be given the summit of Halti as a 100th birthday present. The music video for Darude's Sandstorm was filmed in Senate Square, which is in this country's capital. In this country, the Air Guitar World Championships are held in North Ostrobothnia's largest city, (*) Oulu ("OH-loo"). Cities in this country include Espoo, Turku, and Tampere. This country's namesake gulf separates it from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. For 10 points, name this Nordic country located between Sweden and Russia, with capital at Helsinki.
A: Republic of Finland [accept Suomi or Suomen tasavalta; accept Republiken Finland]
Q: The Economist dubbed this city the "blob that ate" part of its state due to its urban sprawl, which developed despite being the largest US city without formal zoning laws. I.M. Pei designed this city's J.P. Morgan Chase Tower with five sides. The largest children's hospital and the MD Anderson Cancer Center are part of this city's medical district which borders Brays Bayou. The 26-lane (*) Katy Freeway is a portion of I-10 that serves this city and suburbs like Sugar Land and The Woodlands. Excess pavement in this major city possibly exacerbated the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. Interstate 610's loop around this city includes Rice University but not the Johnson Space Center. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Texas.
A: Houston, Texas
Q: In this region, Marta Becket established the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel. A German family who mysteriously disappeared in this region may have been traveling toward China Lake. A boom in this region centered around several now-abandoned borax works. This region is located within Inyo County. After (*) 'Aziziya's measurement was decertified, this region's Furnace Creek was recognized as having the hottest ever recorded temperature. Badwater Basin, in this largest American national park, has the lowest point in North America. For 10 points, name this California locale whose name indicates its dangerous heat.
A: Death Valley
Q: Women living along this river collect and sell green algae used to make kaipen. A region of this river called the "4,000 islands" is created by the widest waterfall in the world, Khone Falls. This river's Xayaburi ("sigh-ya-BOO-ree") dam will include "fish elevators" to help movement of a giant catfish named for it. The confluence of this river with the Ruak forms the drug-producing (*) Golden Triangle. This river meets the Nam Khan at the monastic city of Luang Prabang. This river flows past the Tonle Sap lake and through Vientiane ("vee-en-chan") and Phnom Penh ("puh-NAHM PEN") before meeting the South China Sea near Ho Chi Minh City. The border between Laos and Thailand is established along, for 10 points, what major Southeast Asian river?
A: Mekong River [or Meigong He or Lancang Jiang or Megaung Myit or Maenam Khong or Tonle Mekongk or Song Me Kong or Song Cuu Long]
Q: This city's Bardstown Road is located in the heart of its Highlands district. In February 2022, a candidate for this city's mayorship, Craig Greenberg, survived an assassination attempt. The UPS Worldport is located in this city, whose Baxter Avenue titles a song by its native son, Jack Harlow. This city's "Museum Row" is home to the Muhammad Ali Center and a factory tour dedicated to its namesake type of (*) baseball bat. The Ohio River separates this seat of Jefferson County from southern Indiana. Churchill Downs is home to the Kentucky Derby in, for 10 points, what most populous Kentucky city, named after a French monarch?
A: Louisville, Kentucky
Q: This country's planned administrative capital will contain a military complex called the Octagon. Jumel's Cotton was historically grown in this country, which contains the oldest known Christ Pantocrator icon at its St. Catherine's Monastery. This country disputes its southern neighbor's Hala'ib Triangle, claiming the other country owns Bir Tawil instead. Nuclear bombs have been proposed as a way of turning its (*) Qattara Depression into a lake. A statue at Abu Simbel was nearly submerged by this country's Aswan High Dam, which created Lake Nasser. For 10 points, name this African country that controls the Suez Canal and the Sinai Peninsula.
A: Egypt [or Arab Republic of Egypt or Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah]
Q: An actress born at one of these locations plays Naru in a 2022 film. The largest uranium spill in history released 94 million gallons of radioactive fluid that contaminated one of these places' water supply. The largest casino in the world, the WinStar, is located in another one of these places. One of these places with a capital at Window Rock is the only place to observe Daylight Saving Time in (*) Arizona. Due to its course, protests against the Keystone XL pipeline have occurred around these places, including one called "Standing Rock."These places occupy about half of Oklahoma. For 10 points, the Navajo Nation is the largest of what places with high Native American populations?
A: Native American reservations [or rez; accept Indian reservations]
Q: False Bay is near this country's southernmost point, Cape Agulhas. This country's plateaus include the Great Escarpment, which is surrounded by the Drakensberg Mountains. In this country, the "Big Hole" is a 705-foot-deep former diamond mine. Outside of India, this country's city of Durban has the highest Indian population of any city. The (*) Kalahari desert sits north of this country's Orange River, which forms its border with Namibia. This country nearly surrounds Eswatini and completely surrounds Lesotho. Bloemfontein and Pretoria are among the three capitals of, for 10 points, what country that contains Cape Town and Johannesburg?
A: South Africa [or Republic of South Africa or RSA]
Q: The "Miracle Windows" of this city's Trinity Chapel depict miraculous events such as the curing of Henry of Fordwich's madness. This city was the northernmost start of the Via Francigena route once used by Sigeric the Serious. Christopher Marlowe was born in this city, which lends its name to horse movement quicker than a (*) trot but slower than a gallop. A man who had earlier issued the Constitutions of Clarendon made a barefoot pilgrimage to this city. Justin Welby is the current holder of a title name for this city, where in 1170, four knights committed murder after the king asked "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" For 10 points, name this city that became a pilgrimage site following the murder of its Archbishop, Thomas Becket.
A: Canterbury [accept the Archbishop of Canterbury; prompt on canter]
Q: Roger North led an Irish expedition to settle in the valley of this river, which ended in anarchy when Bernard O'Brien learned the language of its inhabitants, traveled up it to visit a queen called the "Great Lady" and organized local bowmen to fight against the Dutch and the Franciscans. Native ecology in the region around this river was described in a book by Betty Meggers, who called it "a counterfeit paradise." More recent interpretations by Anna Roosevelt have stressed the long-term accomplishments of manioc-based civilizations like those that created the pottery of Marajo island at its mouth. An opera house named the Teatro [of this river] was built during its rubber boom in Manaus, a city at the confluence of the Rio Negro and this river. For 10 points, conquistador Francisco de Orellana voyaged down what river that he named after the warrior women of Greek myth?
A: Amazon River
Q: On Christmas in 1950, four Scottish students stole one of these objects and hid it in Arbroath Abbey after it broke in half. The sarsen variety of these objects are found at Avebury, as well as a "Heel" example located on an avenue in Wiltshire. One of these things was moved from Edinburgh Castle back to Westminster Abbey for King Charles's coronation and is named for originally being kept at (*) Scone Abbey. In a castle by Cork, visitors dangle by their ankles and bend backwards to kiss one of these objects said to bestow the gift of the gab. In Britain, body weight is measured in an imperial unit named for these objects equal to fourteen pounds. Blarney Castle is home to one of, for 10 points, what objects that stand on the Salisbury plain in a "henge?"
A: stones [accept Blarney stone or Stone of Scone or Coronation Stone or sarsen stone or Heel stone or Stonehenge; prompt on rocks or boulders or slabs with "What is it formally called?"]
Q: The first ever film of this place was made after Bill McKinnon's racist killing of a man near a knee-shaped waterhole. Azaria Chamberlain, an infant killed while visiting this place in 1980, inspired a line shouted by Elaine at a party on Seinfeld. This place is connected underground to a similar location called the Olgas. In 2020, Pauline Hanson got stuck while climbing this landmark in protest of restrictions around it and the (*) Mutitjulu Waterhole by the Anagu. Almost all traffic to the Yulara Airport south of Alice Springs is tourists flying in to visit this landmark in the Northern Territory. In 1993, this landmark became dual-named for a Chief Secretary and its Aboriginal name. For 10 points, name this red Australian sandstone formation.
A: Uluru [or Ayers Rock; or Uluru / Ayers Rock; prompt on the Australian Outback; prompt on Northern Territory or Australia before "Hanson"] (The second clue refers to "Dingo Ate My Baby.")
Q: This non-Colorado state's Devil's Smokestack is located in its Garden Of The Gods Wilderness. Massive murals of the Piasa Bird appear on limestone cliffs near this state's town of Alton. Crab Orchard Lake was created when this state's Big Muddy River was dammed near the city of (*) Marion. Shawnee National Forest is in this state, whose Fort Defiance State Park in its town of Cairo. This state's towns of Metropolis and Golconda are separated from Kentucky by the Ohio River, which meets the Mississippi in this state's south. The Wabash River makes up its eastern border with Indiana. For 10 points, name this state whose capital is Springfield.
A: Illinois [or IL]
Q: This country's "Road of Bones" highway leads to its city of Magadan. The Permian Extinction may have been caused by a region of "traps" in this country found near the longest estuary in the world. A lake in this country is home to the Nerpa, the only known species of freshwater seal. This country and Japan dispute the Southern (*) Kuril Islands, and its island of Sakhalin is home to its largest pacific port. The city of Yakutsk in this country is considered the coldest on average in the world. For 10 points, name this country that contains Lake Baikal, whose city of Vladivostok is the final stop of the Trans-Siberian railway.
A: Russia [or Russian Federation or Rossiyskaya Federatsiya or Rossiya]
Q: So-called "funeral runners" traveled around this state hoping to feast on a raisin-filled funeral pie baked during a "redd up." The protagonist of Maniac Magee enjoys the Butterscotch Krimpets made by Tastykake in this state. William Woys Weaver's book on the "Foodlore and Fakelore" of this state is titled for the Shoofly pie. In this state, cross-street rivals Pat's and (*) Geno's sell a product that is often sold "whiz wit," meaning it has Cheez Whiz added. Candy-shaped lamps light a town in this state founded by milk chocolate entrepreneur Milton Hershey. Fresh meat from local Amish farms is on offer in the Lancaster Central Market in this state. For 10 points, name this state whose most populous city is home to the cheesesteak.
A: Pennsylvania [or PA; or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]
Q: Original-language term required. Peter A. Jackson documented how people with this status first gained a positive outlet in national media through a 1970s advice column written by the pseudonymous "Uncle Go." People with this status feature in a specialized international marketing campaign whose slogan tells the reader to "Go [to their country], Be Free." A 2000 comedy that broke its country's cinema into the US market is based on the victory of a team with this status in its national volleyball championships. Most entrants in the (*) Miss Tiffany's Universe pageant have this status. Transgender women typically use the word phuying instead of identifying with this status, whose holders often find employment at go-go bars and cabarets in tourist centers like Pattaya. For 10 points, name this "third gender" identity common in Thailand.
A: kathoey ("ka-TUH-ee") [prompt on ladyboy, gay, homosexual, LGBTQ+; prompt on transgender woman until "transgender" is read] (The 2000 comedy is The Iron Ladies.)
Q: These organisms were poached by Native Americans so that the Carameros Company could make candy. The genus Rhipsalis of these organisms are the only ones that might originate in the Eastern Hemisphere. Luther Burbank would frequently rub his face on modified examples of these organisms as part of his efforts to make cattle food. A National Park named for these organisms protects the Rincon Mountain District as part of a (*) Sky Island Archipelago, and is in Pima County. Fruit from one of these organisms known as nochtli may provide the name of Tenochtitlan. A species of these organisms called the visnaga resembles a barrel. One of these organisms appears alongside an eagle and a snake on the flag of Mexico. For 10 points, name these organisms that name Saguaro National Park.
A: cacti [or cactuses; accept Cactaceae; accept prickly pear or nopal; accept saguaro or visnaga before mentioned]
Q: This country thanked Rutherford B. Hayes for negotiating its borders by naming a state after him. Jesuit missionaries were based in this country's capital, which was named for a feast day of Mary. The world's largest water aquifer resides primarily beneath this country and is named for its Guarani people. This country's rural western half is part of the (*) Chaco. This country is on the western side of the Parana River whose Itaipu Dam it shares with Brazil. Along with Bolivia, this country is the only landlocked nation in South America, and it lies north of Argentina. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Asuncion.
A: Paraguay
Q: Early structures from this culture include pithouses of the basketmaker type. One site of this culture was at Bandelier, and its sites feature underground ritual rooms known as Kivas. Producing the ruins in the mis-named Aztec Ruins National Park, a find at Cowboy Wash may be evidence that its people practiced cannibalism. There is also a long running debate over the road system in one of its canyon sites, which seem to have served largely ritual purposes. Known for constructing "great houses" of several hundred rooms including that at Pueblo Bonito, this culture produced the ruins found at Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. Often known by the Navajo word for ancestors, this is, for 10 points what archaeological culture of the American Southwest known for its elaborate cliff dwellings?
A: Ancestral Pueblo (or Anasazi)
Q: In a landmark environmental case, Hiram Hill sued to stop a project on this body of water to save the snail darter, becoming the first person to invoke the Endangered Species Act. Ronald Reagan was fired as the host of General Electric Theater in the 1950s after repeatedly criticizing "socialistic" practices on this body of water. Residents abandoned towns on this body of water like Butler and Loyston during a period in which it became the eastern boundary of the (*) Land Between the Lakes. A park on the shore of this river called Suttree Landing is dedicated to former houseboat inhabitant Cormac McCarthy. This river is the site of the largest public power provider in the US, which generated energy for the Manhattan Project's uranium enrichment in the town of Oak Ridge. For 10 points, a New Deal agency frequently invoked eminent domain to dam what river whose cities include Knoxville?
A: Tennessee River [or Cherokee River; accept Little Tennessee River; accept Kentucky Lake Reservoir until "this river" is read]
Q: The height of buildings in this city is restricted to its Mount Royal. A 103-foot LED cross sits on top of a mountain that gives this city its name. A museum called the "Biosphere" was designed for an event in this city. During winter people here traverse the "Underground City," a tunnel network formally called RESO. An apartment building made of concrete cubes called (*) Habitat 67 was designed by Moshe Safdie for Expo 67 in this city. This city, which hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics, is home to McGill University. This city sits at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Quebec.
A: Montreal
Q: This culture played a game in which people tried to throw spears closest to the resting place of a rolling chunkey stone. This culture's middle period produced Powell Plain pottery as well as Ramey Incised bowls decorated with interlocking scrolls. At its northern extent, this culture founded the sites of Trempealeau and Aztalan. Its sites often featured images of a cedar tree or striped pole representing an axis mundi, as well as images of a falcon warrior, central to this culture's Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. It succeeded the Late Woodland culture, and built major sites at Etowah and Spiro. Lasting from approximately 900 to 1500 CE, this culture built numerous flat, four-sided platform mounds in cities such as Cahokia. For 10 points, name this Native American culture that spread from the valley of its namesake river.
A: Mississippian culture
Q: In this province, Shannen Koostachin's death prompted Charlie Angus to support Have a Heart Day in protest for better living conditions in Attawapiskat. The oldest operated canal in North America is this province's Rideau Canal. The name of this province's capital may derive from the Wyandot term for "plenty," referring to good fishing around Lake (*) Simcoe. The southern end of this province's Georgian Bay borders part of its Golden Horseshoe megalopolis. This province's city of Nipigon is north of the Isle Royale. The Burj Khalifa surpassed the CN Tower in this province's capital as the tallest building in the world. The Ambassador Bridge connects this province with Michigan. For 10 points, name this most populous province of Canada.
A: Ontario [accept ON]
Q: This city's Saint Helen's island is under lease by Six Flags. The RESO ("REH-zo") is also known as this city's namesake "Underground City." Many of this city's boroughs demerged after a 2002 municipal reorganization. 354 identical "boxes" make up a complex in this city built for the 1967 World's Fair. This city's Mile End neighborhood is renowned for its cuisine. This city contains a namesake (*) "Biosphere," Moshe Safdie's Habitat 67, and McGill University. This city lies at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. For 10 points, name this French-speaking Canadian city, the most populous in Quebec.
A: Montreal [or Mount Royal]
Q: A location in [emphasize] this state simply called "The Lake" is near the Bethesda Fountain and the Ramble. Lake Tear of the Clouds is on the slopes of this state's highest point, Mount Marcy. This is the larger of two states with sightings of a giant serpent named Champ in a lake drained by the Richelieu River. The "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Olympics was held near Lake (*) Placid in this state. The largest lake within this state, Oneida [OH-nye-duh] Lake, is nicknamed the "thumb" of its Finger Lakes region. This state, the only to border Lake Ontario, shares Lake Champlain with its eastern neighbor, Vermont. For 10 points, name this state where the Hudson River connects to the Erie Canal.
A: New York State (The first line refers to New York City's Central Park)
Q: Igorot people hang coffins off cliffs in this country, where tourists may kayak into an underground river in Puerto Princesa National Park. A fast food chain from here serves hot dogs with spaghetti as well as yumburgers and chickenjoy. Vans called jeepneys are common in this country, which produces Abaca hemp. The Celebes and (*) Sulu seas separate some of this country's islands. Banana ketchup is from this country and is served at the fast food chain Jollibee. Along with Visayas and Mindanao, this country's main three islands include Luzon, home to Quezon City. Tagalog is spoken in, for 10 points, what country with capital at Manilla?
A: Philippines [or Republic of the Philippines; or Republika ng Pilipinas]
Q: A city on this body of water contains a "Little Venice" neighborhood on its Pearl Islands. Two countries on this body of water dispute the Hawar Islands. The King Fahd Causeway leads to an island nation in this body of water, which contains the World and Palm Jumeirah artificial islands. High casualties amongst Indian migrant workers have occurred while constructing (*) 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums along this body of water. Qeshm is a large island near the Strait of Hormuz, which separates this body of water from the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. For 10 points, name this gulf located between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
A: Persian Gulf [accept Arabian Gulf before "Arabian"; accept just Persian after "(name this) gulf"; accept just Arabian after "(name this) gulf" and before "Arabian"]
Q: Some of this city's traffic lights have been privately funded by the Deeper Life Bible Church and contribute to traffic jams known locally as "go-slows." This city is the largest where pickpockets called agberos harass passengers of buses called danfos. This city's airport is named for military ruler Murtala Muhammed. An 8-meter-high seawall protects the newly dredged (*) Eko Atlantic Island in this city. Egun children attend a floating school in this city's slums of Makoko. While visiting this city, journalist Norimitsu Onishi coined the term Nollywood. In 1975, this city lost its status as state capital in favor of Ikeja and as national capital in favor of Abuja. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Nigeria.
A: Lagos [or Lagos City; accept Eko until mentioned]
Q: In one folk tradition, the Moon gifted this product as a sign of friendship to an old hunter who saved her from a pouncing cat. According to that tradition, this product is protected by a blond, boyish creature named Jasy Jatere ("ya-SOO ya-tey-REY"). Syria is the world's largest importer of this product due to its ubiquitous adoption by Druze from returning emigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. Governor Hernandarias attempted to ban use of this product as a vice in 1616 after settlers began (*) importing it en masse from Jesuit missions. Cattle horns called guampas are sometimes used with this product, especially for a cold mixture called terere. Most people consume this originally Guarani product with metal straws called bombillas ("bom-BEE-yahz") and calabash gourds. For 10 points, Uruguay and Argentina are the largest drinkers of what herbal infusion?
A: yerba mate ("YAIR-bah MAH-tay") [or ka'a, erva-mate, cimarron, or chimarrao ("she-ma-HOW"); accept terere until read; prompt on yerba or tea]
Q: An oft-criticized parliamentary building in this country designed by Enric Miralles [un-REEK mee-RALL-uss] is located at the foot of Calton Hill. An athletic competition most often held in this country features events like the caber toss. In this country's largest city, the "Old Firm" rivalry is contested at Ibrox Stadium on the banks of the River (*) Clyde. This country's town of St. Andrews may have been the home of the first golf course. The tartan fabric pattern is often associated with a traditional garment worn by clans in this country's Highlands. For 10 points, name this constituent country of the United Kingdom where kilts are worn in Edinburgh.
A: Scotland [accept Scottish Highlands; prompt on U.K. or United Kingdom before "United Kingdom"; prompt on Britain; reject "England" or "Great Britain"] (The athletic competition is the Highland Games.)
Q: Sculptures in this city's metro system include a series of maiolica ("my-YO-lee-kah") panels depicting military scenes on the Brown Line and a monument to a murdered dog named Malchik. The inscription "Your name is unknown, your deed is immortal" appears in this city near a statue of a helmet on a cape at a necropolis built around a red wall. This city's Muzeon Park is called the "graveyard of fallen monuments" in reference to the dismantled sculptures left there in the (*) 1990s. A 332-foot-tall statue designed by Zurab Tsereteli ("zoo-RAB tzer-eh-TELL-ee") in this capital city depicts a monarch standing atop a tower of ships. A monument in this capital city pays homage to the first dog in space, Laika. For 10 points, name this capital city, home to monuments honoring the Red Army and Cosmonauts.
A: Moscow, Russia [or Moskva]
Q: The underwater speed of sound was first measured in this body of water. The castle from 1989's Little Mermaid was inspired by an island on this body of water. The longest non-stop rowing regatta in the world is on this body of water and references its Roman name of Lacus Lemanus. A city on this body of water hosts the second-largest jazz festival in the world after Montreal and was the site of a casino fire that inspired Deep Purple's song (*) "Smoke on the Water." The Lavaux Vineyards overlook this body of water from Vaud. Mont Blanc is visible from cities on this body of water like Montreux ("mon-TROO"). The department of Haute-Savoie ("oht sah-VWA") shares this body of water with three cantons, including its namesake. For 10 points, name this large lake between France and Switzerland.
A: Lake Geneva [or Lac de Geneve; accept Lago Lemano or Lago di Ginevra; accept Lacus Lemanus or Lac Leman before "Lacus Lemanus"]
Q: An island separated from this country's mainland by the Bass Strait is the only native home of a carnivore that has been endangered by DFTD. This country's eucalyptus trees are commonly used to make a native instrument called the didgeridoo. The (*) Tasmanian devil is endemic to this country, which is also home to most of the world's marsupial species. For 10 points, name this home country of koalas and kangaroos, whose largest city is Sydney.
A: Australia
Q: This city's former HMS Tamar naval base now contains a large metro interchange in its Admiralty District. Many retailers in this city accept the Octopus cards needed to access its Mass Transit Railway. The Peak Tram ascends from this city's central business district to Victoria Peak on this city's namesake island. The densest housing settlement ever constructed was a now-destroyed (*) "walled city" on this city's Kowloon Peninsula. This city on the Pearl River forms a megalopolis with Guangzhou and Macau ("mack-ow"). For 10 points, name this Special Administrative Region that Great Britain ceded to China in 1997.
A: Hong Kong
Q: In this city, 1,200 lightbulbs decorate a white-painted wooden bridge, called the Magere Brug. This city's merchants connected thin lots to create mansions in its Golden Bend neighborhood. The IJ is the waterfront of this city, where cannabis drinks are sold in "coffee shops" in its (*) De Wallen red-light district. This city expanded after the construction of the grachtengordel, three canal rings that are today lined with bicycle paths. While this city is its country's nominal capital, most administration occurs in The Hague. For 10 points, name this largest city in the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: Many retailers in this city accept the Octopus cards needed to access its Mass Transit Railway. The densest housing settlement ever constructed was a now-destroyed "walled city" on this city's Kowloon Peninsula. This city on the Pearl River forms a megalopolis with (*) Guangzhou and Macau. For 10 points, name this Special Administrative Region, which Great Britain ceded to China in 1997.
A: Hong Kong [or Hsiang-kang; or Xianggang Tebie Xingzhenqqu]
Q: In this city, the Lunfardo dialect developed in its prisons in the late nineteenth century. This city contains the widest street in the world, the Ninth of July avenue. Xeneizes ("heh-nay-says") rioted in this city's "Bombonera" during a (*) Boca Juniors soccer game against rival River Plate. This capital city sits east of a flat prairie called the Pampas, and is home to a residential palace called the Pink House. This city is located across from Montevideo on the Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, name this capital meaning "good air," the largest city of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: A depiction of this figure's head in Ayutthaya is almost completely surrounded by the roots of a banyan tree. The misleadingly named "Emerald" statue of this figure is currently located in Bangkok. Some statues of this figure carved out of cliffs can be found at (*) Leshan and another site destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, Bamiyan. For 10 points, name this religious figure, sometimes called Siddhartha Gautama.
A: Buddha [accept the Emerald Buddha; or "Siddhartha Gautama" before it is read; or Siddhartha Gautama before it is read]
Q: A species of fish native to this river's basin known as Dabry's sturgeon was recently declared extinct in the wild. A tributary of this river flows through the Tiger Leaping Gorge, and it is the easternmost of the Three Parallel Rivers in Yunnan. Qiqi ("chee-chee") was the last member of the first species of dolphin to have a human-caused extinction, this river's native (*) baiji ("bye-jee"). Over 1 million people were displaced by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam on this river, which is connected to another river to its north by the Grand Canal. For 10 points, name this longest river in China, which is located south of the Yellow River.
A: Yangtze River [accept Chang Jiang]
Q: The region of Sidamo in this country's Highlands is likely the origin of the arabica coffee plant. Teff, a grain native to this country, is used to make the injera bread prominent in this country's cuisine. This country's residents used the hashtag #thisismydam to support the construction of its Grand Renaissance Dam. This country contains (*) Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile. This country lost its Red Sea coastline after neighboring Eritrea became independent from it. This country, along with Djibouti and Somalia, comprises the Horn of Africa. For 10 points, name this country home to the capital Addis Ababa.
A: Ethiopia
Q: This city's merchants connected thin lots to create mansions in its Golden Bend neighborhood. Cannabis drinks are sold in "coffee shops" in this city's De Wallen red-light district. This city expanded after the construction of the grachtengordel, three canal rings that are today lined with (*) bicycle paths. While this city is its country's nominal capital, most administration occurs in The Hague. For 10 points, name this largest city, and capital, of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: This country is home to Manaus, where its largest river meets the Rio Negro. That river in this country alternatively names the pink river dolphin, the primary predator for piranhas. This country contains the world's greatest number of (*) uncontacted tribes, many of which are threatened by deforestation encouraged by its former president. For 10 points, name this large South American country, home to the majority of the Amazon Rainforest.
A: Brazil [or Federative Republic of Brazil or Republica Federativa do Brasil]
Q: A Michael Taussig book presents a fictional museum of this industry to draw attention to historical silence surrounding enslaved gold miners. Terms for this industry obscure its relationship to everyday politics according to a 2022 book arguing that [organizations in it] Do Not Exist. After several high-profile members of this industry were photographed wearing them, Ralph Lauren polo shirts became a trendy regional fashion in the 2010s. Members of this industry often collect tolls on a (*) freight train route colloquially known as "The Beast." It's not healthcare, but many members of this industry are devotees of Saint Jude and the folk saint Jesus Malverde. Artists like Valentin Elizalde and Chalino Sanchez popularized norteno ballads that prefix a term from this industry to "corrido." For 10 points, enforcers called sicarios work in what industry whose leaders include El Chapo Guzman?
A: drug trafficking [or narcotrafico, illegal drug trade, or narcotics; accept cocaine trade, drug cartels, or narcos; prompt on organized crime or gangs] (The first sentence refers to My Cocaine Museum. Oswaldo Zavalda wrote Drug Cartels Do Not Exist. The musical genre is narcocorrido.)
Q: One of the world's largest dugong populations inhabits this country's Shark Bay. A carnivore that has been endangered by DFTD is endemic to an island separated from this country's mainland by the Bass Strait. It's not Jamaica, but this country's Blue Mountains are named after the haze emitted by a species of tree whose wood is commonly used to make the (*) didgeridoo ("DI-jr-ee-doo"). This country is the home of the southern cassowary ("KA-suh-weh-ree") and another flightless bird that farmers declared war against in 1932. Most species of marsupials live in this country. For 10 points, name this home country of koalas and kangaroos, whose largest city is Sydney.
A: Australia [or Commonwealth of Australia]
Q: Timberline Lodge, located on this state's highest point, was the filming site for much of The Shining. Nike is headquartered in Beaverton, a southern suburb of this state's largest city. It's not Maine, but this state's (*) Mount Hood overlooks its largest city, Portland. For 10 points, name this Pacific Northwest state that lies south of Washington and north of California.
A: Oregon
Q: The last member of this country's indigenous Tanaru tribe, who was protected by a designated territory in the state of Rondonia, died in August 2022. This country and a northern neighbor are home to the Yanomami people, who have been the subject of multiple anthropological studies. This country's largest state is governed from Manaus, where its largest river meets the (*) Rio Negro. This country contains the world's greatest number of uncontacted tribes, many of which are threatened by deforestation encouraged by its former president, Jair Bolsonaro. For 10 points, name this large South American country, home to the majority of the Amazon Rainforest.
A: Brazil [accept Federative Republic of Brazil; or Republica Federativa do Brasil]
Q: Because this region has Earth's highest perchlorate concentration, dirt from it is used as a comparison in studies of Martian soil. This region contains most of the world's lithium reserves, mining of which has disturbed pink flamingos living in Chaxa Lagoon, part of a large salt flat here. In this region, fog clouds called camanchacas are formed by the nearby (*) von Humboldt current, forming a temperature inversion that enables native plants to survive. Because of the rain shadow of the Andes Mountains to its east, this region is considered the driest on Earth. For 10 points, name this desert, located mostly in Chile.
A: Atacama Desert [or Desierto de Atacama]
Q: This river's native baiji was the first species of dolphin to have a human-caused extinction. Over 1 million people were displaced by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam on this river, which is connected to another river to its north by the (*) Grand Canal. This river is located south of the Yellow River and has its mouth near Shanghai. For 10 points, name this longest river in China.
A: Yangtze River [accept Chang Jiang]
Q: A traditional seafood sandwich from this state is the po' boy. Beignets and a type of coffee are sold in this state's Cafe du Monde. Jambalaya and gumbo are popular dishes from this state's (*) Cajun cuisine. Bourbon Street, which holds a big Mardi Gras celebration, can be found in the French Quarter of this state's largest city. For 10 points, name this Southern U.S. state, home to the cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
A: Louisiana
Q: This country's residents used the hashtag #thisismydam to support the construction of its Grand Renaissance Dam. This country contains Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile. This country lost its Red Sea coastline after neighboring (*) Eritrea became independent from it, and it comprises the Horn of Africa, along with Djibouti and Somalia. For 10 points, name this country, home to the capital Addis Ababa.
A: Ethiopia [or Ityop'iya; or Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; or YeEtiyop'iya]
Q: This body of water was central to a dispute resolved in 1927 that resulted in the unusual geographic position of the so-called "Country Club Area." C. R. Moore foiled a double assassination attempt in 1909 during a conference that involved land adjacent to this body of water called Cordova Island. A 1967 discovery by James Hill Jr. has allowed over 250 people to successfully claim citizenship due to being born near this body of water on the Horcon ("ohr-KOHN") Tract. Outside of Bluetown near the mouth of this river sits a historical marker for the (*) Thornton Affair. Its course was partly placed into a concrete channel in the 1960s to resolve the long-running Chamizal dispute. An incident at a city near this river's mouth resulted in Theodore Roosevelt dishonorably discharging buffalo soldiers who allegedly killed a white bartender. For 10 points, Brownsville lies at the mouth of what river which sets the US-Mexico border in Texas?
A: Rio Grande [or Rio Bravo del Norte]
Q: In this country, a festival in which people throw tomatoes at each other takes place annually in Bunol. A town in this country uses a giant ball to chase people in an animal-friendly variant of the "running of the bulls" that originated in its city of (*) Pamplona. Paella is often consumed at festivals in this country, where toreadors practice its native style of bullfighting. For 10 points, name this country, home to Valencia and Madrid.
A: Kingdom of Spain [or Reino de Espana]
Q: In this country, divers can view a porcelain statue of a woman riding a unicorn called "The Lady" by diving into the wreck of the SS President Coolidge. This country's national dish, which consists of a paste of taro, yam, banana, and breadfruit baked in banana leaves, is known as lap-lap. A tomb on this country's island of Eretoka features a UNESCO World Heritage Site centered around the burial ground of chief Roi Mata. Jimmy Stevens led this country's Nagriamel movement which fought the (*) Coconut War in an attempt to win independence for its largest island, Espiritu Santo. The tradition of gol, or land diving, is practiced on this country's island of Pentecost. This country's Tanna Island is home to cargo cults that worship Prince Phillip and a US serviceman known as John Frum. For 10 points, name this Pacific Island country whose capital is Port Vila.
A: Vanuatu [or New Hebrides]
Q: One of these locations is protected by NABQ, located near the city of Sharm el-Sheikh. A "triangle" named after these locations includes Raja Ampat and the Sulu Archipelago. One landform formed during the Quaternary glaciation, the Great Blue Hole, can be found within one of these locations named after (*) Belize. Many of the "fringing" types of these locations can be found around the northern Red Sea. The largest of the "barrier" types of these locations is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. For 10 points, name these complex marine ecosystems, primarily consisting of the namesake cnidarians.
A: coral reefs [prompt on partial answers; or a barrier coral reef; or a fringing coral reef]
Q: This location lies south of the Kaibab Plateau, and is home to a group of basement rocks named for Vishnu. This landmark is home to a "house" named for the Hopi people, whose myths described its creation. The Hualapai tribe operates a glass (*) "skywalk" above this location, which formed due to erosion from the Colorado River. Many tourists drive to this location from cities like Flagstaff and Phoenix. For 10 points, name this large gorge in Arizona.
A: Grand Canyon
Q: In a city in this country, satirical puppet figures called ninots are constructed and then publicly burned in one festival. After a performer at a parade in this country was pelted with fruit, a festival in which people throw tomatoes at each other began. A town in this country uses a giant ball to chase people in an animal-friendly variant of the (*) "running of the bulls," which originated in its city of Pamplona. Paella ("pai-YAY-uh") is often consumed at festivals in this country, where toreadors practice its native style of bullfighting. For 10 points, name this country, home to Valencia and Madrid.
A: Kingdom of Spain [accept Reino de Espana]
Q: A system of caves near Dunhuang is sometimes named for the presence of many of these objects. One of these objects in Ayutthaya ("AY-yew-tie-uh") is almost completely surrounded by the roots of a banyan tree. Grottoes named Yungang, Longmen, and Mogao are known for the presence of these objects. One of these objects currently in Bangkok is made from jasper but misleadingly called the (*) "Emerald" one of these objects. Some of these objects carved out of cliffs can be found at Leshan and another site destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, Bamiyan. For 10 points, name these statues of a certain religious figure, sometimes called Siddhartha Gautama.
A: Buddha statues [accept "statues of Siddhartha Gautama" before it is read; accept Buddha heads from "Ayutthaya" onwards]
Q: This natural region monopolized Early Modern pencil production after some 16th century shepherds stumbled on the world's first major graphite deposit. This region is the birthplace of an orienteering-like sport in which mountain runners must navigate for themselves while traversing unmarked land. A common completionist goal for visitors to this region is to bag all 214 peaks listed in a classic "pictorial guide" by Alfred Wainwright. An earlier Guide to [this region] includes a verse description of a difficult climb through (*) Kirkstone Pass. By making alterations to its garden, a drug-addicted tenant upset the owners of this region's Dove Cottage. This region contains the highest examples of barren hilltops known as "fells," such as Scafell Pike. For 10 points, the Pantisocracy was a utopian scheme hatched by writers associated with what region, including Southey and Coleridge?
A: Lake District [prompt on Cumbria, Westmoreland, North West England, or Great Britain] (The sport is fell running. Thomas De Quincey rented Dove Cottage from the Wordsworths. William Wordsworth wrote A Guide to the Lakes.)
Q: This body of water contains the Atlantis II Deep submarine basin, one of the world's major examples of ore-rich "hot brines." It's not in Belize, but as many as 200 divers have asphyxiated in recent decades while trying to pass through the "Arch" at the bottom of a Blue Hole in this body of water. This body of water faces an imminent oil spill from the FSO Safer ("SAFF-er"), a derelict supertanker that has been moored in it since 2015. No significant (*) rivers or streams flow into this body of water, whose high salinity and annual temperatures have made its coral reefs uniquely resistant to bleaching. The southern entrance to this body of water is the "Gate of Grief," or Bab-el-Mandeb, a route avoided by overlarge "Capesize" ships. For 10 points, name this biodiverse shipping highway that connects the Gulf of Aden to the Gulf of Suez.
A: Red Sea [prompt on Indian Ocean; prompt on Gulf of Aqaba or Gulf of Suez until "Gulf of Suez" is read by asking "that gulf is an extension of what body of water?"]
Q: The salt dome and peppers grown in this state's Avery Island were used to produce the first Tabasco sauce. Celery, onions, and bell peppers make up the holy trinity of a style of cooking originating in this state. A traditional seafood sandwich from this state is the po' boy. Beignets and a type of coffee are sold at the (*) Cafe du Monde in this state's Decatur Street. Jambalaya and gumbo are popular dishes from this state's Cajun cuisine. Bourbon Street, which holds a big Mardi Gras celebration, can be found in the French Quarter of this state's largest city. For 10 points, name this Southern U.S. state, home to the cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
A: Louisiana
Q: At the waterfalls of this name, also called the "Great Falls" or "Niagara of the South," a moonbow is visible on clear nights. The river of this name has tributaries like the Eddyville, Caney Fork, and South Fork, and features Wolf Creek Dam, built in the 50s. The mountains by this name feature Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary and their highest point is at Big Black Mountain. The large plateau of this name runs from West Virginia to Alabama, and it's also the name of a road which ends in Vandalia, Illinois, also known as the National Road. This river flows through Nashville before reaching Fort Donelson and the Land Between the Lakes. FTP, give this shared name, which also designates a gap at the border of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia.
A: Cumberland (accept Cumberland Falls, Cumberland River, Cumberland Mountains, Cumberland Plateau, Cumberland Road, Cumberland Gap)
Q: One polity that ruled this area in the nineteenth century traced its descent to Altun Bishik, an almost certainly fictional descendent of Babur. Long before the aforementioned Kokand Khanate, this region was occupied by settlers from Alexandria Eschate, the site of which hosts a modern city having namesake Gates that form the western boundary of this region. The Mirzachul steppe is found outside the aforementioned Khujand Gates. Adyr zones mark the edges of this depression and are cut by numerous streams that form the Kara Darya and Naryn Darya, whose confluence here forms the Syr Darya, the main river of this region. FTP, name this roughly triangular depression bounded by the Tien Shan and Gissar and Alay systems; an agricultural heartland shared among Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
A: the Fergana Valley
Q: One language spoken in this country is Yazgulyam, which is a member of the Iranian linguistic family, and during the 1970s, the Sogdian-speaking Yaghnobi ethnic group of this country was forcefully migrated. The city of Khorugh is the capital of an autonomous region in this country, whose southeastern border is the Panj River. This country's smallest province, Khatlon, is home to the world's highest hydroelectric station, which is located on the Vakhsh River. Its tallest point is located near Fedchenko Glacier in the Akademiya Nauk Range of the Pamir Mountains and is named Ismoili Somoni Peak. FTP, name this smallest of the former Soviet republics, with its capital at Dushanbe.
A: Republic of Tajikistan [also accept Tadzhikistan]
Q: Doug MacAyeal argues that discharges from this body of water caused the Dansgard-Oeschger cycle. The Nastapoka arc under this body of water may be the remains of an ancient impact event. Just north of this body, one can find the Barnes cap. Despite a global rise in sea levels, this body of water has shrunk over the past 10,000 years due to (*) isostatic lift, the result of its interactions with the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and this body of water was the final watershed of Lake Agassiz and received the draining water of Lake Agassiz at the end of the last Ice Age. Containing the Belcher Islands, this is, for 10 points, what large bay of the Arctic Ocean that cuts into Canada?
A: Hudson Bay [prompt on Arctic Ocean until mentioned] (1) [BA]
Q: One of these structures named for its resemblance to a serpent is located near an impact crater in Ohio. Some of the oldest of these structures are found in Poverty Point, and the Hopewell and Adena people built these structures. St. Louis once had many of these structures before European settlement, and the largest of these structures, now named for monks, is located in Cahokia, Illinois. For the point, identify these structures which name a Pre-Columbian culture of the Mississippi River Basin.
A: Mounds (accept Earthworks)
Q: One upper class neighborhood in this city includes the Cushman School and the Eden Roc Hotel which are part of this city's namesake "Modernist Architecture" style. This city is also home to the proposed Brickell World Plaza Center which would make it the largest building in this city's downtown. Off the coast of this city is a group of houses on the water known as Stiltsville, and this city is also home to an immigration memorial called (*) Freedom Tower. One part of this city houses the Villa Vizcaya and is known as Coconut Grove. One famous neighborhood in this city celebrates the annual Calle Ocho Festival every March. The Venetian Causeway is located in this city as well as a namesake university in this city's suburb of Coral Gables. For 10 points identify this city which is also home to the American Airlines Arena and Little Havana, the seat of Dade County Florida.
A: Miami
Q: This culture's namesake style of flint "Point" has been used to explain the mass extinction of megafauna during the Pleistocene [[PLY-stoh-seen]] epoch. Dennis Stanford postulated that this culture's technology was given to them by the Solutrean people of Western Europe after they successfully crossed the North Atlantic on small barges. First discovered in the 1920s, this culture was thought to be the earliest established society in the Americas until the discovery of Monte Verde in Chile. For the point, name this Paleoamerican culture named for a New Mexico City.
A: Clovis Culture
Q: One city by this name sits on a namesake bay at the mouth of the Bensafrim River just northeast of Port Saint Vincent and Sagres - this city, located in the very southwest of Portugal, was the launching point for several expeditions of Henry the Navigator. Another city by this name is home to Tinubu Square and the Third Mainland Bridge, and features suburbs like Shomolu and Mushin. That city includes the residential Victoria Island, which sits astride Lekki Peninsula, as well as Ikoyi Island. The site of Murtala Muhammed National Airport, it lies to the south of cities like Abeokuta and Ibadan. FTP, name this conurbation on the Bight of Benin which was replaced by Abuja as the capital but remains the most populous city in Nigeria.
A: Lagos
Q: The forest steppe of this mountain range is an ecosystem home to deciduous oak and pistachio and occurs along its orogenic arch starting in the north near the Sirvan River, which becomes the Diyala as it flows through this range. It was the site of the Ghir earthquake and is home to Kobeh Cave, which has produced Mousterian large-mammal fossils. The main river that rises in this range is the Eulaeus River, which is globally known as the Karun River, and flows southward toward the sea. It is connected by a transfer zone to the Makran basin in the south, and to its north are the slightly-smaller Elburz Mountains. With their highest point at Zard-Kuh, FTP, name these largest mountains in Iran and Iraq which stretch along the Persian Gulf.
A: Zagros Mountains
Q: Thor Heyerdahl travelled from Morocco to this nation in a two month journey on the papyrus boat Ra II to prove Egyptians could have reached the New World. This non-U.S. nation has a Creole language which mixes the pidgin of Gullah with British English, and this island nation's Parish of Saint Philip was the site of a slave revolt led by West African Bussa. Sugar exports from this nation in the Windward Islands were supposedly worth more money than all the exports of the Thirteen Colonies combined. The City of Bridgetown serves as the capital of, for the point, what Caribbean island?
A: Barbados
Q: Bainbridge Island, an island within this body of water, was ceded by the local Squamish in the Point Elliot Treaty. A sudden name change in his captain's log led George (+) Vancouver to name a natural waterway in this larger body of water the "Hood Canal." Vancouver also named this estuary in honor of his Huguenot crewman who surveyed the area. Becoming part of the United States after the (*) Enabling Act of 1889, for the points, what is this portion of the Salish Sea on the coast of Washington?
A: Salish [[SAY-lish]] Sea (accept Puget Sound before "Sea" is mentioned)
Q: Most of the embassies in this city are located in its neighborhood of Arcadia, which is near the Herbert Baker designed Union Buildings. Popular tourist attractions in this city include the Sammy Marks Museum and the Pioneer Museum in its neighborhood of Silverton. It is sometimes known as the Jacaranda City due to the prevalence of those trees in its streets. The Apies River flows through this city, which is located in the province of Gauteng. Located at the foot of the Magaliesberg range, this city is still embroiled in controversy from a 2005 decision to potentially change its name to Tshwane. For 10 points, name this city which is about fifty miles north of Johannesburg and which serves as the administrative capital of South Africa.
A: Pretoria
Q: The government of Mexico attempted to remove independent ambulantes in an effort to support small tianguis [[tee-AHN-gweess]], a variety of this locale, which dates back to the Aztec. It's not a Forum or Temple, but (+) Apollodorus of Damascus built one of these places named for Trajan on the edge of Quirinal Hill, which was expanded in medieval times by adding floor levels and defensive batteries. The (*) Mercato Nuovo of Florence is an example of, for the point, what type of locale where food, livestock and other items are sold?
A: Marketplaces (accept Bazaar; prompt on "store")
Q: This process began with two shipments of fourteen of the central beings taken from near Hinton, Alberta. This process involved the use of pens named for Chief Joseph. O-Six was among the fourth generation to have descended from the central animals of this event, which started in the Lamar Valley. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 formed a legal basis for this action, which led to declines in the elk population of its central area. For the point, name this event in which members of the Canis Lupus species were brought back to a national park containing Old Faithful.
A: Reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park (prompt on partial answers; accept obvious equivalents in place of "reintroduction")
Q: It's not scoria, but this good was meant to act as the pupils of the Moai [[MOH-"eye"]] statues created by the Rapa Nui. The Aztec Macuahuitl [[mah-kwah-HWEH-til]] was a wooden club with blades made of this sharp mineral embedded on its side. This mineral, which takes its name from the Roman explorer who first described it in the Ethiopian highlands, was used by the Polynesian Lapita to make glass knives. For the point, name this volcanic glass made from the rapid cooling of felsic lava.
A: Obsidian (prompt on "volcanic glass" before mentioned)
Q: This person's body may have been discovered by Zhang Junyan and Wang Hungbao, but Wang died in an avalanche before giving a precise location. A puncture found on this person's skull suggest they died of an ice axe infliction. This person was last seen during a 1924 expedition, as he and Andrew Irvine were 245 meters from reaching one summit. Edmund Hillary called this person the "initial pioneer of the whole idea of climbing [a certain mountain]." For the point, what mountaineer took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest?
A: George Mallory (or George Herbert Leigh Mallory)
Q: In the aftermath of this event, a Hawaiian minister observed a namesake solar effect where excess dust creates a dark ring around the sun. Art historians have speculated that the orange haze in the artwork of The Scream was caused by the aftermath of this disaster. This 19th century eruption led to a two degree drop in world temperatures, and it was heard from the continent of Australia. For the point, name this 1883 eruption of an Indonesian caldera located between Java and Sumatra.
A: The Eruption of Krakatoa (or Krakatau; accept descriptions which include Krakatoa causing a disaster)
Q: In this region, Bishop McQuaid found the oldest winery dedicated to producing sacramental wine for the United States' Catholic congregations. The growth of the lumber industry in this region during the 16th century occurred at "Slab City," which sits on the coast of Hemlock Lake. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts purchased the western half of this region from the Iroquois following the Phelps and Gorman purchase, while the city of Ithaca, home to Cornell University, sits on this region's Cayuga Lake. For the point, name this New York region named for eleven lakes which resemble human digits.
A: Finger Lakes (prompt on "New York" before mentioned)
Q: Many towns still practice this ethnicity's traditional "walk," in which a main street is closed so that large groups can stroll together after dinner. A continual drone on the syllable "e" underlies the distinctive "iso-polyphony" practiced among this ethnicity. It doesn't involve Cambodia or Vietnam, but an ongoing diplomatic controversy concerns the repatriation of Cham people of this ethnicity expelled for World War II-era collaboration. Many mercenaries of this ethnicity settled in (*) Calabria in the 15th century, forming a still-extent community called Arberia ("ARR-bur-yah"). Norms of fidelity and kin-loyalty called besa and fis are part of this ethnicity's customary law, the Kanun. For 10 points, Gheg and Tosk are the two major linguistic dialects of what ethnic group, whose irredentists propose a "Greater" state incorporating Kosovo?
A: Albanians [or Shqiptaret; prompt on Arbereshe until "Arberia" is read] (The first clue refers to the xhiro.)
Q: A 25-year public health study in the north of this region used a community intervention model to cut heart disease rates from what had been the highest in the world in 1972. A large type of spitz bred to harry bears in this region is appropriately named the Bear Dog. The 22-dome Church of the Transfiguration is the centerpiece of an all-wood religious complex built on an island in this region in the 18th century. Koli National Park became a tourist destination during a late (*) 19th-century romantic revival that promoted the folk culture of this region, which provided subjects for painters like Louis Sparre and Akseli Gallen-Kallela. During his fifteen years of collecting runic songs on field trips mostly taken in this region, Elias Lonnrot published Kanteletar and the Kalevala. For 10 points, Lake Ladoga is on the southern border of what historical region split between Finland and Russia?
A: Karelia [accept Republic of Karelia; accept West Karelia, North Karelia, South Karelia, East Karelia, Russian Karelia, Border Karelia, or Finnish Karelia; accept Karelianism; accept Karelian Bear Dog; accept the North Karelia Project; prompt on Finland or Eastern Finland; prompt on Russia or North-Western Russia] (The religious complex is Kizhi Pogost.)
Q: One of these features "of Death" covers the provinces of Nimruz (NIM-rooz) and Helmand (HEL-mund). One of these features between the Amu Darya (AA-moo DAAR-yuh) and Syr Darya (SEER DAAR-yuh) is the native habitat of Russian tortoises and is called the Kyzylkum (kuh-ZEEL-koom). A so-called "death worm" is said to live in one of these features. The largest of these features completely within China is west of (*) Lop Nur and includes Kashgar and Urumqi (oo-RUM-chee). The Tian Shan mountains divide one of these features called the Taklamakan (TAHK-lim-uh-KAHN) from another with snow-capped dunes. For 10 points, name these dry features such as the Gobi.
A: deserts
Q: The first known general descriptions of them is found in the ancient records of the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang. The valleys of the Konar and Gilgit rivers are divided by the Karambar pass, (*) which is generally accepted as their boundary in the east and other rivers flowing from it include the Helmand River and the Hari Rud. It's highest peak is Mount Tirich Mi and this system was important for transportation before the construction of the Salang road. It buttresses the Pamir range and its western extremity is believed by geologists to be the Iranian border. FTP name this mountain system that divides the valley of the Amu Darya from the Indus River valley and is home to the Khyber Pass.
A: Hindu Kush
Q: A secessionist movement named for this mountain range uses the "Doug flag" and grew out of the 1940s "State of Jefferson" movement. Mount Adams is the highest point of this mountain range's Gifford Pinchot (pin-CHOH) National Forest. The only mountain in the continental U.S. on the Decade Volcanoes list is in this range that is home to (*) Crater Lake. The Columbia River Gorge cuts into this range, which contains climbing sites such as Mount Hood. For 10 points, name this range of the Pacific Northwest that includes Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens.
A: Cascade Range [or Cascades]
Q: In 2021, Musgum fishermen and Shuwa Arab herders in this country clashed over the construction of ditches on the Waza Logone ("WAH-zah loh-GOH-nay") floodplain. Except for the Adamawa region, all of this country's provinces have generic geographic names such as "East," "Central," and "Far North." Via the 2006 Greentree Agreement, this country's western neighbor formally ceded it the oil-rich peninsula of (*) Bakassi. Angry at marginalization by French speakers, English-speaking separatists in this country's northwest lead the breakaway republic of Ambazonia. In 1986, a limnic eruption of carbon dioxide suffocated over 1,700 people around this country's Lake Nyos ("NEE-ohss"). Douala ("doo-AH-lah") is the chief port of, for 10 points, what African country whose capital is Yaounde ("yown-DAY")?
A: Cameroon [or Republic of Cameroon or Republique du Cameroun]
Q: Richard Lee's work in this desert, where Lee "ate Christmas," was analyzed at the "Man the Hunter" symposium. Marshall Sahlins created the "original affluent society" hypothesis based on residents of this desert. Louis Liebenberg's studies of kudu (KOO-doo) hunts in this desert supported the endurance running hypothesis. Lorna and John Marshall filmed the (*) !Kung (kung) people in this desert, whose indigenous San are sometimes known as Bushmen. For 10 points, the world's genetically oldest humans are found in what desert that covers most of Botswana?
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: The third of three attempts at this feat in 1924 led to the death of Andrew "Sandy" Irvine. Jon Krakauer survived a 1996 "disaster" that killed eight people attempting this feat, an event Krakauer wrote about in Into Thin Air. Nearly two decades after George Mallory tried, (*) Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first documented people to achieve this feat. The "Northern" route to achieve this feat became unfavorable after China took over Tibet. For 10 points, identify this achievement regarding the world's tallest mountain.
A: summiting Mount Everest [or descriptions of climbing to the top of Mount Everest; or reaching the top of Mount Everest; prompt on mountain climbing; prompt on mountaineering]
Q: This country's capital once included 95-meter trash piles in what is now the Digital Media City. The Tamna kingdom once ruled an island in this country that speaks a unique "mal." This country's city of Mokpo connects via ferry to an island containing Mount (*) Songhak (SAHNG-hak). Jeju (TAY-joo) is located in this country, whose capital is crossed by the Han River. This country contains the transportation hub of Incheon (INCH-ee-AHN) and a city including the Gangnam (GUNG-num) district. For 10 points, name this Asian country separated by the DMZ from its Communist neighbor.
A: South Korea [or Republic of Korea; or ROK; prompt on Korea; do not accept or prompt on "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" or "DPRK"]
Q: Alternative names for it are sha-mo and han-hal and the greatest cultural sites in this region are the series of Buddhist cave-temple complexes including the Cave of the Thousand Buddhas. Also the source of the first dinosaur eggs discovered, some of its sections are known as the Ka-shun, Dzungarian, and the Ala Shan. It's borders are the (*) Tien Shan to the southeast, the Tibetan Plateau to the southwest, and the northern edge is the Altai Mountains. It contains very little sand and the first European accounts of the area were given by Marco Polo as the desert was partially traversed by the Silk road. FTP name this desert of central asia that covers parts of both China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: This body of water is the only habitat of Comephorus ("kuh-MEFF-uh-russ"), a genus of scale-less fish which lack a swim bladder because their mass is up to 35% fat, and which are also called this body's namesake "oilfish." Invasive filamentous algae threaten this body's yellow-finned sculpins, which are the main food for its most-harvested salmon variety, the omul ("OH-mull"). This body's high level of dissolved oxygen contributes to gigantism among the 350 species of amphipods that live at its bottom. Its Nerpa (*) seals are the only exclusively-freshwater seals in the world. This lake, which is the subject of many Buryat tales, is widened by the southward movement of the Amurian plate. It is drained by the Angara ("un-guh-RAH") river, a tributary of the Yenisei ("yen-uh-SAY"). The deepest body of freshwater in the world is, for 10 points, what lake in Siberia?
A: Lake Baikal ("bye-KAHL")
Q: Its outlying territories are Rodrigues Island, the Cargados Carajos Shoals, St. Brandon, and the Agalega Islands and its districts include Black River, Pamplemousses, and Savanne. Lake Vacoas is the chief source of its water supply. It appears in Gravity's Rainbow as the setting of Slothrop's grandfather's shooting of the last (*) dodo bird. Named by the Dutch for the governor of Nassau. Famous authors from this country include the humourist Yvan Lagesse and Edouard Maunick author of "The Birds of Blood" and "Shoot Me". It is the largest member of the Mascarene group a group that includes Reunion . FTP name this country with capital at Port Louis, located 500 miles east of Madagascar.
A: Mauritius
Q: German missionary Johann Rebmann names a glacier near the summit of this mountain, which contains the hiking area of Barranco (bah-RAHN-koh) Wall. The nearby town of Moshi is the starting point for some climbs on this mountain, whose three volcanic cones include (*) Kibo (KEE-boh), Shira (SHEE-rah), and Mawenzi (mah-WEN-zee). The summit of this mountain, the highest in the world that is not part of an adjacent range, was renamed to mean "freedom peak" in Swahili. For 10 points, name this dormant volcano in Tanzania, the tallest mountain in Africa and the tallest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: The public transit system named for this city is the subject of the proposed Connect 400 expansion and has an extreme transfer outpost at the suburban Cumberland Mall. This city's attempt to annex Sandy Springs sparked the "cityhood" movement in its suburbs. The HBCUs Clark, Spelman, and (*) Morehouse are located in this city, where Eric Rudolph carried out a bombing of the Olympics at Centennial Park, which is near the headquarters of Coca-Cola. The busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson, serves, for 10 points, what capital of Georgia?
A: Atlanta
Q: The Clarence Strait runs parallel to this body of water, which takes its name, meaning "divine wisdom," from a variant of that of a deity. In 1971, the nation that borders it to the North seized three of its islands due to their importance in governing its ship channels. When approaching it from the East, ships must pass south of the Makran coast and, upon reaching the Musandam Peninsula, make an extreme Southwestern turn to avoid running aground at the base of the Zagros Mountains. Located between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, this is, FTP, what strait strategically important as the entrance to the Persian Gulf?
A: the Strait of Hormuz
Q: Much of its scenic geography is the result of glaciation, which produced Mt. Hope, Pinnacle Hill, and Cobb's Hill, as well as the Genesee River Valley. Hemlock Lake and all of its watershed are owned by the city, which uses it as its primary source for fresh water. This city and its suburbs are home to 7 colleges and universities, including Eastman School of Music and Monroe Community College, named for the county in which it is located. FTP, name this city located in western New York, home to the world's highest energy laser, OMEGA, at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.
A: Rochester, New York
Q: T.H. Huxley first coined the name of this feature, which is partially due to accretions during the tertiary period. It is contiguous with the Makassar Straits after which it turns forty-five degrees, continuing almost due East, North of the Spice Islands. At its Western extent, it cuts the Malay Peninsula between Lombock and Bali. The feature shares its name with Rhacophorus nigropalmatus, one of the species which Darwin's predecessor used during the 1850's to explain the lack of some oriental species South of about ten degrees South latitude. FTP, name this line; the hypothetical boundary between the zoogeographical regions of Asia and Australasia.
A: the Wallace line
Q: After flowing South past Selinsgrove, it cuts through the Mahantongo Mountain and receives the Juniata River. The Chemung flows southeast past Elmira into it and its brook trout were once hunted by the namesake Indian tribes on its banks. While its Western branch rises in the Allegheny Mountains, the main portion of this river originates in Otsego Lake in New York and exits at Havre de Grace, Maryland. FTP, identify this mighty river that provides half of the fresh water for the Chesapeake Bay.
A: the Susquehanna River
Q: The "chickee" house was engineered for use in this area, which is the home of the Miccosukee and borders the national parks of Fort Jefferson, Biscayne and Dry Tortugas. Areas of slightly higher elevation here are receptive to the growth of tropical trees such as cocoplum and mahogany, which mix with temperate vegetation in an arrangement found nowhere else in the United States. Among its endangered species are the wood stork, Atlantic leatherback turtle, and American crocodile; it is the only place where crocodiles co-exist with alligators. FTP, name this four thousand, three hundred square mile region bordering Big Cypress Swamp and Lake Okechobee; a grassy marshland that comprises a protected national park in Florida.
A: the Everglades
Q: A temple on this island that contains a "hidden foot" is composed of six square platforms topped by three circular ones and also includes seventy-two stupas. Banten is the westernmost province on this island, which is home to the active volcano Mount Merapi and the Borobudur temple. Eugene Dubois discovered a specimen of Homo erectus on this island, which is the most populous in the world. Located in between Sumatra and Bali, this island contains its country's capital city. For 10 points, name this Indonesian island that is home to Jakarta and names a variety of coffee.
A: Java
Q: Established by the founder of the Slow Food movement, the University of Gastronomic Sciences is located in this region. A "modernist" approach to making a wine from this region uses small barrique [ba-REE-kay] barrels instead of traditional large botti and gave rise to that wine's namesake "Wars". The Serralunga valley in this region is a key site of production of a tannic red wine made from (*) Nebbiolo grapes. This region is the home of a dish where cold veal slices are covered with a tuna-flavoured mayonnaise sauce called vitello tonnato. In this region, Moscato Bianco grapes are made into a sparkling wine named after its town of Asti. Barolo wine is made in this region which sometimes gives its name to white truffles. For 10 points, name this northern Italian region whose largest city is Turin.
A: Piedmont [or Piemonte] (prompt on Italy before `white truffles')
Q: A national park in this nation is the location of Gottfried Knoche's [k-NOK-uhs] laboratory, where he carried out many of his experiments in mummification. This nation's town of Colonia Tovar was founded by settlers from the Grand Duchy of Baden, led by Agustin Codazzi, who would later be granted citizenship of this nation. The largest lake in this nation is the home of an atmospheric phenomenon where (*) lightning flashes up to 40 times a minute for nine hours a day - this is Catatumbo lightning. In 2006, this nation added an eighth star to its flag to represent the province of Guayana [gwa-YAH-na] despite the province being mostly within the borders of neighbouring Guyana [guy-AH-na]. This nation is home to the world's tallest uninterrupted waterfall and the largest lake in South America - for 10 points, Angel Falls and Lake Maracaibo are in what nation?
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Q: It's not in South America, but this place names a headland in the Strait of Magellan that marks the Chile-Argentina border. Oil pipelines were laid between this place and Ambleteuse [om-blet-ERZE], a northern French commune, as part of a network named "Dumbo". A fisherman's hut in this place, named Prospect Cottage, was Derek Jarman's home until his death. A North American species of (*) crab takes its name from a spit in Washington that was itself named after this place. A 2021 article in the Guardian about this place asked the question "Why go to the Sahara when you can visit Kent?", referring to the now-debunked legend that this place is the UK's only desert. For 10 points, what area of Kent is the home of two non-operational nuclear power stations?
A: Dungeness (prompt on Kent before read)
Q: Smoke grenade impact craters were found near the border between these two countries shortly after the detainment of Eston Kohver. It is forbidden to travel a small section of one of these countries' road 178 by foot, due to the presence of the Saatse [SAHT-see] Boot, which is territory of the other. The rightwing EKRE [spell] party of one of these countries claims that the former Petseri County is illegally occupied by the other. The Gulf of (*) Narva is a body of water divided between these two countries, as is the largest trans-boundary lake in Europe, Lake Peipus. Following the Singing Revolution, ratification of a proposed new border agreement between these two countries was derailed by a reference to the Tartu Peace Treaty. For ten points each, name these two countries which share a 183-mile long border, one with capital at Moscow and one with capital at Tallinn.
A: Estonia and Russia
Q: Researcher Keith Muscutt has studied this people's unusual Penitentiary Ruin found in a dense forest; other UNESCO World Heritage sites for this people include Vira Vira. Valuable information about this civilization was obtained following the excavation of the relatively pristine Condores site. Conquest-era writings held that these people had (+) white skin and descended from the Vikings. These people mostly inhabited the Utcubamba Valley. These people produced stone sarcophagi known as chullpas with rust-red decorations on the faces and tall bodies. In 2017, a cable car was completed to make it easier to travel to the ruins of Kuelap, one of the premiere sites of these people. For 15 points, name this culture of ancient Peru, a rival of the Inca nicknamed the "Cloud Warriors."
A: Chachapoya culture [prompt on Cloud Warriors or Warriors of the Cloud]
Q: One of these things in Kobe was constructed with the aid of a ten mile long underground conveyor belt, and an unfinished one of these things near Miami can be seen from the Julia Tuttle Causeway. The Dutch companies Boskalis and Van Oord specialise in the construction of these things. One of these things in Manhattan is named after U Thant [TAHNT], and a brewery based on Fulton Street in (*) Chicago is named after one of these things. For most of the Edo period, one of these things called Dejima was the only point of trade between Japan and the outside world. For ten points, name these man-made objects, which may be combined into archipelagos such as Dubai's Palm Jumeirah.
A: Artificial islands [or man-made islands or reclaimed islands or any other clear equivalent. Prompt on reclaimed land or land fill. Prompt on just islands. Prompt on polders.]
Q: A goddess of plowing inspired the name of this city's Gefion (GAYF-yahn) Fountain, which is located near its Kastellet (kaas-TEL-et) citadel. Jacques Saly's (SAH-lee's) 39-foot equestrian statue of Frederick V (the fifth) is at the center of the four-palace Amalienborg (ay-MAIL-een-BOR) complex in this city, where the Rutschebanen (ROW-chib-AIN-en) roller coaster may be found at (*) Tivoli (TEEV-lee) Gardens. Since 2000, this city has been linked to Malmo (maa-AAL-muh) via the Øresund (oo-RAY-sunt) Bridge. The island of Zealand is home to, for 10 points, what national capital, where a statue of the Little Mermaid honors Hans Christian Andersen?
A: Copenhagen
Q: This country is on the south of a border that was ill-defined by the Canas-Jerez (KAHN-yahs-HAY-rez) Treaty. Virgin of the Angels Day is a national holiday in this country, where the Monteverde (mohn-tey-VAIR-day) Cloud Forest is home to over 2,500 plant species. The easygoing catchphrase (*) "Pura Vida" (POOR-ah VEE-dah) is common in this country, which is regularly ranked first in the "Happy Planet Index." This country, which abolished its military in 1949, is engaged in a more than 150-year-long border dispute over the San Juan River. For 10 points, name this smaller southern neighbor of Nicaragua.
A: Republic of Costa Rica
Q: This city's skyscrapers include the misleadingly named Greenland Centre and the Crown in Barangaroo. The City to Surf Fun Run goes from this city's business district to Bondi Beach. "The Coathanger" is a nickname for a bridge that connects the (*) North Shore to this city, the Harbour Bridge, which crosses Port Jackson. This city on Botany Bay hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics and features a Jørn Utzon (YORN OOT-zahn)-designed structure whose roof resembles sails. For 10 points, name this Australian city that contains a landmark opera house.
A: Sydney
Q: This city's bohemian Vila Madalena neighborhood contains the graffiti-covered Batman Alley. This city hosted Modern Art Week in 1922 in its neoclassical Municipal Theater. A controversial monument to explorers by Victor Brecheret ("bresh-uh-RAY") and an obelisk commemorating this city's 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution are both found in this city's Ibirapuera ("ee-bee-rah-PWAY-rah") Park, designed by Roberto Marx. The governor of the state named for this city resides in (*) Bandeirantes ("BAN-jee-RAN-cheez") Palace, named for explorers who mostly came from here. Queen Maria Leopoldina is buried beneath an independence monument in this non-capital city near Ipiranga Brook, where independence was proclaimed by Pedro I ("the first"). For 10 points, name this most populous city in Brazil.
A: Sao Paulo ("sao PAO-loo")
Q: A city on this large body of water houses the Fortaleza de Sao Miguel (FORT-ah-lee-AYZ-uh day SOW mee-GEL) and is the most populous Portuguese-speaking city outside of Brazil. A region along this body of water extends from the Kunene (kuh-NAY-nay) River to the Swakop (swah-KOAP) River and faces intense fog from the Benguela (ben-GAIL-uh) current. The (*) Skeleton Coast is located along this large body of water, as is the city of Luanda. A city along this ocean includes Table Mountain and Robben Island off its coast. Cape Town lies on the coast of, for 10 points, what ocean that touches Angola and South Africa?
A: Atlantic Ocean [or South Atlantic Ocean; or Luanda Bay until "Kunene" is read]
Q: This island's territory of Mongibel (MAHN-jee-BEL) was often used as the location of Morgan le Fay's castle in Arthurian romances. A volcano on this island, which once erupted so much lava that it filled in the harbor of Catania, is legendarily where the philosopher Empedocles (emp-ED-uh-kleez) jumped to his death. The Aeolian (ay-OL-ee-un) Islands, just off this larger island's north, include the namesake of (*) strombolic (strahm-BAH-lik) volcanoes. Mount Etna is about ninety miles southeast of Palermo (puh-LAIR-moh) on, for 10 points, what island that is separated by the Strait of Messina from the "boot" of Italy?
A: Sicily [or Sicilia]
Q: An island of this province is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Canso. The tourist spot of Peggy's Cove sits on St. Margarets Bay in this province, which includes Cape Breton Island. Citadel Hill sits in the center of this province's largest city, which contains the (*) Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and was the site of a 1917 ship explosion. This province was once the peninsular part of the French colony of Acadia, whose mainland portion became New Brunswick. For 10 points, name this Canadian province governed from Halifax.
A: Nova Scotia [or Nouvelle-Ecosse]
Q: This ingredient is the foundation for kabsa (KAB-suh), a Saudi Arabian dish also called makbus (mok-BOOS). The states of Goias (goy-AIZ) and Minas Gerais (MEEN-ai jer-AIZ) prepare a chicken dish always accompanied by this ingredient called galinhada (gah-leen-YAH-duh). The Mughal Empire originated a dish whose base is this ingredient alongside (*) meat and spices, called biryani (beer-YAH-nee). Pulao (poo-LAO), polo, and plov are all variations of a dish centered on this ingredient. For 10 points, name this essential ingredient in pilaf (PEEL-ahf) dishes, which commonly use its long-grain or basmati (bahz-MAH-tee) forms.
A: rice [or basmati rice; or long-grain rice]
Q: Only two events have ever been recorded, though samples taken by Dr. Robert Heckey suggest that they may have occurred cyclically in Lake Kivu on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The first recorded event was in 1984 at Lake Monoun and it was caused by a large concentration of dissolved CO2 present in the lower depths of the lake. FTP, what is this type of cataclysmic event which occurred two years later at Lake Nyos killing 1800 people through asphyxia?
A: Limnic Eruption
Q: A city in this state nicknamed "the cosmic hamlet by the sea" mostly sank during a 1964 earthquake. This state, which contains Homer, is the site of a coastal trail named for governor Tony Knowles. Five percent of this state is Orthodox Christian, by far the largest proportion of any U.S. state. This state's capital is accessed chiefly through a leg of the (*) Marine Highway ferry system and is not connected to the outside road network. For 10 points, name this state separated from the rest of the U.S. by Canada.
A: Alaska
Q: Herman Melville's Battlepieces included sketches set at this location, whose man-animal relations are the subject of studies by anthropologist Eugene Guribye. Sunsets at picturesque locations like Post Office Bay last only minutes due to its proximity to the equator, and the first black smokers were found near them, close to the boundary of the Cocos and Nazca plates. The Five Hills on its largest island, Isabel, are actually volcanoes, an eruption of which in 1998 forced naturalists to airlift its namesake local fauna to safety. FTP, name this archipelago known in Spain as los Encantatas; the site of evolutionary studies by Charles Darwin.
A: Galapagos Islands (accept los Encantatas before it's mentioned)
Q: The eastern most group is separated from the central group by the Austrain Strait while the western group lies across the British Strait. Discovered by Payer and Weyprecht, it falls administratively into Arkhangelsk province. Its 191 constituents include (*) Zemlya Aleksandry, home of a weather station, and Greem-Bell site of a Cold War airfield. Curiously, geologic forces have caused the straits between the islands to be deeper than the surrounding Barents Sea. Many polar expeditions began on the northernmost island, Rudolf Island, as it is behind only Ellesmere Island and Greenland in proximity to the North Pole. FTP name this archipelago named for an Austrian emperor that is the northernmost point in Russia.
A: Franz Josef Land
Q: Located in the Fort Smith region, it was named for an indian tribe and cities on its shores include the villages of Hay River, Gros Cap and Fort Resolution and physical features include Goulet Bay and McLeod's Bay in the north and Christie's Bay (*) in the south. It is connected with Artillery Lake, Clinton-Golden Lake, and Aylmer Lake. This lake's first European explorer was Samuel Hearne and its waters are the center of large fishing industry centered on trout and whitefish. Drained by the Mackenzie River, discovery of gold in the area lead to the establishment of the territorial capital of Yellowknife on its shores. FTP name this Canadian body of water, the deepest lake in its continent and the fifth largest in North America.
A: Great Slave Lake (Moderator: go ahead and be pretentious and pronounce it the proper way "SLAY-vi")
Q: This peninsula's Loltun Caves contain paintings and is on the Ruta Puuc (ROO-tah pook) route to Labna. A war in this region included the seizure of Valladolid (vai-yah-DOH-leed) before a march to Merida (MAY-ree-dah). Chetumal (CHAY-too-mahl) is the capital of a state on this peninsula called (*) Quintana Roo. This region, whose town of Tulum features historical ruins, is the site of the Chicxulub (CHAIK-chu-LOOB) Crater off its northwest coast. The Temple of Kukulcan (koo-kool-KAHN) is a popular site in this peninsula's city of Chichen Itza (CHEE-chen EET-sah). For 10 points, name this peninsula that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.
A: Yucatan Peninsula
Q: On December fifth, a six point three earthquake centered at this geographic location struck a location near the area that the Bantu-speaking Fipa people inhabit. It is fed by the Malagarasi and Ruzizi rivers and is home to a namesake species of sardine. Stanley Falls is located to its northwest near the convergence of its only outlet, the Lukuga, into the headstreams of the Congo. FTP, what is this world's second-largest lake by volume and largest lake of the Great Rift Valley, which borders Burundi, Zambia, the Congo, and Tanzania?
A: Lake Tanganyika
Q: The name common for it worldwide comes from words meaning "greenish blue duck". Rising on Baitou Mountain in the Changbai mountain range, its chief tributaries are the Changjin, Herchun, and Tokro rivers. Now bordering the provinces (*) of Kirin and Liaoning, this river first became a political demarcator during the Koryo dynasty in the 14th century. The largest city on this river is Dandong and it flows only for 491 miles before emptying into the Yellow Sea. FTP give the name of this river known chiefly for separating Manchuria from the Korean peninsula.
A: Yalu River
Q: Its downtown plaza adjacent to the St. Francis Cathedral and the Loretto Chapel - home of the "Miracle Staircase" and to the northeast sits Old Fort Marcy. A brief interregnum that saw indigenous leadership was overcome when governor Diego de Vargas reasserted power at this site located in the (*) Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Other attractions in this city situated at the northern terminus of the Camino Real include the restored Lensic theater, the flagship Coyote Cafe, and the always yonic Georgia O'Keefe museum. This setting for the film The Tao of Steve is located south of the Rio Grande Gorge and east of the city of Los Alamos. FTP name this city located approximately an hour north on I-25 from Albuquerque, the capital of New Mexico.
A: Santa Fe
Q: Sharing its name with the production team comprised of C.C. Lemonhead and Jay Ski, this area's adjoining cities are Silvis, Milan, Coal Valley, and Colona and some of the counties that make up the area are Scott, Henry and Mercer counties. (*) One member was home of Ft. Armstrong, the headquarters of operations for the Black Hawk War and the Chicago Cubs' AAA team is located in another member. Bettendorf has all but replaced the last of the group to join and the industrial growth of the area was spurred by John Deere opening a factory in Moline. FTP name this group of cities comprised of Moline, East Moline, Rock Island, and Davenport with a numeric moniker.
A: Quad Cities
Q: The Archipelago Ring Road connects islands off of this nation's southwestern coast with the mainland city of Turku. The historical region of Karelia lies in the southeastern region of this nation, which also includes the nation's largest lake, Saimaa. This nation's westernmost mainland boundary, the Three-Country Cairn, is located in the Sami Native Region of this nation's (*) maakunta of Lapland. Espoo [ESS-poh], this nation's second largest city, is situated along this nation's southern boundary with the Baltic Sea. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian nation, with capital at Helsinki.
A: Republic of Finland [or Suomi]
Q: In 1996, these two countries negotiated a 50-50 split of the waters controlled by the Farakka Barrage. In 2015, these two countries exchanged a territory that primarily consisted of large jute ("joot") fields, eliminating the world's only third-order enclave; similarly, the 1974 Land Boundary Treaty eliminated many of the "pasha enclaves" along their borders. These two countries are partially protected from cyclones such as Aita and Mora by a wetland which has its western boundary on the (*) Hooghly ("HOOG-lee") River; that largest mangrove forest in the world is the Sundarbans ("sun-DAR-buns"). One of these countries must negotiate sea route alternatives to the Siliguri ("SHIL-lee-goo-ree") Corridor for transport to northeastern regions such as Tripura ("TRIP-uh-ruh"), since the other denies free access to its port of Chittagong ("CHIT-uh-gong"). For 10 points, what two countries share the Ganges ("GAN-jeez") river delta?
A: India AND Bangladesh [accept Bharat Ganarajya for India]
Q: In the southern part of this administrative region, the development of the Lacq ("lock") gas field brought industry near the city of Pau ("pow"). A countess of Montijo ("mon-TEE-hoh") popularized this region's town of Biarritz ("beer-ITS") as a resort. This region's capital names a wine region divided into "left-bank" and "right-bank" areas, the former of which includes Medoc. This region's major estuary, which receives the flow of the Garonne ("guh-RON") and (*) Dordogne ("dor-DOHN-yuh") rivers, is named Gironde ("zhee-ROND"). In 2014, this region merged with Poitou-Charentes ("pwah-TOO shuh-RAHNT") and Limousin ("lee-moo-ZAN") to form the largest administrative region in France. It contains the western part of historic Gascony and most French speakers of Basque. Bordeaux ("bor-DOH") is the capital of, for 10 points, what region, from whence hailed Henry II's ("the second's") wife Eleanor?
A: Aquitaine ("ACK-wuh-tayn" or "ah-kee-TEN") [or Aquitania; accept Nouvelle-Aquitaine or Eleanor of Aquitaine; accept Guyenne; anti-prompt on Bordeaux or Gascony by asking "what administrative region is that part of?"; reject "Guyana" or "Occitania" or "Languedoc"]
Q: From its headwaters, this river flows through the Pantanal wetlands and east of a disputed triangle of land in the extreme southeast of the Santa Cruz department. It crosses the Tropic of Capricorn along the portion of its middle course that forms the eastern border of a department named for President Rutherford Hayes. Hayes was the arbitrator who helped its nation retain the majority of the area between the Rio Verde and the main branch of Rio Pilcomayo, the prominent portion of the region commonly known as the Gran Chaco. Forming part of the boundary between Bolivia and Brazil, this is, FTP, what South American tributary of the Pirana that passes by its namesake nation's capital, Asuncion?
A: Paraguay River or Rio Paraguay
Q: Its name is Guarani for "River of the Birds" and it runs along the border of the Formosa Province. Its lower channel shifts direction each flood season and this river rises east of Lake Poopo. (*) It also separates the Boreal section from the Central part of the Chaco. In the War of the Triple Alliance, Argentina took much of the Missiones region and other lands between the Bermejo River and this river that flows in a southeasterly direction to Asuncion where it joins the Paraguay river. FTP identify this river that forms part of the border between Paraguay and Argentina.
A: Pilcomayo
Q: In 1997, this city's Otherside Lounge lesbian bar was the target of a bombing. A park in this city houses a statue of a woman holding aloft a phoenix, titled for [This city] from the Ashes. In addition to Woodruff Park, this city is home to Piedmont Park, which hosts the annual Music Midtown festival. After Chicago and New York, this city has the 3rd tallest building in America, the Bank of America Plaza. Security guard Richard Jewell was wrongly accused of a series of bombings in this city, which Eric Robert Rudolph actually committed in its Centennial Olympic Park. The central Five Points stop connects four lines of its MARTA subway system. This city's Hartsfield-Jackson airport is the busiest in the world, and its outskirts house the CDC headquarters. For 10 points, name this capital of Georgia.
A: Atlanta, Georgia
Q: Although founded in Jamaica, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is based in this city. The world's oldest rowing club outside the UK is found in this city, as is the world's oldest merchant bank, while this city's model railway was twice voted as its country's favourite tourist attraction. Ships entering or leaving this city are greeted with their national anthem and the international flag signal for "bon voyage" at the port, which is the (*) third-busiest container terminal in Europe after Rotterdam and Antwerp. The shipping line HAPAG was partly named after this city and carried German immigrants to New York, who helped to popularise a beef patty served between two buns. Once a major part of the Hanseatic [han-see-AT-ic] League, for 10 points, what city is the second-largest in Germany behind Berlin?
A: The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Q: Competitive racing of 18-foot skiffs first took place on this body of water. A key test of remoteness in English tort law arises from a fire caused by furnace oil leaking from a ship on this body of water; that ship was The Wagon Mound. The last Martello Tower to be built in the British Empire is part of Fort Denison on Pinchgut Island in this body of water. A bridge spanning this body of water was based on the (*) Tyne bridge and is nicknamed "The Coathanger". Macquarie lighthouse stands at the eastern end of this ria, whose main tributary is the Parramatta river. A headland in this body of water called Bennelong Point is home to a Jørn [YURN] Utzon-designed Opera House. For 10 points, name this natural harbour of Australia's largest city.
A: Sydney Harbour [accept Port Jackson]
Q: This city's Sultan Murad Mosque was burnt down and rebuilt on two separate occasions. This city's neoclassical Agency for Electronic Communications sits on a riverbank between two poorly-constructed bridges. Dusan [DU-shan] the Mighty was crowned at this city's Kale [KAH-lay] fortress, which was built using material from a nearby Roman city destroyed in a 518 earthquake. Statues of the Boatmen of Thessaloniki and of Justinian I were placed in the main square of this city as part of a controversial building program instigated by (*) Nikola Gruevski and ending in 2014.Much of this city was rebuilt in a modernist style after 80% of it was destroyed in a 1963 earthquake. A mihrab-shaped watchtower stands on this city's Stone Bridge, which crosses the river Vardar. For ten points, name this city, the capital of North Macedonia.
A: Skopje [SKOP-yay]
Q: Moderator note for players: Descriptive answers acceptable One of these things is said to grant immortality in She: A History of Adventure by H. Rider Haggard, and appears in that novel's climax. One of the earliest recorded examples of these things comes from the Achaemenid [a-KEY-men-id] Empire, which had three of them, one of which was destroyed by Alexander the Great after the death of Hephaestion. A Pennsylvania town's population dropped to five residents due to a (*) natural example of these things in an underground coal mine; that town is Centralia. One of these is found in the Ahal Province of Turkmenistan, near the village of Darvaza, at a site known as the Gates of Hell. The 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster are commemorated at Anfield with one of these things. For 10 points, what feature of tombs honouring Unknown Soldiers must be kept alight?
A: Eternal flames (accept ever-burning flame or similar descriptive answers; prompt on flames or fire by saying "I need to hear something specific", as the player must include something about the fire never going out)
Q: Since 2014, Anna Hicks has noted how landslides on this archipelago have raised a discussion on relocating a field called the Potato Patches. To protect a bunting endemic to this archipelago, in 2019 it announced an eradication plan of invasive mice, which grow 50% larger than all other mice in the world. The flag of this archipelago depicts its coat of arms which has four yellow nosed albatrosses in the centre flanked by two rock lobsters on each side. This archipelago, which names a type of hotspot thought to have formed the Walvis (*) Ridge, notably cannot be reached by plane as it has no airstrip. Gough Island and the Nightingale Island make up this archipelago, whose largest settlement is Edinburgh of the Seven Seas. For 10 points, name this British Overseas Territory, an archipelago in the Southern Atlantic that is the most remote in the world.
A: Tristan da Cunha [CUNE-ya] [or Tristan]
Q: The curator Donna Stein recently wrote a memoir documenting how she helped purchase works such as Jackson Pollock's Mural on Indian Red Ground for a contemporary art museum in this city. A planned luxury community in this city is home to Milad Tower, the tallest building in the country. In the 2010s, chronic air pollution in this city led to sporadic efforts to move government functions from this city to others such as (+) Semnan. In this city, a circular prison of an organization officially called the Anti-Vandalism Joint Committee is now operated as the Ebrat Museum. In 2018, the world's largest mall opened in this city, with a design inspired by the Mahan Garden. A bestselling book titled for this city documents how students such as (*) Manna and Yassi formed a private book club where they read The Great Gatsby and Lolita. This capital city's rail links with the rest of the country were improved in the White Revolution of the 1960s. For 10 points, name this capital serviced by Imam Khomeini International Airport, the capital of Iran.
A: Tehran
Q: The only one of these places in Bolivia houses the Mount Chacaltaya Laboratory, which was the site of the first observations of pions. A national park named for these places that houses the village of El Chalten contains much of Viedma Lake and houses one of them named Spegazzini. Two of these features named San Quintin and San Rafael are contained within the boundaries of Laguna San Rafael National Park. The University of Uppsala sponsored studies of a namesake one of these features near Argentino Lake. El Calafate is located near one of these features in Santa Cruz Province known for its ruptures, the Perito Moreno. A national park named for these features on the Argentina-Chile border in Patagonia houses Mount Fitz Roy. For 10 points, name these cold features common in Patagonia, known for their dramatic icefalls.
A: glaciers [or Los Glaciares National Park]
Q: This region's Abolitionist Place and Plymouth Church may have been stops on the Underground Railroad. This region's Weeksville Heritage Center preserves what remains of a free Black community near Utica Avenue. Near Starrett City, a state park in this region takes its name from a Black politician who grew up in its Brownsville neighborhood, Shirley Chisholm. This region's namesake Navy Yard attracted many Black residents who lived in Bedford-Stuyvesant. At a site in this region, Black residents fought to access sections of Riegelmann Boardwalk and the Wonder Wheel. In this borough, Ebbets Field was the home stadium of a team that signed the first 20th-century Black MLB player, Jackie Robinson. A large Afro-Caribbean community lives in Crown Heights in, for 10 points, what borough of New York City which includes Coney Island?
A: Brooklyn [prompt on "New York City" or "NYC"]
Q: The Ostrog Monastery in this country is an Orthodox Christian pilgrimage site. This country contains one of the oldest virgin forests in its continent, found in a national park that contains Lake Biograd. This country's Durmitor National Park is the predominant location of the Tara River Gorge, the deepest canyon in this country's continent. This country's Boka Navy is a former independent group of sailors that has evolved into a group promoting local folklore, headquartered in Kotor. A major source of tourism in this country is Velika Plaza, a beach found near the city of Ulcinj. The Old Bridge over the Ribnica is found in this country's Stara Varos neighborhood. For 10 points, name this Southeastern European country with capital at Podgorica.
A: Montenegro [or Crna Gora]
Q: Tourists that visit a city in this country often take souvenir photos with so-called "zebras," which are simply donkeys painted with zebra stripes. Viewers watch from "The Pearl" restaurant as divers leap from 55 feet in the air at the cliffs of La Quebrada in this country. Ruins can be explored in the ancient city of Tulum in this country, which contains an underwater cave system known as the "Cenote of the eyes." This country's state of Guerrero contains the tourist haven of (*) Acapulco, which oddly has one of the world's highest homicide rates. Tourists explore the "Temple of the Skulls" and "Ball game court" at one site in this country, which lies two hours west of its resort town of Cancun. For 10 points, name this large North American country whose Mayan site of Chichen Itza is located on the Yucatan peninsula.
A: Mexico [or United Mexican States or Estados Unidos Mexicanos]
Q: At this site, one may reach Lipan Point by traveling along the Tanner Trail, which sits opposite of the Cape Royal trail. Both the North and South ends of this site are surrounded by the Kaibab National Forest. The village of Supai is a settlement at this site that features the Phantom Ranch cabins near the mouth of the (*) Bright Angel creek. In 2007, the Hualapai tribe opened up a horseshoe cantilever bridge known as this landmark's Skywalk. John Wesley Powell is responsible for being the first to survey much of this landmark which has seen recent changes to its features due to the Glen Canyon dam upstream from it on the Colorado River. For 10 points, name this US National Park, a large ravine in Arizona.
A: the Grand Canyon
Q: A Michael Hayden kinetic light sculpture composed entirely of neon tubes is housed at one of these locations in Chicago. A giant red and white checkerboard was placed on top of a hill as a marker for one of these locations near Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. Tourists flock to Maho beach on the island of St. Maarten to closely view one of these places. Standing 40 meters tall, the world's largest indoor waterfall known as the HSBC Rain Vortex is located in one of these places in Singapore named Changi. The busiest one of these locations in the United States is named (*) Heartsfield-Jackson, which is located in downtown Atlanta. Three letter codes provided by IATA such as ORD abbreviate the names of these locations. Companies named "Delta" and "United" have hubs at these locations. For 10 points, name these places where airplanes takeoff and land.
A: airports
Q: Note to players: description acceptable. During the construction of one of these areas, one train arrived every forty-five minutes under the control of the contractors Goss and Munson. A decades-long project to construct one of these areas, including a new airport was abandoned in 2003, with a nature reserve now being created in its place for breeding birds. Mahathir Mohamad has complained that one resource used in the construction of these areas has meant "digging up Malaysia and giving her to other people". A district known as "Lebanon" was for many years the only inhabited part of one of these areas in (*) Dubai. In Nigeria, the Great Wall of Lagos project has been part of the construction of one of these areas, Eko Atlantic. In the Netherlands, the largest area of this type is the Flevopolder. For 10 points, describe these areas of land, which have been created from bodies of water.
A: reclaimed ground (accept reclamation ground, land fill , artificial is lands , polder until said) (First two areas - Back Bay in Boston, Markerwaard in the Netherlands)
Q: An 11-day street fair held by members of this ethnicity on a day dedicated to the saint Januarius is concentrated on New York's Mulberry Street. Many restaurants founded by people of this ethnicity are located on a 48-block long neighborhood in San Diego, the largest of its kind in the US. In 1905, a member of this ethnicity opened a pioneering New York restaurant that sold food named for a queen from his home country. People of this ethnicity introduced an (*) ice cream flavor combining vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry to the US. In Manhattan, the "little" neighborhood home to this ethnicity sells a food's "New York style," which has a thin crust. For 10 points, name this ethnic group that introduced pizza to America.
A: Italian-Americans [accept Neapolitan-Americans]
Q: Brown bears are commonly found in a national park in this state centered around its Mount Katmai. This state is home to the largest national park by area in the US, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. An eruption of the Novarupta volcano caused this state's Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes to fill with ash. A traditional name meaning "the tall one" was given to a mountain in this state by its (*) Athabaskan-speaking natives. Before that traditional name was adopted by a 2015 name change, a mountain in this state was named for president William McKinley. For 10 points, Denali National Park is found in what largest American state, which is broken off from the continental US?
A: Alaska
Q: Description acceptable, but we're also looking for a reasonably specific answer. A Russian mother and asylum seeker becomes friends with an arcade owner in a Pawel Pawlikowski film set in a fictionalized one of these places. In the 1930s, Billy Butlin enticed people to some of these places by building huts that had a strict curfew of 11:15 PM. In the early 19th century, (+) "hoys" were commonly used to travel to these places. By the late 20th century, these locations were often referred to as "the Costa Geriatrica" due to only attracting elderly, nostalgic visitors following the introduction of cheap airfare. In The Kingdom by the Sea, Paul Theroux said he never felt as alien as in watching people enjoy themselves at one of these places called (*) Morecambe. One of the largest of these places was revived in the 2010s thanks to a high-speed train line and the opening of the Turner Contemporary. The Dreamland Amusement Park is the one of the top places to visit in one of these locations in Kent called Margate. For 10 points, name these types of towns that include Brighton.
A: British seaside resorts [accept English seaside resorts of UK seaside resorts or British seaside towns; accept answers like British amusement piers or British beach towns; prompt on partial answers like beaches or seaside by asking "in what country?"]
Q: An unofficial one of these places in Tangra, East Kolkata, included 350 tanneries all under the single postal address 47 South Tangra Road. Ignacia del Espiritu Santo and Lorenzo Ruiz founded religious institutions in one of these places near Intramuros. One of these places along Yaowarat Road underwent massive growth after the Bowring Treaty, liberalizing international trade in Thailand. Spanish residents of the district of Binondo established one of these places in 1594 across the Pasig River, making it the oldest in the world. Following an 1882 treaty, Incheon established one of these places featuring an 11-meter-high paifang. Outram, Singapore houses one of these ethnic enclaves featuring hawker centers along Pagoda Street. For 10 points, name these ethnic areas across Asia that often include dragon gates and dim sum restaurants.
A: Chinatowns
Q: Many popular guides on making a dish from this country were created by Mike Satinover. Cabbage, yams, flour, eggs, and soup stock are combined with ingredients like meat and green onion before being cooked in one dish from this country. A distinctive soda brand from this country with bottles opened by pushing down a marble is called (*) Ramune. A type of restaurant in this country charges customers based on the amount of color-coded plates they remove from a conveyor belt. Two oft-confused styles of cooking from this country that involve flat-grills and braziers are called teppanyaki and hibachi, respectively. Nori seaweed and seasoned rice are the primary ingredients of one food in this country. For 10 points, name this home country of okonomiyaki and sushi.
A: Japan [or Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku]
Q: The Rheebu Nuu organisation scrutinises this industry's treatment of the indigenous Kanak population. Many workers in this industry live at Londolovit on Lihir Island, whose namesake company in this industry was taken over in 2010 by Newcrest. Goro is a site for this industry in New Caledonia, where this industry accounts for 6% of the island's GDP. The American company Freeport-McMoRan and the Indonesian government jointly operate a site for this industry named Grasberg. Companies like Fortescue operate this industry in Australia's Pilbara region. Environmental concerns around this industry are often caused by the production of tailings. In 2020, a company in this industry destroyed two sacred sites at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia; that company is Rio Tinto. For 10 points, the "open-pit" type of what industry extracts metal ores?
A: mining [or mines or metal extraction before mention; accept specific metals or ores such as nickel mining or iron ore mining or copper extraction; prompt on resource extraction or metal industry]
Q: This nation's Diana region houses a 150 million-year-old limestone plateau at the Ankarana Reserve. This nation is home to the Masoala peninsula, which is east of Antongil Bay. The Meller's Duck is native to the shores of this country's largest lake, Lake Alaotra. Large limestone spikes are found at this country's Tsingy de Bemaraha national park which is located near its Avenue of the (*) Baobabs. The French department of Mayotte lies to the Northwest of this island nation which was previously known as the Malagasy Republic. For 10 points, name this island nation that is separated from mainland Africa by the Mozambique Channel, the only native habitat of the lemur.
A: Madagascar [or Republic of Madagascar or Republique de Madagascar or Repoblikan'i Madagasikara]
Q: The most toxic venom of any snake can be found in the Inland Taipan, which is endemic to this country. Waters off the coast of this country's Cape York Peninsula are home to the dangerous box jellyfish. An island owned by this country, whose largest city names a "funnel web spider," was once home to the Thylacine or a dog-like tiger. This country's Nullarbor plain is the home of the Bonnet bird, while a long (*) rabbit-proof fence on its Western coast was constructed to limit their spread. The indigenous Dharug language names a canine creature endemic to this country called the Dingo. The Bass Strait separates an island from this country that is home to a namesake "Devil." A flightless bird known as the Emu is endemic to, for 10 points, what large country whose other native species include Kangaroos and Koalas?
A: Australia [or Commonwealth of Australia]
Q: Antonia Young wrote about women in this country who are bound by a customary law code in its highlands after they swear an oath. One early Western traveller in this country compared their arrival at Tepelene ("Tep-eh-LEEN") Castle to Scott's description of Branksome Castle. That traveller's dress from this country survives, including the long skirt later adopted by its southern neighbour, known as a (*) fustanella, traditionally worn in the south of this country. As of December 2022, there are only a dozen burrneshat in this country, a status which allows certain women to smoke and to drink. Those "sworn virgins" in this country are free from its Gjakmarrja ("Jyak-MARR-Ya"), or blood feuds. Byron, who visited Ali Pasha's Gjirokastra ("JIRO-cass-tra") castle in this country, was painted wearing its costume. Divided between Tosks and Ghegs, for 10 points, name this country, with capital Tirana.
A: Albania
Q: A gateway shaped like this animal serves as an entrance to an ancient rock fortress identified with this animal, called Sigiriya. In a national flag, this animal holds a sword and is found to the right of two stripes of cyan and orange. This animal is often used as a symbol by the Sinhalese people and appears on the flag of Sri Lanka. The state emblem of India is a depiction of a (*) "Capital" of these animals which was built by an ancient ruler. The "Asiatic" species of this animal is native to India. In a structure built at Sarnath, four of these animals stand atop a pillar. For 10 points, Ashoka's depictions of what big cats featured their distinctive manes?
A: lions [prompt on cats]
Q: These locations are the home of a group of organisms whose species include the "staghorn" and "elkhorn." The Great Blue Hole can be found within one of these locations, named after the country of Belize. The largest of the (*) "barrier" type of these locations is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. For 10 points, name these complex marine ecosystems, which primarily consist of the namesake cnidarians.
A: coral reefs [prompt on partial answers; or a barrier coral reef]
Q: In the 1910s, Billy Clapp advocated for damming this river north of what is now Banks Lake. This river's tributaries include the Pend Oreille [POND uh-RAY] and Kootenay [KOO-tuh-nay] rivers. The completion of the Dalles ["dales"] Dam dried up this river's Celilo Falls, which were sacred to the Cayuse [KAI-oos] and Yakama people. A dam on this river is the U.S.' largest producer of (*) hydroelectric power. The Grand Coulee Dam was built on this river, which empties into the ocean near the Willamette Valley. The Snake River feeds into this American river, which separates Vancouver and Portland at the Washington-Oregon border. For 10 points, name this longest river of the Pacific Northwest.
A: Columbia River
Q: This body of water's Roatan [roh-a-TON] Island was recently designated a marine park to protect nearby elkhorn coral populations. Tortuguero [tah-tuh-GEH-row] National Park protects a prominent nesting site for this body of water's leatherback turtles. This body of water's Lighthouse Reef is home to a large marine sinkhole frequented by scuba divers; that sinkhole is called the (*) Great Blue Hole. The second largest barrier reef in the world is located within this body of water and is named after a country with its capital at Belmopan. Hispaniola and Jamaica are located in this sea. For 10 points, name this sea that separates the Antilles [an-TILL-eez] of North America from South America.
A: Caribbean Sea
Q: This country's northernmost major island is home to the native Ainu people and the winter resort city of Sapporo. The southernmost of the prefectures dividing this country is named after the Ryukyu Archipelago. This country's city of (*) Yokohama is located in the world's most populous metro area, which is on its largest island, Honshu. The islands of Hokkaido and Okinawa are controlled by, for 10 points, what country, which is governed from Tokyo?
A: Japan [accept Nihon-koku; or Nippon-koku]
Q: The "Three Pagodas Pass" in this country lies near this country's Isan region. In the middle of this country is the prominent Khorat Plateau, and its largest Northern city is Chiang Mai. This country's capital lies on the Chao Phraya River, which flows into this country's namesake gulf, an arm of the South China Sea. This country shares the Kra Isthmus, part of the Malay peninsula, with its neighbor Burma. For ten points, name this Southeast Asian country formerly known as Siam with its capital at Bangkok.
A: Thailand (Prompt on Siam before mentioned)
Q: Copper and saltpeter mining in this desert contribute to the economy of cities like Iquique and Antofagasta. In this desert, fog clouds called camanchacas are formed by the nearby Humboldt Current, forming a temperature inversion that enables native plants to survive its conditions. Because of the rain shadow of the (*) Andes Mountains to its east, this desert is considered the driest on Earth. For 10 points, name this desert, located mostly in Chile.
A: Atacama Desert [or Desierto de Atacama]
Q: This country's national dish is a notoriously pungent shark meat food, called hakarl. This country has the world's oldest parliament, the Althing. Tourists to this country's Golden Circle can see the geysers Strokkur and Geysir and the waterfall Gullfoss. This European country has the (*) northernmost capital city in the world and, along with Greenland, was misleadingly named by the Vikings that first inhabited it. For 10 points, name this island country, whose capital is Reykjavik.
A: Republic of Iceland [or Lydhveldidh Island]
Q: It is divided into three distinct parts by a causeway supporting the Lucin Cutoff: the northwestern arm, the northeastern arm, and the southern arm. The northwestern arm, also known as Gunnison Bay, is not directly fed by any rivers, and is therefore much saltier than the rest of the lake. Two of its major tributaries, the (*) Bear and Weber Rivers, flow from the Uinta Mountains into the eastern shores of this lake. A remnant of Bonneville Lake, this lake was home to the Church of the Latter-day Saints then led by Brigham Young. For ten points, name this lake in the western United States, a salty Utah lake.
A: Great Salt Lake
Q: This country's traditional cuisine includes steamed meat-filled dumplings called Buuz [pootz]. Wrestling, horse racing, and archery are the three Games of Man in this country's Naadam festival. Khoomei [HO-may] is a traditional style of vocal music practiced in this country and in nearby Tuva. The Khalkha dialect of this country's native language belongs to a family named for the Altai Mountains in its west. (*) Nomads in this country traditionally live in yurts. This country is north of a province called "inner [this country]." China shares the Gobi Desert with, for 10 points, what sparsely populated Central Asian steppe country, whose capital is Ulaanbaatar?
A: Mongolia [or Mongol Uls]
Q: Worshippers in this city once left offerings of prosthetic limbs and medical devices at the Saint Roch Chapel to pray for good health. Mary Oneida Toups, the so-called "Witch Queen" of this city founded its first coven near Decatur [duh-KAY-tur] Street. Tourists were once able make wishes by leaving chalk marks on the tomb of Marie Laveau in this city's (*) St. Louis Cemetery. This city's Catholic heritage is anchored by churches and basilicas along Bourbon Street. This city's French Quarter contains many markets selling charms and dolls marketed as Voodoo. For 10 points, name this Louisiana city home to the largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States.
A: New Orleans [or NOLA]
Q: Mountains lie in the northeast of this city and stretch from the far southeastern tip to Eagle. These mountains are sometimes described by locals as the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. This city, the 100th largest in the United States by population, is drained by a namesake river which flows into the Arrowrock and Anderson Reservoirs. It lies in (*) Ada County in the southwest of its state, which it happens to be the capital and largest city of. In 2001, census estimates claim that this city is behind Seattle and Portland as the third most populous city in the northwest. For ten points, name this city that lies between Salt Lake City and Portland, the capital of Idaho.
A: Boise
Q: In this state, the disappearance of Green Lake and destruction of the Vacationland community were caused by a 2018 natural disaster. Since 2014, protesters in this state have delayed the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on one of its mountains. The oldest continuously running C་O་2 monitoring station sits atop a mountain in this state. The city of (*) Hilo [HEE-loh] in this state is northeast of its Kona district, the namesake of a variety of coffee. The Halemaʻumaʻu crater has been expanding in, for 10 points, which state that is home to the volcanos Kilauea [KEE-law-ey-ah] and Mauna Loa?
A: Hawaii
Q: A recent earthquake caused the Angara River to open up a new section of this region's largest lake. That lake lies in the Buryat Republic and at the extreme southern end of this region is the autonomous republic of Tuva, which borders (*) Mongolia. Rivers in this region include the Irtysh, Lena, Ob, and Yenisey Rivers, but this region is most famous for being the site of the most dangerous Gulags, owned by Russia. FTP, name this REALLY cold region in southern Russia.
A: Siberia
Q: Grenoble is the largest city in this region and advertises itself as its "Capital," while the city of Annecy has been called both this region's "Pearl" and its "Venice." The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the deepest traffic tunnel in the world, runs through this region, which contains all of Europe's "four thousanders." The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix [shaa-muh-nee] in this system, which includes the (*) Dolomites, and a five thousand year old mummy named Otzi [oat-zi] the Iceman was found here. Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in this range, which also contains the Matterhorn. For 10 points, name this mountain range system which spans seven European countries along the border of Italy.
A: the Alps
Q: Varzea forests can be found alongside this river's basin, whose farthest source begins as a glacial stream on the Nevado Mismi. A basilisk native only to this river is called the "Jesus lizard" due to its ability to run across the water, while its namesake pink dolphin is the largest river dolphin in the world. The (*) Marajo [mah-rah-zhaw] Archipelego lies in this river's delta, while it's largest tributary, the Rio Negro [nay-gro], intersects this river at Manaus. For 10 points, name this river which crosses South America from Peru to Brazil.
A: Amazon River
Q: The hills of this city's Varkerulet district are home to historic sites including Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church. The black shoes on the bank of a river that runs through this city commemorate a massacre of Jews by the Arrow Cross Party. Many mansions and shopping centers can be found along this city's Andrassy Avenue, which leads into the (*) Heroes' Square that commemorates historical figures such as the seven Magyar chieftains. Istvan Szechenyi [say-CHAY-nee] names a series of geothermal baths in this city as well as a bridge across the Danube River that connect its two formerly separate halves. For 10 points, name this capital of Hungary.
A: Budapest
Q: This country's southwest contains gray and black diamonds located under the largest magnetic anomaly on Earth. UNESCO-protected lotus fields bloom every summer on this country's longest river near the city of Tolyatti. The only known freshwater seals in the world, called nerpas, live in this country and can be seen from its Olkhon Island. The Yenisei and (*) Ob Rivers can be found in this country. Mount Elbrus, this country's highest point, is the only of the Seven Summits to have two peaks and is part of the northern Caucasus Mountains. For 10 points, Lake Baikal and the Volga River are located in which largest country in the world?
A: Russia [or Russian Federation]
Q: The Sands Corporation controls many centers for this activity, such as Marina Bay in Singapore and multiple locations in the suburb of Paradise. Macau is a popular destination for this activity, which the economies of multiple (*) Native American reservations are built around. Tourists primarily visit the Las Vegas Strip to engage in this activity. For 10 points, name this activity done in casinos.
A: gambling
Q: This country's Catatumbo River names a phenomenon that causes the highest density of lightning strikes near this country's largest lake. The Pemon [PAY-mon] people native to this country's Gran Sabana name unique table-top mesas found in its Canaima [kuh-NAY-muh] National Park. One of those formations, known as tepuis [TEP-wees], is home to a prominent waterfall named (*) after the American aviator who discovered it. The largest proven oil reserves in a single nation are in this country's Orinoco Belt. For 10 points, name this South American country home to Lake Maracaibo [meh-ruh-KYE-boh] and Angel Falls.
A: Venezuela [or Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela]
Q: One of these places in Utah has multiple spires of rock called hoodoos. Climbers visit monoliths like Half Dome and El Capitan in another one of these places. A tri-state one of these places is home to multiple geysers including Old Faithful. Some of these places in California include (*) Joshua Tree and Yosemite. For 10 points, name these protected areas in the United States, the oldest one of which is Yellowstone.
A: American national parks [accept Arches National Park or Yosemite National Park or Joshua Tree National Park or Yellowstone National Park until mentioned; prompt on park alone; prompt on Arches or Yosemite or Joshua Tree or Yellowstone alone before mentioned with "What designation is given to this place?"]
Q: The Segovia Highlands are located within this country's state of Falcon. La Columna is one name for the highest point in this country, and its city of Maracay is named after an Araguas chief. Catatumbo lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs where its namesake river empties into this country's largest lake, which shares its name with this country's city of (*) Maracaibo. Much of this country is covered by the Orinoco basin, and its Auyan-tepui contains the world's tallest waterfall, Angel Falls. For 10 points, name this South American country with capital at Caracas.
A: Venezuela
Q: This city's Tapgol Park was the origin point for a push for independence that later became known as the March 1st Movement. This city's 63 Building was the tallest building in Asia when it debuted in 1985, and its current largest skyscraper is the Lotte World Tower. Bukhan Mountain marks the northern edge of this city, which is home to the "Five Grand Palaces." This city's (*) Blue House is the official residence of its country's president. The Han River converges near this city, which is serviced by the Incheon International airport. For 10 points, name this city, the capital of South Korea.
A: Seoul
Q: This city's financial center is located in Brickell, while its "streamlined" Colony Hotel is found on Ocean Drive. Plan Z is a proposal to make this city's Rickenbacker Causeway more bicycle friendly as it crosses (*) Biscayne Bay. This city is bisected by its namesake river, which is connected by canal to Lake Okeechobee. Fort Lauderdale is part of this city's metropolitan area, and it is the seat of Dade County. This city's neighborhood of Little Havana is home to many Cuban exiles. For 10 points, name this city in southeastern Florida.
A: Miami
Q: At the southern end of this body of water lies Drunken Point, whose cities include Camp Morton and Victoria Beach. Gimli, nicknamed "The Capital of New Iceland", lies on the shores of this lake that has extensions such as Kinwow Bay and Washaw Bay. This lake lies in the northeastern part of what was once the prehistoric Lake (*) Agassiz. It is drained by the Nelson River and fed by the Red River of the North, which flows through a namesake capital. This lake is connected to Lake St. Marten by the Dauphin River. FTP, name this Canadian lake that shares the name with the capital of its home province, Manitoba.
A: Lake Winnipeg
Q: This mountain's Arrow Glacier can be reached via the Lemosho Route. The Lava Tower can be found near this mountain's Barranco Wall, and the Chagga people live around it. A landslide on this mountain created the Western Breach, and it was first scaled by Hans Meyer. This mountain is home to the volcanic (*) cones Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo, and its summit is located at Uhuru Peak. For 10 points, name this Tanzanian mountain, the highest point in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: The Matti Salt Flat can be found on this country's far western border, and it was formed from the territory of the Trucial States, a British protectorate. This country's founder lived most of his life in Al Ain, and its capital contains the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. More than eighty percent of this country's residents are expatriates, and its most populous city contains the artificial archipelago (*) Palm Jumeirah. Seven of the tallest hotels in the world are in this country, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. For 10 points each, name this Middle Eastern country that is home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
A: the United Arab Emirates [or the U. A. E.]
Q: Surges from this larger body of water breached the levees of Lake Pontchartrain during a 2005 hurricane. The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill occurred in this body of water, whose coast is home to popular beaches like Panama City and Destin. (*) Hurricane Katrina gained strength on this gulf before it hit New Orleans. This gulf lies west of the Florida Keys. For 10 points, name this gulf that shares its name with a country south of the United States.
A: Gulf of Mexico
Q: This island is home to the pidgin language Hiri Motu and creole language Tok-Pisin. A conversation about differences in technology and "cargo" with a man on this island named Yali begins Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel. The Kokoda Trail, used during World War II, traverses this island's Owen Stanley Range. This most (*) linguistically diverse island in the world lies north of the Torres Strait. Irian Jaya, one of Indonesia's largest provinces, shares this island with a country whose capital is Port Moresby. For 10 points, name this second-largest island in the world, home to the Papuans.
A: New Guinea [reject "Papua New Guinea"]
Q: Oxidized minerals cause the rainbow color of this range's Mountain of Seven Colors, which can be seen on the Ausangate Trek. A namesake species of "spectacled bear" and a bright orange "cock-of-the-rock" are native to this mountain range. Quinine was made using the Cinchona plant native to this range's cloud forests. The (*) rain shadow effect created by this mountain range is responsible for the world's driest desert, which lies to its west. Vicunas and llamas are native to the Altiplano in this mountain range. The subduction of the Nazca Plate created, for 10 points, what mountain range that runs along the western end of South America?
A: Andes Mountains
Q: The northern reaches of this lake are home to the man-eating crocodile Gustave. Gombe [GOM-bay] Stream National Park is only accessible by crossing this lake by boat. Port cities on this lake include Bujumbura [boo-zhum-BOO-ruh] and Ujiji [oo-JEE-jee], where Henry Morton Stanley remarked, "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?" This lake is connected to Lake Kivu [KEE-voo] by the (*) Ruzizi [roo-ZEE-zee] River. At over 4,700 feet deep, this is the world's second-deepest lake. For 10 points, what long lake on the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern border shares its name with the country that united with Zanzibar to form Tanzania?
A: Lake Tanganyika (tang-guh-NYEE-kuh) [reject "Lake Tanzania" or other clear mispronunciations]
Q: This city's Liberdade [lee-ber-DAWZH] District is home to the largest Japanese ethnic community outside of Japan. High-end shops line this city's upscale Oscar Freire [FRAY-ree] Street, which is located in its upper class Jardins [zhar-DEENZ] district. This city, whose primary port is Santos, was built along the Tiete [CHYEH-tay] River by the Tupi People. This city's Ibirapuera Park is home to a monument commemorating the settling expeditions of (*) bandeirantes [bawn-dey-RAWN-tez]. This city's B་3 Stock Exchange is the largest in South America. This is the most populous city in the Southern Hemisphere. For 10 points, name this city named for a converted Apostle, the largest in Brazil.
A: Sao Paulo
Q: A 1996 treaty established terms for sharing this river's water at its Farakka Barrage, where a feeder canal connects this river to the Hooghly ("HOOG-lee") River. The Manikarnika cremation ground is one of many ghats located on this river. The delta named for this river contains the world's largest mangrove forest, the (*) Sundarbans ("sun-DAR-bahnz"). The fertile Doab ("DOE-ahb") lies between the Yamuna and this river, on which the Haridwar ("hurr-EED-wahr") Kumbh Mela takes place. This river and the Indus name a large alluvial plain. This river flows through the holy city of Varanasi and meets the Brahmaputra before entering the Bay of Bengal. For 10 points, name this Indian river which is sacred in Hinduism.
A: Ganges River [or Ganga; accept Indo-Gangetic Plain]
Q: The Millennium Gate is in one of these places in Vancouver located south of Gastown. The world's oldest one of these places, Binondo, is in Manila. Many of these places in the United States grew following the Burlingame Treaty. One of these places that developed as an offshoot of one in Manhattan is in Flushing, (*) Queens. The oldest one of these places in North America was founded by gold miners and destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Entrances to these neighborhoods are often designated by large red tiled paifang ("pai-fahng") gates that contain sculptures of dragons. For 10 points, name these enclaves founded by immigrants from places like Fujian ("foo-dji-EN") and Guangdong.
A: Chinatowns [or Tangrenjie; accept Little China; accept answers describing neighborhoods or ethnic enclaves predominantly populated by Chinese people before mentioned; prompt on neighborhoods or ethnic enclaves before mentioned]
Q: One settlement in this region is named for Douglas Mawson, and the Gamburtsev Mountains lie next to its Dome Argus. The Drake Passage lies north of this territory, which includes the South Shetland Islands. Lake (*) Vostok is the largest lake in this region, and its Ellsworth Mountains contain its highest point, Vinson Massif. Queen Maud Land is an area in this region owned by Norway, and it is bordered by the Ross and Amundsen Seas. For 10 points, name this continent that is covered in ice and that contains the South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: This country and its northern neighbour contain lomas, oases that uniquely receive most of their water via fog. The ESO ("E-S-O") operates the VLT and ALMA telescopes in this country's north, whose high altitude and low humidity make it an ideal location for astronomical observation. In 1960, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded struck this country's Araucania ("ar-ao-ka-NEE-ah") region, where many of its Mapuche ("ma-POOT-chay") people live. Over 800 large (*) moai ("MOH-eye") statues are located on this country's Easter Island. This country contains most of the Atacama Desert, as well as the cities of Valparaiso ("bal-para-EE-soh") and its capital, Santiago. For 10 points, name this long, narrow South American country that borders Argentina.
A: Chile [or Republic of Chile; or Republica de Chile]
Q: Since 2013, explosive buildups of methane have created massive craters in this body of water's Gyda ("GEE-da") and Yamal peninsulas, home to many Nenets people. Over 1,300 large conical hills called pingos can be found near the town of Tuktoyaktuk ("took-toy-yak-tuk") on this body of water. A peninsula with the town of Utqiagvik ("UUT-kee-AH-vik"), formerly known as (*) Barrow, demarcates the boundary between this ocean's marginal Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Over 1 million seed species are stored in a vault on this ocean's Svalbard archipelago. In recent years, cargo ships have passed through this ocean's Northwest Passage for the first time due to warming waters. For 10 points, name this ocean off the northern coast of Canada.
A: Arctic Ocean [accept Gulf of Ob or Kara Sea or Barents Sea or Chukchi Sea or Beaufort Sea before mentioned]
Q: The Tabeguache [tab-a-watch] were a Native American tribe that lived near this mountain, which they called "Sun Mountain." The Barr Trail ends at the summit of this mountain, and the town of Manitou Springs lies at its base. Edwin James was the first person of European descent to climb this mountain, which inspired Katherine Lee (*) Bates to write "America the Beautiful." This mountain's namesake explorer attempted to climb it, but only managed to reach Mount Rosa. For 10 points, name this Colorado mountain named after an explorer with first name Zebulon.
A: Pikes Peak
Q: This river skirts the west side of the Sudd, a large swamp formed by its Bahr al-Jabal section. A waterfall on one tributary of this river is called Tis Abay in one language, while another tributary of this river is the Atbarah. One of the two largest tributaries of this river rises in Lake Tana before joining the other at (*) Khartoum. The "Great Bend" and six cataracts are found on this river as it approaches the Aswan High Dam. For 10 points, name this African river that flows north from Sudan through Egypt.
A: the Nile [accept Blue Nile before "Atabarah"]
Q: This mountain range has the world's highest concentration of salamander species. A spiral observation tower was built atop Clingmans Dome in this mountain range. The "clawhammer" technique is traditionally used in a style of music developed in this mountain range popularized by Bill Monroe. This non-Italian mountain range lies west of the Piedmont Plateau. The Wilderness Road was blazed by Daniel (*) Boone through this mountain range's Cumberland Gap. This mountain range's namesake trail ends at Mount Katahdin and runs through subranges like the Blue Ridge mountains. For 10 points, name this eastern US mountain range that stretches from Alabama to Eastern Canada.
A: Appalachian Mountains [accept specific subranges such as the Great Smoky Mountains or Cumberland Mountains before mentioned; accept Appalachian Trail; prompt on AT] (Bill Monroe popularized bluegrass music.)
Q: Many of the world's finest "pigeon" rubies are found in this country's Mogok Valley, which is nicknamed "The Valley of Rubies." The gold-plated Shwedagon Pagoda is found in the largest city in this nation, whose tallest mountain, Hkakabo Razi [ka-ka-bo rha-zee], is near its border with China. This country's Rakhine state borders the Bay of (*) Bengal, and Bagan and Mandalay lie on its largest river, the Irrawaddy. The Rohingya people of this nation largely practice Islam and have recently been displaced into nearby Bangladesh. For 10 points, name this southeast Asian nation with capital Naypyidaw [nay-pyuh-daa].
A: Myanmar [or Burma]
Q: Popular attractions in this country include a Universal Studios park on the island of Sentosa as well as a series of giant tree-shaped structures in its Gardens By the Bay. This country's Tai Hwa Pork Noodle was one of the first street food stalls to receive a Michelin star. A lighthouse at this country's southern tip is named after its colonial founder, Stamford (*) Raffles. A 1993 Wired essay by William Gibson lambasted this country as "Disneyland with the Death Penalty" due to its harsh judiciary practices that include a ban on chewing gum and use of caning. The Johor Strait separates this country from the Malay Peninsula. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian city-state.
A: Singapore [or Republic of Singapore; or Xinjiapo Gongheguo; or Republik Singapura; or Cinkappur Kutiyaracu]
Q: The strong katabatic bora winds experienced by this body of water can cause its northern part to ice over in winter. A distinctive fjord-like ria forms this body of water's narrow, winding Bay of Kotor. The eastern coast of this body of water is characterized by the karst topography of the Dinaric Alps. The city of Brindisi lies on this body of water's Strait of Otranto, which connects this sea to the (*) Ionian Sea. The ports of Split and Dubrovnik are located in Dalmatia on this sea. St. Mark's Basilica is located in a city known as the "Queen" of this sea, Venice. For 10 points, Slovenia and Croatia border what sea within the Mediterranean that separates the Balkan Peninsula from Italy?
A: Adriatic Sea [or Jadransko More or Jadransko Morje or Mare Adriatico; accept Bay of Kotor before mentioned; accept Strait of Otranto before mentioned; accept Queen of the Adriatic; prompt on Mediterranean Sea before mentioned]
Q: In 2013, a wooden-hulled paddle ship named the PS Keystone State was found in this lake, and Sarnia is the largest city on it. This lake's main inlet is St. Mary's River, while its main outlet is St. Clair River. The Benjamin Islands lie in this lake's North Channel, and (*) Georgian Bay is located within it. This lake's Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in the world, and the Straits of Mackinac [mack-i-naw] connect it to Lake Michigan. For 10 points, name this Great Lake named for the Wyandot tribe.
A: Lake Huron
Q: One of these vehicles plunged into the Bagmati River in the Indian state Bihar, with several bodies being lost in the water. Another disaster involving these vehicles occured in 2010 in Pretoria and involved one from Rovos, and Cecil Rhodes envisioned one of these running from (*) Cape Town to Cairo. Before the 1964 Summer Olympics, Japan opened the Shinkansen, which is known as the "bullet" kind of these vehicles in English. For 10 points, name these vehicles that run on railroads.
A: trains
Q: An "effect" named for this country's largest city describes its unusually low life expectancy even after accounting for poverty. A small herd of reindeer live in the alpine tundra of this country's Cairngorm Plateau, which is part of its Grampian Mountains. The most commonly used crude oil benchmark is named for an oilfield in this country, whose offshore petroleum production is primarily stored at Sullom Voe in its (*) Shetland Islands. This country's many glacial firths include ones named for its rivers Forth and Clyde, the latter of which flows through its city of Glasgow. For 10 points, name this constituent country of the United Kingdom with capital at Edinburgh.
A: Scotland [or Alba; prompt on Great Britain or United Kingdom or GB or UK before mentioned] (Brent is the most commonly used crude oil benchmark.)
Q: Europe's most powerful waterfall by flow rate is on this river. Along with Brussels, the official seat of the European Parliament is located in a city on this river, whose distributaries include the IJssel ("AYY-shul") and Waal ("vahl") rivers. A medieval twin-spired cathedral on this river was left unfinished until 1880. A Heinrich Heine poem describes a legendary siren who lures sailors to their death on this river's (*) Lorelei ("LORE-uh-lye") rock. The coal-rich Ruhr Valley is bordered to the west by this river. This river flows through Lake Constance and the cities of Strasbourg and Cologne before entering the North Sea. For 10 points, name this river that forms much of the border between France and Germany.
A: Rhine River [or Rhein or Rhin or Rijn; accept Rheinfall; accept Rhine delta; accept High Rhine or Upper Rhine or Middle Rhine or Lower Rhine; reject "Rhone"] (The cathedral being referred to is Cologne Cathedral.)
Q: Over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebras migrate in a clockwise loop from this country to its northern neighbour during an annual "Great Migration." This country's island of Unguja ("oon-GOO-yah") contains its historic Stone Town, whose architecture reflects the influence of Arab and Indian merchants. By 2050, Africa's last glaciers are expected to disappear on a large freestanding stratovolcano in this country. This country's western border is partly formed by Lake (*) Tanganyika ("TAN-gan-YEE-kah"), which also names a British territory that was merged with Zanzibar to form this country. For 10 points, Dar es Salaam is the largest city in what East African country where Mount Kilimanjaro is located?
A: Tanzania [or United Republic of Tanzania; or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania]
Q: Yuri Gagarin apocryphally commanded a business in this present-day country to "fill these cellars" with medals after he spent multiple days in its Cricova wine cellars. In this present-day country, corrupt businessman Ilan Shor has helped lead a takeover of the Turkic ethnic enclave of Gagauzia. The band SunStroke Project has represented this country in multiple Eurovision Song Contests, popularizing one of its members as "epic sax guy." Milestii Mici ("mee-LESH-tee MEECH") is located in this present-day country, whose entire western border is formed by the Prut River. A breakaway region in this country is named for being across the Dniester River and contains the city of Tiraspol. This country and Ukraine contain the historical region of Bessarabia. For 10 points, name this European country whose capital is Chisinau ("kee-shee-NOW").
A: Moldova [or Republic of Moldova or Republica Moldova; prompt on Transnistria or Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic or Pridnestrovskaya Moldavskaya Respublika by asking "what country is that internationally considered to be a part of?"]
Q: The highest waterfall in this region is Darwin Falls, and it is the home of the Timbisha people. Racetrack Playa is one of the places within this region where visitors can find "sailing stones," and it is located primarily within Inyo County. Arrowweed grows in a unique fashion on a plain called Devil's Cornfield in this area, whose highest point is Telescope Peak. A naturally occurring oasis is located at this region's (*) Furnace Creek, while its Badwater Basin contains the lowest elevation in North America. For 10 points, name this region which recorded a record-high temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit.
A: Death Valley
Q: Part of an annual race in this state follows the path of a 1925 diphtheria serum run to its city of Nome. A large species of brown bear is endemic to this state's Kodiak Island. This state's Seward Peninsula contains the finish line of the annual (*) Iditarod sled dog race, which previously began in Anchorage. This is the largest state in the U.S. For 10 points, name this non-contiguous state with its capital at Juneau.
A: Alaska
Q: The Kavalan are this country's only recognized Plains indigenous people, whose other indigenous groups include the Atayal and Amis peoples. This country's "Mini Three Links" program allows direct travel from its western neighbour to this country's Quemoy ("ki-MOY") and Pescadores ("pes-ca-DOHR-is") Islands. It's not Singapore, but this country's largest ethnic group is the Hoklo people. This country's capital hosts an annual New Year's Eve fireworks display at a (*) 101-story skyscraper which was once the world's tallest. This country is located on an island formerly called Formosa that lies east of this country's namesake strait. For 10 points, name this country in the South China Sea whose capital is Taipei.
A: Taiwan [or Republic of China; or ROC; or Zhonghua Minguo; accept Taiwan Strait; reject "China" or "People's Republic of China" or "PRC" or "Zhonghua" or "Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo"] (The 101-story skyscraper is Taipei 101)
Q: Inhabitants of these places in Iraq traditionally conduct religious ceremonies in mudhif ("mood-EEF") houses. They're not lakes, but over a million birds annually winter in one of these places called the Sivash ("SEE-vahsh") that can turn pink due to its extreme salinity. These places are the subject of the Ramsar Convention and they comprise the former Agro Pontino in Italy. Over 35 gigatons of (*) carbon are stored in Ontario's muskegs, which are one type of these ecosystems that also include the peat-rich English Fens. The Virginia-North Carolina border is straddled by a "Great Dismal" one of these ecosystems, which humans often drain for agriculture. For 10 points, name these flooded ecosystems that make up Florida's Everglades.
A: wetlands [accept specific types of wetlands like mires, marshes, swamps, bogs, moors, wet meadows or flood plains; accept muskegs or fens or peatlands before mentioned; accept Mesopotamian Marshes or Pontine Marshes or Marsh Arabs; accept Ramsar wetlands; accept Great Dismal Swamp; prompt on rivers or aquatic ecosystems; prompt on lagoons or river deltas or Ramsar sites before mentioned by asking "What kind of ecosystem is being described?"]
Q: A 2015 play by Katori Hall set in this country dramatizes a 1980s Marian apparition in Kibeho. The Girinka program provides livestock to poor families in this country, where bars devoted to ikivuguto and other kinds of milk are common. Nyungwe National Park contains the northern part of a rainforest in this country, which has a prominent border crossing with its southeastern neighbor at waterfalls near Rusumo. This country on the eastern shore of Lake Kivu is accused of supporting a neighboring country's M23 rebels. In 2023, this country released former hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina from prison after international pressure on its longtime president Paul Kagame. For 10 points, Kigali is the capital of what country where Tutsis were the target of a 1994 genocide?
A: Rwanda [or Republic of Rwanda or Repubulika y'u Rwanda or Republique du Rwanda or Jamhuri ya Rwanda]
Q: In this body of water, Harra trees are native to mangroves on the island of Qeshm. Oil fields in this body of water were the subject of a 1990s war named after it. One country has built stadiums overlooking this body of water for the 2022 World Cup. This body of water is connected to the Gulf of (*) Oman by the Strait of Hormuz. Bahrain is completely surrounded by, for 10 points, what gulf named after the ancient name for Iran?
A: Persian Gulf [accept Persian Gulf War; prompt on Gulf War]
Q: One of these objects is the only intact part of the ancient city of Firozkoh [feer-OHZ-koh], or "Turquoise Mountain." That one of these objects known as "Jam" is nestled in a highly inaccessible part of the Hindu Kush Mountains. A ban on constructing these objects was initiated in Switzerland in 2009. A unique spiral one of these objects can be found in the city of (*) Samarra. Four white ones of these objects surround the Taj Mahal in India. These objects are typically used by a muezzin for the adhan, or call to prayer for a certain religion. For 10 points, name these tall towers commonly attached to mosques.
A: minarets
Q: This state's Wenatchee National Forest contains a series of popular hiking trails named the Enchantments. This state's fertile southeast contains some of the world's youngest flood basalts and is characterized by the rolling loess hills of its Palouse region. The first plutonium breeder reactor was built at this state's Hanford Site. The temperate rainforests of this state's (*) Olympic National Park contain many Douglas firs. This state's Grand Coulee Dam diverts water from the Columbia River for irrigation. The Strait of Juan de Fuca separates this state's Puget Sound from Vancouver Island. For 10 points, name this Pacific Northwest state whose Mount Rainier overlooks Seattle.
A: Washington [or WA]
Q: In one cuisine from this state, a stufing is made from rice and mirliton, the local term for chayote ("chay-OH-tee"). A food additive in this state is produced by grinding sassafras leaves for use as a thickener. Maque choux ("mock shoe") is a sweetened corn dish from this state. It's not New York but red gravy is consumed in this state as is another dish from this region that derives its namesake colour from being cooked with meats such as (*) andouille sausage. In a cuisine from this state, garlic may be referred to as "the pope" when added to a vegetable mix in which peppers replace carrots, for which Paul Prudhomme popularised the term "holy trinity". A dark roux is used to make this state's oficial cuisine, a soup that may be thickened with file powder when okra is out of season. Jambalaya and gumbo are examples of, for 10 points, the Creole and Cajun cuisines of what US state?
A: Louisiana
Q: It's not a finch, but on the Galapagos islands, this animal has developed enlarged kidneys due to drinking "blood and dew". A poetic treatise on this animal written in one country lists seventeen auspicious and six inauspicious types, and is the home of its Wichien Maat landrace. A colony of this animal was removed from Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2013 after 50 years. In 2014, the Central Desert Native Title Services established a $100 bounty for the hunting of this animal by indigenous people. A 19 th century ordinance that banned phallic charms may have led to the popularity of apotropaic figurines of this animal in (*) Japan. This species avoided being listed in New Zealand's Predator Free 2050 plan, despite estimates that they may kill over a million birds a year. For 10 points, name this domesticated species from the Felidae family.
A: domestic cat s [accept Felis catus ]
Q: In this river's basin, the Awa and Korubo are among nearly one hundred uncontacted tribes threatened by logging. Pink river dolphins and piranhas primarily inhabit this river. The Rio Negro joins this river at (*) Manaus, the capital of a northern Brazilian state named after this river. The world's largest rainforest shares its name with, for 10 points, what river, the longest in South America?
A: Amazon River
Q: An extensive midden at this site was excavated by Vincent Megaw in the 1960s, where a large number of fish hooks and spear barbs were found. The Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology owns four spears out of forty taken from a settlement at this site. This place's first European name was "Sting Ray Harbour". Lieutenant Zachary Hicks noted to his superior at this location that, having made attempts at exchange with one group, "all they seem'd to want was for us to be gone". When one explorer landed at this location, they were initially opposed by two warriors from the (*) Gweagal ("GWI-agal") clan of the Dharawal people. Named for "the great quantity of plants Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found in this place", by Captain Cook, for 10 points, name this bay in Sydney, "the birthplace of Modern Australia".
A: Botany Bay [accept Kamay ; prompt on Sydney before read]
Q: Note to players: specific term required. An early critic of one theory concerning these people was Luther Cressman, whose use of a chemical preservative on objects found at one site prevented the use of radiocarbon dating. These people occupied many sites near quarries, such as Topper, and "kill sites" associated with them have been found at Colby, Dent, and Naco. A site characterised by red ochre-dusted bones and tools is the only known burial site of these people, where the remains of an infant boy designated (*) Anzick-1 were found. Recent work has argued that these people followed a coastal route during their expansion rather than the ice-free corridor. Both these people and the later Folsom produced characteristically fiuted objects. For 10 points, name this prehistoric people of North America, who produced fiuted projectile points named for a city in New Mexico.
A: Clovis people [or Clovis culture]
Q: This city's main street was burnt down in 1902 on the orders of Dr Alfred Spurrier to contain an outbreak of bubonic plague. The A104 from this city to Nakuru is one of the world's most dangerous roads. Benga music evolved in this city by blending the traditional music of the Luo people with imported styles such as soukous. A successful campaign to save the Karura forest from the expansion of this city was led by (*) Wangari Maathai in 1998. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust runs an elephant orphanage within this city's National Park. With a name meaning jungle, the largest urban slum in Africa is this city's Kibera neighbourhood. This city was founded as a rail depot on the Kampala to Mombasa line and is served by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. For 10 points, name the capital city of Kenya.
A: Nairobi
Q: Cesar Pelli designed an office building in this city that has a six-sided roof without right angles. This city's Guild House and Vanna Venturi house are early examples of postmodern architecture. This city's Cira Centre is located behind its 30th Street Station. Rafael Vinoly designed a building in this city with a vaulted glass ceiling that contains Verizon Hall and Perelman Theater. This city's Kimmel Center is home to its "Big Five" orchestra directed by Yannick Nezet-Seguin ("ya-NEEK nay-ZAY say-GAN"). In this city, the Comcast Center is located in Center City, which is separated from University City by the Schuylkill ("SKOO-kull") River. This city's Rittenhouse Square was planned by William Penn. For 10 points, name this city, the location of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.
A: Philadelphia [or Philly]
Q: In 2007, a bridge carrying I-35 over this river near Saint Anthony Falls collapsed. This river begins at Lake Itasca, and later flows through cities such as Memphis and St. Louis. The Ohio River and (*) Missouri River flow into this river, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans. For 10 points, name this longest river in the United States, which shares its name with a Southern state.
A: Mississippi River
Q: This city's Baixa district is home to Pombaline architecture built after a major 1755 earthquake. This port city's longest bridge crosses the Tagus River and is named after explorer Vasco da Gama. This city is the (*) westernmost capital in mainland Europe. This is the capital of the smaller of two countries on the Iberian Peninsula. For 10 points, name this capital of Portugal.
A: Lisbon
Q: This country's oil industry is centered at its city of Port Harcourt. The "Nollywood" film industry is based in this country, which is home to the majority of the Igbo and Yoruba people. The terrorist group (*) Boko Haram has been involved in kidnappings in this country's north. This country's largest city was replaced as its capital by Abuja. For 10 points, name this most populous African country, home to the city of Lagos.
A: Nigeria
Q: In June 2022, a giant freshwater stingray that was given a name that means "full moon" was caught in this river, and was measured to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. The completion of a dam on a tributary of this river, the Sesan, subermerged the villages of Srekor and Kbal Romeas. Ghostly lights attributed to phaya nak that are alleged to appear annually on this river are called (*) Naga fireballs, and in Shan folklore the Nagas are regarded as the creators of this river. The upper reaches of this river in Qinghai ("CHING-high") and Yunnan are called Lancang, and another name for this river is Cuu Long ("cue-long"), meaning 'nine dragons'. This river fiows through the capitals of Vientiane ("vee-en-tee-AN") and Phnom Penh ("peh-NOM PEN"). For 10 points, Ho Chi Minh City is located in the delta of which river?
A: Mekong ("MEE-kong") River [or Meigong he or Megaung Myit or Maenam Khong or Tonle Mekongk or Tonle Thum ; accept Lancang river or Lancang jiang or Cuu Long before mentioned]
Q: The World Economic Forum meets annually in this country's city of Davos. Romansh is one of the official languages of this country, where the Winter Olympics were hosted twice in the ski resort town of St. Moritz. This country's southern border is home to the (*) Matterhorn. This country is divided into cantons, some of which are named after its largest cities like Zurich and Geneva. For 10 points, name this Alpine nation known for its neutrality.
A: Switzerland
Q: The Passaic River flows over a 77-foot waterfall in this state's city of Paterson. Coastal cities in this state include Cape May and the popular gambling destination of Atlantic City. Residents of this state's cities of Hoboken and (*) Newark often commute to New York City across the Hudson River. For 10 points, name this Eastern seaboard state sandwiched between New York and Pennsylvania.
A: New Jersey
Q: Nikolaus Pevsner described one street in this city: "Nature is no longer the servant of architecture. The two are equals." One activity was banned in a certain location in this city after the discovery of Naegleria fowleri in that location. The redevelopment of this city's Southgate quarter insisted on the use of this city's namesake stone. The former Sydney Hotel in this city houses its (*) Holburne museum. That museum lies at the end of a grand street that leads to a Palladian bridge, lined with shops; both bridge and street are named for the Pulteney family. This city is home to a hospital nicknamed "The Min", the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, founded in the 18th century. 30 terraced houses in this city overlook its Royal Victoria Park, making up the Royal Crescent. For 10 points, name this Somerset city, famous for its Roman and Georgian spas.
A: Bath
Q: This state colloquially names Nuytsia floribunda ("NOYT-see-uh flor-ee-BUN-da"), an orange hemiparasitic "Christmas tree" also called the Moodjar. In this state, rock art from the Gwion period can be found in the Kimberley, where pearling industries are based around Broome. The Right Stuff recounts this state's capital keeping its lights on at midnight during John Glenn's flight on Friendship 7. The mining-heavy Pilbara ("PILL-bruh") region is in this state, which along with an eastern neighbor contains the Nullarbor Plain. Large numbers of stromatolites are found in this state's Shark Bay. The Swan River Colony was established in what is now this state, whose eastern border abuts the Northern Territory. For 10 points, Perth is the capital of what Australian state that borders the Indian Ocean?
A: Western Australia [accept Western Australian Christmas Tree; prompt on WA; prompt on Australia]
Q: In this city, the Scotch'n'Soda Theatre Group has supported student-created musicals like Godspell and Stephen Schwartz's Pippin. This city titles a book in which Claire takes her recording of Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet after breaking up with Art Bechstein, which was inspired by Michael Chabon attending two universities in this city. This city's heritage of Ukrainian- and Czechoslovak-Americans is represented in 31 "Nationality Rooms" in its Gothic-Revival-style Cathedral of Learning. From 1949 until his death, the coiner of "satisficing," Herbert Simon, was a faculty member of a school in this city also home to the Andy Warhol Museum. For 10 points, institutes named for Andrew Mellon and Andrew Carnegie merged in what Pennsylvania city?
A: Pittsburgh [accept University of Pittsburgh or Pitt; accept The Mysteries of Pittsburgh]
Q: A rock arch named for the most famous visitor of an island in this archipelago collapsed in May 2021. This archipelago's island of San Cristobal hosts its capital of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. This archipelago is located near the triple point of the Nazca, Cocos, and Pacific plates. The last male member of one species endemic to this archipelago that died in 2012 was nicknamed Lonesome George. A scientist that visited this archipelago's Isabela Island studied species of finches with different beak shapes, eventually inspiring the theory of natural selection. For 10 points, name this Pacific archipelago currently owned by Ecuador that was visited in 1835 by Charles Darwin.
A: Galapagos Islands (The arch in the first line is Darwin's Arch, which was renamed as the Pillars of Evolution after it collapsed)
Q: A two week "April Fair" held by a city in this country is famous for its hundreds of multi-colored tents. A Christmas lottery in this country has a prize pool of over $2 billion, making it the world's largest lottery. This country is the origin of a tradition where twelve grapes are eaten at midnight on New Year's Eve to bring good luck. Participants at a festival held on the last Wednesday of August in this country's town of Bunol ("boon-yol") throw tomatoes at each other. The encierro is an event held in a city in this country as part of the Festival of San Fermin. For 10 points, name this country where people can take part in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
A: Spain [or Kingdom of Spain or Espana or Reino de Espana] (The April Fair is held in Seville. The Bunol festival is La Tomatina. Encierro is another term for the Running of the Bulls.)
Q: This country's cuisine includes the Portuguese-influenced dish vindaloo. Blocks of cottage cheese known as paneer are a common ingredient in dishes in this country. The tandoor style of cooking originated in this country's state of (*) Rajasthan. Many of this country's curries are eaten with breads like naan and roti. For 10 points, name this large South Asian country home to the cities of Mumbai and Delhi.
A: India
Q: This city lies opposite Bainbridge Island across the Puget Sound. This city, currently home to the NHL's Kraken, was once home to the NBA's Supersonics. Boeing was founded in this city, which contains the headquarters of Starbucks and (*) Amazon. The Space Needle dominates the skyline of this notoriously rainy city in the Pacific Northwest. For 10 points, name this largest city in Washington.
A: Seattle
Q: This city's "Skytree" is the tallest structure in its country. Narita International Airport serves this city's greater metropolitan area, which includes Chiba and Yokohama. This capital city on the island of (*) Honshu is the largest city in the Kanto region. Studio Ghibli and many anime studios are based in this city. For 10 points, name this most populous city in the world, the capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo
Q: The original Legoland park can be found in this country's city of Billund. This country's mainland is part of the Jutland Peninsula. This country's capital is home to the Tivoli Gardens and lies across the Oresund Strait from Malmo, (*) Sweden. A Hans Christian Andersen story inspired the Little Mermaid Statue in the capital of this Scandinavian country. For 10 points, name this country north of Germany, whose capital is Copenhagen.
A: Denmark
Q: This region is home to the American-operated McMurdo Station on its Ross Island. This region is separated from one continent's southern tip, Cape Horn, by the Drake Passage. The Adelie and emperor species of a certain (*) bird only live in this region. Penguins live on this continent, which is home to the South Pole. For 10 points, name this least populous and coldest continent in the world.
A: Antarctica
Q: A prominent hiking trail in this country passes through the Emerald Lakes in Tongariro National Park. A popular tourist destination called Milford Sound can be found in this country's largest national park of Fiordland ("fjord-land"). The Bay of Plenty lies near an active supervolcano in this country that names its largest lake, Lake Taupo. "Cloud-piercer" is the native name of this country's tallest mountain, Mount Aoraki, located in the Southern Alps. 21st century tourism to this country increased after Peter Jackson used sites like Hobbiton near its town of Matamata to film Lord of the Rings. For 10 points, name this country with the world's southernmost capital at Wellington.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: This city contains the world's largest underground shopping network, PATH ("path"), which connects Atrium on Bay with the street of Queen's Quay ("key"). Sir Henry Mill Pellatt constructed the Casa Loma mansion in this city. This city's namesake islands were formed from the erosion of the Scarborough Bluffs. The greater metropolitan area of this city contains the municipality of Peel, in which lies Mississauga. This largest city in the Golden Horseshoe is connected to Lake Simcoe by Yonge ("young") Street. This city is home to the highest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere, the CN Tower. For 10 points, name this capital of Ontario and largest city in Canada.
A: Toronto
Q: William Gordon Burn Murdoch painted scenes from this region on an expedition named for Dundee, Scotland, also claiming to be the first person to play bagpipes there. Charles Wilkes and Jules Dumont d'Urville met while exploring this region, but could not share information because they did not speak a common language. A man who later falsely claimed to have summited (*) Denali had to assume command of a Belgian expedition to this region when Adrien de Gerlache fell ill. It's not in Asia, but an expedition through this region led by Vivian Fuchs was aided by a team from New Zealand. In the (*) 1920's, exploration of this region transitioned to a "mechanical age" from a "heroic age." A portion of this region is named after a woman named Marie, the wife of a pilot who flew over its most notable feature, Richard E. Byrd. For 10 points, name this region explored by the likes of Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen.
A: Antarctica [accept South Pole, Marie Byrd Land (before "Marie"), Wilkes Land (before mention), or any other portion of Antarctica; prompt on Southern Ocean, Ross Sea, Weddell Sea, or other bodies of water surrounding Antarctica with "Which terrestrial region was explored from or by traveling through that body of water?"]
Q: The 2023 edition of a race held in this state used the historic southern route, requiring an eight-hour rest at White Mountain. This state's most populous city lies on the Knik ("kuh-NICK") arm of the Cook inlet. A proposed, but never built, bridge in this state would have connected Gravina Island to the rest of the Alexander Archipelago. This state is divided into boroughs instead of counties. The world's largest salmon runs contribute to fisheries in this state's Bristol Bay. The city of Nome is the endpoint of a multi-day sled race held in this state. A mountain in this state formerly named for William McKinley is the highest peak in North America. Denali is located in, for 10 points, what state whose capital is Juneau?
A: Alaska [or AK]
Q: An architect from this country who studied at Cornell designed the neoclassical St. La Salle Hall for a university in its capital. That architect from this country later used an Art Deco design for his namesake Mapua Mansion. In this country, hundreds of immigrant workers died building the Kennon Road. William Cameron Forbes commissioned William E. Parsons to design a white "Mansion House" that is now used as this country's presidential summer palace. A leader of the (*) City Beautiful movement expanded this country's capital in a 1905 plan that added new radiating "arteries" and expanded its tranvia streetcar system. In How to Hide an Empire, Daniel Immerwahr discusses how in this country, the designer of the (*) White City was an "architectural imperialist" who operated without local approval. Land seized from this country's Igorot people was used by the Insular Government to build new cities. For 10 points, name this country where Daniel Burnham designed the "summer capital" Baguio [BAH-ghee-oh] in the tropical pine forests of Luzon.
A: Philippines [or Republic of the Philippines] (the first two lines refer to Tomas Mapua)
Q: Concentric eroded rock circles in this region formed the Richat Structure, which is sometimes called the "Eye" of this region. An abandoned project planned to use nuclear weapons to flood this physical region's lowest point, the Qattara Depression. The world's smallest canine species, the Fennec Fox, is endemic to this physical region. Historically, natron deposits on the Emi Koussi peak have been mined by people in this physical region's Tibesti Mountains. A line of trees is being used to prevent the expansion of this physical region, which has caused Lake Chad to decrease in size by 90%. For 10 points, name this large hot desert that occupies most of northern Africa.
A: Sahara Desert [prompt on Egypt or Mauretania or Chad before mention by asking "what multi-country physical region is that in?"; prompt on Northern Africa or similar answers]
Q: Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb this mountain without the aid of oxygen. The youngest person to climb this mountain was Jordan Romero, who climbed this mountain in 2010 at 13 years of age. George Mallory perished while attempting to climb this mountain, where the (*) Khumbu icefall can be encountered on this mountain's South route. The first person to climb this mountain was Edmund Hillary, with the help of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. For 10 points, name this mountain located on the border between Nepal and China, the tallest in the world.
A: Mount Everest
Q: The identification of the Berry site in North Carolina as the town of Joara [hwara] has lent credence to John Lederer's description of one of these features he called "Ushery". Guillaume Delisle's 1730 map doubts the existence of one of these features by only indicating with text where most authors placed it. Alexander Humboldt was among the several early 19th century scholars to claim that one of these features depicted on older maps was an exaggeration of the landscape of the (*) Rupununi region. The account of a nonexistent "Bartholomew de Fonte" was the origin of the belief in one of these features "of the West" in what is now British Columbia, a claim defended by Benjamin Franklin. Walter Raleigh's writings inspired mapmakers to place El Dorado near one of these features named (*) Parime. Following Ptolemy's example, early modern maps often depicted one or more of these features just north of the Mountains of the Moon with a river flowing north from them. For 10 points, identify these features, "Great" examples of which European explorers actually found in the East African Rift.
A: lakes [accept inland sea or lagoon; do NOT accept or prompt on "ocean"]
Q: This country's capital city was designed in the shape of an airplane around a "Monumental Axis" by architect Oscar Niemeyer. "Cariocas" are residents of this country's second most populous city, which was the origin of bossa nova music and hosts massive parades in the Sambodrome during (*) Carnaval. For 10 points, name this Portuguese-speaking country in South America which contains most of the Amazon rainforest.
A: Brazil
Q: This peninsula's city of Merida is located near a geohydrological reserve that preserves many of this peninsula's sinkholes, called "cenotes" (say-NO-tays), which were historically used for fresh water. This peninsula is the site of the (*) Chicxulub (CHEEK-shoo-loob) impact crater, which was caused by a meteor which caused the K-T extinction. The Mayan civilization was based in, for 10 points, what peninsula home to Cancun (can-COON), Mexico?
A: Yucatan Peninsula
Q: This river receives the Green River in Canyonlands National Park before flowing downstream into Lake Powell. Low water levels in Lake Mead, which this river flows through, have raised concern of a "dead pool" when this river will not be able to flow through (*) Hoover Dam. This river forms the border between California and Arizona. The Grand Canyon was carved by, for 10 points, what river named for a Rocky Mountain state?
A: Colorado River
Q: A bend in this river created an exclave of Fulton County named for the town of New Madrid. The cities of Natchez and Vicksburg are located on the banks of this river. Part of this river's flow drains to the ocean through the (*) Atchafalaya, and this river joins the Ohio River at Cairo (KAY-roh), Illinois. St. Louis is located on the west bank of, for 10 points, what river which flows through New Orleans into the Gulf of Mexico?
A: Mississippi River
Q: Buddy Holly died in a plane crash near this state's Mason City. This state's highest point is located on a farm near the town of Sibley and is called Hawkeye Point. This state's exclave of Carter Lake lies on the west bank of the Missouri River on its border with (*) Nebraska. Illinois shares the "Quad Cities" with, for 10 points, what Midwestern state, the southern neighbor of Minnesota, whose capital is Des Moines?
A: Iowa
Q: Once home to the Sao Empire, this nation contains the region of Bongor. This nation's north is dominated by ranges such as the Ennedi Plateau. Emi Koussi, a volcano located in the Tibesti Mountains, is the highest peak in this nation. From its largest lake flows the Chari River, which also flows through its capital city. This nation is currently led by President Idriss Deby, who was the target of two recent coups. Known as the "Dead Heart of Africa," it exemplifies almost all of the climates exhibited in its northern neighbor, Libya. FTP name this African nation with a capital at N'Djamena which is home to a rapidly shrinking lake.
A: Chad
Q: This country's traditional percussion orchestra, popular among the Sundanese people, is called the gamelan. A massive Buddhist temple called Borobudur is found in this country, where many Hindus live on the island of (*) Bali. This country is the largest Muslim-majority country in the world, and it borders Malaysia and Brunei on the island of Borneo. For 10 points, name this island country led from Jakarta.
A: Republic of Indonesia
Q: A tiny Prada store is located on the side of US Route 90 near this state's town of Valentine. In 2022, the judge of this state's Loving County, population 64, was arrested for cattle rustling. A national park in this state is named for the "Big Bend" made along its southern border by the (*) Rio Grande River. The Pecos River flows south from New Mexico into, for 10 points, what state whose westernmost major city is El Paso?
A: Texas
Q: Though not spotted in this region, during an expedition [emphasize] named for this region, a German naturalist described a limbless "sea-ape" that juggled seaweed. In 1920, the resources of this region were "leased" to Washington Vanderlip on the belief that he was actually his much richer cousin Frank Vanderlip. Hungarian noble Maurice Benyovsky was exiled to this region before returning to Europe, and later tried to found a French colony in Madagascar. The priest Martian was an early missionary in this region, but was killed in 1717 by the (*) Itelmen people. Naturalist Stepan Krasheninnikov provided an early written account of this region. Japanese castaway (*) Dembei was found by Vladimir Atlasov in this region and became one of Russia's first sources on his home country. The capital of this region was named for the ships St. Peter and St. Paul that were part of Vitus Bering's second voyage there. Petropavlovsk is the capital of, for 10 points, what peninsula in the Russian Far East?
A: Kamchatka Peninsula [accept Kamchatka Krai; accept Poluostrov Kamchatka; accept Kamchatsky kray; prompt on Siberia or Russian Far East]
Q: Many peoples in the north of this region practiced the secretive kuksu religion, which at its highest levels involved the ritual death of its followers after hours of dance while injured. A 2007 paper by Jeanne Arnold proposes an origin date of the tomol canoes used by peoples in this region that precludes hypotheses of them being an import from another region. While studying in Rome as a teenager, Pablo Tac composed a dictionary and ethnographic account of the (*) Luiseno people of this region. A failed attempt to remove European influence in this region was led by a so-called "sorceress" Toypurina. Immigration to this region led to the damming of the rivers that fed (*) Tulare Lake, long used by the Tachi Yokuts people. Local Nisenan and Miwok peoples were held in near enslavement at this region's settlement of New Helvetia. For 10 points, the indigenous peoples of which region first came into extended contact with Europeans through the Spanish missions established by Junipero Serra?
A: California [accept Alta California; accept regions that are part of the modern US state of California; do NOT accept or prompt on Baja California] [Some scholars have proposed that the tomol was inspired by Polynesian canoes]
Q: The Shaheed Minar Monument in this country commemorates its 1952 Language Movement. The world's largest refugee camp, the Kutupalong, is located on the world's longest natural sea beach, Cox's Bazar, in this country. This country's largest seaport is located in its second-largest city, (*) Chittagong. The Awami League led to the independence of this country, which is surrounded by India and Myanmar. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian country with capital Dhaka.
A: Bangladesh
Q: This river is the site of a planned hydroelectric dam called Grand Inga that would be the largest in the world. The Livingstone Falls make this river unnavigable between its mouth and the Malebo Pool, which separates the cities of (*) Brazzaville and Kinshasa. Those cities are the capitals of two countries both named for this river. For 10 points, what central African river names both a "Republic" and "Democratic Republic"?
A: Congo River
Q: A government in exile named for this region is based in the city of Dharamshala. One area of this region is called the Sanjiangyuan, or "Source of the Three Rivers", due to it containing the headwaters of the Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow Rivers. This region's capital is home to structures like the Jokhang Temple and the (*) Potala Palace. After a 1959 uprising, a major religious leader from this region was forced to flee to India. For 10 points, name this mountainous region of China with capital Lhasa, the former home of the Dalai Lama.
A: Tibet Autonomous Region [accept Tibetan Plateau]
Q: A 2003 book by Charles L. Sullivan debunked a claim made by Arpad Haraszthy about his father's cultivation of this crop. John Barton Hack was a pioneer in the cultivation of this crop in Australia and was the first from the country to get his produce to Queen Victoria's table. Simon van der Stel founded both a long-running producer of this crop and a town where (*) Huguenots introduced its cultivation. As a side project, Thomas Jefferson grew this crop at Monticello, but was discouraged when it either failed to grow or had an unpleasant "foxy" character. A variety of this crop called Pais was the first Old World strain to be cultivated in the Americas. Grafting onto North American (*) rootstocks revived the cultivation of this crop after it was devastated in the 19th century by phylloxera. Wild varieties of this crop inspired the first European name of the region around L'Anse aux Meadows. For 10 points, Leif Ericsson coined the name Vinland in reference to which crop?
A: grapes [accept Vitis vinifera,Vitis labrusca, or Vitis rotundifolia]
Q: According to legend, the introduction of a single pregnant rabbit to a portion of this region by an Italian settler led to the destruction of its entire agricultural plantings. This was the [emphasize] smallest region to be covered in a 16th century work roughly translating to "Sorrows of the Earth". One legend claims that the name "Henry the German" was adopted by Wladyslaw [vwah-dee-suave] III after fleeing to this region after the Battle of Varna. The modern Rare Wine Company names their wines from this region after Boston, New York, Savannah, and several (*) Founding Fathers to honor its popularity in colonial America. North African slave labor was used to build aqueducts throughout this region called levadas. (*) Christopher Columbus met and married his wife Felipa in this region, which by that time had become an important sugar producer since its confirmed discovery in 1419 by Joao Goncalves [zhwao gone-sahl-vays] Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira [tris-tao vahz tay-shay-rah]. For 10 points, name this common stopping point for trips across the Atlantic, a Portuguese-owned archipelago governed from Funchal.
A: Madeira [accept Autonomous Region of Madeira or Regiao Autonoma da Madeira]
Q: This state contains Fort Snelling, which was used during World War II to train army personnel in Japanese. The largest city in this state is located downstream from the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi River, the St. Anthony Falls. A bid to host the 2027 World's Fair was submitted by this state's city of Bloomington, which is home to the (*) Mall of America. This state contains Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River. This state's coastline on Lake Superior is home to its city of Duluth. For 10 points, name this state home to the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
A: Minnesota
Q: Agricultural runoff pollution causing algae blooms in one of these things led voters to pass its namesake "Bill of Rights". An "effect" named for one of these things causes heavy snowfall in cities like Buffalo and Cleveland. Artificial examples of these bodies of (*) water are commonly known as reservoirs. For 10 points, name these bodies of water exemplified by five "Great" ones in the US.
A: lakes [accept Lake Erie Bill of Rights; accept the Great Lakes]
Q: An airport in this city is nicknamed "The Busiest Square Mile on Earth". The South Shore Line is a commuter train connecting this city to South Bend. The codes MDW and (*) ORD are used for airports in this city. This city's elevated trains, nicknamed the "El", converge in a downtown area named the Loop. Midway Airport and O'Hare Airport serve, for 10 points, what most populous city in Illinois?
A: Chicago, Illinois
Q: Hot air balloons take off from this country's Sesriem gate, the main access point to a national park partly named for the Naukluft Mountains. Mining operations in this country led to the development of the communities of Arandis and Tsumeb. This country and its northern neighbor share the critically endangered coastal region of Kaokoland and the Kunene River. Possession Island is the largest of this country's Penguin Islands, some of which are located in (*) Luderitz ("LEE-duh-rihts") Bay. The Benguela ("BENG-geh-luh") Current supplies moisture to this country's resort city of Swakopmund ("SVAH-koep-moont"), at the southern end of its shipwreck-lined Skeleton Coast. Guano is collected on the artificial Bird Island near this country's city of Walvis Bay. For 10 points, name this African country with capital at Windhoek ("WIHND-hook").
A: Namibia [or Republic of Namibia]
Q: This city's stock exchange was founded in 1602 and is often considered the world's oldest. This city's Schiphol Airport is located 11 feet below sea level and is the main hub for KLM. This city contains the Rijksmuseum (RIKES-museum) as well as numerous (*) canal houses, one of which has a "Secret Annex" and has been converted to a Holocaust museum. The Anne Frank House is in, for 10 points, what capital of the Netherlands?
A: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Q: Inspired by Thucydides, a 1998 conference at Bowling Green State University inspired some historians to analyze a series of conflicts in this broad region as a "Sixty Years' War". It's not named after a river, but this broad region comprised the northern portion of the proposed colony of Charlotina. The relations between European and indigenous peoples in this broad region were defined as a namesake place of mediation and accommodation in Richard White's (*) The Middle Ground. Evangelization efforts to peoples in this broad region are the [emphasize] westernmost described in the Jesuit Relations. The eastern part of this broad region was known as Wendake by one of its peoples. This broad region was the center of an "Upper Country", or (*) Pays d'en Haut [pay-dawn-OH]. An important passage through this broad region was controlled by forts in the Straits of Mackinac [mack-in-aw]. For 10 points, what is this broad region that connected French settlement in the Mississippi and St. Lawrence watersheds?
A: Great Lakes region [accept Huronia; prompt on Midwest; prompt on US-Canada border or similar answers; prompt on New France; prompt on Upper Canada with "What physiographic region dominated Upper Canada?"; prompt on Northwest Territory with "What physiographic region dominated the northern Northwest Territory?"; prompt on Upstate New York, Lake Champlain, or Lake George with "What broader region have the historians mentioned combined them with?"; do NOT accept or prompt on Lower Canada]
Q: The Garabogazkol lagoon that lies directly east of this body of water has a salinity 30 times higher than this body of water. This is the easternmost body of water where caviar is extracted from the beluga sturgeon, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. A capital city on this body of water that lies on the Absheron Peninsula is the world's largest city below sea level. The Volga and Ural rivers flow into this largest inland body of water, whose major oil reserves are often transported by a pipeline from the city of Baku. For 10 points, name this largest lake in the world that borders Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan.
A: Caspian Sea [or Daryaye Khezer; or Girkansk; or Kaspiskoye More; or Khazarsk; or Khvalynsk]
Q: A type of brandy made with this ingredient is the most popular liquor in Maine. It's not sugar or candy, but the Korean "Dalgona" type of this product is whipped and served on milk. In the Netherlands, "shops" named for this product actually sell cannabis. A variety of this drink mixed with chocolate is named for the Yemeni port city of (*) Mocha. For 10 points, baristas prepare what beverage at shops like Starbucks?
A: coffee [accept Dalgona coffee; accept coffeeshops]
Q: This country considered giving the mountain Halti to a neighbor to celebrate that neighbor's 100th birthday. This country's capital was named Christiania until merging with another village in 1925. A museum in this country is dedicated to painter Edvard (*) Munch. This country's west coast, on the Atlantic ocean, is famous for its fjords. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country whose capital city is Oslo.
A: Norway [or Kingdom of Norway or Kongeriket Norge]
Q: In 1997, Arthur Dimer claimed that the leader of an expedition through this region, and not the two indigenous men accompanying it, was responsible for killing John Baxter. Despite never losing a man, one explorer was nearly blinded after his sixth, and only successful, attempt to cross this region. Though best known for his geographical and geological exploration of places [emphasize] east of this region, an eastern portion of it is named after Pawel (*) Strzelecki [pah-veh'w s'che-let-ski]. A feature used to mark colonial land claims near Coolah is a possible origin for the saying that this region begins "beyond the black stump". The Battle of Broken Hill was carried out by two (*) "Afghans" who had previously worked transporting goods by camel across this region. Before dying elsewhere along Cooper Creek, the Dig Tree marked a cache made by the explorers Robert Burke and William Wills as they crossed this region. Contrasted with the more accessible "bush", for 10 points, identify this general term for the interior and remote areas of Australia.
A: Outback [accept descriptive answers that suggest that this is the interior/remote areas of Australia, e.g., Central Australia; accept Australian bush* before mention; accept Nullarbor Plain, Great Sandy Desert, Simpson Desert, Tanami Desert, Gibson Desert, or Great Victoria Desert; prompt on rural Australia; prompt on Western Australia, South Australia, North Australia, Queensland, or New South Wales with "What broader region does [emphasize] part of that territory belong to?] [The explorer in the first line is Edward Eyre and the one in the second line is John McDouall Stuart] [*The Australian bush is generally seen as greener, more settled, and not as far inland as the Outback, but definitions vary and the distinction between the two is too fuzzy to not accept it.]
Q: The Sleeping Bear Dunes overlook this lake, which is crossed by a ferry between Ludington and Manitowoc. The Door Peninsula separates the main part of this lake from its (*) Green Bay. This lake is often considered to form part of a larger lake with Lake Huron, which it meets at the Straits of Mackinac (MACK-i-naw). The Indiana Dunes and the city of Chicago lie on, for 10 points, what Great Lake named for a Midwestern state?
A: Lake Michigan
Q: This city's "Orloj" (OR-loy), the world's oldest operating astronomical clock, is mounted to its Old Town Hall. During the "Velvet Revolution", many demonstrations were held in this city's Wenceslas Square. Statues of various saints line this city's historic Charles Bridge, which spans the (*) Vltava (VUL-ta-va) River. Many historic defenestrations occurred in, for 10 points, what capital of the Czech Republic?
A: Prague [or Praha]
Q: This country is home to the "Catatumbo lightning", an intense localized thunderstorm that occurs for hours a day almost half the days of the year. This country's "tepui", or flat-topped "table mountains", inspired the South American landscape in the Pixar movie (*) Up. The world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, Angel Falls, is located in, for 10 points, what South American country led from Caracas?
A: Venezuela
Q: This state's largest city has suburbs such as Hilliard and Reynoldsburg, and the Scioto River flows through that city, this state's capital. Procter & Gamble is headquartered in a city in this state, as is Progressive. The EPA was created after this state's Cuyahoga River (*) caught fire due to an oil spill in 1969. This state's city of Toledo is located on its northern border with Michigan. For 10 points, name this Midwestern state with a northern border on Lake Erie, home to cities like Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland.
A: Ohio [accept the place that smells really good]
Q: A large O-shaped lake in this province was formed when a reservoir filled an ancient impact crater. This Canadian province's largest city is known for smoked-meat sandwiches and a unique style of bagel. Tourists in another city in this province can visit the massive Chateau Frontenac and the Plains of Abraham, which overlook the (*) St. Lawrence River. For 10 points, Montreal is in what French-speaking Canadian province?
A: Quebec
Q: Part of this country's western border is made up of the Fly River, which connects via the Strickland River to this nation's largest lake. That lake, Lake Murray is surrounded by people speaking Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu. The Rabaul Caldera is located in New Britain in this country, which also contains Manus and the Admiralty Islands. This country is separated from its former owner by the Torres Strait, and during the 1990s a civil war occurred that made it grant autonomy to Bougainville. Formerly ruled by Australia, FTP name this Pacific nation with capital at Port Moresby which shares the second largest island in the world with Indonesia.
A: Papua New Guinea (DO NOT accept New Guinea)
Q: This city's Q-Line streetcar opened in 2017 and connects its downtown with the train station and Wayne State University. The only Muslim-majority town in the US, Hamtramck, is mostly surrounded by this city. 8 Mile Road forms much of the northern boundary of this city, where (*) Motown Records was founded. Companies like Ford and GM are headquartered near, for 10 points, what "Motor City", the most populous in Michigan?
A: Detroit, Michigan
Q: A community named No Name is located along I-70 in this state, which passes through the Eisenhower Tunnel in it. The tallest sand dunes in North America are located in this state's Great Sand Dunes National Park. The Gunnison River runs through a "Black Canyon" in this state. This state's School of Mines is located in its city of Golden, which is home to the headquarters of (*) Coors Brewing Company. Popular skiing destinations in this state include Breckenridge and Aspen. This state's "fourteeners" include Mount Elbert and Pikes Peak. For 10 points, name this mountainous state with capital Denver.
A: Colorado
Q: Mount Garibaldi is one peak in this province and is one of the province's highest. One lake contained in this province's extreme northwest is the namesake of a provincial park and a northwestern district, Lake Atlin. The Thompson River flows by its largest city and the (*) Fraser River is this province's longest. Mount Fairweather, the province's highest point, lies just to the south of Mount Logan in, for ten points, what province where many people enjoyed the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver?
A: British Columbia
Q: This river loses two-thirds of its potential flow in the Inner Delta near the city of Segou. One of its tributaries, the Bani, flows into it at the city of Mopti, but the river does not make up for the loss of water near Segou. The odd boomerang shape of this river baffled many European geographers for two millenia. Lake (*) Debo is a wide section of this river located in the center of the country that contains the city of Djenne, and that lake is home to many mud houses on its central islands. Important to the Mali and Songhai dynasties, this is for ten points, what African river that flows through the western part of the continent and is named for the country with capital at Niamey.
A: Niger River
Q: This man was the first to traverse the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. His first experience is the polar regions came in 1897 when he served as first mate in the Belgian Antarctic Expedition. He is the first man to (*) reach both the North and South Poles and led the first confirmed expedition to reach the North Pole. He renamed the Antarctic Plateau after the first king of Norway, King Haakon VII, after it won its independence from Sweden. Name this Norwegian, the first leader of a successful expedition to the South Pole.
A: Roald Amundsen
Q: In ancient times, it had a name meaning "pine cone." The lower of the two summits was first ascended in 1829 by a Karachay guide, Khilar Khachirov, and the higher was ascended in 1874 by an English expedition led by F. Crauford Grove. Ancient myth told that (*) Zeus had changed Prometheus to this mountain for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to man, likely a reference to volcanic activity. It is home to 22 glaciers which give rise to the Baksan, Kuban, and Malka Rivers. Also known as Yalbuz by the Turkish, this is FTP what Russian mountain in the Caucasus, the highest mountain in Europe.
A: Mount Elbrus
Q: This state is divided into halves that are locally known as "East River" and "West River." The James River watershed covers much of the eastern portion of this state, while the White River covers much of the southwest. By damming the Missouri River, four major lakes were created in this state including Lake Sharpe and Lake Francis Case. (*) Big Stone Lake is the lowest point in this state while Harney Peak is the highest point. Containing the Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park, this state is the 17th largest in the Union. Containing the Black Hills, this is FTP what US state that is home to the cities of Sioux Falls and Pierre.
A: South Dakota
Q: The metropolitan area is its country's largest, and it is the largest city in its state, whose capital is located at Xalapa. People from the city are known as Jarochos, and the city itself has commonly been called Four Times Heroic City. In 1519, Hernan Cortes (*) founded this city and originally said that it was a "Rich Town of the True Cross." Because of the shape of its naturally beautiful harbor, this Mexican city has been fought over throughout history. FTP name this Mexican sea port on the Gulf of Mexico that is linked to Mexico city over 100 miles away via railways.
A: Veracruz
Q: In 1933, the showgirl Lady Houston paid to have a plane fly over this object. In 1999, a body was found without a photo of the climber's family that the daughter claimed he would place at the top of this (*) mountain. That climber, George Mallory, attempted to climb this mountain and its Rongbuk Glacier after uttering the famous phrase, "Because it's there." His dream was realized when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary summitted this mountain in 1953, becoming the first recorded people to do so. For ten points, name this highest mountain in the world.
A: Mount Everest (Also accept Qomolangma)
Q: TB. An area in this region created by volcanoes 65 million years ago with step-like rock formations is known as this area's namesake "traps." This area's boundaries are made up by the Eastern and Western (*) Ghats and this region is bisected by the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges. To the north of this region lies a region containing the city of Lahore, the Gangetic Plain. Containing the cities of Solapur and Hyderabad, for ten points, name this large Indian plateau deriving its name from the Sanskrit for "South."
A: Deccan Plateau
Q: The Annam Mountains run through the middle of this nation and they contain the cities of Le Thuy and Ba Don. Two colorfully named rivers run through this country's northern half, one of them running through the country's capital. That river, the (*) Red River, emptes into a body of water in which the Maddox and C. Turner Joy were allegedly attacked. Larger cities here are Da Nang and Can Tho, which lies on the Mekong River delta. For ten points, name this Southeast Asian nation, where massive US bombing during this country's namesake war targeted its Northern capital, Hanoi.
A: Vietnam
Q: This nation was once a part of the Principality of Carantania. In 1991, it achieved its independence and is currently led by President Danilo Turk and Prime Minister Borut Pahor. Its highest peak, Mount Triglav, lies in the interior, and the lowest point is at the Adriatic Sea, to its southwest. It is the third most forested country in Europe behind Finland and Sweden. Its (*) Karst Plateau gives its name to Karst topography, mainly composed of limestone regions of rivers, gorges, and caves. FTP, name this former Yugoslavian nation that has its capital at the city of Ljubljana (pronounced: Lah-jub-lah-jana)
A: Slovenia
Q: A large bay in this nation is connected to Laguna de Bay, the country's largest lake, by the Pasig River. Makati City, the country's financial center, is located on a strip of land separating the latter water bodies. The San Juanico Strait separates two of its major islands, and the strait is traversed by the San Juanico Bridge. One of the more serene geological disturbances is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. The (*) Taal volcano is located south of the capital city The volcano is located on the island of Luzon, the largest of the two major islands. FTP name this Polynesian island group that has a capital at Manila.
A: Philippines
Q: The name of one of the island chains here might mean "covey of quail." Those islands, the Solentiname Islands, are in the southern portion of this body. Cornelius Vanderbilt connected this with another body of water before the construction of railroads. Zapatera Island lies in the northern portion of this (*) freshwater lake, which is known for having sawfish, tarpon, and a namesake shark. With Ometepe Island rising out of the middle of this lake, this is connected to another lake named for the capital of the namesake country, Managua. FTP, name this largest lake of Central America, named for the largest country in Central America.
A: Lake Nicaragua
Q: This country's southernmost major city is Hanko, and it's northernmost large city is Inari, by a namesake lake in the north of this country. To its left is an island known for being a home of the Hanseatic League, Gotland, and a small river connects this country's largest lake, (*) Lake Saimaan to Lake Ladoga in the East. Large cities in this Northern European nation include Tampere and Turko, surrounding its capital city and where the Gulfs of Bothnia and its namesake gulf meet. For ten points, name this country with its capital at Helsinki.
A: Finland
Q: This city's name comes from the Phoenician for safe harbor. This city also hosted the 2005 European Music Awards which was opened by a leotard-clad Madonna. The westernmost portion of this city is made by the Monsanto Forest Park that is one of the largest in Europe. It is twinned with cities such as (*) Macau and Maputo, and one of its largest parishes is the parish of Benfica, This capital city experienced a massive earthquake in 1775 and the Tagus River simultaneously flooded. FTP name this Iberian city, the capital of Portugal.
A: Lisbon
Q: Socotra Rock, an island in this body of water, is currently being disputed by two of the nation's that border this body of water. One of those nations calls this body Hangul, while another calls it Kanji. The (*) Ryuku Islands form an island barrier that partially separates this body from the larger Pacific Ocean. One of the biggest debates over this body of water is that of the respective exclusive economic zones,of the bordering nations. Because of its dominance on the continental shelf, China claims most of this body of water. Receiving the waters of the Yangtze River, this is FTP what sea that is just northeast of the South China Sea.
A: East China Sea
Q: This nation gained its independence from France on August 17, 1960, and since then there have only been three presidents. Currently, the nation is led by President Ali Bongo Ondimba and Prime Minister Paul Biyoghe Mba. The Cristal Mountains lie northeast of the capital, with Mont Iboundji in the center. Its largest river is the (*) Ogooue, which flows for 1200 kilometers. This country lying between the Republic of the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea's first leader was Leon M'ba. FTP name this African nation with a capital at Libreville.
A: Gabon
Q: People enjoy paragliding off of this mountain's Gotemba parking lot. Legend has it that there's a person who lives at the top of this mountain who will allow you to stay at her house for a few nights if you make it to the top. This mountain is surrounded by the world's second-most popular suicide spot, the Sea of Trees, or (*) Aokigahara. This mountain lies close to the Izu Peninsula and is next to Lake Kawaguchi. It can be seen in the background of a painting depicting a great wave, part of the 36 Views of this mountain. One of the holiest places in Japan, this mountain is, for ten points, what mountain just outside of Tokyo?
A: Mount Fuji
Q: This island group was first mapped in 1684 by a pirate, Ambrose Cowley. One island, Daphne Major, is a notable site of experiments done by Peter and Rosemary Grant. Another island in this group derives its name from the HMS Indefatigable. The largest lake in this group is located on (*) San Cristobal Island while other islands home to a famous research station include Fernandina, Santa Cruz, and the largest, Isabela. For ten points, name this island group owned by Ecuador, the site of Charles Darwin's research on finches.
A: Galapagos Islands
Q: This country's Peninsula de Zapata contains the largely marshland Cienaga de Zapata National Park in this country's Matanzas Province. To the north lies the Gulf of Cazones and to the southwest lies the Nueva Gerona, which contains the large island (*) Juventud. The Nicholas Canal separates this island nation from the Cay Sal Bank. The Sierra Maestra contain Pico Turquino in this island, home to the cities of Cienfuegos, Holguin, and Santiago. The Bay of Pigs borders the aforementioned Zapata Peninsula to the South. For ten points, name this Caribbean island nation whose capital is Havana.
A: Cuba
Q: This river begins at the convergence of the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin rivers in Montana and flows through its own basin afterwards. The headwaters are in southwestern Montana in the Rocky Mountains. The confluence of this river and the (*) Mississippi is ringed by Camp Dubois which is now part of the Lewis and Clark State Memorial Park in Illinois. FTP name this river, which is the fourth largest river in the world when combined with the Mississippi.
A: Missouri River
Q: One of the largest herbariums in the world can be found at this city's Kew Gardens, which are located along with Hampton Court in this city's Richmond borough. Rugby is played in this city's Twickenham Stadium, and ministerial and bureaucratic offices can be found along the street of Whitehall in this city. A notable domed cathedral designed by Christopher Wren, St. Paul's, and the Prime Ministerial residence at 10 Downing Street can be found in this city which has a namesake "Eye" ferris wheel on its riverfront. For 10 points, name this city located on the Thames River, the largest city and capital of the United Kingdom.
A: London
Q: The highest point in this country's Beskid Mountains is Mount Babia in its southeast, and Mount Rysy, this country's highest point, lies in the High Tatras Mountains in the southwest. Among this country's sixteen provinces is Masovia, and a city formerly known as Breslau is the capital of the Lower Silesia province. The western border of this country is known as the Oder-Neisse line, and the Carpathian Mountains make up this country's southern border. The Vistula River is found in, For 10 points, what Central European country which borders Germany on the west and contains the cities of Krakow and Warsaw.
A: Republic of Poland
Q: Many fossils on this landmass are preserved in the Beacon Sandstone, and this landmass is generally divided into Andean and Gondwanan provinces. Volcanoes on this landmass include Gaussberg and Deception Island, and the AMANDA observatory is found on this landmass. The Queen Maud Mountains form part of this landmass's dividing range, and this landmass's largest settlement lies near the volcano Mount Erebus. That settlement, McMurdo, lies in, For 10 points, what continent with highest point at Vinson Massif and which notably contains the South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: Asbestos Range National Park lies on this island's north coast, close to the mouth of the Tamar River upon which the city of Launceton lies. This island's capital lies on Storm Bay at the mouth of the Derwent River in the southern portion of this island. There are populations of Little Penguins on this island which is separated from a larger landmass by the Bass Strait, and other distinctive wildlife on this island included a namesake tiger which went extinct in the 1930s. For 10 points, name this island with capital at Hobart which lies south of Australia and has a namesake marsupial devil.
A: Tasmania
Q: The spread of the South American water hyacinth further backed up this river in its swampy Al-Sudd region. The farthest source of this river is the Kagera River, and it was called the Black River in ancient times due to the sediments it carried when it flooded. This river is dammed by the Aswan High Dam, creating Lake Nasser, and its watershed ends at the Ethiopian Plateau, where one of its two "colored" tributaries begins. Those tributaries, the White and the Blue, join in the Sudan. For 10 points, name this longest river in the world which drains into the Mediterranean Sea through its Delta in Egypt.
A: Nile River
Q: A lake sacred to Hindus, Lake Mapam, is located in this region, and rivers with sources in this region include the Tsangpo and Salween. It borders the disputed regions of Aksai Chin and the Tawang Valley, and the Ladakh range sits on this region's western border with Kashmir. The Kunlun Shan form this region's border with Sinkiang and Qinghai, and the Potala Palace is a notable structure located in this region. For 10 points, name this autonomous Chinese region north of the Himalayas which is situated on a namesake plateau and has its capital at Lhasa.
A: Tibet
Q: The Joel N. Cornish House is located in one of these locations in Omaha that was the center of production for the city's bootleg liquor during Prohibition. A Fourth of July ox roast celebration inspired the name of an unofficial one of these locations in Providence along Atwells Avenue, called Federal Hill. Arthur Avenue is the center of one of these locations in the Belmont area of the Bronx. The main street of one of these locations names a "Bend" that contains a "Bandit's Roost" photographed by Jacob Riis. (*) Taylor Street is the center of one of these locations in Chicago that was home to Hull House. One of these ethnic enclaves next to Manhattan's Chinatown is located along Mulberry Street and hosts the annual Feast of San Gennaro. For 10 points, name these ethnic enclaves founded by immigrants from Naples or Sicily.
A: Little Italy [or Piccola Italia; accept Italian enclaves or Italian neighborhoods; prompt on ethnic enclave; prompt on slums or tenements with "Those are located within what ethnic enclaves?"]
Q: This sea's most active oilfield is the Bouri field, and studies utilizing seafloor spreading have shown that this sea was not a remnant of the Tethys Sea. Winds such as the mistral and sirocco create high evaporation rates in this sea during the summer. Dams such as those on the Ebro led to increased salinity levels in this sea, and the Barcelona Convention was put in place to protect this sea's environment. For 10 points, name this sea which is connected by the Sea of Marmara and the Bosporus to the Black Sea, bounded to the north by Europe and to the south by Africa.
A: Mediterranean Sea
Q: This city contains Fairmount Park, and the USS Olympia, Society Hill, and its namesake naval shipyard lie on this city's waterfront on the Schuylkill River. This city's City Hall is the largest Second Empire building in the United States, and its tallest buildings are the Comcast Center and One Liberty Place. Carpenter Hall and the Liberty Bell Center lie in this city's Independence National Historical Park, which also contains Independence Hall. For 10 points, name this city set upon the banks of the Delaware, the largest city in Pennsylvania.
A: Philadelphia
Q: Although this country is not Spain, Barcelona is the capital of this country's Anzoategui state. The Cordillera de Merida mountains, which include this country's highest point, Pico Bolivar, are located in the northwestern portion of this country, and other highlands in this country are La Gran Sabana, which include Angel Falls. The mouth of the Orinoco can be found in this country, and another notable body of water is the oil-rich Lake Maracaibo. For 10 points, name this South American country bordered to the west by Colombia and to the south by Brazil with capital at Caracas.
A: Venezuela
Q: Cades Cove was a settlement in this mountain range before it was bought out by 1930, and Newfound Gap is a pass through a portion of these mountains. The northernmost mountains in this range are the Shickshocks and the Notre-Dame Mountains, but the highest points in this mountain range can be found in its southern portion, including Clingman's Dome and its highest point, Mount Mitchell. Including the Blue Ridge and the White Mountains, For 10 points, name this Eastern North American mountain range stretching from Georgia to Canada.
A: Appalachian Mountains [accept Great Smoky Mountains before Shickshocks]
Q: Rob Roy Island lies to the south of Choiseul in this island chain, and a body of water named for the preponderance of ships sunk within it, Ironbottom Sound, is located south of Savo Island in this chain. The Santa Cruz Islands are located to the east of these islands, and New Georgia Island is located southeast of this island chain's largest island, which is controlled by Papua New Guinea, Bougainville. The capital of its namesake country is Honiara, which lies on this chain's second largest island, notable as the site of a 1942 turning point in World War II. For 10 points, name this Pacific Island chain located northeast of Australia and which contains Guadalcanal.
A: Solomon Islands
Q: While it is not in South Africa, a Johannesburg is located in this desert which is bordered to the south by the Chocolate, San Bernardino, and San Gabriel Mountains. Military installations within this desert include Fort Irwin and Edwards Air Force Base, and the Salton Sea and Imperial Valley lie to its south. To the north of this desert lie the Sierra Nevada, and it is notable for its Joshua Trees, which have a namesake national park in this desert. For 10 points, name this desert located in southeastern California and which contains Death Valley.
A: Mojave Desert
Q: In March 2022, a fiberglass boat from this country capsized after leaving the port of Sabratah (sah-BRAH-tah). A pipeline connects this country's Sarir Oil Field with its port of Tobruk (tub-ROOK). This country's city of Sirte, which briefly served as its capital during (*) 2011 unrest, lies on the Gulf of Sidra. The city of Cyrene gave its name to this country's region of Cyrenaica (SEE-rin-AY-ik-ah). This country's second-most populous city, Benghazi, is a port on the southern Mediterranean Sea. For 10 points, name this north African country whose coastline lies between Egypt and Tunisia.
A: Libya [or State of Libya]
Q: The Sydney Ducks were an Australian gang blamed for setting a 1849 fire that destroyed much of this city. Buried ships were sometimes exposed during construction of new buildings in this city due to the filling in of Yerba Buena Cove. The destruction of immigration records in this city created opportunities for (*) "paper sons." This city processed west coast immigrants at Angel Island, located in a bay that shares its name with, for 10 points, what California city was devastated by a 1906 earthquake?
A: San Francisco
Q: The Long Range Mountains extend along part of this province and include Gros Morne (grow MORN) National Park on the Great Northern Peninsula. The Strait of Belle Isle separates two parts of this province. This province's town of Port-aux-Basque (port oh bosk) was damaged by Hurricane Fiona. (*) Signal Hill overlooks this province's capital, which developed in part due to Grand Banks fisheries. This province's L'Anse Aux Meadows (LAHNS oh MED-oh) was settled by the Vikings. For 10 points, name this island-and-mainland province governed from St. John's.
A: Newfoundland and Labrador
Q: This city debuted a tax on day-trip tourists as of January 17, 2023. Tourists to this city's barrier island of Lido can view movies during its film festival, which awards the Golden Lion prize. Some tourists are surprised to realize that cars are completely banned from this city's (*) central region. San Marco and Santa Croce are among the six historic divisions of this city collectively known as sestieri(see-STYAIR-ee). The Rialto contains a bridge over the Grand Canal in, for 10 points, what Italian city that offers gondola transport?
A: Venice [or Venezia]
Q: This country contains the largest visible prehistoric landslide in the world, near the town of Flims. Long COVID patients were treated at the Klinik Wald in this country, which in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was one of its renowned sanatoriums for treating tuberculosis. The (*) World Economic Forum is based in this country and hosts an annual flagship meeting at a resort town in this country. This country's canton of Grisons (GREE-zahn) contains a ski resort at Davos. For 10 points, name this Alpine country whose cities include Zurich and Geneva.
A: Switzerland [or Swiss Confederation; or Helvetic Republic]
Q: This country's Zonda wind is most prominently seen in the western parts of this country. Baritu National Park, located in this country, protects many endangered species like the jaguar and the onza. The largest system of waterfalls in the world sits on the border between this country and one of its neighbors to the north, with the specific border running through (*) Devil's Canyon on the Iguazu River. The Rio de La Plata begins near this country's capital, and forms part of the border between this country and Uruguay. Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Andes, is located in, for 10 points, what South American country, who shares its longest border with Chile.
A: Argentina
Q: Some ancient buildings along this river at Hasankeyf (ha-SAHN-keyf) were moved in the 2010s to avoid the destruction caused by this river's rising waters behind the Ilisu Dam. On the banks of this river was the Mittani center of Zakhiku (zah-KEE-koo) and the Assyrian centers of Assur (AH-sur) and (*) Nineveh (NIN-eh-vuh), which were in the vicinity of the present-day city of Mosul (MOH-zul). This river forms the eastern border of the historic region of Mesopotamia. For 10 points, name this river that flows past the Iraqi capital of Baghdad prior to joining with the Euphrates (yoo-FRAY-teez) River.
A: Tigris River
Q: A dessert of this color often incorporated into halo-halo is prepared with condensed milk and its mashed central ingredient, whose name is paired with "halaya." A Korean dish named for either black or this color rice is often nicknamed "forbidden rice." A craze in the Philippines centers on a (*) yam of this color called ube(oo-BEY). Potatoes of this color have high levels of anthocyanins (ANTH-oh-SAI-uh-ninz). An ingredient that begins as this color is made into vegetarian Italian dishes such as rollatini and parmigiana. For 10 points, give this color of most eggplants.
A: purple [or lavender; or violet]
Q: Escalating tensions between these two countries have led to the deployment of bastion missiles on Matua island. The Northern Territories Dispute concerns land contested between these two countries since the seizure of four islands shortly after the end of World War II, which include Iturup. These two countries share the waters of the Sea of (*) Okhotsk (uh-KOTSK) and contest ownership of the Kuril (KYOO-rye-ul) Islands. For 10 points, name these two countries separated by just over twenty-five miles between Hokkaido (hoh-kai-do) and Sakhalin (sah-kah-LEEN) Island.
A: Russia and Japan [or Russian Federation in place of "Russia"; or Nihon or Nippon in place of "Japan"; answers may be given in either order, but do not accept or prompt if only one answer is given]
Q: These animals name a wildlife park established outside of Broederstroom (BROH-dur-strum), which employs the Internet celebrity Kevin Richardson. The Barbary or Atlas variety of this animal, as well as its Cape variety, are likely extinct. One of these animals appears on Ethiopia's historic flag, as Ethiopia's kings claimed (*) descent from the House of Judah. South Africa has curbed the private breeding of these apex predators to sell as hunting trophies. "Simba" is the Swahili word for these animals. For 10 points, name these cats known for their roar and mane.
A: lions [or Panthera leo; or Lion and Safari Park; prompt on big cats until "cats" is read]
Q: Music fan culture on both sides of this international border is discussed in the 2016 book Mozlandia(mahz-LAND-ee-ah). A neighborhood of a city near this international border has a 15,000-person Chinatown known as Chinesca (chee-NAY-skah). Caesar salad was invented at a restaurant near this border. This border is spanned by the (*) Ysleta-Zaragoza (ees-LAY-tah-zah-rah-GOH-sah) Bridge, whose south terminates in Juarez (WAH-rez), the most populous city in Chihuahua. Pairs of cities such as Tijuana and San Diego are separated by, for 10 points, what border, along which Donald Trump pledged to build a wall?
A: United States-Mexico border [or any answer indicating, in either order, the border between the U.S. or U.S.A. and Mexico or the United Mexican States or Estados Unidos Mexicanos]
Q: One mountain range named for this color spans most of the length of Bhutan, while another mountain range named for this color covers most of Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales. It's not blue, but a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains named for this color is located in Western (*) North Carolina. The largest tributary on the Amazon's left bank is named for this color, as is a landform whose indigenous name is paha sapa. Ports such as Guria and Trabzon are located on a sea named for this color, and a nation with its capital at Podgorica is named for a mountain of this color. The seas of Azov and Marmara are marginal seas of a sea named for, for 10 points, what color?
A: black [accept negro; or crna; or qara]
Q: The Pringlea genus of cabbage is named for one archipelago in this body of water. A town on this body of water was named for the large number of pots left behind by a previous expedition; that town is Grytviken. Two islands in this body of water are named for Peter the Great of Russia and the French mariner Jean-Baptiste (*) Bouvet; those islands are both Norwegian territories. King George Island is a population center on this body of water that contains settlements named for King Sejong and Fabian von Bellingshausen. This body of water's marginal seas include the Weddell and Ross Seas. The Drake Passage connects different portions of this body of water. For 10 points, name this body of water that encircles Antarctica and has Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic counterparts.
A: Southern Ocean [Accept Austral Ocean; anti-prompt on Scotia Sea, the Weddell Sea, or the Ross Sea]
Q: This is the more westerly of the two countries that the Monkey Puzzle tree is native to. This country's Pacific territories include Robinson Crusoe Island and Alejandro Selkirk Island, which together make up its territory of Juan Fernandez. The name of one of this country's national parks comes from a Tehuelche word for "blue;" that park is Torres del Paine [Pie-nay]. This country's (*) Bio-Bio River marks the border of a region that contains its town of Temuco; that region, Araucania, is the namesake of this country's national epic. This country's island of Chiloe [Chee-low-ay] is its largest, and its departments of Tacna and Arica were acquired from Bolivia in the War of the Pacific. For 10 points, name this country that shares Patagonia with Argentina.
A: Chile
Q: A festival in Bahia ("bah-EE-uh") celebrates these animals pointing the way to Quilombo Kaonge ("kee-LOAM-boo kah-OWN-jee"). Black workers processed these animals until a resort polluted their Daufuskie ("duh-FUSS-kee") cannery. The abolitionist Thomas Downing was dubbed the "king" of these animals in the Five Points. Guilty husbands from Treme ("truh-MAY") supposedly ordered "peacemakers" made from these animals at the French Market. These animals were burnt to build Kingsley Plantation and Fort Frederica with "tabby concrete." Freedmens' villages like Hobson harvested these animals near Suffolk until chlordecone polluted an ecosystem where their so-called "pirates" fought wars over dredging their beds. These animals were considered a poor man's food prior to factory farming of chickens. They are fried with shrimp in New Orleans po' boys. For 10 points, watermen on the Chesapeake shucked what edible mollusks?
A: oysters [accept oyster beds, oystermen, oyster pirates, oystering villages, oyster cottages, or Festa da Ostra; prompt on mollusks or Mollusca until "mollusks" is read; prompt on seafood or bivalves; reject "clams" or "mussels"] (The resort was Hilton Head. The lime in tabby concrete comes from burnt oyster shells.)
Q: Many Thai women settled this archipelago after the Asian financial crisis, since it became a visa-free zone in a 1920 treaty that led to its current crab fishing dispute with Latvia. In 1963, a Labour Party lost power after mining deaths on this archipelago's Kings Bay, where research facilities honor Umberto Nobile ("oom-BAIR-toh NO-bee-lay"). GitHub stores code at this archipelago's World Archive. After 1613, Basque flensers docked at this archipelago's colony of Smeerenburg north of Albert I ("the first") Land. It's not in Russia, but museums showcase this archipelago's Pomor trade in the Soviet town of Pyramiden and a hamlet named for the Dutch explorer who reached it before Novaya Zemlya, Willem Barentsz. This archipelago's capital, the world's fastest-warming town, hosts the Global Seed Vault. For 10 points, J. M. Longyear's Arctic Coal Company mined what northern realm of Norway?
A: Svalbard [or Spitsbergen; accept Svalbard Global Seed Vault or Svalbard globale frøhvelv; accept Svalbard Treaty or Spitsbergen Treaty] (The "Kings Bay affair" occurred in Ny-Alesund. The Noordsche Compagnie settled Smeerenburg.)
Q: An island of this name, which led the world in exports of arrowroot and Sea Island cotton, was the site of 1935 riots that stormed a courthouse near both Fort Charlotte and the oldest botanic garden in the Americas. The Portuguese gave this name to a captaincy founded [emphasize] before Sao Paulo and to a Barlavento island in Cape Verde that was discovered on a January 22nd feast day. This name identifies a "ceded island" that hosts a summertime "Mas" and a cape in the Algarve that is Europe's southwesternmost point. The Garifuna people descend from "Black Caribs" who rebelled on an island of this name after sailing from Bequia. The society of a French priest of this name operates many thrift shops. A Windward Island of this name is governed from Kingstown. For 10 points, give this name of the Caribbean island that forms a country with the Grenadines.
A: Saint Vincent [accept Vincent of Saragossa or Sao Vicente or San Vicente; accept Saint Vincent and the Grenadines or Youloumain; accept Saint Vincent de Paul or "St. Vinnie's" or Society of Saint Vincent de Paul; accept Cape St. Vincent, Cabo de Sao Vicente, Vicentine Coast, Costa Vicentina, Vincy Mas, or Captaincy of Sao Vicente; reject "Saint Vincent Ferrer"]
Q: This mountain names a Soto Zen monastery founded by Jiyu-Kennet. This mountain and a county to its south, where the ground sloth Nothrotheriops ("NOTH-ro-THEER-ee-ops") was discovered, are both named for a people who fought alongside the Takelma in the Rogue River Wars. A legend holds that this [emphasize] extant mountain is where the sky god Skell stood to throw rocks at the underworld god Llao ("lao"). The book A Dweller on Two Planets claims that this mountain hides Telos, a utopian city built by Lemurians. A town below this mountain sells trinkets that say "I love Weed." Like a manmade lake of the same name that drains the Pit River, this mountain stands in a national forest that protects the Trinity Alps. A local word for this mountain inspired the name of Yreka ("wye-REE-kuh"), the seat of Siskiyou ("SISK-yoo") County. For 10 points, Lassen Peak is southeast of what California volcano in the southern Cascades?
A: Mount Shasta [or Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki or Uytaahkoo or Waik'a; accept Shasta-Trinity National Forest; accept Shasta Lake, Shasta County, Shasta ground sloth, or Shasta Abbey]
Q: Note to moderator: Read the answerline carefully. This phenomenon provides the species name of the olinguito, which inhabits an ecotone named for this phenomenon in the Choco's Mashpi reserve that may become the first acoustic World Heritage Site. Polyolefin "fences" in Huehuetenango ("way-way-teh-NAHN-go") collect this phenomenon during an "occult" process that supports Madeira's laurisilva. Tropical ecologists catch birds with this phenomenon's namesake "nets." A type of this phenomenon called camanchaca or garua led Hermann Melville to dub Lima "the strangest saddest city thou can'st see." Ecosystems fed by this phenomenon include acidic, montane elfin forests, the tule ("TOO-lee") wetlands, and Monteverde in Costa Rica. This phenomenon's Pacific belt creates oases called lomas in the Atacama, its namesake type of desert. For 10 points, coastal redwoods rely on drip from what phenomenon that often envelops San Francisco?
A: fog [or niebla or word forms of foggy; accept mist nets; accept cloud cover, cloudy, cloud forests, stratus, stratocumulus, nubes, or nublado; accept fog deserts, fog fences, fog nets, atrapanieblas, or Bassaricyon neblina; prompt on humidity, condensation, condense, moisture, dew, water vapor, water vapor, H2O, water droplets, precipitation, or aerosols; reject "rain"] (Rain gauges fail to record "occult precipitation" from fog. Melville evoked the "higher horror" of Lima's whiteness in "The Whiteness of the Whale.")
Q: The sugar baron Marshall Campbell introduced these objects to Zulu men who still decorate them, and horned headdresses, in Durban. A method actor trained with one of these objects at their renters' union near Eden Gardens for the 1953 parallel cinema film Do Bigha Zamin ("doh BEEG-huh zuh-MEEN"). Officers' wives relied on a heavy, iron version of these objects in the hill station of Shimla after they replaced Japanese kagos in the 1870s. These objects are often painted with colorful flowers in Dhaka. A poor peasant operates these objects in warlord-era Beijing in a novel by Lao She ("lao shuh"). Singapore's hatchback versions of these objects inspired Cambodian cyclos and automated tuk-tuks. These vehicles cross flooded areas that stymie taxis during the monsoon. For 10 points, tourists in Kolkata hire what wallah-powered wheeled carts?
A: rickshaws [accept hand-pulled rickshaws or jinrikisha; accept cycle rickshaws, pedicabs, bikecabs, cycle-taxis, trishaws, becak, or amahashi; accept autorickshaws or baby taxis; accept tuk-tuks or cyclos until each is read; prompt on carts, carriages, bicycles, taxis, or equivalents of any until "carts" is read; prompt on human powered vehicles or public transportation until "vehicles" is read] (Bimal Roy directed Do Bigha Zamin.)
Q: The province named for this city contains a museum about what was once Europe's largest sulfur mine in the Marecchia ("mah-RECK-yah") Valley. This city's piadineria restaurants use Cyrillic menus, as its thousand-plus hotels serve many Russians. The film Amarcord evokes this city's Borgo San Giuliano across the Tiberius Bridge from the Castel Sismondo, whose museum honors native son Federico Fellini. Daily buses link this city to nearby San Marino. At this city, Frederick II granted Kulm to Prussia's Teutonic State in a 1226 Golden Bull. Leon Battista Alberti built the Tempio cathedral for this city's ruling House of Malatesta. A lustful daughter of Guido da Polenta who died in this city with her lover inhabits the wind-filled second circle of Dante's Inferno. For 10 points, what resort on the Adriatic's Riviera Romagnola ("roman-YO-lah") was the adopted home of Paolo's lover Francesca?
A: Rimini [accept Francesca da Rimini; accept Golden Bull of Rimini; accept Province of Rimini or Provincia di Rimini] (The first line refers to the Museo Sulphur in Perticara. A piadina is a flatbread sandwich.)
Q: The AWF and Maisha Consulting privatized this job in Dzanga-Sangha. Survival International reported this job's torture of Bayaka people in Odzala-Kokoua. This job was militarized after its Hippotrague ("ee-po-TRAHG") unit was killed while praying in Zakouma. This job's services in a W-shaped tri-border area occupied by Ansarul Islam were taken over by the NGO that runs it in "anchor" areas like Bangweulu and Boma. In the 1980s, the CAMPFIRE program began community-based training to challenge this job's "fortress" model, as promoted by Bernhard Grzimek ("BAIRN-hart JIM-eck") and typified by Lobeke. This job's helicopters controversially culled a "charismatic" member of the Big Five. This job's all-female Black Mambas enforce CITES ("SY-tees") in the Great Limpopo transfrontier area. For 10 points, what job operates reserves like the Tsavo, Maasai Mara, and Serengeti?
A: park rangers [accept park officers, game wardens, game guards, or game farmers; accept anti-poaching units, safari guides, conservationists, conservancies, fortress conservation, eco-guards, or equivalents of any; accept World Wildlife Federation or WWF; prompt on guides, scouts, patrols, naturalists, guards, or equivalents of any; reject "ecologists" or "biologists" or "farmers"] (The AWF is the African Wildlife Foundation. The NGO is African Parks Network.)
Q: Zbigniew Peter Pininski designed the entrance to this city's Bockenheimer Warte station to resemble a subway car crashed into the ground. The Zeil is the main shopping street in this city which is home to a statue of "Frau Rauscher", a woman known for drinking its local apple wine in copious quantities. The Old St. Nicholas Church is located opposite its historic Romer building which, alongside the (*) Goethe birthplace museum is one of a number of restored buildings in this city. This city hosts the world's largest book fair and is home to the headquarters of Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank. For 10 points, name this largest city in Hesse, the centre of Germany's financial industry, located on the Main river.
A: Frankfurt
Q: People of this archipelago used the word "Mamihlapinatapai" meaning the look of two people hoping the other will each start something. The hain initiation ceremony was carried out by the Selknam peoples native to this archipelago, many of whom were killed by the prospector Julius Popper. The world's largest planned eradication is taking place in this archipelago to destroy over 200,000 introduced beavers which have spread into the adjacent Brunswick peninsula. Hoste and Navarino Islands are located to the south of its (*) Beagle channel. These islands are governed from the world's southernmost city Ushuaia. For 10 points, name this archipelago off the southern tip of South America whose name means "Land of Fire".
A: Tierra del Fuego
Q: Note to players: The answer is a first-level subnational political region such as a state or province; other types of region will not be prompted. This region's 800-year-old lineage of soul guardians picketed a theme park at the "Lord's Enclosure" mausoleum. In 2020, students of an alleged "model minority" in this region protested "bilingual education" replacing the vertical Hudum script. In 2004, much of this region banned cashmere goats to halt overgrazing that worsened its dzud ("jood") winters. This region's 1967 purge of its "Red Son" inspired a secessionist party symbolized by part of Zanabazar's soyombo. Herders condemn this region's desertification in the didactic econovel Wolf Totem. Khalkha irredentists seek to reunite with Buryatia and this region, which designates banners for Daur and Oroqen people. Han people displaced this region's nomadic Tumed in Ordos City, Baotou ("bao-toh"), and Hohhot southwest of Xanadu. For 10 points, what Chinese autonomous region curves around its "outer" counterpart?
A: Inner Mongolia [or Nei Menggu Zizhiqu; or Obur mongγol-un obertegen jasaqu orun; accept South Mongolia; accept Inner Mongolian People's Party or Inner Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party; prompt on Mongolia, Meng, NM, Greater Mongolia, Dayaar Mongol, or Khamag Mongol] (Clues include the Darkhad protectors of the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan and Ulanhu.)
Q: They aren't Australian Aborigines, but these people were photographed by Roland Bonaparte, the last member of the senior Bonaparte line. The Laestadianism ("le-STAH-dian-ism") movement was a Lutheran movement which began amongst these people, who use the slogan CSV as a sun of pride. Sajos ("SIGH-yos") is a cultural centre for these people located in one of their de facto capitals of Inari, while another parliament is located in (*) Karasjohka ("CARE-ahs-YOH-kah"). These people who sometimes live in Lavvu wear fur boots known as nutukas. A siidaat was a traditional region used by these people to demarcate reindeer herding areas. For 10 points, identify these indigenous people of northern Finland and Sweden.
A: Sami [accept Lapps or Laplanders but inform players that those terms are now considered offensive]
Q: Mixologist Dave Arnold has created a noted cocktail utilising this plant. This green plant is used in the Jiangxi ("jang-SHEE") dish sanbeiji ("san-bay-jee"). Sharbats or Faloodas may often include the seeds of this plant which are soaked in water until they resemble frogspawn. Larousse Gastronomique ("la-ROOSE ga-stro-no-MEEK") describes how this plant's name comes from the Greek for "royal" as only the king was allowed to cut it. This plant, known as kaphrao ("ka-prao") in (*) Thai, is stir-fried and added to drunken chicken. This plant's "holy" variety is referred to as tulsi in India. This plant is blended with garlic to make a paste which flavours the Provencal ("pro-von-SAWL") soup pistou ("PEE-stoo") and this plant accompanies mozzarella and tomatoes in a traditional Caprese ("ca-PRAY-zay") salad. For 10 points, what herb's leaves provide the traditional green colour of pesto?
A: basil
Q: This country has a 590 foot border with its northern neighbor that can be crossed by the Kazungula bridge near the confluence of Chobe and a much larger river. Francistown and Molepole are cities in this country, which contains the Makadikadi ("Muck-guh-dee-guh-dee") salt pans. The Mormobi game reserve is found in a notable wildlife attraction of this country that doubles in size in a yearly flood cycle. This country is home to the largest population of indigenous (*) San Bushmen, who inhabit an inland delta known as the Okavango delta. This largest diamond producing country in the world, has a flag consisting of a light blue background with a black horizontal band with a white outline. For ten points, name this southern African nation that contains the majority of the Kalahari desert and is led from Gaborone.
A: Botswana
Q: Some scholars believe that this mountain appears in both the writings of Herodotus and sailors' accounts recorded by Ptolemy. Moshi is a central tourist hub near this mountain and other national parks around it. The (*) Chagga people lived on the southern and eastern slopes of this mountain, which was first summited by Hans Meyer. The Saddle plateau separates two peaks on this mountain. This dormant volcano has three cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. The peak of this mountain is translated as "Freedom Peak," Uhuru, and it was a border between British and German East Africa. For 10 points, name this highest freestanding mountain in the world, a stratovolcano in Tanzania.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: Peruvian raids enslaved almost 1,500 inhabitants of this island in the 1860s. Eugene Eyraud, a Catholic missionary, was the first westerner to permanently reside on this island, which once had a cult that took eggs from a nearby island. It's not Crete, but it's possible that a now indecipherable writing system discovered on this island was one of the few independent inventions of human writing, the glyph script (*) Rongorongo. In October 2022, arson destroyed nearly 150 square miles of this island, and several sculptures were destroyed. The Catholic Church opposed this country's birdman cult as well as its Maoi cult. For 10 points, name this Chilean island in the Pacific Ocean with large stone heads littered about the island.
A: Easter Island [accept Rapa Nui]
Q: One city in this country has a name that means "Prickly pear that grows among the rocks," according to one etymology. Under a French prince, this country saw an outnumbered native resistance win against an imperial army with three times as many soldiers. In 1943, a volcano abruptly emerged from a farmer's cornfield in this country. Fertile lowlands and good mining in the central bajio ("Ba-hee-yo") of this country led to it becoming one of the richest areas in the (*) Spanish colonies. In this country, the Lacandon Jungle is the site of an ongoing indigenous insurgency. This country's capital city contains the Zocalo, a central plaza with a giant flag of this country. For 10 points, name this country, the only country to border the United States to the south.
A: Mexico
Q: During the 2001 riots in this city, Jorge Mario Bergoglio attempted to mediate between police and protesters but was ultimately unsuccessful. This city hosts the Superclasico, a derby between its two principal sports teams. Supporters of those teams call the opposing side "chickens" and "little pigs." This city has a large Jewish population, and is a major tourist hotspot for Israelis. This city's dialect of (*) Spanish features sheismo, a devoicing of the double l and y sounds. This city's 9th of June Avenue is the widest street in the world. The Plaza de Mayo in this city is bounded by the Casa Rosada to the north. The River Plate and Boca Juniors soccer club are rivals in this city. For 10 points, name this capital city of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: This region is the origin of the common gambling sport Jai Alai ("High uh-lye"). While not France as a whole, the use of berets among this region's peasantry popularized them across Europe in the early 1800s. Inspired by the status of Puerto Rico, one former lehendakari of this region proposed the Ibarretxe ("Ee-bah-rah-ay-chey") Plan. This region is ruled by a nearly unanimously separatist parliament. In a novel, Jake Barnes and company visit this region for a festival dedicated to (*) San Fermin. This region is the origin of the Running of the Bulls. The people of this region speak a language isolate and you might find them in the Bilbao Guggenheim. For 10 points, name this region of northern Spain and Southern France home to ETA and Pamplona.
A: The Basque Country [accept Euskal Herria; accept Pais Vasco; accept Pays basque]
Q: Originating in what is now Kingsport Tennessee, the Wilderness Route used this place to reach its terminus. In June 1862, General George Morgan defeated General Samuel Carter at a battle in this location, and Ambrose Burnside forced a surrender of 2,300 Confederates at this location in September, 1863. Old US Route 25 was constructed through this place, but it was replaced by a tunnel in 1991. A song claims that a trucker from Philadelphia is going through this place to get to (*) Johnson City, Tennessee. Another song with the name of this location tells its listeners to "lay down / take a little nap" and that there's 17 miles to this place. Daniel Boone cleared a route through this place for the Transylvania company in 1750. For 10 points, name this pass through the Southern Appalachians.
A: Cumberland Gap
Q: This state is home to the first officially recorded cave in the United States, DeSoto Caverns, which was originally a burial ground for the Copena civilization. This state's town of Enterprise has a monument to the Boll Weevil which ironically saved the economy of this state. While not Louisiana, the oldest (*) Mardi Gras celebration in the US happens in one of this state's port cities. Bob Dylan wrote of events in this state, instructing one governor to "Not Stand in the Doorway." A racist governor of this state was elected twice as a staunch segregationist, but he became a born-again Christian and renounced segregationist views before his fourth and final term. That man was George Wallace. For 10 points, name this southern state with capital at Montgomery and most populous city at Huntsville.
A: Alabama
Q: This country is the only UN member state that has not recognized either the Republic of China or the People's Republic of China. This country's head of state wears the Raven Crown, and it decriminalized homosexuality in 2020. In the 1990s, this country's ethnic cleansing of its Nepalese inhabitants drove roughly 17% of its population to flee. This country's king is called the Druk Gyalpo ("Drook Gee-lah-po"), which translates literally to (*) "Dragon King." A dragon can be found in the flag of this country, which has the highest capital city in Asia. This Buddhist country bordering China and India has pursued an isolationist foreign policy, maintaining formal relations with 54 countries. For 10 points, name this mountainous Asian nation with capital at Thimpu.
A: Bhutan [accept Druk Yul]
Q: Sacred stone heaps known as Ovoo are found on mountain peaks in this desert. In 1978, the Three-North Shelter Forest Program was established to prevent expansion of this desert. This desert stretches to the east to Lop Nur, a now largely dried up salt lake. The world's only desert-dwelling bear inhabits this desert, as does the bactrian camel. This desert is a large contributor to the (*) Asian Dust phenomenon. This desert was the site of the first discovered fossilized dinosaur eggs. The "death worm" that resides in this desert is most likely some type of snake. This desert is created in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. The coldest non-polar desert in the world is, for 10 points, what desert that covers most of Mongolia and parts of Northern China.
A: Gobi Desert
Q: The Brad Pitt-founded nonprofit Make It Right promised to build 150 homes in this city but ended up building 100 homes, most of which now have construction and mold problems. A neighborhood in this city sometimes called "Backatown" is only accessible by bridge from the rest of the city. The compositions of pianist Louis Gottschalk were influenced by the music of this city's Congo Square neighbourhood. (*) Treme and the Lower Ninth Ward are historically Black neighborhoods in this city. Thousands congregated in this city's Superdome following a natural disaster in 2005. For 10 points, Hurricane Katrina devastated what large port city in Louisiana?
A: New Orleans
Q: While coming down from the first ascent of this mountain, Douglas Hadow and three others slipped to their death. The only survivors of that expedition to climb this mountain were Edward Whymper and two Zermatt guides. The founder of mountaineering, Horace-Benedict de Saussure, mapped this mountain's Klein peak. This mountain is believed to have been the inspiration for a Disneyland bobsled ride in Anaheim as well as the chocolate (*) Toblerone. The similarly sounding Hornli ridge is often used to traverse this mountain in the Pennine Alps subrange. This mountain is located in between the Aosta Valley region of Italy and the Valais canton. For 10 points, name this Swiss mountain in the Alps with four steep faces.
A: Matterhorn
Q: The tallest statue of the god Hanuman on its continent is located in Chatsworth, a district in this country's busiest port city. That city in this country boasts the largest Indian population of any city outside of India and is home to the Suncoast Casino and the Golden Mile. The Umgeni River flows through Port Natal, now called (*) Durban, in this country. A major battle was fought near the Kimberly Diamond mines in the Northern Cape province of this country. This country's official languages include Sotho and Zulu, which have click consonants. For 10 points, name this country that completely surrounds Lesotho whose capital cities are Bloemfontein ["bloom-fuhn-tayn"], Pretoria, and Cape Town.
A: The Republic of South Africa
Q: A rock formation in this state consists of a North and a South Peak separated by Gunpowder Notch. This state's state quarter features the New River Gorge Bridge, a popular destination for BASE jumpers. Seneca Rocks is located in this state's Monongahela National Forest, which also contains the highest point in the (*) Allegheny Mountains. That summit, Spruce Knob, is located in this state's Eastern Panhandle; and its Northern Panhandle is bordered by the Ohio River. One town in this state is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and was the site of a raid by John Brown. Harpers Ferry is located in, for 10 points, what state whose capital is Charleston?
A: West Virginia
Q: The whitefish and the beluga sturgeon are among the marine life that spawn from this river, which has seen an increase in dams and reservoirs during the last half-century. The Turkic Nogai people once settled in the region of steppes within the southern portion of this river. A bridge spanning the width of this river was once Europe's longest, and that bridge, the (*) Saratov Bridge, connected the city of Engels to the river's right bank. The Bolshoy Irgiz, Oka, and Kama rivers are tributaries of this river while Tver and Samara are cities that lie on it. This river flows by Astrakhan before emptying in the Caspian Sea. For 10 points, name this longest river of Europe.
A: Volga River
Q: Masks called Nyau lend their name to a secret society made up of members of this country's majority ethnic group. The south of this country comprises the rolling Shire Highlands. Chambo, chombe, and chamba, or fish, tea. and marijuana, are the three C's of this country's economy. The Chewa are the largest ethnic group in this country. The second largest city in this country is named after the birthplace of the explorer (*) David Livingstone. This country is the namesake of the southernmost of the African Great Lakes. Blantyre is in this country, which was once known as Nyasaland. For 10 points, name this south-eastern African country with its capital at Lilongwe.
A: Malawi
Q: The Three Natural Bridges are found in the karst topography in the south of this province. The rainiest place in this province is at the top of the sacred Mount Emei. The largest building in terms of floor area is the New Century Global Centre in this province, which is also home to the Leshan Giant Buddha. Chang'e 1 was launched from the Xichang ("shee-chung") Centre in this province. The capital of this province hosts a major Research Base of (*) Giant Panda Breeding. This province lends its name to a pepper that creates the mala flavour profile. Chengdu is the capital of this province. For 10 points, name this central Chinese province, known for its numbing spicy food.
A: Sichuan Province [or Szechuan Province]
Q: The Fenoglio-Lafleur house in this city is a noted example of the Liberty style. Alessandro Antonelli designed a monumental synagogue in this city which now serves as a National Museum of Cinema. Hot chocolate, coffee and cream are mixed to make a bicerin, a speciality of this city. The second largest museum of Egyptian art is in this city, which is overlooked by the Superga Hill. Found on the left bank of the River (*) Po, this centre of the House of Savoy was the first capital of Italy. The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in this city is home to a relic of the shroud which supposedly covered Jesus. For 10 points, name this capital city of Piedmont which hosted the 2006 Olympics.
A: Turin [or Torino]
Q: The European famine of 1315-17 may have been caused by a major volcanic eruption in this country. Percy Smith used the methods of Abraham Fornander to estimate when this country was settled. This country's native Kuri dog breed was used as food but became extinct after the introduction of common breeds. (*) Cabbage trees in this country were used to make fibrous ropes and its fruits were barbecued in traditional hangi to make a relish. Settlers reached this country from the Society Islands and built pa hillforts in the period where they made the native moa bird extinct. For 10 points, name this South Pacific nation where face tattoos known as ta moko were traditional for its native Maori people.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: The Savannah is a large open space on this island where the Queen's Park Oval cricket ground was once located. The town of La Brea on this island is home to the world's largest asphalt deposit, the Pitch Lake. Streets in the St. James district of this island's capital are named for Calcutta and Bombay as a reference to this island's large (*) Indian population. V. S. Naipaul and Nicki Minaj were both born on this island. This island is separated from Venezuela by the Gulf of Paria and has its capital at Port of Spain. For 10 points, name this island which forms a Caribbean island nation with Tobago.
A: Trinidad [prompt on Trinidad and Tobago by saying "which island?"]
Q: Nicholas Bouvier's The Way of the World relates a journey ending at this location. Copious counterfeit arms produced in this area are known as its namesake "copy". For periods, this area was controlled by Khalil and Afridi tribesmen. A traditional phrase showing the extent of one country spoke of it as stretching from this place to Kanyakumari. Hari Singh Nalwa defended the eastern end of this place at the Battle of Jamrud as the forces of Dost Mohammad Khan sought to recapture the city of (*) Peshawar. The final section of the Durand line to be drawn was that near this area. This pass crosses the Spin Ghar mountains linking Landi Kotal with the Peshawar Valley in the North-west of Pakistan. For 10 points, name this mountain pass often seen as the entry point to the Indian subcontinent.
A: Khyber Pass
Q: This river's Balanced Water Fund makes its basin the world's largest water market to protect wetlands like the Coorong Lagoon. Dredging of this river's mouth during the Millennium Drought protected Lake Alexandrina. Irrigation from this river and its longest tributary forms the fertile Riverina region, home to agricultural hubs like Albury and Wagga Wagga. The damming of the Molonglo River in this river's basin created Lake Burley Griffin. Water is diverted to this river and its longest tributary, the Murrumbidgee River, by the Snowy Mountains Scheme in Kosciuszko ("kaw-zee-USS-koh") National Park. The source of this river is in the Great Dividing Range, and this river forms most of the border between New South Wales and Victoria. For 10 points, the Darling River is a tributary of what longest river in Australia?
A: Murray River [or Millewa or Dhungala; accept Murray-Darling Basin; prompt on Murrumbidgee River or Darling River until each is read by asking "what river's drainage basin is it part of?"]
Q: Latvian explorer Aleksandrs Laime visited this site on foot and named many sites around this attraction for Latvian rivers. Ruth Robertson travelled along the Churun River to photograph and measure this attraction for National Geographic. Proposals in 2009 sought to change the name of this place to its indigenous Pemon name of Kerepakupai Vena. When this place in (*) Canaima National Park was first seen, the El Rio Caroni plane attempted to land to get a closer view but nose-dived into Auyantepui. This place is named for the American aviator who discovered it and whose ashes were scattered here in 1956. For 10 points, name this Venezuelan natural attraction, the tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the world.
A: Angel Falls [or Salto Angel or Kerepakupai Meru or Parakupa Vena]
Q: It's not Easter Island, but the falcon warrior was an important symbol of the birdman worship of a civilization centered around this geographic feature. The ball-and-stick game chunkey was invented near this geographic feature. A civilization centered on this geographic feature built the massive "Monk's Mound" at their town of (*) Cahokia ("kuh-HOH-kee-uh"). "The Big Fool says to move on" in a Pete Seeger song which contains a nickname for this geographic feature in its title. Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet were the first Europeans to explore the upper part of this river, which is nicknamed the "Big Muddy" and catastrophically flooded in 1927. For 10 points, name this river, the major trading route of the South Central US.
A: Mississippi River [accept Mississippi River Valley or Mississippi Delta; prompt on Big Muddy before mentioned]
Q: An academic based in this mountain range is described as Bordieu's Secret Admirer in an experimental "world-systems biography". The Riyad-us Saliheen carried out a massacre at a school in this mountain range in 2004. An ethnic group that lives in this mountain range refers to itself as the Adyghe. The foothills of this mountain range include the city of Nalchik, the capital of the Republic of Karbadino-Balkaria. Shamil (*) Basayev leads a terrorist group in this region that includes the city of Beslan. Chechnya is centred on this mountain range, whose highest point is Mt Elbrus. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia contain the majority of this mountain range. For 10 points, outdated racial terminology named white people in reference to what European mountain range?
A: Caucasus Mountains [the first clue refers to Georgi Derluguian's book about Musa Shanib]
Q: A ring with two hands holding a crowned heart is named for this county's village of Claddagh. The Inagh Valley separates the Maumturks range from the Twelve Bens in this county, which is home to Connemara National Park. This county is home to the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland, Lough Corrib. The Aran islands are located in this county which is nicknamed the "Hooker County" for the small fishing boats which are used in its (*) namesake bay on the west coast of Ireland. In "Fairytale of New York", the boys of the NYPD choir are described as singing about a place in this county. For 10 points, which Irish county, home to the largest city in Connaught, is the namesake of a "girl" in an Ed Sheeran song?
A: Galway
Q: This city's King Fahd Islamic Cultural center is the largest mosque on its continent. The Palacio Barolo and the Kavanagh building lie in this city, the latter of which was the first building to have centralized air conditioning. This city's El Monumental, a large multipurpose sports stadium, hosted the 1978 FIFA World Cup final and currently houses the River (*) Plate club. The Palace of Running water designed by Carlos Nystromer lies in this city on its Cordoba Avenue. An obelisk is located in the center of this city's incredibly wide Nueve de Julio Avenue. In this city, the Casa Rosada or Pink House is the home for the president of its country. For 10 points, identify this capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires
Q: The meeting of this river and the Sankey Canal is home to Spike Island, where John Hutchinson built a pioneering chemical factory. Two docks join to form the Great Float, which flows into this river. This river was traditionally considered to start at Compstall on the River Goyt but is now generally considered to start where it meets the River Tame. The Queensway Tunnel passes under this river on its way to (*) Birkenhead. In 2021, a city at the mouth of this river described as "Maritime Mercantile City" had its UNESCO World Heritage classification removed. A charity single about a "Ferry Across" [this river] was recorded to raise money for victims of the Hillsborough disaster. For 10 points, the city of Liverpool is located on what river?
A: Mersey
Q: Otto Krummel produced what was likely the first stand-alone map of this location in 1907 based on models used by Supan to describe similar features named for the Japan-Kuril and Aleutian Islands. Both the Kaiko and the Trieste missions explored this location, though the former was lost in the process. The deepest part of this oceanic feature was explored by the Challenger submarine and has thus been dubbed the Challenger Deep. Containing the lowest point anywhere on Earth's surface, for 10 points, name this trench in the Pacific Ocean named for a nearby island chain.
A: Marianas Trench
Q: Much of this country's southern border is delineated by the Putumayo River, a tributary of the Amazon, and the city of Leticia on the Amazon is the largest south of the Putumayo. Its highest peak lies in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which in turn is just east of a large swamp near the mouth of the Magdalena River. This nation also controls most of the Guajira Peninsula, and the Andes split into three branches in it. This country's Atrato River was once considered for an Atlantic-Pacific Canal. Its other large cities include Medellin, Cartagena de Indias, and Barranquilla. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Bogota.
A: Republic of Colombia
Q: Parks on the shores of this body of water include Pukaskwa, Pictured Rocks, and Sleeping Giant. It is drained by the St. Marys River, which is regulated by the Sault Locks. The Keweenaw Peninsula juts into it, and the Nipigon River flows into this body of water northeast of Thunder Bay. One of its islands was colonized by wolves which crossed this lake on winter ice and remained on the island to feed on moose. Its islands include the Apostle Islands and Isle Royale, and one of its ports is Duluth. Lying south of Ontario and north of the Upper Peninsula, for 10 points, name this largest of the Great Lakes.
A: Lake Superior
Q: This island includes the protected Danum Valley, as well as a particular type of tropical lowland peat swamp drained and burned by the region's government. The northern part of this island was once leased to Britain by the local sultan, and its two largest cities are Kuching and Banjarmasin, the latter of which was the seat of government for the Dutch. Many of the indigenous people belong to the Dayak tribes. To its northeast are Palawan and the Sulu Sea, while the Makassar Strait separates it from Sulawesi. One portion of it is known as Kalimantan, and its northern section includes the regions of Sarawak and Sabah. For 10 points, name this extremely large island shared between Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
A: Borneo
Q: Only eight pilots are licensed to land at an incredibly difficult single-runway airport in this country's Paro Valley. This country's second largest city of Phuntsholing trades often with the neighboring Bengali city Jaigaon. This country is also the location of the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, the Gangkhar Puensum. This country's prime minister Jigme Wangchuk [pronunciation guide] pioneered the concept of Gross National (*) Happiness. The Tibetan alphabet is used to write this country's primary language, Dzongkha [pronunciation guide]. This country's dominant Buddhist population is symbolized by a white dragon on its flag. For 10 points name this small Himalayan kingdom located east of Nepal with capital at Thimpu.
A: Bhutan
Q: Note to moderator: Read answerline carefully. Description acceptable. One region's "New Light" foundation is one of many nascent industries that profit from this goal in towns like Acandi and Necocli. It's not drugs, but the Gulf Clan levies taxes on this goal, whose purchasers buy "complete" or "all-inclusive" packages, or "installment" or "pay-as-you-go" deals. Violence is commonplace on La Bestia, a freight train used for this goal. People dressed in biblical garb carry crosses at the start of an annual event dedicated to this goal named for the "Way of the Cross," which departs from the (*) Northern Triangle. Brooks County is nicknamed "Death Valley" for seekers of this goal who are given water by the advocacy group No More Deaths. Thousands of Haitians with this goal have crossed the Darien Gap with the help of coyotes. For 10 points, name this goal of the Central American migrant caravans.
A: immigrating to the United States [accept US in place of "United States"; accept equivalents such as migrating or seeking asylum, refuge, a better life, jobs, etc. in the United States; accept answers that indicate being smuggled or trafficked to the United States; accept answers that describe crossing the United States-Mexico Border; prompt on immigration by asking "to where?"; prompt on smuggling migrants or trafficking migrants by asking "for what purpose?"] (The first line refers to the New Light Darien Foundation.)
Q: In this state, Eleazar Wheelock founded the last of the so-called "colonial colleges" in 1769. Textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution led to the development of this state's two largest cities, Nashua and Manchester. This state's Presidential Range of the White Mountains boasts the tallest peak in the northeastern United States. This state's town of Hanover is the location of an Ivy League university, (*) Dartmouth. This state's fifteen mile coastline includes the city where Theodore Roosevelt signed a treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War. This state makes up Massachusetts's northern border along with Vermont, and is the only state to share a border with Maine. For 10 points, Portsmouth is located in what New England State with capital at Concord?
A: New Hampshire
Q: Madagascar's famine has been exacerbated by events of this type known as tiomena, which gain their characteristic red tint from iron-rich laterite. Outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis in its namesake "belt" correlate with increased instances of these events during the Harmattan. The Bodele Depression of Lake Chad feeds many of these events whose simoom variety can overwhelm the sweating response causing sudden (*) heatstroke. Thunderstorms may accompany instances of these events known as haboobs. They're not floods, but these events form the majority of loess deposits. Pneumonia and silicosis may result from excessive exposure to these events that, in Africa, provide enriching nutrients to the Amazon Basin. For 10 points, the Sahara is plagued by what events characterized by loose particles of earth blown by strong winds?
A: sandstorms [or dust storms; accept SDS; accept simooms or simoon until read; accept haboob; accept answers indicating clouds of dust or sand or dirt or silt or clay or soil blown by strong winds; prompt on storms or wind by asking "what is the storm/wind carrying?"]
Q: This region includes much of the district of Oromia, whose Bale Mountains contain a population of Simien Wolves. This region also contains the Ogaden Plateau, which has been a site of breakaway insurgents in recent years. The easternmost tip of this region is Cape Guardafui and its easternmost section is the region of Puntland. Off its coast lies the Socotra archipelago. To the north of this area are the Bab al-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden, while to its south is the Indian Ocean. For 10 points, name this region of Africa containing Somalia and Ethiopia.
A: Horn of Africa [accept Ethiopia or Abyssinia until "Cape"]
Q: This region includes an archipelago to the west which is separated from the mainland by the North Minch, along with an island with volcanic plugs such as the Old Man of Storr, as well as Dunvegan Castle. On its southern border are the Cheviot Hills, while its highest peak lies in the Grampians. That peak is Ben Nevis. Waterways in this region include the Solway and Moray Firths, as well as the River Clyde, which runs past Glasgow. Its Caledonian Canal links several of its lakes, including Loch Ness. Its capital is Edinburgh. For 10 points, name this region north of England which is part of the United Kingdom.
A: Scotland [prompt on United Kingdom, Great Britain, or Hebrides before "Cheviot," accept Alba]
Q: While coming down from the first ascent of this mountain, Douglas Hadow slipped and carried 3 others to their death with him. The only survivors of that expedition to climb this mountain were Edward Whymper and two Zermatt guides. The founder of alpinism, Horace-Benedict de Saussure, mapped its Klein peak. Over 500 climbers have died trying to ascend this mountain's four faces. This mountain is believed to have been the inspiration for a Disneyland bobsled ride in Anaheim as well as the chocolate (*) Toblerone. The similarly sounding Hornli ridge is often used to traverse this mountain in the Pennine Alps subrange. It is located in between the Aosta Valley region of Italy and the Valais canton. For 10 points, name this Swiss mountain in the Alps, perhaps the most famous in all of Europe.
A: Matterhorn
Q: The Sierra de la Giganta runs down this region's southern portions, and its Vizcaino Desert is home to a subspecies of Pronghorn Antelope. To its east is Angel de la Guarda Island, while to its west is Cedros Island, as well as an island which used to be infested with goats, Guadalupe Island. Ferries travel between Mazatlan and this region's city of La Paz, and its southernmost point is Cabo San Lucas. Other cities include Mexicali and one just south of San Diego, Tijuana. It separates the Gulf of California from the Pacific Ocean. For 10 points, name this peninsula on the west coast of Mexico.
A: Baja California [accept Baja California Sur until "Guarda"]
Q: This country's southern portion includes the Bolovens Plateau, and like the region of Nong Khai across the Mekong, the area around this country's capital is sometimes home to Naga Fireballs. it contains a region full of huge ancient stone containers, the Plain of Jars. The Annamese Cordillera runs along the eastern border of this nation. Large areas in this country are still filled with unexploded mines from this country's Secret War. The Mekong flows past a city which was once the capital of Lan Xang, Louangphrabang. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian country with a capital at Vientiane.
A: Laos [or Lao People's Democratic Republic]
Q: The Firehole and Gibbon Rivers feed into the headwaters of this river. A famous explorer named a tributary of this river after the dairy-like appearance of its waters. This river flows through Williston, a city located on the oil-rich Bakken Formation. The longest tributary of this river diverges into North and South branches with the latter providing much of eastern Colorado. In addition to the (*) Platte River, another "little" branch of this river arises from Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota. The source of this river is in Three Forks, Montana, seen by Lewis and Clark in 1805. This river passes through Omaha and Kansas City before reaching its mouth just north of St. Louis. For 10 points, name this longest river in North America, part of a namesake river system with the Mississippi.
A: Missouri River [accept Madison River until "dairy-like"]
Q: This archipelago includes the eastern banks of Mouchoir, Silver, and Navidad. Its large southern island of Great Inagua is home to a monstrous colony of American Flamingoes. Several of its larger northern islands contain pineyard ecosystems, as do the Caicos Islands. Islands in this group include Great Abaco, Cat, and Eleuthera. The Tongue of the Ocean separates its tripartite Andros Island from the Exuma Cays and New Providence Island. The nation named for these islands has its capital at Nassau. For 10 points, name this archipelago north of Cuba and east of Florida.
A: Bahamas
Q: This body of water is crossed by the Aurora, one of two E-Ferries utilized by the ForSea, formerly HH, company which serves one of the busiest ferry crossings in the world. Human activities have allowed hobo spiders and rabbits to establish populations on this body's artificial island of Peberholm, whose bridge was a theme of Eurovision 2013. The Drogden tunnel crosses under this body of water. Two observatories once operated by Tycho Brahe are being reconstructed on this body's island of (*) Hven. Santiago Calatrava constructed the world's [emphasize] second twisting skyscraper adjacent to this body, the Turning Torso. Eric of Pomerania instituted dues named for this strait, which separates the cities of Helsingborg and Elsinore. A hybrid bridge connecting Scania to Zealand crosses, for 10 points, what strait that separates the Swedish city of Malmo from Copenhagen?
A: Øresund [or Oresund; accept the Sound; accept the Sound Dues or Sound Tolls or Øresundstolden; prompt on Baltic Sea; prompt on Danish Straits; reject "Denmark Strait" or "Danish Strait"]
Q: A peninsula on the east coast of this location is named after French explorer Louis de Freycinet. This non-US state is home to Savage River National Park, which is located in a heavily forested area known as the Tarkine. The Derwent River flows through this state's capital before emptying into Storm Bay. In 1996, Martin Bryant massacred thirty-five people in this state's city of Port Arthur. A carnivorous relative of the now-extinct thylacine is endemic to this (*) island. The first Europeans to reach this island named it Van Diemen's Land. The Bass Strait separates this island from the state of Victoria to the north. Hobart is the capital of, for 10 points, what Australian island-state home to a namesake devil?
A: Tasmania [accept Van Diemen's Land before "state"]
Q: This state includes the northern peaks of the Guadalupe Mountains, an ancient reef. It also contains the western half of the Llano Estacado. Parks in its northwest region include the misnamed Aztec Ruins, Petroglyph, and Chaco Culture, and Shiprock is a large exposed needle-like rock in this state. Its highest point is Wheeler Peak, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and the Pecos River originates in this state. The Trinity Site is located in a missile range surrounding its White Sands National Monument, and it also contains Carlsbad Caverns. Its largest city is Albuquerque. For 10 points, name this U.S. state whose capital is Santa Fe.
A: State of New Mexico
Q: This river's excess water is sent to Lake al-Habbaniyyah and Lake al-Milh. It is formed by the Karasu and Murat rivers and runs through the Taurus Mountains. It forms the western border of the Jazirah region, and five canals built by the Sassanids diverted some of its water to the east. Dams on it include the Ataturk, and it forms Lake al-Asad in Syria. It joins with another river to the east at the village of al-Qurnah to form the Shatt al-Arab, which flows into the Persian Gulf. For 10 points, name this river of Mesopotamia, often paired with the Tigris.
A: Euphrates River
Q: The southern part of this island is dominated by the Taiheiyo Belt, an extremely populated urban corridor that stretches for over 700 miles. The Kisho and Hida mountain ranges span the center of this island, and encompass an "Alps" named for the country they are located in. This island's city of Sendai suffered catastrophic damage from a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011. The Tsugaru Strait separates it from an island to its north, (*) Hokkaido. This island includes over three-fourths of its country's "ken", or prefectures. Much of this island's population lives in sprawling megalopolises that extend from cities like Nagoya, Osaka, and Yokohama. For 10 points, name this primary island of Japan, which contains its capital of Tokyo.
A: Honshu
Q: The mythology of one people in this region features a battle between the gods Chikara and Bux. Those hunter-gatherer San people have lived in this region for 20,000 years. The Dragon's Breath Cave is in this desert, which houses the largest non-subglacial underground lake on the planet. This region's name is derived from the Tswana word Kgala, meaning " the great thirst." The Makgadikagadi ["mack-ga-deek-ga-DEE"] and Etosha (*) salt pans are located in this region. This region's Okavango River forms a unique inland delta after passing through Angola. This region is located east of the Namib Desert. For ten points, name this desert covering large parts of Botswana and Namibia.
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: This location's name comes from the Miwok tribe, which was driven out by settlers in the 19th century. Galen Clark was the first Englishman to discover a hidden grove of trees at this location, which he would work to preserve for the next 24 years. Mount Lyell of the Cathedral Range is the tallest peak in this region. That range is immediately south of the Tuolumne River, which was dammed at (*) Hetch Hetchy Valley despite the opposition of John Muir. He headed a movement to turn this region into a national park, which Theodore Roosevelt approved in 1890. Ansel Adams photographed this park's Half Dome and El Capitan monoliths. For 10 points, name this national park in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, not be confused with the also scenic Yellowstone National Park.
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: Confidence tricks in this country include the "zig zag," in which tourists are falsely accused of shoplifting in airports, and the "tailor" scam, in which tourists buy low-quality suits. To attract tourists, this country's taxis use stickers that proclaim "I ♥ ("heart") farang." Overpriced jewelry stores are visited as part of the prevalent "gem scam" in this country, in which tourists are tricked into all-day, cheap (*) tuk-tuk rides. Scammers may claim that the Grand Palace is closed in this country's capital, where floating markets like Tailing Chan rest on canals diverted from the Chao Phraya River. People who identify as kathoey ("ka-TUH-ee") work at go-go bars in this country's red-light districts of Patpong and Soi Cowboy, which cater to foreign sex tourists. For 10 points, tourists can visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in what country's capital of Bangkok?
A: Thailand [or Kingdom of Thailand or Prathet Thai or Ratcha Anachak Thai] (Farang translates as "white-skinned foreigner.")
Q: The crashing of waves against this body of water's continental shelf is likely the source of a mysterious 26-second microseism first discovered by Jack Oliver. The dumping of toxic waste at ports adjacent to this body is exemplified by the 2006 dumping of the Probo Koala's load and the accumulation of foreign E-waste at Agbogbloshie. The islands of Annobon and Corisco reside in this body, which stretches from Cape Lopez to Cape Palma. The Deep Blue Project was launched to combat (*) petrol-piracy in this body by President Muhammadu Buhari. A landless region known as Null Island marks the intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian in this body. For 10 points, the islands of Bioko, Sao Tome, and Principe lie within what large African gulf that contains the Bights of Biafra and Benin?
A: Gulf of Guinea [accept Guinea after "gulf" is read; prompt on South Atlantic Ocean; accept Bight of Benin until "Probo Koala" is read and prompt afterward; prompt on Bight of Biafra until read] (Bioko, Sao Tome, and Principe form the Cameroon Line.)
Q: In this city, Hans Imhoff purchased a failing Stollwerck factory to create a Chocolate Museum. Rudolf Schwarz dubbed this city the "world's greatest heap of rubble" after it was bombed during Operation Millennium. A randomly generated, pixelated window was installed in this city in 2007 by Gerhard Richter. Along with Mainz and Trier, this city's archbishop served as an elector in the Holy Roman Empire. Konrad (*) Adenauer was the Weimar-era mayor of this city, which shares an airport with Bonn. Reliquaries to St. Ursula and the Three Kings are housed in a church in this city that was completed in 1880 after construction began in 1248. After Ulm, the second tallest Gothic cathedral in Europe is located in, for 10 points, what city on the Rhine that names a type of perfume?
A: Cologne [or Koln or Kolle]
Q: This city's old city hall building, which now serves as this city's main library, was built in the Imperial Crown Style; directly behind it stands the modern city hall, which resembles a large wave about to engulf the old building. In this city, Zaha Hadid designed the DDP, a neofuturistic cultural that boasts a flat, fluid body with 45,000 uniquely curved gray panels that glisten at night. This city's 63 Building boasts a gold-plated curtain wall design, whose side profile was structured to resemble the symbol for human. A building roofed with cyan tiles called the (*) Blue House in this city was built in the traditional style with a blend of modern elements to serve as the presidential residence until it was opened to the public in 2022. For 10 points, the Lotte World Tower soars over the Jamsil Neighborhood of what capital city of South Korea?
A: Seoul [or Seoul Special City or Seoul Teugbyeolsi]
Q: This city's Paseo de la Reform is home to the "Angel of Independence" victory column and runs through Chapultepec Park. Overlooked by the mound volcano Ajusco [ah-HOO-skoh], this city north of (*) Puebla was built on an island in Lake Texcoco over the sacked ruins of Tenochtitlan; as a result, the artificial valley prevents wind from clearing out heavy smog. The most populous North American city is, for 10 points, what capital city?
A: Mexico City (accept Ciudad de Mexico)
Q: This city's oldest hospital was funded by Governor MacQuarie's imported rum. The world's tallest steel arch bridge spans this city's harbor just northwest of Bennelong Point, home to a Jorn Utzon-designed building with seven white concrete (*) shells. This city lies on Botany Bay, where, in 1770, James Cook landed the HMS Endeavour. For 10 points, name this home to a notable Opera House, the capital of New South Wales and most populous city in Australia.
A: Sydney
Q: This country's Amalienborg Palace is a winter home for its royal family. Part of this country's capital is on the island of Amager, where the Oresund Bridge connects it to Malmo, though most of the capital, including (*) Tivoli Gardens, lies on the island of Zealand. The Jutland peninsula is home to, for 10 points, what European country north of Germany with capital Copenhagen?
A: Kingdom of Denmark
Q: A royal residence and monastery 30 miles north of this city is named El Escorial. A monument at Atocha station memorializes a terrorist attack in this city, where economic protestors have recently occupied this city's (*) Plaza Mayor [plaza mah-YOR] and Puerta del Sol. A 2004 Al-Qaeda train bombing killed 191 people in, for 10 points, what city, home to the Prado art museum, which Philip II named as capital of Spain?
A: Madrid
Q: An island country in this body of water was called Tylos by the Greeks when it was part of the Achaemenid dynasty; the modern-day country on that island has capital Manama. The (*) Shatt al-Arab drains into this body of water, which is connected by the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Bahrain lies in, and Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates lie on, for 10 points, what Middle Eastern gulf?
A: Persian Gulf
Q: The Bay of Puck indents the coast of this country, and its southern border features the Western Tatras mountains. The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad has this country on its southern border. Part of this country's western border is formed by the (*) Oder River, and its longest river is the Vistula, which flows into the Baltic Sea near Gdansk. For 10 points, name this country that lies east of Germany with capital Warsaw.
A: Republic of Poland (accept Rzeczpospolita Polska)
Q: This species used Mousterian tools made of flint and may have held burial ceremonies. This species was shorter than Cro-Magnons, with whom they co-existed, but they probably did not interbreed. This species became extinct, possibly due to climate change, roughly 30,000 years ago. (*) Heavy brows and sloping foreheads were features of, for 10 points, what species closely related to modern humans that was named for a valley in Germany?
A: Neanderthals or Neandertals (accept Homo Neanderthalensis; accept Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis)
Q: Ukraine is controversially planning to reopen the Bystroe Channel by digging out wetlands in this river's delta. This river passes through the Devin Gate and, downstream, the Iron Gate gorge on the Romanian-Serbian border. This river, which empties into the (*) Black Sea, passes through Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade--the most capital cities of any river. For 10 points, name this central European river, the second-longest in Europe.
A: Danube River
Q: Halla-san is a volcano in this nation's southernmost province, the island of Jeju. This country plans to move government facilities to a new "special autonomous city," Sejong. This country's largest port, north of Tsushima Island, is the southern city of (*) Busan, while the northern city of Incheon is near a de-militarized zone crossing the 38th Parallel. For 10 points, name this peninsular Asian nation with capital Seoul.
A: South Korea (accept Republic of Korea; accept Han'guk or Taehan-min'guk; prompt on Korea before "nation;" do not accept Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
Q: This city's Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn, an inlet of the Bosporus that passes by the Topkapi Palace. The Sea of Marmara splits this city into Thracian and Anatolian regions in Europe and Asia, respectively, and religious buildings in this city include the (*) Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. For 10 points, name this city once known as Byzantium and Constantinople, the largest city in Turkey.
A: Istanbul
Q: A hiking trail to this site goes through "Dead Woman's Pass," and this site includes the Room of the Three Windows. This site, built as an estate for Pachacuti in the 15th century northwest of the capital city Cuzco, is situated high in a (*) Peruvian mountain range. For 10 points, name this "lost city of the Incan Empire" introduced to New World scholars by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
A: Machu Picchu
Q: The Capsian people lived in the northern foothills of this mountain range. This range, whose easternmost subrange is the Aures Mountains, was home to an extinct species of bear, the only bear native to the continent. It is south of the Rif Mountains, and its highest peak, (*) Jebel Toubkal, is visible from Marrakesh, Morocco. For 10 points--name this North African mountain range named for a Titan who held up the heavens.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: The southern side of this state includes Buzzards Bay, and its highest point is Mount Greylock. It includes a former textile hub in its city of Lowell, and this state's city of Waltham is home to (*) Brandeis University. Its city of Springfield lies on the Connecticut River. This state includes Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and its Charles River flows by Harvard. For 10 points, name this state that is home to Cape Cod and Boston.
A: Massachusetts
Q: The town of Moshi lies on the south slopes of this mountain, which Douglas Adams climbed in a rhino suit for charity. The highest of this mountain's three cones, Kibo Peak, is a dormant volcano that has (*) lost a significant portion of its ice cap in recent years. It is located roughly 300 miles southeast of Lake Victoria on the border between Kenya and Tanzania. For 10 points, name this tallest mountain in Africa.
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: This city is home to the cylindrically-shaped Hirshhorn Art Museum, just west of the National Museum of the American Indian on Independence Avenue. Robert Mills and Maya Lin designed memorials in this city, which lies on the junction of the (*) Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. Eleven of the Smithsonian Institution's museums are on the National Mall in this city, west of the Capitol Building. For 10 points, name this city, home of the White House.
A: Washington, D.C. (or District of Columbia, prompt on "D.C.")
Q: This country lies southeast of Mayotte, a French departement that is claimed by Comoros. While it itself was under French control, this country became known as the Malagasy Republic for two decades before its full independence. This fourth largest (*) island in the world is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. For 10 points, name this African island nation with capital Antananarivo, home to many lemurs.
A: Madagascar
Q: A city of this name contains theLa Aurora Cigar Factory and is the most populous in the region of El Cibao (ayl see-BAO). With "de los Caballeros" (kah-bah-YAIR-ohs), this is the name of the second most populous city in the Dominican Republic. This word precedes "de Cuba" in the name of the second most populous city of (*) Cuba. The Mapocho River flows through a Latin American city of this name that is a national executive and judiciary capital, though the legislature convenes in nearby Valparaiso (VAHL-pah-rah-EE-soh). "Saint James" is the meaning of, for 10 points, what name of the capital of Chile?
A: Santiago [or Santiago de los Caballeros; or Santiago de Cuba]
Q: The beginning of Permian-Triassic extinction at the end of the Capitanian stage was marked by the eruption of the Emeishan traps in this province. The largest building in the world by floor space was opened in this province in 2013 and is named the New Century Global Centre. The Tianfu New Area in this province will be home to a new airport to reduce congestion at the nearby Shuangliu Airport. This province's Wolong National Nature Reserve contains China's national Giant (*) Panda Research Lab. The confluence of the Min and Dadu rivers in this province is the site of the largest Buddha statue in the world at Leshan. This province was China's most populous until 1997 after Chongqing separated from it. For 10 points, name this province with capital at Chengdu that suffered a massive earthquake in 2008 and is the namesake of a popular spicy cuisine.
A: Sichuan [or Szechuan]
Q: A National Recreation Area named for this landmark includes Fort Baker and the Headlands Center for the Arts. The Battery Spencer trail leads to a series of vantage points that overlook this landmark. This landmark, designed by Joseph Strauss, lies partially in (*) Marin (muh-RIN) County. Irving Morrow selected a sea salt-resistant paint that now characterizes this landmark's "international orange" color. Emperor Norton repeatedly urged the construction of, for 10 points, what suspension bridge which spans a namesake strait near San Francisco?
A: Golden Gate Bridge
Q: This state's Arbuckle Mountains are famed for their waterfalls. Even though this state is several hundred miles away from the Canadian border, it contains most of the Canadian River. This is the easternmost of the three states that contain Black Mesa and the westernmost of the two that contain the Ouachita Mountains. This state's border with its Southern neighbor is formed by the (*) Red River. The city of Norman is home to this state's main public university, and this state's Chickasaw National Recreation Area is named for one of the Native American tribes that was relocated here during the Trail of Tears. For 10 points, name this state home to the city of Tulsa.
A: Oklahoma
Q: In this city, Henry Bacon designed a Centennial Monument that can be viewed on walking tours of its historic Logan Boulevard. This city's streets were redesigned in the Burnham Plan, which called for upper and lower levels to be built into this city's Wacker Drive. Upscale shops are located along the (*) Magnificent Mile of this city's Michigan Avenue. An elevated railway that runs along Lake Street in this city is nicknamed "The Loop." Lake Shore Drive runs through this city. For 10 points, name this metropolis in Illinois.
A: Chicago
Q: This province became a colony shortly after the 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. Over a thousand residents of the Downtown Eastside neighborhood were evicted before this province's Expo 86. This province, the sixth to join confederation, developed its fur-trading posts into the cities of Kamloops and (*) Nanaimo (nah-NAI-moh). This province's Kwakiutl (KWAH-kee-oo-tul) and Tsimshian (SIM-shee-an) peoples faced discrimination during the development of a city that later hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. An 18th-century British explorer names, for 10 points, what province's city of Vancouver?
A: British Columbia
Q: Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo moved these things in ropes as part of an experiment. One of these things nicknamed "stolen friend" is on display at the British Museum. These things can include pukao(poo-KOW) and sometimes have petroglyphs referencing aspects of the (*) "birdman" cult. Following the arrival of Jacob Roggeveen (YAH-kohb ROH-gev-en) and the subsequent spread of disease, these objects were no longer constructed at Rano Raraku (RAH-noh rah-RAH-koo) and were toppled one by one by the Rapa Nui (RAH-pah NOO-ee). For 10 points, name these stone monuments depicting giant heads on Easter Island.
A: moai [or Easter Island statues until "Easter Island" is read; or Easter Island heads until "Easter Island" is read]
Q: This city's construction was the largest component of the "Fifty Years in Five" initiative and was overseen by the agency NOVACAP. This city's construction largely took place under president Juscelino Kubitschek (joo-say-LEEN koo-bish-EK). Roberto Burle Marx and Lucio Costa planned this city, whose buildings designed by (*) Oscar Niemeyer appeared on the widest road in the world, known as the "Monumental Axis." This city took over administrative functions from Rio de Janeiro in 1960. For 10 points, name this planned capital of Brazil.
A: Brasilia
Q: Hoards of jewelry were discovered at a civilization near this feature at Kunal. The first site near this feature to be genetically tested was at Rakhigarhi (RAH-kee-GAR-hee), which was excavated with Lohari Ragho (lo-HAH-ree RAH-goh). Remains of domesticated chickens were found at Lothal near this river, which was where Mortimer Wheeler excavated the (*) "Great Bath." A figurine called "Dancing Girl" was unearthed near this river, whose valley contains over 1,400 archaeological sites. For 10 points, name this South Asian river at which archaeologists analyzed Harappa (huh-RAH-pah) and Mohenjo-daro (moh-HEN-joh DAH-roh).
A: Indus River [or Sindhu River; or Mehran River; or Hydaspes River; or Jhelum River]
Q: Kestrel Valley, a major nature preserve with 6 endemic species and a wide range of birds, is located in the southeast of this country. Le Morne Brabant, a UNESCO World Heritage site that highlights the impact of slavery, overlooks this country's (*) underwater waterfall on its southern tip. The MV Wakashio, a Japanese oil ship, ran aground near this country and spilled 1,000 metric tonnes of oil near a lagoon, making it one of the worst environmental disasters in the West Indian Ocean. The coat of arms for this country features a now-extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island. It's not Reunion, but for 10 points, name this island nation that gained its independence in 1968 from Great Britain, located off the coast of Madagascar.
A: The Republic of Mauritius [do NOT prompt, accept, or otherwise indicate anything if they say Mauritania] [ITLOS is the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea]
Q: A city in this state houses the home of Juliette Gordon Low, who founded the Girl Scouts in this state. An annual onion festival occurs in this state's city of Vidalia. Bonaventure Cemetery and Forsyth Park are historic sites in a city in this state whose baseball team, the (*) Bananas, uses unique rules. This state's capital includes the High Museum of Art and Centennial Olympic Park, which was created for the 1996 Olympics. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Savannah and Atlanta.
A: Georgia
Q: The historic region of Demerara in this country lends its name to a variety of dark rum and a type of partly-refined sugar. The vast majority of the drainage basin of the Essequibo (ay-say-KEE-boh) River lies in this country. This country's Atlantic coast lies between Venezuela to the west and (*) Suriname to the east. This country, which gained independence from the U.K. in the 1960s, is governed from Georgetown. For 10 points, name this country, not to be confused with a nearby, similarly-named "French" overseas department in South America.
A: Guyana [Co-operative Republic of Guyana]
Q: This country's second-largest city is centered around the Vauban-designed Petrovaradin Fortress. That city and its adjoining town of Srem were destroyed during the Revolutions of 1848. A "New" district of this country's capital is located across the Sava River and contains the entertainment district of Filmski Grad. That city was founded around the Roman settlement of Singidunum. It's not Ukraine, but one autonomous region of this country has six official languages, including Rusyn and (*) Aromanian. This country's city of Raska was its ancient capital, and its city of Novi Sad is the capital of its autonomous region of Vojvodina. For 10 points, name this Eastern European country that claims Kosovo as its territory, and has its capital at Belgrade.
A: Serbia
Q: This nation's official language is Amharic, though Oromo is spoken by more of its people. The ancient capital of the Kingdom of Axum is in this modern-day country, which became the most populous landlocked country in the world in 1993 when (*) Eritrea declared independence from it. Djibouti lies between this country and the Gulf of Aden on the Arabian Sea. For 10 points, name this country on the Horn of Africa with capital at Addis Ababa.
A: Ethiopia
Q: The city is home to a federal university on Fundao Island and Tijuca Forest National Park. A 98-foot tall statue tops this city's Corcovado Mountain, found just northwest of the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches and just west of Sugarloaf Mountain. The (*) Rio Maracana flows through this city, which is home to Christ the Redeemer. For 10 points, name this host of the 2016 Summer Olympics that, behind Sao Paulo, is Brazil's second largest city.
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: This nation's port cities include Valparaiso and Antofagasta, the latter of which was invaded for its nitrate and copper resources to begin the War of the Pacific. This country is home to Easter Island and the incredibly dry (*) Atacama Desert, which lies in a rain shadow west of the Andes Mountains. This country's border with Argentina runs for 3,300 miles, north to south. For 10 points, name this South American country with capital at Santiago.
A: Chile
Q: This city is home to the Tsing Ma Bridge, and more than 100,000 people live on its Lantau Island. This city, south of Shenzhen on the Kowloon Peninsula, was ceded to Britain in the Treaty of Nanking. This large city on the Pearl River Delta lies east of (*) Macau, a "Special Administrative Region" like this city. For 10 points, name this city, which has existed as "one country with two systems" since it was transferred to Chinese ownership in 1997.
A: Hong Kong
Q: Avulsion is causing the Atchafalaya River to gain volume from this river. One bend in this river forms an exclave of Fulton County, Kentucky, and it was said to flow backward during the New Madrid [MAA-drid] earthquake. Its headwaters are at (*) Lake Itasca, and it is joined at Cairo [kay- roh], Illinois by the Ohio River. New Orleans lies near the end of the 2,300 mile long journey of, for 10 points, what longest river in the United States?
A: Mississippi River
Q: Cities in this country include the capital of the IOC, Lausanne, and Davos, which is home to the annual World Economic Forum. It includes Romansh as one of four official languages, and its states, known as cantons, include (*) Lucerne, Geneva, and Zurich. The Matterhorn lies on this country's southern border with Italy. The International Red Cross is based in, for 10 points, what famously neutral Alpine country with capital Bern?
A: Switzerland
Q: The last words of one person to die exploring this location were "I am just going outside and may be some time." This region was the subject of the failed Nimrod and Endurance Expeditions, led by Sir Ernest (*) Shackleton, as well as the Terra Nova Expedition, which ended with the death of Robert Scott. For 10 points, name this continent on which, in December 1911, Roald Amundsen's team first reached the South Pole.
A: Antarctica
Q: This city is home to the City Lights Bookstore and a music festival on its Treasure Island. Its Telegraph Hill is just south of Fisherman's Wharf. Its Haight-Ashbury district was a center of hippie culture in the (*) 1960's, and its bay was once home to a federal prison on Alcatraz Island. For 10 points, name this California city across the bay from Oakland, the home of cable cars and the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco
Q: The "Ballroom of Death" and the "Popcorn Field" are treacherous areas on the path through this mountain's Khumbu Icefall. The South Col is a pass from Lhotse to this mountain within the "death zone" over (*) 8,000 meters. An April 2014 avalanche on this mountain killed sixteen Sherpa guides. For 10 points, name this peak in the Himalayas first summited by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, the tallest mountain in the world.
A: Mount Everest
Q: South Padre Island lies just north of the mouth of this river near the city of Matamoros. This river meanders through, and inspires the name of, Big Bend National Park. Cities on it include Brownsville, Laredo, and (*) El Paso, the last of which lies across this river from Ciudad Juarez. For 10 points, name this river, also known as the Rio Bravo, that forms the border between Texas and Mexico and whose name is Spanish for "Big River."
A: Rio Grande (accept Rio Bravo before mentioned)
Q: The puranas recount the churning of one of these things made out of milk which represents an awakening. Jorgumandr [YORE-mun-gahn-dur], the Midgardian Serpent, was thrown into one of these places by Odin. Izanagi dipped his spear into one of these locations to create Japan's islands. At the end of The Republic the city of (*) Atlantis falls into one of these geographical features. For 10 points, name these domains which are ruled by the likes of Neptune.
A: oceans (Accept obvious equivalents like sea)
Q: This nation controls Mawson Peak, an active volcano on Heard Island near Antarctica. One feature off its coast stretches from Lady Elliot Island to the Torres Strait. This continent's Snowy Mountains contain its highest point, Mount Kosciuszko [koh-SHOO-skoh], and its east is split by the Great (*) Dividing Range. This continent contains Ayers Rock, a massive rock formation called Uluru by the Aborigines. The Great Barrier Reef surrounds, for 10 points, what island continent?
A: Australia
Q: A "Southern" group with this name contains Aoraki, or Mount Cook, in New Zealand. Karl Blodig climbed all major "four-thousanders" in the European range of this name. Lakes Lucerne and (*) Geneva, as well as the origins of the Rhone and the Rhine Rivers, are found in this range. Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn are tall peaks in, for ten points, what mountain range on the border between Switzerland and Italy?
A: Alps (accept Southern Alps)
Q: In this state, the Imperial Canal became blocked, forcing the creation of the Salton Sea. The General Sherman stands 275 feet tall over this state, which includes the western shores of Lake (*) Tahoe and west slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Sequoia National Park is in, for 10 points, what state where animal bones are preserved in the La Brea tar pits in downtown Los Angeles?
A: California
Q: This city is home to the Po Lin Monastery and is connected to its airport on Chek Lap Kok Island by the Lantau Link, which includes the Tsing Ma Bridge. The Peak Tram is featured on this city's currency, which is more common in Macau than Macau's own currency. The Bank of (*) China Tower is in, for ten points, what city on Victoria Harbor, a Special Administrative Region of China that was a British colony until July 1997?
A: Hong Kong
Q: The flooding of this river creates seasonal varzea forests. A cliff on Nevado Mismi is the source of this river, which is called the Solimoes [soh-lee-MOYSH] until it meets the Rio Negro at Manaus. This river, whose delta nearly reaches (*) French Guiana, is the namesake habitat for a pink river dolphin. For ten points, name this massive South American river that flows through the largest rainforest on Earth.
A: Amazon River (accept Solimoes River until mention)
Q: By passing through this waterway at the Camarinal Sill, the Zanclean Flood ended a salinity crisis. Jebel Musa, just west of Ceuta [thay-oo-tah], is thought to be one of the "Pillars of (*) Hercules" on the southern side of this waterway. A proposed tunnel connecting Spain and Morocco would travel under, for ten points, what strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea?
A: Strait of Gibraltar
Q: Two answers required. In these two cities, Gerard Krefft curated Darwinist exhibits to advance the "new museum idea." Masons' strikes in these cities won the first eight-hour workday. 10 percent of flights between these two cities are canceled by "slot hoarding." Teetotalers ("tee-totalers") stayed at "coffee palaces" in these two cities for rival expos at the Garden Palace and Royal Exhibition Building. The potato farmer Cliff Young won Westfield's ultramarathon between these two cities, which host the two oldest "verdant universities" and "sandstone universities." The crime show Underbelly featured both of these cities' "gangland wars." "Magic" coffee in one of these cities led Auckland or the other to create the flat white. These two cities respectively founded the AFL and National Rugby League and hosted the 1956 and 2000 Olympics. For 10 points, name these largest cities in Australia.
A: Melbourne AND Sydney [accept answers in either order; accept Narrm, Port Phillip, Melburnians, or University of Melbourne in place of "Melbourne"; accept Port Jackson, Sydneysiders, University of Sydney, or Sydney Uni in place of "Sydney"] (La Trobe and Macquarie are the oldest verdant universities.)
Q: In ancient times, the southern shore of this sea was split between Pontus, Paphlagonia, and Bithynia. The Strait of Kerch connects it to the oil-rich Sea of Azov, surrounding a peninsula home to (*) Yalta and Sevastopol. The Dniester [NEE-stur], Dnieper [NYE-pur], and Danube Rivers flow into the west shores of this sea. The Crimean Peninsula juts into, for ten points, what Asian sea north of Turkey?
A: Black Sea
Q: This river lies south of the Karas Region, and near its mouth it is blocked by impassable rapids. Dams on it include the Gariep, named for the indigenous term for this river, as well as the Vanderkloof. The former dam is connected to the Great Fish River by a tunnel, so that this river's water can alleviate shortages elsewhere. The Augrabies Falls lie on it, and it empties into the Atlantic at Alexander Bay. This river flows south of Kimberley before meeting its largest tributary, the Vaal River. For 10 points, name this large river of Southern Africa.
A: Orange River
Q: Ayatollah Khomeini famously dismissed the idea that the price of this food caused Iran's revolution. A futuristic museum honors this food in Daxing ("dah-sheeng") District, Beijing, where consumers prize Xinjiang's Hami variety. A ruler born in Andijan who wept for joy to eat this food from Kabul ranked Akhsi's Mir Timur variety above Bukhara's in the Baburnama. Utility hikes by the Bakiyev ("bah-KEE-yeff") clan sparked an April 2010 revolution nicknamed for this food five years after the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan. A torpedo-shaped variety of these fruits inspired an August holiday created by Saparmurat Niyazov in Turkmenistan. These cucurbits ("kew-KER-bits") include the misleadingly named Armenian cucumber, waxy "winter" ones used in wife cakes, and orange Persian pepos named for their fragrance. For 10 points, the Silk Roads spread what rinded fruit's musk and honeydew varieties?
A: melons [accept watermelon, muskmelon, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, winter melon, gulobi melon, or other melon varieties; accept xigua, donggua, xiang gua, Hami gua, qovun, battikh, Citrullus, C. lanatus, Cucumis, or C. melo; accept Melon Revolution or Melon Day; prompt on gourds or cucurbits or Cucurbitaceae until "cucurbits" is read; reject "bitter melon"]
Q: Until the 2010s, this city's demographics made it "Test City, USA" for chains to premiere new products. Louie Simmons led Westside Barbell in this city, which hosts the Arnold Classic. The eccentric Circus House stands in this city's Victorian Village, which was served by streetcars with iconic arches. It's not located on a lake, but this city's former enclaves include German Village and Hungarian Village. This city hosts the largest Bhutanese-American community and ranks second after the Twin Cities for its Somali population in areas like Northland and the Short North. This city forms a combined statistical area with Zanesville and Marion, which houses the tomb of Warren G. Harding. This state capital grew around the Scioto ("sye-OH-tuh") River, the site of its Genoa Park and replica of the Santa Maria. For 10 points, OSU is located in what capital of Ohio?
A: Columbus, Ohio [or Columbus, OH; accept Cbus; accept Greater Columbus; accept Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area] (OSU is The Ohio State University.)
Q: Linnaeus's weak grasp of mythology led him to give one of these birds the species name Antigone. Invasive Mimosa plants threaten the wattled species of these birds, which flies from the Kafue ("kuh-FOO-eh") Flats to the Bale ("bah-lay") Mountains. Patuxent ("puh-TUCK-sint") Wildlife Center led the first ever artificial insemination program for an endangered species in these birds, whose 15 species at their International Foundation in Baraboo include a blue totem of Xhosa ("KOH-suh") warriors. Marie Antoinette named the demoiselle ("duh-mwah-ZELL") species of these birds, whose mort d'amour ("mor dah-MOOR") led Valmiki to invent shloka verse. The Siberian species of these birds winters at the shrinking Poyang Lake. Korea's DMZ protects one of these birds that represents Japan Air. Uganda's flag features their grey crowned species. For 10 points, Nebraska hosts the sandhill and whooping species of what birds that symbolize longevity in origami?
A: cranes [or Gruidae; accept Grus or Balearica; accept whooping cranes, sandhill cranes, grey crowned cranes, red-crowned cranes, sarus cranes, or other specific species; accept danding he, tanchozuru, zuru, or durumi; accept International Crane Foundation; prompt on Gruiformes or Grues]
Q: Black specks characterize the PGI bananas grown on Fyffes plantations in this archipelago, whose port city of Arguineguin ("ar-GEEN-ee-GEEN") has become an ad hoc camp for migrants. Apollo 17 astronauts trained near the Fire Mountains in Timanfaya National Park in this archipelago, which is the most populous archipelago in Macaronesia ("mah-cah-ro-NEE-shuh"). In a 2019 Romanian film, mobsters travel to this archipelago to learn (*) "silbo," a whistle language used by its indigenous Guanche people. Half of this archipelago is governed by the province of Las Palmas. These islands south of the Madeira Islands were the last Old World stopping point on Columbus's voyages. For 10 points, Tenerife is part of what Spanish-controlled islands off the northwest African coast?
A: Canary Islands [or Islas Canarias; accept Canaries; prompt on Spain or the Atlantic before "Madeira Islands" is read]
Q: This country is home to the exclaves of Sokh and Shakhrimardan, the latter of which is among several candidates for the final resting place of 'Ali. The now abandoned city of Kantubek, located on a former island called Tiklanish orollari, was once home to a bioweapons facility, and is near to the city of Moynaq, home to an abandoned fishing fleet. One of its most important cities, supposedly founded by Shem, is home to the renowned Ichon-Qala walled city, and most of its great cities were conquered by Cherniaev and Kaufman. Among the former states in this modern day country was the Khanate of Kokand, and the eastern city of Andijan was the site of recent troubles. Home to cities such as Namangan, Urgench, Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand, for ten points, name this Central Asian country with capital at Tashkent.
A: Uzbekistan
Q: In 1972, its military occupied the micronation Republic of Minerva which had created an artificial island on a nearby reef. This was two years after the nation lost its protectorate status and joined the Commonwealth of Nations. Settled first during the Lapita migration, this South Pacific archipelago nation consists of 169 islands, 36 of them inhabited. Lying roughly 200 miles east of Fiji, it was struck by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in May of 2006. For ten points, name this autochthonous monarchy with capital city Nuku'alofa.
A: The Kingdom of Tonga or Friendly Islands
Q: About 8 miles long and 6 square miles in size, this prairie lake contains the Porter and Lime depressions. On its shores are positioned Indian burial mounds of the same name. Physically, it is located in the Red Hills region and, the lake politically falls into Leon County where it is traversed near its southern tip by interstate 10. Animal life in the lake includes the snowy egret, least tern, and the American alligator. Thought to be the largest lake formed by sinkholes, a situation that can cause all of the water to drain from the lake into the Floridian aquifer, for ten points, name this lake located just north of Tallahassee that was named for a commander during the Seminole war.
A: Lake Jackson
Q: The Ruggles River is its only draining outflow, and it is home to Lake Hazen, the Grant Land Mountains, and Tanquary Fjord. This island's northernmost point is Cape Columbia, and its Mount Barbeau is the highest mountain in Eastern North America. It was first spotted by William Baffin in 1616, and its settlements include Grise Ford and the weather station and military outpost Alert. The largest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and the tenth largest island in the world, for 10 points name this northernmost island of Canada.
A: Ellesmere Island
Q: Cities in this county include Mingachevir, Sumqayit, Ganja and Naftalan, home to petroleum spas. Its highest point is Mount Bazarduzu and most of it is drained by the Kur River. During the middle ages, most of it was part of Shirvan, and its territory was formerly known as Arran in Armenian and Albania in the Graeco-Roman world. It controls the oil-rich Apsheron peninsula as well as the exclave of Nakhchivan. The country is 60% Shia and 40% Sunni, while Urmia and Tabriz are the capitals of the two provinces bearing its name in Iran. Currently ruled by Ilham Aliyev, who succeeded his father Heydar, FTP, name this Caucasian country whose capital is Baku.
A: Azerbaijan
Q: Its original name comes from the Kai Tahu word for cloud piercer and this peak has the Murchison glacier on its slopes along with the Hooker and Mueller Glaciers at its base. The first claimed European summit of the 12,000 foot triple peak was in 1882 and, nowadays it is popular among climbers and a village called the Hermitage was built at its base to accommodate them. Erosion of the mountain is problem because of the mountain's location in the Roaring Forties wind pattern. Formed by the collision of the Pacific and Australia-Indian tectonic plates, this mountain is located in the Southern Alps range and is the highest peak on its island. FTP name this mountain that can be denoted by an English or Maori name and is the highest in New Zealand.
A: Mount Cook or Aoraki or Aoraki/Mount Cook (this last is the official name)
Q: It is home to such wildly famous authors as Cola Debrot, Frank Martinus Arion, and Tip Marugg. Once a flourishing slave trade existed on this island, a fact attested to by the Kura Hulanda Museum, but now a large refinery built by Shell Oil dominates the economy. Its most famous export, however, remains a certain product made from dried Larahas. The largest city on the island is a UNESCO world heritage site and contains the oldest continually operating synagogue of the western hemisphere. That city, divided into the Punda and Otrabanda districts, is called Willemstad. For ten points, name this island which has scores of feral donkeys, is the namesake of a blue liqueur, and along with Aruba and Bonaire forms the ABC islands of the Dutch Antilles.
A: Curacao
Q: "Yellow blazers" is a derogatory term for "cheaters" in an area of this region developed by Benton MacKaye. In this region, a mixed-race people whose ancestors are hypothesized to be Turks and Sephardi Jews are known as the Melungeon ("muh-LOON-jin"). A landmark in this multi-state region named for a Confederate general is in the process of changing its name to Kuwahi. Places in this region like Lackawanna and Kanawha County are home to the largest (*) anthracite coal deposits in the world. A large influx of Scotch-Irish immigrants to this cultural region led to the development of its namesake "dulcimer," an instrument that, along with the fiddle and banjo, is used in this region's bluegrass music. Mount Mitchell is the highest point in, for 10 points, what cultural region in the eastern United States home to a namesake mountain range?
A: Appalachia [accept Appalachian Mountains; prompt on eastern United States before mentioned; prompt on Great Smoky Mountains] (The third line is Clingman's Dome.)
Q: This mountain range contains Captain Jack's Stronghold in Lava Beds National Monument. A mountain in this range contains the challenging Willis Wall. A cultural region named for this range uses the white, blue and green "Doug Flag," and a body of water in this range contains the "Phantom Ship" formation. The southernmost active volcano in this range is Lassen Peak. A national park in this range which contains (*) "The Old Man of the Lake" was formed from the collapse of Mount Mazama. Crater Lake is in this range, which was the site of a 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. For 10 points, Mount Rainier and Mount Hood are in which mountain range primarily in Washington and Oregon?
A: Cascades [or Cascade Range; or Cascade Mountains]
Q: The third-largest city and only major seaport of the state of this name is Salina Cruz, while other major cities include Huajuapan de Leon and Juchitan de Zaragoza. The state is known as the land of the Seven Moles (pron.: Moh-leh), while the city of this name sits at the site of the old Aztec fort of Huaxyaca in the junction of a Y-shaped valley of the same name. San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec is the second-largest city in the state, which borders Puebla and Gurrero to west, Veracruz to the north and Chiapas to the east. The center of the Zapotec civilization and the hometown of Benito Juarez, FTP identify this large southern Mexican state located in the Sierra Madre and its capital of the same name.
A: Oaxaca
Q: To its northwest is Adam's Bridge, a series of limestone shoals and a remnant of isthmus breached in 1480. Mountains here include the Knuckles Range and Adam's Peak, while major rivers include the Mahaweli and the Kelani. Its oldest inhabitants are generally believed to be the Wanniyala-Aetto, while another small group are the Burghers of mixed European blood, mainly Portuguese and Dutch. The largest inland city is Kandy, while other major cities include Galle in the south and Trincomalee in the east. Lying to the east of the Gulf of Mannar, It is a major tea-growing country, and the city of Jaffna lies in the north, on the shores of the Palk Strait. FTP, identify this island country with capital at Colombo.
A: Sri Lanka or Ceylon
Q: This US state is home to a form of fried chicken with cream gravy often garnished with bananas. Tiger sauce and a Kaiser roll are used to serve pit beef, a specialty from this state. A seasoning originally created in this state contains pepper, dry mustard, paprika, and celery salt. One city in this state contains the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health. In this state's largest city, the (*) National Aquarium is located in the Inner Harbor. The Coalition Against Policing is suing to block Johns Hopkins University from establishing a private police force in this state. For 10 points, name this state, where one often adds Old Bay seasoning from blue crabs fished from Chesapeake Bay.
A: Maryland
Q: It contains the second-largest lake-bound island in the world, Olchon, as well as species of seal that exists nowhere else. Inflows to it include the Chikoy and the Uda Rivers, while the Buryat Republic borders it to the south and east. It lies in a rift valley, which is currently widening at a rate of 2 centimeters per year. The age of the lake is estimated to be between 25 and 30 million years, making it one of the world's most ancient lakes. Its outflow is the Angara River, a tributary of the Yenisei. Located a little ways to the south and east of Irkutsk, FTP, name this lake that is surrounded by its namesake mountains on the north, a Siberian lake that is the deepest in the world.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: This island contains Eaglehawk Neck, a peninsula with tessellated pavement that connects this island's namesake peninsula to the Forestier (FOR-es-tee-ay) Peninsula. The giant freshwater lobster is found on this island's Tarkine (TAARK-ine) rainforest. One animal living on this island suffers from a transmissible cancer called DᐧFᐧTᐧD. This island's native population were forcibly relocated to nearby Flinders Island during the Black War. A convict (*) settlement on this island was called Port Arthur. This island was formerly named for Anthony van Diemen ("demon"). Hobart is the capital of this island, which is bordered to the north by the Bass Strait. For 10 points, name this Australian island home to a namesake "devil."
A: Tasmania [accept van Diemen's land before "van Dieman"]
Q: Some rivers that flow into this body of water from the north include the Amite and the Tchefuncte River, which passes through Covington on the way. It is connected by a strait known as the Rigolets to the "One-Eyed Lake," Lake Borgne, in the east. The most prominent town on its northern banks is Mandeville, while further north are Slidell and Hammond. The Industrial Canal connects it to another large body of water and it receives water diverted by the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Skirted to the north by Interstate 12 and crossed by the Twin Span Bridge of Interstate-10, FTP, name this second-largest saltwater lake in the US, to the north of New Orleans.
A: Lake Pontchartrain
Q: Its Tell range contains the headwaters of the Chelif River. A section of this mountain range intersects the Draa valley near the city of Ourzazate, and large sections of it are inhabited by kabyles. The Rif region, though geographically adjacent to its northwest section, is not geologically related. Formed in the Alleghenian orogeny, making it the same age as the Appalachian Mountains, it is extended to the east by the Aures Mountains. Jbel Toubkal, located about 60 kilometers south of Marrakesh in Morrocco, is the highest point of, FTP, what mountain range of Northwestern Africa?
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: This country's resilience is often symbolized by a war-damaged modernist cinema in the Martyrs' Square region of its capital nicknamed The Egg. When the only major landfill in this country shut down in the 2010s, garbage piled high in its Chouf Mountains. The medieval Castle of Gibelet is a tourist attraction in a port city in this country that lends its name to the Greek word for (*) papyrus. A 700-year-old mummy nicknamed Yasmine was originally from this modern day country's Maronite community. This country, whose city of Byblos was once a Phoenician hub, has a flag that depicts one of its historically important cedar trees. For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern country with capital at Beirut.
A: Lebanon [or Republic of Lebanon; or Lebanese Republic]
Q: The Mergui Archipelago lies at this country's southern tip, the state of Tenasserim, which is separated by the Bilaktaung ranges from its eastern neighbour. The Pegu Yomas are a range of low hills along the Sittang River in the center, while the Arakan Yomas face the port of Akyab along the western coast. Ports on the Gulf of Martaban include both its capital and the city of Moulmein. FTP, name this country whose larger rivers are the Chindwin and the Irrawaddy.
A: Burma or Myanmar
Q: This national park is home to, and sometimes names, the Timbisha (TIM-buh-shuh) Shoshone (shuh-SHOH-nay) tribe. A route starting at Mahogany Flat is used to climb Telescope Peak in this park. This park is bordered by the Amargosa Mountains to the east and the Panamint Mountains to the west. Mule-drawn wagons were used to extract borax from this park. This park's Racetrack Playa is a (*) salt flat that contains sailing stones, which move on ice sheets in winter. This park is east of the Sierra Nevada in the Mojave (mo-HAA-vay) Desert. This park's Furnace Creek is the site of the highest air temperature recorded. For 10 points, name this park in eastern California, the lowest land point in the western hemisphere.
A: Death Valley [prompt on Mojave Desert, California, or Eastern California, or the California-Nevada border; or the American West]
Q: A granite slab called the Emperor's table is found in this city's Tijuca (tee-ZHOO-kuh) national park. Paul Landowski created one landmark in this city planned during "monument week". A sitting statue of Clarice Lispector is found in Leme (LEH-mee) in this city. Tourists in this city can take a cable car to a peak at the mouth of its Guanabara bay, called (*) Sugarloaf mountain. This city's South Zone contains the Copacabana (ko-puh-kuh-BA-nuh) and Ipanema (ih-puh-NEE-muh) beaches, the latter of which names a Bossa Nova standard. This city's Corcovado (kor-ko-VAA-do) Mountain has the 98-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer. For 10 points, name this second-largest Brazilian city, site of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
A: Rio de Janeiro [prompt on Rio]
Q: A road in this region's Steeple Brink is named for legendary smuggler Cruel Coppinger. In 1839, 47,000 pounds worth of Brazilian gold dust was stolen from this region's port of Falmouth. In this region, Stanhope Forbes pioneered British plein-air painting at an artist's colony in St. Ives. Words still used in the mining industry such as "gunnies" originate from this region's namesake Celtic language. This region's 3,000-year-old (*) tin mine was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2006 along with one in bordering Devon. A town in this county on the English Channel titles Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Truro is the largest city in, for 10 points, what peninsular county on the southwest end of England?
A: Cornwall [or Kernow; accept Cornwall Peninsula; prompt on England or South West England or South West Peninsula]
Q: The Tasaday people were invented in a hoax by this country's tourism minister in the 1970s. This country's Zamboanga Peninsula has historically been a center of Islam in its region. This country's president lives in the Malacanang Palace. The rice terraces of this country's Ifugao region are a UNESCO world heritage site. The Ilocano and (*) Cebuano languages are common for inter-group communication in this country, and this country contains the Bangsamoro autonomous region. This country's second largest city, Quezon City, is located north of its capital on the island of Luzon. For 10 points, name this Asian island nation with capital at Manila.
A: the Philippines
Q: In a publicity campaign for this park, Chief Three Bears set up camp on the roof of the McAlpin Hotel in New York. Thomas D. McMahon's Swiss-style hotel on the east shore of Swiftcurrent Lake in this park was commissioned by Louis W. Hill, a leader of the Great Northern Railway. Numerous hairpin turns are characteristic of the (*) Going-to-the-Sun Road that traverses this park and crosses the Continental Divide via Logan Pass. This national park is the closest to the ski town of Whitefish. Photos taken over nine decades show the retreat of the Grinnell example of this park's namesake features. For 10 points, name this national park in Montana named for some rapidly disappearing ice caps.
A: Glacier National Park [reject "Glacier Bay" or "Glacier Bay National Park"]
Q: Per legend, this body of water's Michipicoten (mitch-puh-KAW-ten) Island is home to a creature that guards sacred copper. A type of agate (A-gut) named for this body of water has red bands acquired from the adjacent Mesabi Iron Range. This body of water is home to the mishipeshu (mee-shee-PEE-shoo) or underwater panther. An island in this body of water has wolf and moose populations that are the focus of the longest continuous (*) predator-prey study in the world. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald wrecked in this body of water. Two towns called Grand Marais (muh-RAY) border this lake, which also contains Isle Royale. Duluth, Minnesota is a port on this lake, which is north of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For 10 points, name this northernmost and largest Great Lake.
A: Lake Superior [or Gitche Gumi]
Q: During a 1955 event in this city, Alberto Ascari accidentally plunged into its Port Hercules. The architect of the Parisian opera house Palais Garnier also designed an opera house in this city called Salle Garnier. Land southwest of this city's Le Rocher district reclaimed from the sea became its Fontvieille ward, which contains this city's Louis II Stadium. After being challenged by its chief official, Alain Ducasse opened the restaurant Le Louis XV in this city. This city is divided into four historical (*) quartiers. The Fairmont Hotel names a notorious "Hairpin" turn of this city's Formula One Grand Prix. In 1956, actress Grace Kelly married into the royal family of this city, becoming involved in its Monte Carlo Ballet. For 10 points, name this small principality in the French Riviera, a resort town for millionaires.
A: Monaco
Q: Medieval residents of this city climbed greased Cuccagna ("coo-KAHN-yah") trees to reach a stuffed bird during its Feast of the Roast Pig. A statue of Neptune in this city's Piazza Maggiore ("mah-JOR-ay") inspired the logo of one of its major car companies. Mundinus inaugurated this city's tradition of public dissections, which were often accompanied by music. This city is home to the headquarters of Maserati and Lamborghini. Flat tagliatelle ("tah-lee-ah-TELL-ay") pasta often accompanies this city's namesake (*) meat-based sauce. Umberto Eco established the "Anthropology of the West" in this European city at the oldest continuously-operating university in the world. The capital of Emilia-Romagna is, for 10 points, what Italian city that names a type of ground pork sausage?
A: Bologna [accept the University of Bologna; accept Sant'Agata Bolognese; accept beef bolognese or Bolognese sauce; prompt on Sant'Agata; prompt on baloney with "what city is that named for?"] (Baloney was the American pronunciation of the city for several decades.)
Q: A war memorial in this city's St. Mary's Square contains the "Women's Column of Strength". It's not New York, but this city's Waverly Place contains the "street of painted balconies". The headquarters of the Six Companies is near the Stockton Tunnel in this city. This city's Portsmouth Square has a copy of the Goddess of Democracy Statue. The Dragon's Gate in this city is the entrance to an ethnic enclave. This city's (*) Ghirardelli (gee-ruh-DEH-lee) square is found on Fisherman's Wharf. Many immigrants to this city were processed through Angel Island. Tourists to this city often take a ferry to Alcatraz. For 10 points, name this city, home of the oldest Chinatown in the US and the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco [or SF]
Q: An archaeological site on this river contained a series of quartz sandstone sculptures resembling fish-people; that site is Lepenski Vir. The giant Huchen (HOO-chen) salmon is endemic to this river. Simian is an island in this river which previously contained Ada Kaleh, a Turkish exclave destroyed after the construction of this river's Iron Gates Dam. The Szechenyi (suh-CHEN-yee) chain bridge spans this river. The Prut, Sava, and (*) Tisza rivers are tributaries of this river, which is connected to the Main and Rhine by a large canal. This river originates in the Black Forest and divides Budapest. For 10 points, Vienna, Bratislava (braa-tuh-SLAA-vuh), and Belgrade are all on what second-longest river in Europe?
A: Danube River [or Donau River]
Q: This island's lack of monkeys placed it just north of Blakiston's ("BLACK"-is-tunz) Line. The native people of this island now practice a modified version of the Iomante (eye-oh-MAN-tay) ritual, in which a bear cub is raised alongside humans, but no longer sacrificed. The Nemuro (NEH-mu-roh) strait separates this island from Kunashir (KUN-uh-sheer) Island, and the La Perouse strait separates it from Sakhalin (SAA-kuh-lin). This island is the northern terminus of the world's longest (*) underwater tunnel, which crosses the Tsugaru (SOO-gaa-roo) strait. The 1972 Olympics were held at this island's capital, Sapporo (SAA-poh-roh). The Seikan (SAY-ken) tunnel connects this island to Honshu to the south. For 10 points, name this home of the Ainu people, the northernmost of Japan's four main islands.
A: Hokkaido [prompt on Ezo; generously prompt on Japan or Nippon or Nihon or Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku]
Q: This body of water names the striped-neck terrapin. It's not Baikal ("bye-call"), but a 2022 die-off of this body of water's namesake earless seals has no clear cause. Part of the Hazar Nature reserve is found in this body of water's largest island, Ogurja Ada. The Hyrcanian (hur-KAY-nee-un) forest, found in the Golestan (GO-les-tan) and Mazandaran (mah-ZAN-der-aan) provinces, borders this body of water. Over 90% of the world's (*) caviar comes from this body of water. The Absheron (AB-shuh-ron) peninsula juts into this body of water, whose south is bordered by the Alborz mountains. The Volga and Ural Rivers empty into this body of water. For 10 points, Baku lies on what Central Asian inland "sea," actually the largest lake in the world?
A: Caspian Sea [accept Kaspiykoye More, Kaspiy Tenyizi, or Hazar Denizi]
Q: Purpose-built facilities for this activity often have features named for the Hubba Hideout in San Francisco. 92-year-old master planner Edmund Bacon engaged in this activity to protest Mayor John Street's crackdown on this activity in Philadelphia's LOVE Park. Alvar Aalto's design for kidney-shaped pools inadvertently provided for the (*) "vert" form of this activity in Southern California. People engage in this activity at the converted Church of Saint Barbara in Oviedo, Spain thanks to extensions for wall riding. A Marc Vallee photobook documents obstacles placed on rails to discourage grinding in this activity. For 10 points, name this activity, whose namesake "parks" let participants practice their kickflips.
A: skateboarding [prompt on skating or extreme sports; reject "roller skating" or "rollerblading" or "inline skating"]
Q: White borax islands break up the otherwise red landscape of this country's Laguna Colorada, home to a population of James's flamingos. Hikers along this country's Valle de Las Animas get a great view of Mount Illimani. Ferries in this country connect the towns of San Pedro and San Pablo via the Strait of Tiquina. 300 drivers per year used to perish on this country's (*) North Yungas Death Road connecting Coroico to a capital with an extensive cable car system. Two million tons of lithium was recently found in a giant salt flat in this country's Potosi region. This country's Altiplano region is home to the southeastern part of Lake Titicaca. For 10 points, name this country with administrative capital at La Paz.
A: Bolivia [or Plurinational State of Bolivia; or Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia]
Q: A fountain in this city near the Grand Hyatt shows a couple waving at oncoming traffic. In 1998, rioters burned down this city's Glodok ("glow-doak") District after a shooting at this city's Trisakti University. This city's Merdeka (mer-DEE-kuh) Square contains the Istiqlal (is-tek-LEHL) Mosque across from this city's namesake cathedral. This city's Old Town, or Kota Tua, contains the (*) Cafe Batavia. A memorial in this city contains bronze statues of Mohammad Hatta and Sukarno. Drilling for water has caused this city to sink 2 inches per year, which is why this city will be superseded by Nusantara (nu-san-TAA-ruh) in August 2024 as its country's capital. For 10 points, name this most populated city on Java, the current capital of Indonesia.
A: Jakarta
Q: This country's presidential complex and legislative assembly stand near Aso Rock, named by the Asokoro ethnic group. A "Great Wall" surrounding land reclaimed by erosion protects Eko Atlantic, a planned extension of its largest city near Victoria Island. This country's Rivers State is home to the Ogoni (oh-GO-nee) people and has capital at Port Harcourt, a center of its oil industry. Languages like Itsekiri (ee-sheh-KEE-ree) and Edo (EH-do) are used in this country's namesake film industry, (*) Nollywood. This country's coast contains the Bight of Bonny, previously called the Bight of Biafra (bee-AA-fruh), which is home to the Igbo (EE-bo) ethnic group. For 10 points, Abuja is the capital of what country in Africa, whose most populous city is Lagos (LAY-gohs)?
A: Nigeria [or Federal Republic of Nigeria or Jamhuriyar Tarayyar Najeriya or Ohanjiko Ohaneze Naijiriya or Orile-ede Olominiira Apapo Naijiria]
Q: In the essay "The Greater Common Good," Arundhati Roy slams the creation of these things, noting that they displace people in Madhya Pradesh for the benefit of Gujarat. Protests against these things in Madhya Pradesh are dubbed "Jal Satyagraha." Narmada Bachao Andolan is a movement opposed to the construction of a series of these things, the largest of which is called Sardar Sarovar. The 1961 construction of one of these structures, the Farakka (*) Barrage, has been blamed for increasing flooding in Bihar and shifting the course of the Ganges. For 10 points, name these structures whose construction often displaces people by creating a reservoir where a river used to flow.
A: dams [accept barrages before "Barrage"]
Q: Peter Hessler's book The Buried profiles this city's informal zabaleen garbage collectors. In the 1920s, a houseboat in this city's Kit Kat neighborhood owned by diva Mounira al-Mahdia hosted cabinet meetings. Overcrowding in this city has spurred one government to build the Iconic Tower in a new planned city called the New Administrative Capital. Many of this city's embassies are located in an "old" section that emerged from the city of (*) Fustat. A series of 2011 protests occurred around this capital city's Tahrir Square. A river divides this city from the four million residents of the city of Giza. For 10 points, name this city, the most populous on the Nile and capital of Egypt.
A: Cairo [accept Greater Cairo; prompt on Fustat until read]
Q: This state's waterfall-rich Arbuckle Mountains are home to the largest Christian youth camp in the US. It's not Kansas, but in 1907 the American Bison Society shipped 15 bison to a refuge in this state's Wichita Mountains. A college town in this state is home to the NWS's Storm Prediction Center. In 2014, this state had twice as many earthquakes as California due to "wastewater disposal" from the (*) fracking industry. This state's northeastern Green Country contains part of the Will Rogers Turnpike as well as the city of Tahlequah, where road signs use a syllabary invented by Sequoyah. This state houses the headquarters of the Cherokee Nation. For 10 points, name this state home to the oil boom town of Tulsa.
A: Oklahoma [or OK]
Q: A plant called the "queen" of this range is the largest bromeliad (bro-MEE-lee-ad) in the world. Immediately west of this range is the Magellanic subpolar forests. The eastern portion of this range contains the Yungas (YOON-gus) bioregion. In this range, a gigantic salt flat containing massive lithium deposits is found near the city of Uyuni (oo-YOO-nee). This range contains the farthest point from the center of the earth to its (*) surface, a volcano called Chimborazo (chim-boh-RAA-zo). The Altiplano (al-tuh-PLAA-no) is found in this range, which also contains Mount Aconcagua (aa-kuhn-KAA-gwuh). This range was home to the Incan civilization. For 10 points, name this mountain range in western South America.
A: Andes mountains
Q: Tetteh Quarshie smuggled this crop into a country that's now part of the COPEC cartel for growers of it. Following a strong Harmattan season and an outbreak of black pod disease, the price of a metric ton of this crop topped $10,000 in March 2024. The Harkin-Engel Protocol has failed to reduce the rate of child slavery in growing this crop. The WWF claims this crop is the main cause of deforestation in Ghana. Producers of this crop are represented by the (*) Ivorian Fair Trade Network in the country that grows more of it than any other. This crop is fermented and roasted to produce a "butter" used in skincare and in the signature product of Godiva. For 10 points, name this crop whose beans are used to make chocolate.
A: cocoa [accept cocoa bean or cacao or cocoa seed or cacao tree or cocoa tree or Theobroma cacao; prompt on chocolate until read]
Q: Description acceptable. In 2004, Elena Filatova claimed to have ridden through this region alone on a motorbike. The typically elderly residents of this place are termed "samosely," and an object at its center is nicknamed the "sarcophagus." The Wormwood Forest in this area was nicknamed for its distinctive (*) red color, and it's also known as the Zone of Alienation. This "Exclusion Zone" is centered near the town of Pripyat, and it's become home to flourishing wildlife due to cessation of any human development, though it still contains many active "hot spots." For 10 points, name this thirty kilometer area in Ukraine that surrounds a nuclear reactor meltdown.
A: Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (accept Exclusion Zone or Zone of Alienation before either is read; accept basically anything mentioning Chernobyl)
Q: Its minor tributaries include the Sacandaga, the Hoosic and the Schroon, while towns along its banks include Stillwater, Glens Falls, Kingston and Ossining. Known in Mahican as Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, or "the river that goes two ways," it is a tidal estuary as far upstream as Troy. Parts of this river form coves such as Haverstraw Bay and Weehawken Cove, the former of which is just north of this river's widest part, the Tappan Zee. It is connected to the Delaware by a namesake canal, and its principal tributary is the Mohawk. FTP, name this river that flows past Jersey City, Albany and Manhattan.
A: Hudson River
Q: A species of seal indigenous to this body of water migrates every winter to its frozen north or to its largest island of Ogurja Ada [oh-GUR-juh AY-duh] to give birth. A city on this body of water has the world's highest levels of natural background radiation and names a 1971 treaty on wetland conservation. Expanding tea plantations on this body of water's southern coast have threatened the protected Hyrcanian rainforest, where the Jungle Movement briefly established a socialist state centered on the city of Rasht. The first offshore (*) oil well was built near this body of water's Absheron Peninsula. Astrakhan is the largest city in the Volga Delta that drains into this brackish endorheic [en-doh-REE-ik] basin, whose large oil reserves are exported west by pipeline from Baku. For 10 points, what largest lake in the world borders Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan?
A: Caspian Sea [or Kaspiskoye More; or Daryaye Khezer; or Xəzər dənizi; or Kaspiy tenizi; or Hazar denizi; accept Caspian seal; accept Caspian Hyrcanian forest] (The city in the second sentence is Ramsar.)
Q: It contains fifty-four large towns, each built to be a minimum of twenty-four miles apart but not further apart than a full day's walk. Its only named city is its capital, Aircastle, which is built on a slope above the river Nowater. Houses in none of its towns have (*) locks, and are rotated among its citizens. A principal exporter of agricultural goods, it normally imports only metals, creating immense reserves, which may explain its use of gold in dishware and chains for household slaves. A crescent-shaped island located fifteen miles from South America, FTP, name this fictional place visited by Raphael Hythloday in the most famous work of Thomas More.
A: De Optimo Reipublicae Statu deque Nova Insula Utopia [or On the Best State of a Republic and on the New Island of Utopia]
Q: A 2021 TIME magazine report claims a famine on this island was the first in modern history to be caused by global warming alone. This island is home to the destructive tavy ("tay-vee") method of agriculture. Captain Kidd's ship Adventure Galley was sunk near this larger island, and a "pirate graveyard" is located on the outlying Ile Sainte-Marie. This island is home to vulnerable species such as Meller's Duck and the (*) fossa ("foo-suh") which may have "rafted" to this island. Lake Alaotra is known as this island's "granary," for its huge rice paddies. The Merina people are this country's largest ethnic group, which speaks the westernmost Austronesian language: Malagasy. For 10 points, name this Lemur-infested island off the Eastern coast of Africa, governed from Antananarivo.
A: Madagascar
Q: Two answers required. A park shared by these two cities contains an acorn-topped marble obelisk called Monument 258. Violence led many elites of one of these cities to move to the suburb of Bonita in the other. During the "Satan's Playground" era, a Mission Revival building was moved from a 1915 World's Fair site in one of these cities to the other's Agua Caliente district. The Otay Mesa Industrial Park shared by these two cities contains several (*) maquiladoras. The San Ysidro Port of Entry connects a highway in one of these cities to Interstate 5 in the other. The Blue Line Trolley connects these two cities, also running through La Jolla and Chula Vista. For 10 points, what two cities share an international border in Southern California?
A: San Diego, California AND Tijuana, Baja California
Q: This territory's island of Mangareva is the western terminus of a ferry route traveled by the MV Silver Supporter. In March 2020, an airline based in this territory offered the longest passenger flight in history after omitting a stop in Los Angeles. This territory's top export is black pearls, which are often named for its largest island. In this territory, Mt. Otemanu overlooks a lagoon lined with overwater bungalows, which were invented on its island of (*) Raiatea. Nuclear testing at this territory's Moruroa atoll was protested by the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior. This "overseas collectivity" includes the Marquesas and Society Islands, where Fa'a'a International Airport serves the capital of Pape'ete. For 10 points, Bora Bora and Tahiti are part of what French territory in the South Pacific?
A: French Polynesia [prompt on Tahiti] (MV Silver Supporter provides the only service to Pitcairn Island.)
Q: The French Embassy in this city is located in the historic Thott Mansion. In 2023, this city's government negotiated the end of open marijuana sales at stalls on Pusher Street because of gang violence. A shipping magnate controversially donated a seafront neo-futurist opera house in this city. This city's growth was developed along five commuter rail corridors called "fingers." Brightly colored townhouses line a 17th-century canal in this city's (*) "New Harbour" neighborhood. No cars are allowed in this city's anarchist commune of Freetown Christiania. Rene Redzepi ran the award-winning restaurant Noma in this city. A location in Paris inspired the name of this city's amusement park Tivoli Gardens. For 10 points, name this largest city on the island of Zealand, the capital of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [or København]
Q: A city in this state names a "box" where winds near the ground blow from the south, but winds high in the air blow from the north. An event held in this state on the fourth weekend of April hosts the Miss Indian World pageant. This state's "Rail Runner" service transports commuters between its capital and largest city. It's not Nevada, but Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders held official reunions in this state's city of (*) Las Vegas. Every year, a snowman made of tumbleweed is installed at the "Big I", the interchange between I-25 and I-40 in this state's largest city. A national park in this state contains North America's largest cave chamber, the "Big Room." A city in this state hosts the world's largest hot air balloon festival. For 10 points, name this Southwestern state home to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the city of Albuquerque.
A: New Mexico (The "Albuquerque box" is used to navigate hot air balloons at the balloon fiesta.)
Q: Larry Cudney was the first to exploit a rule allowing for houses in this city to have big basements, sinking the house's first floor by 18 inches to create its namesake "special." Although this city's Downtown Eastside neighborhood was cleared of its homeless population prior to Expo 86, by 2003 it was home to a pioneering safe injection site. Sites in this city include a steam-powered clock in (*) Gastown and a giant park bordering English Bay named for Frederick Stanley. The Fraser River separates this city and Burnaby from its suburb of Richmond. The Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort hosted events for the 2010 Winter Olympics held in this city. For 10 points, name this most populous city in British Columbia.
A: Vancouver, British Columbia [accept Metro Vancouver]
Q: The lesser flamingoes of this land feature's region depend completely on the pink-colored Lake Natron in this land feature that is bounded on the west by the Ruwenzori and Mitumba Mountains. Lake Shala is the deepest lake found in the Ethiopian section of this land feature, of which the (*) Afar Triple Junction forms the northern end. This land feature's western branch contains Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. The "Lucy" skeleton was discovered in one region of this land feature, suggesting it was a source of early human evolution. For 10 points, name this continental trench that runs from Mozambique to the Red Sea.
A: East African Rift (accept Great Rift Valley; anti-prompt [ask for less specific] on "Afar Depression" or "Afar Triangle")
Q: In this region, Antu, Kueyen, Melipal, and Yepun are indigenously-derived names for the four components of the Very Large Telescope Array. Hills called lomas in this region receive most of their moisture from a moist fog called garua [gah-ROO-ah]. The climate of this region is created by the interaction of a high-pressure oceanic anticyclone with the (*) Humboldt Current. This desert is dotted by nearly 200 ghost towns where nitrate was once mined, and control of its saltpeter reserves has been the source of border disputes between Bolivia and Chile. The Andes mountains border-for 10 points-what driest non-polar desert in the world?
A: Atacama Desert
Q: Each year, structures made of this material and decorated with colored lights are constructed for a carnival in Saranac Lake, New York. A man builds a structure out of this material without a fourth wall in a pioneering work of docufiction by Robert J. Flaherty. Structures made from a type of this material called pukaangajuq ("poo-kong-aye-yuk") would often be settled by lighting a qulliq ("KUH-lick") oil lamp. An F. Scott Fitzgerald short story was inspired by one of the (*) "palaces" built from this material each year in St. Paul. Bricks of this material are laid in an ascending circular fashion in structures that might also have beds made from caribou fur. For 10 points, name this material whose bricks are used to construct igloos.
A: snow [or ice; prompt on water] (Flaherty's film is Nanook of the North.)
Q: The Alpine Way, which crosses this mountain range, crosses the Swampy Plain River. A short-lived 1860 gold rush in this mountain range's town of Kiandra established a foundation for its present-day ski resorts of Thredbo and Perisher. A regional council named for this range and Monaro is home to the ski town of Jindabyne near the Charlotte Pass. Pawel Strzelecki ("streh-LEH-skee") named the peak of this range, the tallest in its country, for its resemblance to a man-made mound in (*) Krakow. Mount Kosciuszko is in this part of the Great Dividing Range, where William Hudson engineered a system to deliver power to cities like Sydney and Melbourne. For 10 points, a namesake hydroelectric "scheme" is located in what range in southeast Australia named for its propensity for precipitation?
A: Snowy Mountains [or Snowies; accept Snowy Mountains Scheme; prompt on Great Dividing Range before read; prompt on Australian Alps]
Q: The UN-Environment and UN-Habitat programs are headquartered in this city next to the urban Karura Forest, which environmentalists have sought to protect from development and land grabs. The Ngong Hills south of this city are a popular hiking spot that overlook a national park named for it. The Green Belt Movement seeks to protect this city's environs and was founded by Nobel winner (*) Wangari Maathai, who led protests at this city's Uhuru Park. This city contains the massive informal neighborhood of Kibera, as well as the rebuilt luxury Westgate Mall that was previously damaged in a 2013 attack by al-Shabaab. This city's rapid growth from a British colonial railway depot displaced indigenous Masaai inhabitants and led it to outgrow its country's port of Mombasa. For 10 points, name this capital of Kenya.
A: Nairobi
Q: A variant of this language spoken by some Kwasio people, among others, uses the slang term "Xium"("shee-OOM") for "wow." In 1958, people who spoke this language gave up a coastal town now called Tarfaya, the same year a province containing cities called "River of Gold" and "Red Canal" was formed. A region most commonly named in this language is governed from Bata in Litoral province. From 1884 to 1976, speakers of this (*) non-Arabic language ruled a territory that included Ifni and is now governed from Laayoune. Home to many Fang people, the city of Oyala was renamed "city of peace" in this language as its nation's new capital. This is the official language spoken in Annobon, as well as in Bioko, whose north coast houses Malabo. For 10 points, name this official language of Equatorial Guinea, also spoken in Ceuta and Melilla ("meh-LEE-yah").
A: Spanish [or Espanol]
Q: It was called "either a muddy gutter or a second Mississippi" by Henry Lawson, who also wrote of a tedious-sounding trip along its length and a song about it that captures the dreary lives of black workers. It passes through localities such as Menindee, Tilpa, Pooncarie, and Wilcannia, the latter of which marks the location where the Barrier Highway crosses it. Known by a different name after it passes the town of Bourke, it is joined by the Warrego, Bogan, and Paroo rivers. Formed by the confluence of the Culgoa and Barwon rivers near Queensland, For ten points, name this river which meets with the Murray at Wentworth, New South Wales, and is technically the longest river in Australia.
A: (Murray-)Darling River [prompt on Murray before mentioned]
Q: The northern part of this nation is inhabited by the Toubou people, who take their name from a mountain range that contains this nation's tallest peak, Emi Koussi and its active volcano, Pic Tousside. While the Tibesti are this nation's largest mountain chain, the Sara peoples, its largest ethnic group, are found mostly in the south. The Harmattan wind picks up dust in the northern part of this nation, and while only 3% of its land is arable, oil reserves have been discovered near the city of Doba and this nation became an oil producer in 2003. The Chari river is the chief source of this nation's namesake lake, which it shares with one of its southern neighbors. For ten points, name this central African nation with capital at N'Djamena, which also borders Cameroon, Niger, and the Sudan.
A: Chad
Q: Formed by the junction of the Biya and Katun, the Nenets and Enets occupy the northern part of its basin. Just after meeting the Inya, a dam forms the Novosibirsk Resevoir, and hydroelectric power stations harness it at Oskemen and Bukhtarma. Its basin was claimed for the tsar by the Cossack folk hero Yermak in the 16th century, and its lower section was explored during the Great Northern Expedition. Its outlet is a namesake gulf in the Kara Sea, and its source lies in the Altai mountains. For ten points, name this great river of Asia, the seventh-longest in the world, which runs through Siberia west of the Yenisey.
A: Ob River
Q: The birthplace of the members of the Bee Gees, in 2005 the online poker site Pokerstars relocated its headquarters here. This land mass has only one mountain, Snaefell. Its 221 square miles are divided into political districts called sheadings, each of which is represented in the bicameral Tynwald. The triskelion, a trio of legs joined at the thigh, has been the symbol of this island for centuries. Currently a semi-autonomous nation, it became a Scottish possession with the treaty of Perth, but is now a protectorate of the United Kingdom. For ten points, name this island in the Irish Sea that has Douglas as its capital and is known for tailless cats
A: The Isle of Man
Q: This peak is the tallest in the chain that separates the watershed of the Kern River on the east from that of the Kaweah River on the west. Its most common climbing portal must be accessed through the Inyo National Forest near the closest town, Lone Pine. Though its eastern face provides challenges to climbers, hikers can walk to the summit in two to three days, making it the most-climbed mountain in the US. Just 76 miles from the lowest point in the United States, FTP name this mountain in the Sierra Nevadas that is the highest point in the contiguous 48 states.
A: Mount Whitney
Q: This region contains the Southern part of the Arid Diagonal. Several salt lakes in this region are among the lowest in the world, such as its "coal lagoon" at 105 meters below sea level. This region's Cave of the Hands contains hundreds of stenciled rock art works. This region's highest peak, Mount Fitz Roy, is located in the vicinity of the Perito Moreno Glacier. A travelogue by (*) Antonio Pigafetta gave rise to this region's name. Flightless birds called rheas are native to this region as are relatives of the llama called the guanaco. This region is separated from Tierra del Fuego by the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, name this region divided between Chile and Argentina, the so-called "End of the World."
A: Patagonia [accept Patagonian Desert]
Q: In the 1950s Laurens van der Post exposed the world to the people of this region in his work on its "Lost World." A major feature in the northeastern section of this region is the Makarikari depression, consisting of two extensive bare pan areas floored by alkaline sandy clays. Barchan dunes on the Ntwetwe [nuh-tet-way] Pan in the northeastern section are the only naturally formed sand dunes in the area. It has no permanent surface water with the exception of the Boteti River. FTP, name this region that is bounded by the plateaus of the Transvaal and Zimbabwe, the largest desert in southwestern Africa?
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: It is home to such wildly famous authors as Cola Debrot, Frank Martinus Arion, and Tip Marugg. Once a flourishing slave trade existed on this island, a fact attested to by the Kura Hulanda Museum, but now a large refinery built by Shell Oil dominates the economy. Its most famous export, however, remains a certain product made from dried Larahas. The largest city on the island is a UNESCO world heritage site and contains the oldest continually operating synagogue of the western hemisphere. That city, divided into the Punda and Otrabanda districts, is called Willemstad. For ten points, name this island which has scores of feral donkeys, is the namesake of a blue liqueur, and along with Aruba and Bonaire forms the ABC islands of the Dutch Antilles.
A: Curacao
Q: Among its highest peaks are the rugged bastion of the Ouarsensis Massif, the Great Kabylie, which lies east of the gap formed by the Moulouya River, to the west of which lies another high peak, Mount Tidirhine. One of its subsections is composed of the Tebessa and Medjerda ranges, while another has its tallest point at Mount Toubkal. The Aures are a much smaller division than its northern section, which is known as the Tell. Forming the geologic backbone of the countries of the Maghrib, FTP, name this range whose southern section is known as the Saharan and which runs across northwestern Africa.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: On his second trip he heard of a mythical rich land called Saguenay to the far north. He was able to glean information despite enmity earned by his kidnapping of Chief Donnacona's sons at the end of his first trip. On his final voyage he attempted to find the mythical land but only made it as far as the Lachine Rapids near the village of Hocholega, one of his major discoveries. He returned to Europe marred by his abandonment of his superior, the sieur de Roberval, and could not gain any more funds from Francis I. FTP, identify this French explorer who explored the Saint Lawrence River and gave Canada its name.
A: Jacques Cartier
Q: Lake Khanka, the source of one its chief tributaries, is this river system's largest lake. Its tributaries include the Sungari, Zeya, and Ussuir, and it is formed by the confluence of the Argun and Shilka Rivers. Its name is also known as "Black Dragon River" and on part of its course it divides the Greater and Lesser Khingan mountain range. FTP, name this river which, before it flows into the Tatar strait, forms much of the border between Russia and China.
A: Amur River
Q: An electric tramway climbs this geographical feature to the foot of the Bionnassay glacier, at a height of 7,800 feet; the original plan for this tram to service the summit was abandoned at the outbreak of World War I. An observatory at its summit was constructed by Pierre Janssen in 1893, but a crevasse opened in the ice it was built on, forcing its abandonment in 1906. Situated between the regions of Haute-Savoie and Valle d'Aosta, this mountain's the first known successful ascent was in 1786. Since 1965, a road tunnel under it has connected the towns of Chamonix and Courmayer and thus also connected France and Italy. For ten points, name this 15,774-foot peak of the Alps; the tallest mountain in Western Europe.
A: Mont Blanc (or Monte Bianco)
Q: Some districts in this city include Chantabuly, Sikhottabong and Hadxaifong. In myth it was founded by Prince Thattaradtha, although actual historians say that the city was founded around by a group of Hindu settlers. This city's name is derived from the Pali for "the king's grove of sandalwood", and you could fly there using the Wattay international airport. It is famous for the Pha That Luang Buddhist temple and to get to the city by ground you would probably take the Friendship Bridge which connects it with the Thai city of Nong Khai. For ten points, name this city on the Mekong river the capital of Laos.
A: Vientiane
Q: This is the key feature of the Driftless Area in the Upper Midwest and the particular landforms associated with it provide the habitats for rare species such as the Iowa Pleistocene snail. Other characteristic examples can be found in the Yorkshire Dales in England; Herzegovina; the cenotes [say-NO-tays], or collapsed caves, of the Yucatan Peninsula; and the plateau in Slovenia that provides its name. While it can be found in formations of halite or gypsum, it is better known for its occurrence in carbonate rocks such as dolomite and limestone, where it often forms large sinkholes and extensive cave systems. Also responsible for Mammoth Cave, this is, for ten points, what term describing landforms created by dissolution of underlying rock by water?
A: Karst topography
Q: The infestation of this body of water with duckweed plant has become a national crisis. The major cities along it include its namesake one and Cabimas, and it is spanned by one of the world's longest bridges, the Urdaneta bridge. It is situated just southwest of the Segovia Highlands and has many rivers flowing into it, the largest of which is the Catatumbo. It is connected to the sea by a 34-mile strait and is in the center of one of the world's richest petroleum-producing regions. FTP, name this largest natural lake on its continent, a lake in northwestern Venezuela.
A: Lake Maracaibo
Q: Barlow Trail was the first path found across this range, which is also home to Klamath Lake, Ross Lake, and Lake Chelan. Its higher peaks include Thielsen and Bailey as well as the popular ski resort Mount Bachelor, which is situated close to its group of mountains known as the Three Sisters. Mount Garibaldi also belongs to this range, though in a subdivision known as the Coast Mountains. Better-known are Mt. Mazama and Lassen Peak, which exhibit typical volcanic behavior. FTP, name this mountain range also home to Mt. Hood and Mt. Rainier and which stretches across the Pacific Northwest.
A: Cascade Range
Q: Kennebunkport, a town in this state, is the location of Walker's Point, the family estate of George H. W. Bush. Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the eastern seaboard, can be found on Mount Desert Island in this state. Quoddy Head State Park in this state is the closest place in the United States to (*) Africa. The "Hundred Mile Wilderness" in this state is a large, uninhabited stretch of the Appalachian Trail, which includes Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in this state. Acadia National Park is located in, for 10 points, what New England state with its capital at Augusta?
A: Maine
Q: In this state, the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is located east of Ellsworth Air Force Base. Attractions in this state include the Wall Drug Store and the world's largest reptile zoo. This state boasts the world's last remaining corn palace in its city of Mitchell. This state's town of (*) Sturgis annually hosts the largest motorcycle rally in the world. The Pine Ridge Reservation is in this state, which contains the southern portion of Standing Rock. This state's largest cities are Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Kristi Noem governs, for 10 points, what Plains state whose Black Hills contain Mount Rushmore?
A: South Dakota [or SD]
Q: During World War Two, this region sold cryolite to the United States, which at the time was occupying this region. This region was code-named "Bluie." The Sirius Patrol operated in this region, and Operation Chrome Dome ended after a B52 crashed in this region in the 1968 (*) Thule ("TOO-lee") Incident, causing radioactive contamination in this region. After this region that is not independent achieved home rule, it left the EEC over disagreements about fishing regulations but kept the krone as its currency. For 10 points, name this constituent country of Denmark governed from Nuuk.
A: Greenland [accept Grønland; accept Kalaallit Nunaat]
Q: A Kevin Barnes-fronted band named for this city included the song "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal" on their album Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? The world's largest jazz festival is held annually in this city. Honey-sweetened water is used to boil a type of flatter-than-normal bagels created in this city. An apartment complex in this city made of prefabricated concrete (*) modular units was designed by Moshe Safdie for Expo 67. This city was the former home of the Washington Nationals. CFCs were phased out as part of an international ozone protection treaty signed in this city. For 10 points, name this Canadian city, the most populous in Quebec.
A: Montreal
Q: In this country, seeing the track inspection train "Doctor Yellow" is said to bring good luck. It's not Disney-related, but the Skyliner runs to an airport in this country whose construction was opposed by local farmers in the region of Chiba. The dog Hachi waited over nine years for his owner in this country's subway system, which employs "pushers" to fill trains. A service in this country provided by JR will use the (*) Seikan Tunnel to connect trains to Sapporo. The first high-speed rail system was this country's bullet trains. For 10 points, what country's Shinkansen network connects cities like Osaka and Tokyo?
A: Japan [or Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku]
Q: The endangered Mazaalai bear and the Przewalski's ("per-zuh-val-skis") horse are native to this region. This region is bordered to the southwest by Bosten Lake and Lop Nur. The Three-North Shelter Forest Program is an effort to reverse this region's expansion by planting trees. A 1923 expedition to this region's (*) Nemegt Basin yielded the first confirmed discovery of dinosaur eggs. This region in the rain shadow of the Tibetan Plateau is separated from the Taklimakan Desert by the Tian Shan mountains. For 10 points, name this desert that covers a large area of northern China and southern Mongolia.
A: the Gobi Desert
Q: This country's most famous cathedral survived the 1911 Kebin earthquake despite being built without nails. The Dike Kokaral dam was built in this modern-day country's southeast, where Lake Balkhash rests at the foot of the Tian Shan mountains. This modern-day country contains the world's first (*) spaceport, the Baikonur Cosmodrome. In 2022, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ("toke-eye-ev") renamed this country's capital city so that it no longer honors Nursultan Nazarbayev. For 10 points, name this landlocked Central Asian nation governed from Astana and whose largest city is Almaty.
A: Kazakhstan [or Republic of Kazakhstan or Qazaqstan Respublikasy]
Q: Ancient art found in this geographic region from the "Roundhead Period" is frequently painted over at Tassili. The inhabitants of a strip of land in this geographic region said to be rich in uranium were claimed to be vassals of the Senoussi Order; that strip was the site of the Toyota War and is called the (*) Aouzou Strip. Historical heavy rainfall in this geographic region is part of its namesake "pump" theory of how the first humans crossed it to settle. The "Great Green Wall" is a tree-planting project designed to slow the expansion of this region through the Sahel. For 10 points, name this world's largest hot desert that covers much of Northern Africa.
A: Sahara Desert [accept As-Sahra Al-Kubra, prompt on Africa or North Africa before mention, prompt on Sahel before mention]
Q: This ingredient is the base for the dish feroce ("fair-ohs") on the island of Martinique. It's not corn, but this ingredient is traditionally consumed floating in milk, sugar, and ice in the Philippines. US imports of this good were halted in February 2022 after drug cartels in Michoacan ("meek-hwah-kahn") threatened an American inspector. This crop's most popular variety was first cultivated near Anaheim by Rudolph (*) Hass. California rolls use this fruit along with crab and cucumber, and the use of this product on toast likely originated in San Francisco. For 10 points, name this large-pitted fruit that is used to make guacamole.
A: avocadoes [accept specific varieties of avocados such as Hass avocadoes; prompt on guacamole by asking "What more general product is used to make guacamole?"]
Q: In this province, a giant pile of bright yellow sulfur is visible from Lions Gate Bridge. This province's many fjord lakes include Okanagan Lake, which borders its city of Kelowna. A city in this province is home to the neighborhoods of Cold Harbor and Gastown and is separated from Richmond and Surrey by the Fraser River. An island home to (*) Nanaimo and this province's capital is bordered on the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This province contains the Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, which was a venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Victoria is the capital of, for 10 points, what Western Canadian province whose largest city is Vancouver?
A: British Columbia [or BC]
Q: One of this city's 48 barrios named in reference to the mouth of the Matanza River contains many colorful houses along the Caminito. Three lines of this city's Subte metro system converge under an obelisk in its extremely wide 9 de Julio ("noo-ev-ay day who-leo") Avenue. This city's Palermo neighborhood is home to massive polo competitions played by portenos ("poor-tain-yos"). To commemorate the (*) Dirty War, mothers march around this city's Plaza de Mayo, which also contains the Casa Rosada presidential palace. The Rio de la Plata separates this city from Montevideo in Uruguay. For 10 points, name this capital of Argentina.
A: Buenos Aires [or Autonomous City of Buenos Aires or Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires or CABA]
Q: In this country, the Gornergrat Observatory sits on a ridge overlooking the town of Zermatt. The Romansh language is spoken in the east of this country, which is divided into 26 cantons. The title of the Moonlight Sonata was inspired by the appearance of this country's Lake Lucerne. The World Economic Forum meets in this country's city of (*) Davos. The Matterhorn lies on the border between this country and Italy to its south. For 10 points, Bern is the capital of what mountainous country, whose cities include Geneva and Zurich?
A: Switzerland [or Swiss Confederation; or Schweiz; or Suisse; or Svizzera; or Svizra; or Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft; or Confederation Suisse; or Confederazione Svizzera; or Confederaziun Svizra]
Q: This river is home to the mbu pufferfish and goliath tigerfish. The Malabo Pool is a large area in this river. The Matadi Bridge crosses over this river which empties into the ocean by the port of Banana. This river, which receives the Chambeshi, flows through several series of cataracts such as Livingstone and Boyoma Falls. Before flowing through Kisangani, this river is known as the (*) Lualaba. Lakes Mweru and Tanganyika supply this river, which was formerly known as the Zaire. Brazzaville and Kinshasa lie along, for ten points, what second-longest river in Africa that shares the name of the two countries it separates?
A: Congo River [accept Zaire River before it is read]
Q: This body of water contains the ruins of an ancient landmark that stood on the island of Pharos. This body of water is separated from the Sea of Marmara by the Dardanelles, and an island country in it has its capital at Nicosia. The Po River empties into this body of water's northernmost arm, the (*) Adriatic Sea. The Strait of Gibraltar connects this sea to the Atlantic Ocean. For 10 points, the islands of Cyprus and Sicily are in what large sea, which separates Europe and Africa?
A: Mediterranean Sea [prompt on Aegean Sea or Adriatic Sea by asking, "What larger sea is that a part of?"]
Q: A stone house in this city is called the School of Pythagoras despite having never been a school and being built in the 1200s. A Polar Research Institute and Museum in this city displays a statue by Kathleen Scott titled "These had most to give." This city is home to the original wooden "Mathematical Bridge" that is often falsely claimed to be built without bolts or nails. The companies Arm and AstraZeneca are headquartered in this city, which is situated in a tech hub known as the (*) Silicon Fen. A park in this city contains a lone lamppost in its center known as Reality Checkpoint, which separates the town from a university affiliated with the Whipple Museum and Fitzwilliam Museum. This city's pub The Eagle was the site where Watson and Crick announced their discovery of DNA. For 10 points, what city is home to the second-oldest university in England?
A: Cambridge
Q: In 2013, protesters began a "healing walk" to protest the environmental destruction of a region with this name explored by Count Alfred von Hammerstein. The town of Eldorado on the shores of a body of water with this name was renamed Uranium City due to the discovery of rich uranium deposits. The Dene believe that a natural feature named after this word was created after a giant beaver knocked down trees while being chased away by the hero (*) Yamoria. Species such as Tyrell's Willow are endemic to a natural feature with this name which is the world's northernmost sand dune. The proposed KeystoneXL pipeline would have pumped oil from tar sands with this name in Alberta. For 10 points, give this Native American word which names a lake on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and the language family that includes Cree.
A: Athabasca [or Athabasca Oil Sands; or Athabasca Tar Sands; or Lake Athabasca; or Athabasca Sand Dunes]
Q: The residents of an opal mining town in this country live in homes dug into the earth due to the extreme daytime heat. A large natural formation in this country is located near its city of Cairns, while another sacred to its indigenous population is a large (*) sandstone monolith that appears red at sunset. A building in this country's largest city features an exterior of white shells that resemble sails. For 10 points, name this country home to Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Sydney Opera House.
A: Australia [or Commonwealth of Australia]
Q: This city's Zabeel Park is home to the world's largest picture frame. An Adrian Smith-designed building in this city looks like a desert flower when viewed from above. The World Islands are an artificial archipelago shaped like a world map in this city, whose other artificial islands include the (*) Palm Jumeirah ["joo-MAY-ruh"]. This city's Burj Al Arab has been described as "the world's only 'seven-star' hotel," and its Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. For 10 points, name this most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.
A: Dubai
Q: A city of this name in La Mesopotamia, Argentina, was originally called Cabayu Cuatia in reference to a stream that empties into the Parana River. Pollution in the Choqueyapu River, which originates near Chacaltaya, contributes to high rates of diarrheal disease in a city of this name. North of Todos Santos, tourists flock to the beaches of El Coromuel and Balandra in a city of this name, the capital city of Baja California Sur. The very steep (*) Calle Sagarnaga in a city of this name is traversed by healers called yatiri who work at the Witches' Market. Coroico is connected to a city of this name via the narrow "Road of Death" called the Yungas. El Alto forms a metropolitan area with a capital city of this name which contains the world's highest cable car system. For 10 points, give this name shared by a capital city that, with Sucre, is the capital of Bolivia.
A: La Paz [or Nuestra Senora de La Paz]
Q: An area known as the "Northern" one of these things is the origin of many Central American migrants fleeing to the US. Control over a region bordering the Red Sea with this word in its name is disputed by two countries, neither of which claims Bir Tawil. This word is used to describe a depression named Afar that contains (*) Lake Assal. Parts of Myanmar and Laos are included in a large opium-producing area called the "Golden" one of these things. A region in North Carolina home to three major universities is known as the "Research" one of these shapes. For 10 points, planes and ships have mysteriously disappeared in an area with what kind of shape named for Bermuda?
A: triangle [accept Northern Triangle or Halaib Triangle or Afar Triangle or Golden Triangle or Research Triangle Park or Bermuda Triangle; prompt on Halaib]
Q: The giant freshwater crayfish native to this island's northern rivers is the largest in the world, weighing up to 13 pounds. The population of an animal named for this island has been reduced by over 80 percent because of a transmissible cancer known as that animal's facial tumor disease. This island was once home to the now-extinct thylacine, an animal more commonly called this island's (*) "tiger" because of the dark stripes on its back. The last of those carnivorous marsupials, whose demise was partly caused by the introduction of dingoes, lived in a zoo in this island's largest city, Hobart. For 10 points, name this Australian island that is home to a namesake "devil."
A: Tasmania
Q: The world's first one of these places has its roots in the forced relocation of sangleys to the Binondo district of Manila. Australia's oldest one of these places, located on Melbourne's Little Bourke Street, was created during an 1800s gold rush. One of these places centered on Grant Avenue is located in (*) San Francisco. That one of these neighborhoods has its southern entrance at the Dragon Gate. One of the largest of these neighborhoods in the world is in Flushing, Queens, and it is home to hot pot restaurants like Chongqing Lao Zao ("chong-ching lao t'zao"). For 10 points, name these ethnic enclaves where large populations of Mandarin-speaking people live.
A: Chinatowns [accept Chinese enclaves before "enclaves"]
Q: This is the city most associated with artisans called "little mesters." In 1743, Thomas Boulsover discovered that copper could be fused with silver to produce a material now called "old [this city] plate." Because he first synthesized it in this city in 1882, mangalloy is sometimes named for Robert Hadfield. In 1867, locations in this city like Sandygate hosted a competition that used a set of guidelines called this city's "rules." In the 1740s, Benjamin Huntsman helped establish this city's primary industry by inventing the (*) crucible process. This city's working-class citizens are the subjects of the films Threads and The Full Monty. In 1857, a solicitor for a silver company co-founded the world's oldest football club in this city. A 1913 discovery by Harry Brearley enabled this home city of Henry Bessemer to produce stainless cutlery. For 10 points, name this "Steel City" in Yorkshire.
A: Sheffield [accept Sheffield F.C. or Sheffield Football Club; accept Sheffield Rules]
Q: This river's headwaters may originate from the Apurimac ["ah-pu-ri-mak"] River, and its mouth lies near the city of Belem. It's not in China, but the dolphins that live in this river have a pink hue. The darkly-colored Rio Negro enters this river at the Meeting of Waters near (*) Manaus. Piranhas and anacondas live in the world's largest rainforest, which is named for this river. For 10 points, name this river that flows through northern Brazil, the longest in South America.
A: Amazon River
Q: This city's MTR rail network uses Octopus cards and has a line dedicated to its Disneyland Resort. Planes landing at this city's former Kai Tak airport passed feet above an infamous "walled city." The Star Ferry crosses Victoria Harbor in this city. The HZM Bridge crosses the Pearl River Delta to connect this city to (*) Macau, another Special Administrative Region governed under the "One country, two systems" policy. For 10 points, name this city that the United Kingdom handed over to China in 1997.
A: Hong Kong [or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; or Heung Kong Takpit Hangching Ku; or Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu]
Q: The second-largest city in this state is connected to Deadhorse by the 400-mile-long Dalton Highway. This state's North Slope Borough is governed from Utqiagvik ["OOT-kee-ag-vik"]. Katmai and Kenai Fjords National Parks are located in this state, which also contains the (*) highest peak in the United States. The Aleutian Islands are in this state, whose city of Nome lies on the shores of the Bering Sea. For 10 points, Fairbanks and Anchorage are in what northernmost U.S. state?
A: Alaska
Q: Hundreds of sick children in this metropolitan area painted murals to decorate a 165-foot-tall Tower of Hope. Erin Brockovich sued a school district in this metro area in 2003 for damage from toxic fumes from nearby structures. A mayor in this metro area celebrated "an outstanding contribution to civic beauty" at the opening of the Cardiff Tower synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. An explosion in this metro area's (*) Fairfax District forced this metro area to designate "methane zones" with special ventilation requirements for development. A prominent street in this metro area is named after Edward Doheny, the first person to successfully drill this metro area's massive oil fields. For 10 points, name this large metropolitan area in Southern California where active drilling still occurs in Inglewood and Long Beach.
A: Los Angeles metropolitan area [or L.A. metropolitan area; anti-prompt on Long Beach or Inglewood]
Q: Description acceptable. A once-popular estimate that these places are over 2,000 years old was made by Henry Otley Beyer and disputed by Felix Keesing. Trees grow to cover these places during the three years that Aliguyon and his rivals spend throwing spears at each other in the four-part chanted epic Hudhud. Threats to these places such as the export of lauan mahogany, the golden apple snail, and pheretima worms are detailed in the "coda" of Charles C. Mann's book 1493, which also covers the marketing of their products by the company (*) Eighth Wonder. The Halsema Highway is a popular road for viewing these places, for which carabao serve as draft animals in Bontoc and Benguet provinces. These places were carved out of the Cordillera region's mountains by people once known by the exonym Igorot ("ee-go-ROTE"). For 10 points, identify these earthworks used for wet rice cultivation on the island of Luzon.
A: Ifugao rice terraces [or Banaue rice terraces; accept descriptions of rice terraces in the Philippines, in the Philippine Cordilleras until "Cordillera" is read, or in Luzon until "Luzon" read; prompt on rice terraces by asking "in what country?"; prompt on rice paddies or fields]
Q: This desert, which is the source of the Sirocco ["si-ROCK-o"] winds, contains the Richat ["ri-shaht"] Structure in its Adrar Plateau. The shield volcano Emi Koussi ["emi cozy"] is in this desert's Tibesti Mountains, and it is home to the Berber peoples. This desert lies south of the Atlas Mountains and contains the shrinking (*) Lake Chad. The Sahel separates this desert from savannahs to its south, and it covers most of Libya and Egypt. For 10 points, name this large hot desert that covers North Africa.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: In this city, a large Citgo sign overlooks Commonwealth Avenue. This city's baseball stadium, the oldest active MLB ballpark, contains a large wall dubbed the "Green Monster." The USS Constitution is docked near Logan International Airport in this city. Kenmore Square is connected by this city's "T" system to (*) Northeastern University and its namesake "Common." The city of Cambridge lies across the Charles River from this city. Fenway Park in this city is the home stadium of the Red Sox. For 10 points, name this capital of Massachusetts.
A: Boston [accept Boston Common; or the Boston Red Sox]
Q: On this island, Mumbaki doctors offer black pigs to gods on behalf of visitors. The Afi Festival, in which 4,000 torchbearers dance to remember a system of slash-and-burn farming called kaingin, is held in this island's city of Tuguegarao. Lignon Hill overlooks the largest city in this island's Bicol Region. Until 2020, Vulcan Point was an island in Yellow Lake, itself in Volcano Island, located in Lake (*) Taal, making it a third-order island. This island's provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac are crossed by the Zambales Mountains. The ancestors of this island's Igorot people carved rice terraces into Banaue in the province of Ifugao. This island, home to Quezon City, houses a city that contains the Binondo District and the Malacanang Palace. For 10 points, name this island home to the Philippine capital of Manila.
A: Luzon
Q: During the Roman Warm Period, the city of Amposta was recorded as a seaport on this river despite now being more inland. A city partly named for this non-US river in the Alava province is home to the Apollo Theatre and is served by the Vitoria Airport. The world's first church dedicated to Mary, the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, is found on this river. This river flows through the Campoo district town of Reinosa, built by the same ruler as nearby Torrelavega and (*) Santander. The town of Saguntum south of this river was captured in the leadup to the Second Punic War. The Gallego flows into this river near a city home to the Aljaferia Palace, Zaragoza. This river rises in Cantabria and forms a delta in southern Catalonia. For 10 points, name this river that, after the Tagus, is the longest in length on the Iberian peninsula.
A: Ebro River
Q: In this river, many tulip-shaped concrete "pots" make up the artificial Little Island park. The structure Vessel was built for a neighborhood named for this river's "Yards." This river's namesake valley includes Westchester County and the city of Yonkers. The (*) Battery lies on the eastern shore of this river, as do the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village and Hell's Kitchen. Ellis and Liberty Islands lie in the mouth of this river. For 10 points, name this New York river, which bounds Manhattan with the East and Harlem Rivers.
A: Hudson River [accept Hudson Valley; or Hudson River Valley; or Hudson Yards]
Q: This region houses an "African American Gold Coast" in its enclave of Addisleigh Park, located within the neighborhood of St. Albans. An old Mafia graveyard was operated out of a neighborhood located below sea level in this region called The Hole. Indo-Guyanese people established the ethnic enclaves of Richmond Hill and Ozone Park in this region. Margaret Sage purchased the land that would become the planned garden community of (*) Forest Hills in this region. Food trucks selling Tibetan and Bengali food line Roosevelt Avenue and Northern Boulevard in this region's neighborhood of Jackson Heights. This borough's neighborhoods of Corona and Flushing co-name a park that hosted the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs. For 10 points, name this New York City borough to the east of Brooklyn.
A: Queens [prompt on New York City]
Q: The speleologist Anton Suwa died while exploring a cave with this name in Zalog pri Sempetru ("shem-PAY-troo"), located near a gorge with this name outside of Ljubljana. A village with this name in Stjørdal ("stee-YER-dal") takes its name from the Old Norse word for "overhang." Short limestone formations surrounded by shrubbery inspired residents to give this name to a touristy area in West Bay, Grand Cayman. A Michigan town with this name may have been inspired by German travelers shouting the phrase "So beautifully bright!" out of a stagecoach. In 2013, George (*) Kourounis journeyed to the bottom of a location with this name, whose impacts on the local community were addressed by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. The Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan, which has burned for five decades, is nicknamed the "Door to" this place. Mount Etna was considered a gate to, for 10 points, what location where souls suffer in the afterlife?
A: hell [or Door to Hell; or Gates of Hell]
Q: It's not Abu Dhabi, but the UAE signed an agreement with this city's government to construct the 350-meter-tall Abu Dhabi Plaza. Eighteen bronze monuments of ancient warriors stand in this city's Zhetisu Park. Frescoes of Sharyn Canyon flank part of an opera house in this city, whose 2013 inauguration featured the opera Birzhan and Sara. A pyramidal building in this city with a stained glass apex, built for a triennial religious Congress, is the Palace of (*) Peace and Reconciliation. That building and the tent-shaped Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center in this city were designed by Norman Foster. The Baiterek monument in this city on Nurjol Boulevard resembles a poplar tree and an egg. This city has the Guinness World Record for the most number of name changes, as past names included Akmola and Nur-Sultan. For 10 points, name this capital of Kazakhstan.
A: Astana [or Nur-Sultan before mentioned]
Q: Many weddings in this city are held in a city block containing 75 tree species, Alice Keck Park. This city's Cold Spring Tavern was a stopping point on the 40-mile stagecoach route linking it to Los Olivos. This city's arts district and wine-tasting area, the "Funk Zone," is home to the sandcastle-shaped MOXI museum. It's not in Ohio, but Gaylord Nelson organized the first Earth Day after an event centered on this city fouled the coast up to nearby Goleta. It's not Ann Arbor, but Charlie Munger was ridiculed for designing a (*) dorm building with windowless rooms for this city. This city names a 1969 oil spill and a Franciscan "Queen of the Missions" that was captured in the 1824 Chumash ("CHOO-mosh") Revolt. The Santa Ynez mountains east of this city provide views of Channel Islands National Park. For 10 points, name this seaside California city about two hours northwest of LA, home to a namesake UC campus.
A: Santa Barbara, California [accept UC Santa Barbara; accept Mission Santa Barbara or Mision de Santa Barbara; accept Santa Barbara oil spill]
Q: It's not New York City, but the Magic City Innovation District controversially seeks to revitalize Little Haiti in this city. A 2023 paper by Carter and Merii that focuses on this city argues that the robust use of calque expressions such as "put the light" and "make a party" by one ethnic population in this city defines a distinct English dialect. A park in this city hosts the Maximo Gοmez Dominoes Club and sits along a Hispanic Walk of Fame. The Calle Ocho festival is held in this city's Little Havana neighborhood. The MacArthur Causeway connects this city to a namesake "beach" city. For 10 points, name this city home to a large cruise port on Biscayne Bay, located in South Florida.
A: Miami
Q: A national monument in this country is home to endemic species like Heliamphora carnivorous plants, whose range was studied by Julian Steyermark and Otto Huber. This country's Henri Pittier National Park is the northern terminus of the biodiversity hotspot with the highest levels of endemism in Norman Myers's classification. In May 2024, this country's La Corona glacier was reclassified as an ice field, making this the first country in modern history to lose all of its glaciers. This country's highest peaks are named for Aime Bonpland and (*) Alexander von Humboldt, who saw electric eels shock their horses while traveling through this country south from Cumana. In the southeastern Gran Sabana region of this country, the Pemon word for "house of the gods" names sandstone table-top mountains like Mount Roraima. For 10 points, what country's Auyan-tepui, in Canaima National Park, is home to Angel Falls?
A: Venezuela [or Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela or Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela]
Q: Half of a mile-long one of these features is located in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, which is the only location in its country home to white rhinos. The rate of retreat of these features is inversely proportional to their height. One of these features was enclosed and destroyed by the creation of the Itaipu Dam in an attempt to draw electricity from that one of these features. Fluvial sediment transport often creates plunge pools at the base of these features. The Garganta del Diablo is a cataract at the base of one of these features along the Iguazu River. For 10 points, one of what feature located on the Zambezi river between Zambia and Zimbabwe is named after Queen Victoria?
A: waterfalls [accept Victoria Falls; accept Guaira Falls; accept Iguazu Falls; accept cataract before mention]
Q: The southern portion of this region is covered by the Alashan Plateau. This region, which is the habitat of a type of gazelle called a dzeren, is also home to the world's last wild horse species, Przewalski's ("per-zhuh-vahl-skees") horse. Poplar trees are being planted as part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, an ongoing effort to stop the (*) expansion of this desert. Scientist Roy Chapman Andrew named the Flaming Cliffs region after discovering dinosaur eggs near red rock faces in this desert where livestock farmers raise two-humped Bactrian camels. For 10 points, name this desert that stretches across northern China and southern Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert [prompt on Mongolia or China before "this desert"]
Q: A pair of mountain peaks visible to the north of this city is known as The Lions. This city's convention center lies across the Coal Harbour from a large park containing Lost Lagoon and artwork by the Squamish people. A historic neighborhood in this city is home to a whistling steam-powered clock. That neighborhood named (*) Gastown can be reached using this city's SkyTrain, a fully automated rapid-transit system constructed prior to its Expo 86. This city is one of the largest film production centers in North America, earning it the nickname "Hollywood North." For 10 points, name this western Canadian city, the most populous in British Columbia.
A: Vancouver (the unnamed park is Stanley Park)
Q: These non-Mongol people compete in "rural sports" inspired by former farm activities such as wood chopping and stone lifting. Also popular among these people is pelota, a class of ball games that includes one sport played using a curved, handheld wicker basket called a cesta. That sport is (*) jai alai, whose name comes from this ethnic group's language isolate. That language of these people, which has dialects including Gipuzkoan and Biscayan, is Euskara and is primarily spoken in a region in the western Pyrenees Mountains. For 10 points, what ethnic group's namesake "country" straddles the border between northern Spain and southern France and contains the city of Bilbao?
A: Basque [or Euskaldunak or Vasco]
Q: In this country, Roger Shepherd founded the indie music label Flying Nun. A 1954 murder in this country by teenagers Parker and Hulme inspired the Melanie Lynskey film Heavenly Creatures. Shigeru Ban designed a cardboard cathedral for this country after a 2011 earthquake. The UN named March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia after the 2019 mass shootings at mosques in this country. The extremely steep Baldwin Street is in this country's city of Dunedin. This country's highest mountain is Aoraki, or Mount Cook. For 10 points, Christchurch is the most populous city on the South Island of what country, whose capital is Wellington?
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: Before moving to Canuelas in 2022, the Mercado de Liniers in Buenos Aires was this good's largest trading point. To support production of this good, JBS has been accused of bribing government officials to overlook illegal logging operations. Brazil is the world's largest exporter of this good, whose producers may use dietary supplements to shorten lifespan and reduce carbon emissions from this good. Fraldinha ("frau-JEEN-ya") and picanha ("pee-CAN-ya") are cuts of this good traditionally served rodizio-style in churrascarias, a type of Brazilian restaurant named for this good. For 10 points, name this good that is raised and sold by gauchos and ranchers.
A: cattle [or bulls or cows or bovines; accept beef or steak or veal; prompt on meat]
Q: A diversion tunnel from one of this river's largest tributaries provides water to the Uncompahgre ("un-come-pah-gray") Valley. That tributary meets this river, which is home to the bonytail and humpback chub fish species, at Grand Junction. In the early 20th century, this river's waters rushed into the Imperial Valley after breaching a canal, creating the (*) Salton Sea. The amount of water reaching this river's delta in the Gulf of California has been reduced by heavy irrigation and the construction of dams like the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams. For 10 points, name this American river that shares its name with a state and flows through the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River (the unnamed tributary is the Gunnison River)
Q: An ibex ("EYE-bex") from this region is a traditional symbol in this region's city of Chur ("koor"), which is the capital of a subnational region whose name means "Grey Leagues." This region gives its name to long curved horns, usually played standing up with the bell resting on the ground. In this physical region, Barolo and Barbaresco are produced from Nebbiolo grapes grown in Piedmont. This region contains the world's deepest traffic tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which provides a connection to Ticino ("tee-CHEE-noh"). This physical region's traditional wooden chalets ("SHA-lays") are often rented by tourists for skiing trips in towns like St. Moritz or Chamonix ("sha-mon-EE"). For 10 points, Switzerland's topography is dominated by what European mountain range?
A: the Alps [or Swiss Alps or Western Alps or Eastern Alps or Central Alps; accept alphorns or alpenhorns; prompt on Swiss Plateau or Switzerland or Canton of the Grisons or Canton of Graubunden by asking "that is part of what wider geographical region?"; prompt on Italy or northern Italy; prompt on central Europe; prompt on Piedmont until read]
Q: A 2015 book titled for these creatures "in the Balance" was written by Craig Packer, who directs the University of Minnesota center dedicated to researching them. One of these creatures named Elsa was raised by the controversial Joy Adamson, as discussed in her book Born Free. These creatures are killed in ala-mayo rituals, which may be carried out by morani of the Maasai people. In 2015, Minnesotan dentist Walter Palmer killed one of these creatures named Cecil. These animals served as models for the body of a sculpture probably built for Khafre, which is located on the plateau of Giza. For 10 points, simba is the Swahili word for what large cats that might hunt in a pride?
A: lions [or lionesses or Panthera leo or Panthera leo leo or Panthera leo melanochaitai or African lions; accept Cecil the Lion; accept Elsa the Lioness; accept Lions in the Balance; prompt on cats or big cats; prompt on sphinxes or Egyptian sphinxes or Great Sphinx of Giza with "what creatures are the model for the Sphinx's body?"]
Q: The Kiamu dialect of this language is spoken on Lamu Island. Speakers of this language in urban slums combined it with English words to create the Sheng slang. The first written records of this language are thought to be letters sent from Kilwa in the 18th century. Numerous Arabic loan words are present in the vocabulary of this language whose name comes from Arabic for "of the (*) coast." The Kiunguja dialect, which is primarily used in Zanzibar, is the basis for the standard spoken form of this language. For 10 points, name this Bantu language, the lingua franca for much of East Africa and one of the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania.
A: Swahili [or Kiswahili]
Q: The Fly River, which drains the Star Mountains on this island, has been extensively polluted following the Ok Tedi mine disaster. The highlands of this island include the site of sugar cane's first domestication, and Puncak Jaya is its tallest mountain. After five youths were found dead near Dekai in 2023, Joko Widodo's regime received allegations of genocide against some of this island's Melanesian peoples, who are genetically related to Torres Strait Islanders. Tok Pisin is a creole language spoken on this island, whose over 800 languages make it the most linguistically diverse in the world. For 10 points, name this island divided between Indonesia and an eastern neighbor.
A: New Guinea [or Niugini or Niu Gini or Papua or Irian; reject "Papua New Guinea"]
Q: This country's Gayo people perform the Saman, a dance in which performers carry out synchronized clapping motions while seated in a line. A tool known as a canting ("chanting") is used to apply wax to cloth in a dyeing technique from this country called batik. A dalang manipulates wooden rods in performances of wayang, this country's (*) shadow puppet theater. The accompaniment for such shows, which is tuned using systems like slendro and pelog, is provided by this country's gamelan percussion ensembles. For 10 points, name this country where spoken poetry is delivered in languages like Sundanese and Javanese.
A: Indonesia
Q: This region that was once home to the Haush people was the site of a gold rush that brought an influx of Croatian immigrants to towns like Porvenir. The unique Yaghan language, which died with Christina Calderon in 2022, is the source of the name of this region's largest city. That city in this region, (*) Ushuaia, lies on the Beagle Channel and claims to be the southernmost city in the world. This region is separated from the rest of Patagonia to the north by the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, name this archipelago at the southern tip of South America with a name meaning "Land of Fire."
A: Tierra del Fuego [prompt on Chile or Argentina; prompt on Patagonia before mention]
Q: To the northwest of this landmark lies a group of 36 domed rock formations called Kata Tjuta ("catta jew-tah") and formerly known as the Olgas. Visitors to this landmark are asked not to photograph its northeast face because of its cultural significance. In 1985, the area containing this landmark was "handed back" to the (*) Anangu ("arn-ung-oo") people. Many of those people, who live in a community near this landmark named for the Mutitjulu ("moor-ti-djoo-loo") Waterhole, speak the Pitjantjatjara ("pigeon-jarrah") language. Visitors to this landmark usually arrive via the town of Alice Springs. For 10 points, name this large sandstone monolith found in the desert of Australia's Northern Territory.
A: Uluru [accept Ayers Rock]
Q: This city's Frogner Park contains a sculpture garden with hundreds of pieces created by the artist Gustav Vigeland. Akershus Castle is a former royal residence in this city located near the mouth of the Aker River. This city's Bygdoy ("big-day") peninsula is home to numerous attractions, including the (*) Fram Museum. Visitors can walk to the roof of this city's opera house from its angled, marble-covered exterior, which emerges from the waterfront. It's not in Sweden, but two red-brick towers rise above this city's city hall, the site of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian city, the capital of Norway.
A: Oslo
Q: The Kiamu dialect of this language is spoken on Lamu Island. Speakers of this language in urban slums combined it with English words to create the Sheng slang. The first written records of this language are thought to be letters sent from Kilwa in the 18th century. Numerous Arabic loan words are present in the vocabulary of this language whose name comes from Arabic for "of the (*) coast." The Kiunguja dialect, which is primarily used in Zanzibar, is the basis for the standard spoken form of this language. For 10 points, name this Bantu language, the lingua franca for much of East Africa and one of the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania.
A: Swahili [or Kiswahili]
Q: Bosten Lake is located in this region, whose capital is the western terminus of the highest-elevated high-speed rail track in the world. The salt lake Lop Nur is located in the Tarim Basin in this region and is used as a [*] Chinese nuclear test site. This Karakoram Highway terminates at this region's city of Kashgar. The Turkestan Islamic Party is a jihadist group fighting for the independence of, for ten points, what Uyghur Autonomous Region of China?
A: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (accept Sinkiang)
Q: This city's inhabitants are called cariocas, and this city's airport is located on Governador Island, in Guanabara Bay. This coastal city contains the largest urban forest in the world in its Tijuca (tsee-ZHOO-ka) neighborhood. Cidade de Deus and (*) Rocinha are among the slums in this city, called favelas, and are overlooked by this city's Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountains. This city's soccer stadium is located in Maracana, and beaches in this city include Ipanema and Copacabana. For 10 points, name this city home to Christ the Redeemer, the former capital of and second-largest city in Brazil.
A: Rio de Janeiro
Q: Marajo Island is located on the coast of this non-Sahara region fertilized by dust blown from the Bodele Depression. Yasuni National Park is located in this region, and at the Meeting of Waters in this region, one [*] blackwater river meets with another near the city of Manaus, the largest city in this region. The state of Para is located in this region, and deforestation in it has caused it to be a net emitter of carbon. For ten points, name this South American rainforest.
A: Amazon Rainforest
Q: The Onyx River is located in this region, which contains the active volcanoes Mount Berlin and Mount Melbourne. New Zealand Flight 901 crashed into a volcano in this region, and the single largest unclaimed territory on Earth is this region's [*] Marie Byrd Land. One location in this region is home to McMurdo station, and the subglacial Lake Vostok is located in this region. The Ross ice shelf is located in, for ten points, which continent home to the south pole?
A: Antarctica
Q: This country established one of the first wildlife land trusts in the world along a corridor from its Lake Manyara National Park. This country's highest peak is made up of the Kibo, Mwanzi, and Shira volcanic cones. A nomadic ethnic group that lives in the northern portion of this country were relocated to Ngorongoro Crater, which also contains a site of early (*) human remains at Olduvai Gorge. The Maasai people inhabited a region of this country home to a Great Migration of zebra wildebeests. For 10 points, name this East African country home to the Serengeti and Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.
A: Tanzania
Q: Tower 12 and Tower 18 are junctions in this city used to access one section of its metro system, which in 1992 was flooded despite the Deep Tunnel Project. The Wabash Street stations along the Loop of this city's [*] "L" rapid transit system provide access to its namesake Art Institute as well as Millennium Park. The "Magnificent Mile" along Michigan Avenue passes the Wrigley Building in this city, which also contains the Willis Tower. For ten points, name this largest city in Illinois.
A: Chicago
Q: It's not in Germany, but the folk song "The Wanderer" tells the story of a convict returning from an area named for this body of water. The area around this body of water was once home to the Mal'ta-Buret culture and later the Kurykans, before being taken over by a nomadic confederation. The 1956 damming of the Angara River has caused this body of water to rise by 1.4m. This body of water is sometimes nicknamed (*) "the older sister" in reference to its larger size compared to a nearby lake. The region known as trans-this body of water contains the city of Chita and was part of the short lived Far Eastern Republic from 1920-22. For 10 points, name this largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, containing more fresh water than the North American Great Lakes combined.
A: Lake Baikal (prompt on Baikalia, Transbaikal and Transbaikalia with "which is named after what body of water)
Q: This nation is home to the largest population of the Makua people, who live in the region around Nampula. This country's city of Xai-Xai sits on its second-longest river, while its longest river runs through Lake Cahora Bassa. This nation's namesake [*] channel contains Mayotte and the Comoros, and it is home to the Limpopo and Zambezi deltas. For ten points, name this former Portuguese colony governed from Maputo whose namesake channel separates it from Madagascar.
A: Republic of Mozambique
Q: The "Yaya-Mama" motif characterizes art from sites near this body of water like Chiripa and Pucara. The Uros people are known for building rafts and artificial islands in this body of water out of totora reeds. A stone structure near this body of water bears a late image of the "Staff God" and is called the "Gate of the Sun." The (*) Desaguadero River is the sole outflow of this body of water, around which the Tiwanaku civilization centered, and drains into Lake Poopo. This is the largest body of water in the Altiplano. For 10 points, name this lake on the Bolivian-Peruvian border, often called the world's "highest navigable lake."
A: Lake Titicaca
Q: The Gardens by the Bay Park in this country features "Supertrees". In this country, one can buy food at a kopitiam or a hawker center. Jurong, a reclaimed island in this country, houses a large industrial complex, and (*) Raffles Place, a financial district in this country, is named for the founder of this modern-day country. This country's chief airport is located in Changi. Official languages in this country include Tamil and Mandarin, as well as the language of its neighbor. This country lies north of a namesake strait and south of the Johor Strait. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian city-state, south of Malaysia.
A: Republic of Singapore [accept Singapura or Cinkappur or Xinjiapo]
Q: The Valley of the Cows borders one peak in this mountain range, which was first climbed by Matthias Zurbriggen. The Wiphala [WHIFF-ala] is a symbol of this range's indigenous inhabitants, who consumed freeze-dried potatoes known as chuno and practiced [*] terrace farming. The Ojos del Salado is located in this range, as well as the city of Tiwanaku, which was founded on the shores of Lake Titicaca. For ten points, name this South American mountain range, the longest in the world.
A: Andes Mountains
Q: This state attempted to create the uninhabited Bullfrog County to tax a nuclear waste facility. This state has the highest proportion of federally owned land in the US. A huge LED (*) sphere was built in this state in 2023. The unincorporated community of Paradise actually contains most of the "Strip" of this state's most populous city. Gambling is a major industry of, for 10 points, what state which contains Las Vegas?
A: Nevada
Q: This country, which is naturally divided into the Costa, Sierra, and Oriente regions, granted constitutional rights to nature in 2008. In this country's largest city, dozens of free-roaming iguanas live in Seminario Park. That city in this country shares its name with a Gulf containing the island of Puna and the mouth of the (*) Guayas River. Active volcanoes like Cotopaxi dot this nation's landscape, and the furthest surface point from the center of the Earth is at the peak of this country's Mount Chimborazo. For 10 points, name this South American country named for its position on the zero line of latitude.
A: Ecuador
Q: The Scripps Institution of Oceanography is located in this city's La Jolla neighborhood, as is the Mount Soledad Cross. This city's San Ysidro port of entry is the busiest border crossing in the United States, while the [*] Coronado Naval Base is located in its namesake Bay. Balboa Park is located in this city, while its own naval base hosts the USS Midway. For ten points, name this city in Southern California, located directly adjacent to the Mexican city of Tijuana.
A: San Diego
Q: The Sundance Film Festival takes place in this state's cities of Park City and Provo. This state contains thousands of sandstone spires called hoodoos in its Bryce Canyon National Park. The city of Moab is near this state's (*) Arches National Park. The majority of this state's residents are Mormons. This state's capital lies on the shore of North America's largest saline lake. For 10 points, name this Western state whose capital is Salt Lake City.
A: Utah [or UT]
Q: This country is home to a pioneering "dementia village" called Hogeweyk (HO-huh-vaik). The International Criminal Court is found in this country's city of Den Haag. This country's city of Almere was built starting in 1976 on one of this country's many (*) polders, which consist of reclaimed land. Europe's busiest port, Rotterdam, is found in this country. The province of Holland is often used as a name for, for 10 points, what country whose capital is Amsterdam?
A: Netherlands [or Kingdom of the Netherlands or Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; accept the Dutch Republic; prompt on Holland until "Holland" is read]
Q: To the northwest of this landmark lies a group of 36 domed rock formations called Kata Tjuta ("catta jew-tah") and formerly known as the Olgas. Visitors to this landmark are asked not to photograph its northeast face because of its cultural significance. In 1985, the area containing this landmark was "handed back" to the (*) Anangu ("arn-ung-oo") people. Many of those people, who live in a community near this landmark named for the Mutitjulu ("moor-ti-djoo-loo") Waterhole, speak the Pitjantjatjara ("pigeon-jarrah") language. Visitors to this landmark usually arrive via the town of Alice Springs. For 10 points, name this large sandstone monolith found in the desert of Australia's Northern Territory.
A: Uluru [accept Ayers Rock]
Q: This city's Chinatown is named for the fact that its water was once supplied by ox carts. In this city, a former convent known as CHIJMES ("chimes") now hosts shops and a wedding venue featured in a 2018 film. A Universal Studios park is part of Resorts World Sentosa in this city, which is also home to the three card-deck-shaped towers of (*) Marina Bay Sands. Both a lion-headed logo and the merlion are symbols of this city. This city south of the Straits of Johor has Mandarin, English, and Tamil among its official languages. For 10 points, name this Southeast Asian city-state on the Malay Peninsula.
A: Singapore [or Singapura or Xinjiapo]
Q: The Garrison Dam blocks this river, which is formed from the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin Rivers at the town of Three Forks. Lake Sakakawea lies on this river, whose navigational head is located in [*] Sioux City. The Lewis and Clark Expedition attempted to find the headwaters of this river, which divides Kansas City as it enters its namesake state. For ten points, name this river which meets the Mississippi near St. Louis.
A: Missouri River
Q: In this state, the I-90 crosses twin floating bridges to cross Mercer Island before reaching its terminus. The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge connects this state's largest city to Bellevue. A corporate headquarters in this state features three large spherical greenhouses. The Gum Wall is beneath (*) Pike Place Market in this state, near the first Starbucks cafe. This state's city of Vancouver lies across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon to its south. For 10 points, name this state in the Pacific Northwest that contains Seattle.
A: Washington
Q: The Archipelago Sea off the coast of this country is home to one demilitarized province governed from Mariehamm, the Aland Islands. This country's indigenous Sami people live in its province of Lapland. This eastern neighbor of the [*] Gulf of Bothnia contains Lake Saimaa, which flows into Vyborg Bay, an arm of this country's namesake gulf, which separates it from Estonia. For ten points, name this Nordic country whose capital is Helsinki.
A: Republic of Finland (accept Suomi, accept Suomen tasavalta)
Q: It's not New York, but the mezzanine of this state's World Trade Center bus station was designed to resemble an underwater ecosystem and uses the CharlieCard as payment. A ferry connects this state's Barnstable County to its island of [*] Martha's Vineyard. In this state, Back Bay forms part of the southern bank of the Charles River, which divides this state's capital city and Cambridge. For ten points, what New England state home to Harvard University has a capital of Boston?
A: Massachusetts
Q: In this body of water, attacks on Kharg Island by one country led to the Tanker War. The Kafala labor system has its origins in pearl fishers in this body of water, but now is used for often exploited migrant workers. The Musandam Peninsula juts into the Straits of [*] Hormuz connecting this body of water to the Gulf of Oman. For ten points, name this body of water whose oil reserves, the world's largest, led to the prosperity of nations like Qatar and Kuwait.
A: Persian Gulf (accept Arabian Gulf)
Q: A shrubland ecosystem with a Mediterranean climate unique to this non-Mediterranean country features extremely biodiverse plant life, including an herb used to make a kind of red tea. This country's Swartberg Mountains are home to the expansive Cango Caves. Tugela Falls, which some argue is the tallest in the world, is found in the eastern portion of this nation's (*) Great Escarpment. This country's southernmost point is Cape Agulhas ("ah-gull-us"), a promontory that demarcates the boundary between two oceans. For 10 points, the Drakensberg mountains are the source of the Orange River in what country home to the Cape of Good Hope?
A: Republic of South Africa [or RSA] (the unnamed ecosystem in the first line is the fynbos; the unnamed herb is rooibos)
Q: The Zig Zag Towers are in a city in this country, whose airport is home to a giant yellow teddy bear with its head stuck in a lamp. The planned city of Lusail was created for an event in this country, which also used a (*) stadium made out of 974 shipping containers. Like nearby Bahrain, this country only borders Saudi Arabia. The 2022 World Cup was held in, for 10 points, what small Middle Eastern country with cities like Doha?
A: Qatar [or State of Qatar or Dawlat Qatar]
Q: The Smithsonian Institution operates Barro Colorado Island near this structure. The HKND group went bankrupt attempting to build an alternative to this structure, and the Culebra Cut allows vehicles to traverse part of it to reach the [*] port of Balboa. The man-made Gatun Lake is part of this structure, whose locks allow ships to avoid traveling through the Straits of Magellan. For ten points, name this canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across a namesake isthmus.
A: Panama Canal
Q: This city's Frogner Park contains a sculpture garden with hundreds of pieces created by the artist Gustav Vigeland. Akershus Castle is a former royal residence in this city located near the mouth of the Aker River. This city's Bygdoy ("big-day") peninsula is home to numerous attractions, including the (*) Fram Museum. Visitors can walk to the roof of this city's opera house from its angled, marble-covered exterior, which emerges from the waterfront. It's not in Sweden, but two red-brick towers rise above this city's city hall, the site of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian city, the capital of Norway.
A: Oslo
Q: The last native speaker of the Yaghan language died in this country in 2022. Alexander Selkirk was once marooned on an island now owned by this country. The world's highest crater lake can be found atop Ojos del Salado in this country, and many locations in this country, such as a lake and a national park, are named for (*) Bernardo O'Higgins. The Paranal Observatory in this country hosts the Very Large Telescope, and a heavily deforested island owned by this country is home to the Rapa Nui, who constructed large Moai heads there. For 10 points, name this South American country that possesses Easter Island and the Atacama Desert.
A: Republic of Chile
Q: This city contains the only bridge that curls up to allow river traffic to pass. A local superstition holds that if the ravens that reside at one location in this city leave, the nation will fall. A statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson stands atop a column at the center of this city's (*) Trafalgar Square. A government building in this capital features a clock whose bell may be nicknamed for Sir Benjamin Hall. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and an eponymous tower are located in, for 10 points, what capital of England?
A: London [or the Tower of London]
Q: This state's Poverty Point National Monument contains prehistoric earthen mounds. Refugees of one ethnic group, deported in an event known as Le Grand Derangement, eventually settled in this state's Atchafalaya Basin. [*] Acadiana is a French-speaking region in this state's southern parishes. The Mississippi River Delta is located in this state whose largest city lies on Lake Pontchartrain. For ten points, Cajun influence is prominent in what state home to New Orleans?
A: Louisiana
Q: A ring of basalt pillars near this lake's city of Kalokol may have aligned with seven star systems and is called Namoratunga, or "stone people." Near this lake, the annual Tobong'u Lore Cultural Festival is held in towns such as Loiyangalani and Lodwar. Marta Mirazon Lahr found some of the earliest evidence of human warfare in this lake's basin at Nataruk. UNESCO tried to halt the construction of the Gilgel Gibe III Dam on this lake's primary inflow, the Omo River. This largest alkaline lake in the world is home to Africa's largest wind farm, the (*) LTWP. On the Nariokotome River near this lake, local archaeologist Kamoya Kimeu worked with Richard Leakey to unearth a near-complete Homo ergaster skeleton. This lake, once called Lake Rudolf, was renamed after a Nilotic ethnic group by Jomo Kenyatta. For 10 points, a fossilized "Boy" is named after what lake shared by Ethiopia and Kenya?
A: Lake Turkana [accept Lake Rudolf until read]
Q: A legal loophole involving this national park means that it may be impossible to convict people of crimes in part of it. This national park is located in a caldera over a namesake supervolcano, and contains the tallest active (*) geyser in the world. Another geyser in this national park is named for its consistent eruption times. Old Faithful is found in, for 10 points, what oldest national park in the US, located in the northwest corner of Wyoming?
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: This region that was once home to the Haush people was the site of a gold rush that brought an influx of Croatian immigrants to towns like Porvenir. The unique Yaghan language, which died with Christina Calderon in 2022, is the source of the name of this region's largest city. That city in this region, (*) Ushuaia, lies on the Beagle Channel and claims to be the southernmost city in the world. This region is separated from the rest of Patagonia to the north by the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, name this archipelago at the southern tip of South America with a name meaning "Land of Fire."
A: Tierra del Fuego [prompt on Chile or Argentina; prompt on Patagonia before mention]
Q: The ancient Nuragic civilization built stone towers on an island in this sea. Pete Buttigieg's father immigrated to the United States from an island country in this sea, which contains the island of Gozo. The city of Palermo and the volcano Mount (*) Etna are found on an island in this sea, which contains the countries of Malta and Cyprus. Sicily is an island in, for 10 points, what sea which separates Europe from Africa?
A: Mediterranean Sea
Q: An overseas collectivity named after this country's Latin name rejected independence from France in a 2021 referendum. The only settlement on the island of Tristan da Cunha is named for this country's capital "of the Seven Seas." Vanuatu was formerly named after an archipelago in this country whose "Outer" and "Inner" portions contain the site of the Lewis chessmen and the Isle of (*) Skye. Australia's Perth is named after a city in this country, which inspired the name for New Caledonia and a Canadian Maritime province whose capital is Halifax. For 10 points, the Hebrides and the Highlands are part of what northernmost constituent country of the U.K.?
A: Scotland [or Alba; accept Kingdom of Scotland; accept Nova Scotia; prompt on Caledonia before "Caledonia"; prompt on United Kingdom or Great Britain]
Q: A former sports stadium in this state is the tenth-tallest pyramid in the world. The confluence of the Holston and French Broad Rivers forms this state's namesake river, which alongside the Cumberland River, forms the boundaries of (*) Land Between the Lakes. Clingman's Dome, the highest point in this state, and Gatlinburg are located in the Great Smoky Mountains. A city in this state contains a replica of the Parthenon and the Grand Ole Opry. For 10 points, name this Southern state, home to Graceland in the city of Memphis, whose capital is Nashville.
A: Tennessee
Q: An area known as the "Northern" one of these things is the origin of many Central American migrants fleeing to the US. Control over a region bordering the Red Sea with this word in its name is disputed by two countries, neither of which claims Bir Tawil. This word is used to describe a depression named Afar that contains (*) Lake Assal. Parts of Myanmar and Laos are included in a large opium-producing area called the "Golden" one of these things. A region in North Carolina home to three major universities is known as the "Research" one of these shapes. For 10 points, planes and ships have mysteriously disappeared in an area with what kind of shape named for Bermuda?
A: triangle [accept Northern Triangle or Halaib Triangle or Afar Triangle or Golden Triangle or Research Triangle Park or Bermuda Triangle; prompt on Halaib]
Q: This body of water discovered by John Hanning Speke lies east of the Albertine Rift and is plagued by invasive water hyacinths. The Kagera River flows into this lake in which native cichlids have been displaced by the [*] Nile perch. The Entebbe Zoo is located on the shore of this lake, and Henry Morton Stanley proved that this lake was the source of the Nile River. The city of Kampala lies on, for ten points, what largest lake in Africa, which is named for a British queen?
A: Lake Victoria
Q: The Italian Hall disaster in this state's town of Calumet was an origin of the analogy of "shouting fire in a crowded theatre". A large Finnish immigrant population makes up much of the heritage of this state's "Yoopers". Residents of this state often use their hands as (*) maps of it. For 10 points, name this state divided into Upper and Lower Peninsulas, the latter of which includes cities like Detroit.
A: Michigan
Q: These non-Mongol people compete in "rural sports" inspired by former farm activities such as wood chopping and stone lifting. Also popular among these people is pelota, a class of ball games that includes one sport played using a curved, handheld wicker basket called a cesta. That sport is (*) jai alai, whose name comes from this ethnic group's language isolate. That language of these people, which has dialects including Gipuzkoan and Biscayan, is Euskara and is primarily spoken in a region in the western Pyrenees Mountains. For 10 points, what ethnic group's namesake "country" straddles the border between northern Spain and southern France and contains the city of Bilbao?
A: Basque [or Euskaldunak or Vasco]
Q: The indigenous Guna people live on the San Blas Islands in this country. This country's port of Colon lies on the Atlantic Ocean, directly opposite to its capital city on the Pacific. This country's Lake Gatun was created in 1913 by a major (*) infrastructure project. This country's Darien Gap makes road travel between North and South America impossible. For 10 points, name this Central American country home to a canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
A: Republic of Panama
Q: An artificial lake in this city is home to a fountain with 450 foot tall jets, and acts as a drain from the water-based performance "O." An amusement park in this city is encased in a massive pink-tinted dome. This city is less than 50 miles from the former Frenchman Flat nuclear test site, leading to its nickname "Atomic City." This home to the Stratosphere observation deck and the (*) Adventuredome is also home to a building capped by 39 xenon lights which form the world's strongest light beam. Several of this city's best known attractions are along a street in the unincorporated area of Paradise. For 10 points, the Bellagio and Luxor are located along which city's strip?
A: Las Vegas
Q: This city's Block of Discord is named for the visual contrast between its modernista buildings, such as the Casa Battlo. This city's Eixample neighborhood is divided into superblocks. The trencadis mosaic style was used to make a salamander named El [*] Drac in this city's Parc Guell. The Passion Facade is located on a church in this city under construction since 1882, the Sagrada Familia designed by Antoni Gaudi. For ten points, name this second-largest Spanish city and capital of Catalonia.
A: Barcelona
Q: It's not Ohio, but this state's western border includes the Toledo Bend Reservoir built along the Sabine River. A massive semicircle of mounds over 3000 years old is located in the northeast corner of this state at Poverty Point National Monument. The cities of Metairie and Mandeville in this state are connected by a 23-mile long causeway over its largest body of water. This state contains the mouth of a river that also flows into the (*) Atchafalaya Basin. This is the only state to divide into parishes rather than counties. The Lower Ninth Ward of this state's largest city was devastated by levee failures from Lake Pontchartrain. For 10 points, name this state where the Mississippi River flows past New Orleans.
A: Louisiana
Q: On a river with this name, the Kinzua Dam created a reservoir with this name that encroached on land granted to the Seneca chief Cornplanter. A mountain subrange of this name contains the railroad Horseshoe Curve near Altoona. That subrange with this name runs parallel north of the Blue Ridge Mountains as part of the Appalachians. Three parallel bridges named for Rachel Carson, Andy Warhol, and Roberto (*) Clemente cross a river with this name, which is the longer of the two rivers that combine at Pennsylvania's Point State Park to form the Ohio. For 10 points, the Monongahela and a river with what name flow through Pittsburgh?
A: Allegheny [accept Allegheny River, Allegheny Reservoir, or Allegheny Mountains]
Q: This river delta continues out to sea as the Swatch of No Ground submarine canyon. The outflow in this river delta was lessened after the construction of the Farakka Feeder Canal, which diverts water to the Hooghly [WHO-glee] River to its west. The 1970 [*] Bhola Cyclone devastated the low-lying land near this delta, which includes the extensive Sundarbans mangrove forest. For ten points, name this largest river delta in the world, located in southern Bangladesh.
A: Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta (accept Bengal Delta, accept Sundarbans Delta before mention)
Q: Painted Wall is located in a Colorado national park whose name reflects the low light levels that one of these features receives. Amphitheaters containing hoodoos are the main attraction of a [*] Utah national park misleadingly named for one of these geographical features. The Skywalk is a glass bridge allowing tourists to view one of these features. For ten points, name these steep-sided features that are protected by national parks named Gunnison, Bryce, and Grand.
A: canyons (before mention, accept Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, accept Bryce Canyon National Park, accept Grand Canyon National Park)
Q: The Mustafa Center is part of this country's "Little India" district, and the Flower Dome is located in a park called Gardens by the Bay. This country's Formula One Grand Prix is held on its [*] Marina Bay Street Circuit. This country's four official languages include Tamil and Malay, and sales of chewing gum have been banned in this country since 1992. For ten points, name this smallest of the Four Asian Tigers, a southeast Asian island city-state.
A: Republic of Singapore
Q: This country's Kyzyl-Kala fortress is located in the Khwarezm Oasis. The autonomous region of Karakalpakstan in this country has suffered from droughts caused by the diversion of the Amu Darya and expansion of the [*] Aralkum Desert. The city of Bukhara in this country was a major stop on the Silk Road. For ten points, name this doubly landlocked Central Asian country which shares the evaporated Aral Sea with Kazakhstan and whose capital is Tashkent.
A: Republic of Uzbekistan
Q: This city's downtown contains the nightclub district of Printer's Alley. This city, the largest on the Cumberland River, is the origin of a type of fried chicken spiced with cayenne that was popularized by this city's Prince's [*] Hot Chicken Shack. This city hosts the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast, and its Music Row neighborhood lies adjacent to Vanderbilt University. The Country Music Hall of fame is, for ten points, located in what largest city and capital of Tennessee?
A: Nashville, Tennessee
Q: This country's Gayo people perform the Saman, a dance in which performers carry out synchronized clapping motions while seated in a line. A tool known as a canting ("chanting") is used to apply wax to cloth in a dyeing technique from this country called batik. A dalang manipulates wooden rods in performances of wayang, this country's (*) shadow puppet theater. The accompaniment for such shows, which is tuned using systems like slendro and pelog, is provided by this country's gamelan percussion ensembles. For 10 points, name this country where spoken poetry is delivered in languages like Sundanese and Javanese.
A: Indonesia
Q: The longest professional baseball game in history occurred in this state's city of Pawtucket. A yearly jazz festival and mansions such as the Breakers are found in this state's city of Newport, which overlooks Naragansett Bay. Brown University is located in this New (*) England state. This state's founder, Roger Williams, is the namesake of a park in its capital, Providence. For 10 points, name this smallest US state by area.
A: Rhode Island
Q: The bora, a strong wind, affects this body of water, and exceptionally high tides in this body of water are called acqua alta. The largest islands in this body of water are Krk ("kirk") and Cres ("TS-res"), which can be reached by ferry from the Istrian Peninsula. At one end of this body of water is the (*) Gulf of Trieste, and the Strait of Otranto separates this sea from the Ionian Sea. The city of Split in the region of Dalmatia is located along this sea, and the Po River empties into this sea near Venice. For 10 points, name this arm of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Italy and Croatia.
A: Adriatic Sea [prompt on Mediterranean Sea, antiprompt on Venetian Lagoon]
Q: A building in this city owned by Qatar is a pyramid nicknamed "the Shard," and this city is home to a large glass "Gherkin." A whispering gallery in this city was designed by Christopher Wren, and Monet painted the Houses of (*) Parliament in this city, which is home to the Albert Hall and a memorial to Horatio Nelson in Trafalgar Square. The Tower Bridge crosses the River Thames [temz] in, for 10 points, what capital city of England?
A: London, England, United Kingdom
Q: Volcanic activity in this country's central Itasy and Ankaratra regions has turned the soil red. An endangered primate nicknamed the bandro in this country is threatened by deforestation of reed beds in Lake Alaotra. This nation's Betsiboka River flows westward toward the (*) Mozambique Channel. The lemur is endemic to, for ten points, what island in the Indian Ocean, an African country with capital Antananarivo?
A: Madagascar
Q: This province's city of Gatineau [ga-tih-NOH] is part of its National Capital Region. This province forms the majority of the Labrador Peninsula. Its largest city, on an island in the confluence of the (*) Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers, hosted the opening ceremonies of the 1976 Summer Olympics in the Stade [stahd] Olympique. For ten points, name this French-speaking Canadian province, home to Montreal.
A: Quebec
Q: In this mountain range, accountant-turned-fugitive James "Bismarck" Hammes avoided capture by hiking for six years on a trail that extends from Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin. Mount Mitchell is its highest peak, and this range includes the (*) Piedmont and Blue Ridge subranges in Virginia and North Carolina. For ten points, name this mountain range that impedes east-west travel as it extends from Georgia to Maine.
A: Appalachian Mountains
Q: The southern terminus of this mountain range is Lassen, which was the site of a 1921 volcanic eruption. Its "North" part is a national park which contains Mount Baker. The Lewis and Clark expedition named one of its peaks after Thomas Jefferson. One peak in this range, Mt. Mazama, contains Crater Lake, and another, Mt. (*) Hood, was the site of a climbing accident in 2009. Name this volcanic mountain range of the Pacific Northwest, whose peaks include Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens.
A: Cascade Range (or the Cascades)
Q: Its namesake state's capital is Merida, northwest of the state of Quintana Roo. To its west is the Bay of Campeche, the island of Cozumel lies near its eastern shore, and the Chicxulub (chick-shoo-loob) (*) Crater off its northwest coast is hypothesized to be the landing spot of the impact that caused the K-T Extinction. Home to Cancun, name this Mexican peninsula that separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.
A: Yucatan Peninsula
Q: Thomas Dryer led the first successful ascent of it in 1853, near the end of its third most recent active period. Earlier in its history, water from the Toutle River and Spirit Lake along with snow and ice melt contributed to a lahar which charged down the North Fork of the Toutle River after the blast. David Johnston died when this mountain's symmetrical cone (*) exploded, making the radio transmission "Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!" Once considered "America's Mount Fuji," name this volcano in Washington state that erupted on May 18, 1980.
A: Mount St. Helens
Q: One tributary of this river is the Tapajos, and it is formed by the confluence of the Maranon and Ucayali Rivers. Marajo Island lies at the mouth of this river, and the city of Belem lies near this river's delta. The pororoca, a famous tidal bore, travels up this river, and the city of (*) Manaus lies near this river's confluence with the Rio Negro. Traveling through a namesake rainforest, for 10 points, name this longest river of South America.
A: Amazon River or Rio Amazonas
Q: Mafia Island lies off the coast of this country, which also contains the Ngorongoro Crater in its north. This country's Gombe National Park was home to Jane Goodall's chimpanzee studies. Three large lakes border this country; one of them, Lake Tanganyika, named the republic that combined with (*) Zanzibar to form this country. Home to Dar es Salaam, name this African country, which contains such landmarks as the Serengeti Plain and Mt. Kilimanjaro.
A: Tanzania
Q: Mount Darwin is the highest peak on its largest island, which lies north of the Drake Passage. The cities of Rio Grande and Ushuaia are possessed by one country, while another controls the island of Cape (*) Horn, the southern tip of this archipelago. Separated from mainland South America by the Strait of Magellan, name this archipelago owned by Argentina and Chile, whose name means "Land of Fire."
A: Tierra del Fuego [accept Land of Fire before the end]
Q: The Brule River runs through the northwest of this polity, and an extremely low frequency antenna was once operational in this polity's Chequamegon (SHWA-meh-gon) Nicolet National Forest. Washington Island is separated by "Death's Door" from Door (*) County in this state, whose namesake river flows through Stevens Point. The cities of Sheboygan and Kenosha lie on the shore of Lake Michigan. Name this state to the north of Illinois with capital at Madison.
A: Wisconsin
Q: This river is named for the loess that is carried by its flow and makes the river very muddy. Extensive flooding has caused its course to be altered several times, most recently in 1938 after a Japanese invasion. Its largest tributary is the (*) Wei River, and this river flows through Luoyang and Jinan along its course to a sea of the same name. Linked by the Sui Dynasty's Grand Canal to the Yangtze River to its south, name this Chinese river with a colorful name.
A: Yellow River [or Huang He River]
Q: One island in this body of water is home to the Nea Moni monastery, while another island, Santorini, was the site of a volcanic eruption that created the legend of Atlantis and possibly destroyed the Minoan culture. Another of its islands, Rhodes, was home to the Colossus and is the largest of the (*) Dodecanese. This body of water is connected by the Dardanelles to the Sea of Marmara, and its southern boundary is formed by Crete. Name this sea that lies between Greece and Turkey.
A: Aegean Sea
Q: The Bab el Mandeb strait is at the south end of this body of water, which is southwest of the Hejaz Mountains. Eritrea's Dahlak Archipelago is in this sea, which includes the Gulf of Tadjoura, and the Straits of Tiran [tee-RAHN] link this sea to the Gulf of (*) Aqaba [ah-KAH-bah] east of the Sinai Peninsula. Connected to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal, for 10 points, name this sea between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, allegedly parted by Moses.
A: Red Sea
Q: The Doberai Peninsula is in this nation's easternmost province, and the city of Pontianak in its province of West Kalimantan lies on an island shared by two other countries. The Lombok and Sunda Straits are major shipping lanes in the south of this country, and (*) Bali is a major resort island here. Including the islands of Sumatra and Java, for 10 points, name this primarily Muslim archipelagic nation with capital Jakarta.
A: Indonesia
Q: A branch of this river is named for the city of Damietta. A vast swamp called the Sudd is located along one branch of this river downstream of Juba. Temples on this river's banks at Abu Simbel were relocated when Lake Nasser was created by the (*) Aswan High Dam on this river. The Blue and White branches of this river merge at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. For 10 points, name this longest river in Africa, the former lifeblood of Ancient Egypt.
A: Nile River [or the White Nile, or en-Nil]
Q: The ancient city of Sigiriya lies in this island's center, and Adam's Bridge connects it to the mainland. Its Horton's Plains National Park includes Adam's Peak, and its southern city of Galle was devastated in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Sinhalese Buddhists are the majority here, and (*) Tamil separatists recently laid down arms here. Formerly known as Ceylon and with capital at Colombo, for 10 points, name this island nation southeast of India.
A: Sri Lanka
Q: The Sigsbee Deep is the lowest point in this body of water, and oil is produced in its Bay of Campeche [cam-"peach"-ee]. Rivers that empty into this body of water include the Coosa, Pearl, and Sabine, and cities on its shore include Tampico, Veracruz, and (*) Corpus Christi. Home to Galveston Island and the end of the Rio Grande and Mississippi River, for 10 points, name this site of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
A: Gulf of Mexico
Q: A monorail in this city connects its downtown to a cultural complex that includes the Museum of Pop Culture. Fish are thrown at this city's Pike Place Market. This city's suburb of Redmond contains (*) Microsoft's headquarters. The Space Needle is located in this city, which shares an airport with nearby Tacoma. Puget Sound borders, for 10 points, what Pacific Northwest city, the most populous in Washington?
A: Seattle
Q: The town of Avalon is the largest population center in this state's Channel Islands, five of which make up a national park. The American Indian Movement occupied another island in this state, which held a prison nicknamed "The Rock". This state's (*) Angel Island was the point of arrival for many Asian immigrants after crossing the Pacific. For 10 points, name this state where Alcatraz Island is located in San Francisco Bay.
A: California [or CA]
Q: Szekely Land (SEE-kay "land") is a region of this country which is mainly inhabited by ethnic Hungarians. This country's northwest is divided from the rest of it by the Carpathian Mountains. This country's region of Wallachia was once ruled by (*) Vlad Tepes (TSEH-pesh), whose brutality earned him the epithet "the Impaler". Bucharest is the capital of, for 10 points, what country whose region of Transylvania is supposedly the home of Dracula?
A: Romania
Q: The overnight formation and melting of thin ice sheets causes the phenomenon of "sailing stones" at this national park's Racetrack Playa. This national park's visitor center is found at the appropriately-named Furnace Creek, which once recorded a temperature of (*) 134 degrees Fahrenheit. For 10 points, what national park in the Mojave Desert contains Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in North America?
A: Death Valley National Park
Q: The large Tarim Basin is part of this country, whose northern border is partly formed by the Amur river. The Taklimakan desert is in its east, and this country is north of the Yalu river. This country shares Mt. Everest with (*) Nepal and includes the region of Tibet. Including rivers like the Yangtze and the Yellow, for 10 points, name this country featuring the cities of Shanghai and Beijing.
A: People's Republic of China (do NOT accept "Republic of China")
Q: Richard Byrd led several explorations of this place from a camp called "Little America". In this place, Lawrence Oates said "I am just going outside and may be some time" before walking into a blizzard. The ship Endurance, captained by Ernest (*) Shackleton, sank on an expedition to this place after being trapped in sea ice. For 10 points, Roald Amundsen sailed on the ship Fram to reach a point on what southernmost continent?
A: Antarctica [prompt on specific locations such as "Ross Ice Shelf" or "South Pole" by asking "What continent is that place located on?"]
Q: In a phenomenon called this island's "henge" by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the sunrise and sunset are aligned with its street layout. Marble Hill was separated from this island by the redirection of Spuyten Duyvil Creek into the (*) Harlem River Ship Canal. The East River separates this island from Brooklyn and Queens. Times Square and the Empire State Building are found on, for 10 points, what island, the most densely populated borough of New York City?
A: Manhattan Island [accept Manhattanhenge]
Q: Media tycoon Ted Turner founded a restaurant chain named for this state whose menu prominently features bison meat. The Going-To-The-Sun Road is found in a national park in this state which is across the border from Waterton Lakes in Canada. This state, nicknamed "Big (*) Sky Country", contains the source of the Missouri River and Glacier National Park. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Billings and the capital, Helena.
A: Montana
Q: This country's coat of arms is surmounted by a condor and depicts the volcano Chimborazo. This country's capital is located under the active volcano Pichincha. This country's most populous city is the port of Guayaquil. An archipelago owned by this country is home to a namesake species of giant (*) tortoises. The Galapagos Islands are part of this country, whose capital is Quito. For 10 points, what country is named for the line of 0 degrees latitude?
A: Republic of Ecuador
Q: The Historical Axis is a road of monuments in this city, whose avenues were widened by Baron Haussmann. Bone piles are in the catacombs below this city, whose Latin Quarter is part of the 5th and 6th (*) arrondissements [ah-ROHN-dee-suh-MOHN]. Its Left and Right Banks are separated by the Seine River, and its Champs-Elysees [shawm-ZAY-lee-ZAY] ends at L'Arc de Triomphe [lark duh tree-OMF]. Home to the Louvre, for 10 points, name this capital of France.
A: Paris
Q: The Anaconda Mining Company began in this state, whose city of Kalispell lies north of Flathead Lake. Granite Peak is the highest point in this state, home to the source of the Missouri River. This state's western border is formed by the (*) Bitterroot Mountains, and it includes the cities of Missoula, Butte, and Billings. For 10 points, name this western US state with capital at Helena.
A: Montana
Q: The Tisza (TEE-suh), the longest tributary of this river, flows through the Pannonian Basin. The Iron Gates are a gorge on this river that form part of the border between Serbia and Romania. The capital of (*) Hungary was formed from a merger of two cities separated by this river. This river is the longest river in non-Russian Europe. Budapest and Vienna lie on, for 10 points, what Central European river that drains into the Black Sea?
A: Danube River [or Donau, or Dunaj, or Duna, or Dunarea, or Dunav, or Dunai]
Q: This state is officially separated into three "Grand Divisions", which are represented by the three stars on its flag. This state's town of Pigeon Forge contains the Dollywood theme park. This state's capital contains the Grand Ole Opry and the (*) Country Music Hall of Fame. Elvis Presley's mansion, Graceland, is in this state's city of Memphis. For 10 points, name this state whose capital is Nashville.
A: Tennessee
Q: Wollaston Lake is the largest in the world that "bifurcates" into two of these things. The "stream capture" of part of one of these things by another results in "wind gaps" or "water gaps"; one such water gap is the Chicago River. The term "endorheic" refers to these things when they do not have outlets. The main mountain system of Australia is named for separating these things. Glacier National Park contains a (*) hydrological apex, or triple divide, between these things. The "Continental Divide" separates the Atlantic and Pacific examples of these things in the Americas. For 10 points, name the term for an area of surface land whose water all flows into a given outlet.
A: catchment basin [accept watershed; accept drainage basin; accept river basin or ocean basin; accept water basin; accept impluvium; accept drainage area; accept catchment area; prompt on basin]
Q: This island's European settlement began in 1803 at Risdon Cove on the Derwent River, founded by settlers from Port Phillip. George Augustus Robinson removed all of this island's indigenous people after Governor George Arthur ordered a "line" of soldiers and settlers to sweep across it to capture all indigenous people in the Black War. George Bass first identified and mapped the strait separating this island from its (*) continent. In 1642, this island was named Van Diemen's Land by its Dutch discoverer and modern namesake. For 10 points, name this island with capital Hobart, the southernmost province of Australia.
A: Tasmania
Q: Immediately north of this lake is the historic depot of Norway House, part of the York Factory Express. A major lake immediately west of this lake has the same name as it with the suffix "-osis." This lake is the largest remnant of Lake Agassiz. This lake's largest outflow is the Nelson River. Lake of the Woods empties into this lake through a river of the same name. The (*) Canadian prairies drain into this lake through the Saskatchewan River. The Assiniboine River joins the Red River of the North before their combined waters empty into this lake. For 10 points, name this largest lake in Manitoba, which shares its name with the province's capital.
A: Lake Winnipeg
Q: Nickel-containing rocks in New Caledonia in this climatic zone often have the mining maquis ecosystem. Mato Grosso is named for matorral vegetation that grows in this climate. The fynbos ecosystem in this climatic zone comprises the smallest floristic region in the world, the Cape Floristic Region. This climatic zone has Koppen classification Cs, denoting a temperate region with dry summers and mild winters. In the US, this climate is only present in (*) California. Shrub communities growing in this climate, like chaparral, often rely on fire for seed dispersal. For 10 points, what is this climate named for the sea where it occurs most, in countries like Greece and Italy?
A: Mediterranean (The six floristic regions are the Boreal, Paleotropical, Neotropical, Cape, Australian, and Antarctic)
Q: This political region contains the city that names the Khotan Kingdom. This political region's largest lake is Bosten Lake, while its Gurbantunggut Desert contains Manas Lake. This region contains the cities of Hami, which names a type of melon, and Turpan, famous for its grapes. This region's largest river is fed by the Kashgar River and no longer reaches its mouth at (*) Lop Nur. This region consists of the Dzungarian Basin and another basin bounded by the Kunlun Mountains and Tian Shan, the Tarim Basin, which contains the Taklamakan Desert. Urumqi is the capital of, for 10 points, what largest province-level division in China, an administrative region for the Uyghur people?
A: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region [or Sinkiang; accept XUAR]
Q: The Guadiana River defines part of this country's western border, and the Guadalquivir River is the only major navigable river in it. A whistle language is used on this country's island of La Gomera to communicate long distances. This country's "Coast of Light" ends at its southernmost continental point, Tarifa. Palma is the capital of an archipelago in this country that contains Formentera and (*) Ibiza. This country's exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are on the coast of Morocco. This country's Andalusian city of Algeciras is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar. For 10 points, name this largest country on the Iberian Peninsula, with its capital at Madrid.
A: Kingdom of Spain [or Reino de Espana]
Q: Sudbury, Ontario is a major nickel mining center due to one of these features filling with magma. Frederic Daniel Johnson died on the way to inaugurate a dam that flooded one of these features named Manicouagan, the "Eye of Quebec." The gold of the Witwatersrand is exposed because crustal rebound within one of these features created the Vredefort Dome. A circular ring of sinkholes helped geologists identify one of these features named (*) Chicxulub, which supported Walter and Luis Alvarez's theories about the K-Pg boundary and the extinction of the dinosaurs. For 10 points, name these features formed by the impacts of asteroids and meteorites.
A: impact craters
Q: This tectonic plate developed from the divergence of the Phoenix, Izanagi, and Farallon Plates. This plate's subduction created the second-deepest trench in the world, which connects to the Kermadec Trench. Worldwide, most active back-arc basins are on the western edge of this plate, including one south of the Izu-Bonin Trench. This is the largest tectonic plate in the world. This plate and surrounding ones like the (*) Cocos and Nazca Plates account for the largest set of active subduction zones in the world, the Ring of Fire. This plate's subduction created the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the world. For 10 points, name this plate that shares its name with the largest ocean.
A: Pacific Plate
Q: The Raizal people in this country seek self-determination for San Andres and Providencia. This country's first constitution was written in Cucuta. This country's city of Bonaventura is a short trip from its Cauca River, on which lies its city of Popayan, via the city of Santiago de Cali. This country's largest coastal city Barranquilla ("ba-ran-KEE-yah"), which lies at the delta of the Magdalena River, and its second largest is (*) Cartagena. The most dangerous city in the world was Medellin in this country when it was home to Pablo Escobar's drug cartel. For 10 points, name this northwesternmost country in South America, whose capital is Bogota.
A: Colombia
Q: Areas beyond these places were the first to be called "hinterlands," the density of which geographers conceptualize as "centrality." These places "of call" are defined by being intermediate stops. Since the 1960s, these places have shifted from handling break-bulk materials to ISO containers. The "dry" variety of these places are used for transshipment across modes of (*) transportation. Examples of these facilities without a naturally deep draft require dredging. Examples of these facilities free of ice year round are called "warm water." For 10 points, name these places where ships can dock and unload cargo.
A: ports [accept specific types of ports; do not accept or prompt on "harbors" since harbors are not facilities and all clues that could refer to harbors come after "these facilities"]
Q: This city's Opzoomer Street names a type of community-organized urban renewal movement. The Lijnbaan shopping street in this city was the first planned pedestrian street in Europe. Ossip Zadkine's sculpture The Destroyed City commemorates this city's World War II bombing. Dubbed "The Swan" for its asymmetrical pylon, this city's Erasmus Bridge crosses the New Meuse River. This is the largest city protected by the Delta Works. Due to its (*) Europoort, this city in the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt Delta is the largest seaport in Europe. For 10 points, name this city that forms a metropolitan area with The Hague and is the second largest city in the Netherlands.
A: Rotterdam
Q: A red crescent of sand called the Dahna stretches south from this region's Nufud. This region's Dhofar Mountains stretch into its Hadhramaut region. The Hajar Mountains, this region's highest, stretch into its northeastern point at Musandam. This region's heaviest rainfall is in its Sarawat Mountains, which contain subranges named Asir and (*) Hejaz. This region is the largest peninsula in the world. This peninsula's Nejd central plateau lies north of the Rub' al-Khali, a sandy part of its namesake desert that connects to the Sahara. For 10 points, name this peninsula between the Persian Gulf and Red Sea whose largest country is ruled by the House of Saud.
A: Arabian Peninsula [or Arabia; prompt on Middle East before "peninsula"]
Q: Cape Hangklip and this city bound False Bay, on which lies a naval base at Simon's Town. Huguenots settled in this city's "French corner" and at Stellenbosch nearby, where they began the region's wineries. This city's Bo-Kaap neighborhood is home to its "Malay quarter." This city almost reached "Day Zero" in 2018, making it the first major city to nearly run out of (*) water. Around 40% of this city's population identifies as "colored," the most of any major city. In 1652, the Dutch East India Company founded this city overlooked by Table Mountain. Robben Island lies offshore of, for 10 points, what South African city named for its location next to the Cape of Good Hope?
A: Cape Town
Q: This country's Teke tribe dominates its modern politics. Sarygamysh Lake was once fed by this country's Uzboy River. The Garabogazkol is a saline lagoon in this country. This country's capital has the most white marble buildings of any city in the world. This country's Darvaza Gas Crater contains a fire that has burned for a half century. The irrigation of this country's (*) Karakum Desert with Amu Darya water led to the Aral Sea drying up. The Trans-Caspian Railway's western terminus is a port in this country named for the honorific of Saparmurat Niyazov. For 10 points, name this country northeast of Iran and south of Uzbekistan, with its capital at Ashgabat.
A: Turkmenistan
Q: W.H. Auden reportedly favored a type of this stuff that was recently reintroduced after a 25-year pause in production by the Richfield-based DCI Company. An award-winning variety of this stuff produced by Washington State University is unusually packed in cans. Over one billion pounds of this stuff is stockpiled in converted limestone mines beneath Springfield, Missouri. A popular variety of this stuff invented by the Steinwand family names a small city located in the western portion of the (*) Wausau metro. The Gerber sandwich is topped with an oft-criticized regional variant of this food from St. Louis. Ronald Reagan introduced a federal program to distribute enormous quantities of this food to welfare recipients. The Prairie du Sac-based fast food chain Culver's is known for serving a type of this food as an alternative to french fries. For 10 points, Colby, Wisconsin names a type of what food that can also be eaten in curd form?
A: cheese [accept specific variants such as colby cheese or government cheese] (The DCI Cheese Company reintroduced Liederkranz. St. Louis is often associated with Provel cheese.)
Q: A park in this city named for former mayor Tom Hanafan features a 33-foot tall statue designed to imitate crumpled aluminum foil, Tom Friedman's Looking Up. This place was home to a church led by Arnold Potter, a schismatic messianic claimant who died after leaping to his death while attempting to ascend to heaven. Carter Lake, an exclave which seceded from this place after a river changed course, receives traffic from travelers departing a [emphasize] nearby city's (*) Eppley Airfield. After the Mormon Church fled from Nauvoo, they built the Kanesville Tabernacle in this city, which served as the jumping-off point for Mormon pioneers traveling to Utah. During the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Union Pacific built westward from this city. For 10 points, Omaha is located across the Missouri River from what city in southeastern Iowa named for cliffs?
A: Council Bluffs, Iowa [accept Kanesville, Iowa before it is read] tv
Q: The "Giant Patient Treadmill," which is basically an oversized hamster wheel, can be found in this place's Glore Psychiatric Museum. A woman profited off the death of her son [emphasize] in this place by charging visitors a quarter to take pebbles from his grave in nearby Kearney ("KAR-nee"). A rare bible engraved with the names of Russell, Majors, and Waddell was distributed to a group of men based in this place who performed a job advertised with the ominous phrase (*) "orphans preferred." In this city, a $10,000 reward offered by Thomas Crittenden motivated the murder of a man who was shot while dusting a picture frame. The Ford brothers killed Jesse James while the trio lived in a house in this city. This city served as the eastern terminus of the Pony Express. For 10 points, name this northwest Missouri city located roughly an hour north of Kansas City.
A: St. Joseph, Missouri [or St. Joe]
Q: This is the first word in the name of a city where a number of dead bodies have been found among 200 miles of disused suburban roads known as "The Compound". Addison Mizner ("MIZE-ner") revitalizes a town whose name starts with this word in Stephen Sondheim's poorly-regarded musical Road Show. This is the first word in the name of a town in which the Royal Poinciana ("poyn-see-ANN-uh") Hotel and a non-Rhode Island Breakers were constructed as lodging by (*) Henry Flagler. The use of controversial butterfly ballots in a county whose name starts with this word may have led to Al Gore's loss in the 2000 presidential election. Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is located on a wealthy barrier island town whose name starts with this word. For 10 points, what word precedes "Bay" and "Beach" in the name of a pair of seaside towns in Florida?
A: palm [accept Palm Beach, Florida; accept Palm Beach County; accept Palm Bay, Florida]
Q: This commodity names a place home to the Rose Hill estate, which is supposedly haunted by a ghostly Blue Dog. A balanced glacial erratic called Tripod Rock is found in a wealthy New Jersey borough named for a baron of this commodity, Kinnelon. George Atzerodt likely involved himself in plans to abduct Abraham Lincoln at a carriage shop in a town named for this commodity that is now the least-populous incorporated place in Maryland. During raids on the towns of Princeton and Hopkinsville by the (*) Night Riders, factories for the processing of this commodity were burned. A company that worked with this commodity was targeted in the "Black Patch Wars" and was founded by the namesake of Duke University. Because of its involvement with this industry, Winston-Salem is sometimes called the "Camel City". For 10 points, North Carolina leads the United States in production of what commodity smoked in cigarettes?
A: tobacco [accept Port Tobacco Village, Maryland; accept Black Patch Tobacco Wars]
Q: In 1792, a town with this name burned the corpse of Rachel Burton to ward off fears of vampirism. The Cheney Brothers Historic District is located in a city with this name, which also memorialized its fabric industry via a collegiate summer league baseball team called the Silkworms. A city with this name is home to Rock Rimmon, a scenic point overlooking a canal bypassing Amoskeag Falls on its Merrimack River. In 2021, widespread ire was directed at organizers of an event held in a city with this name after it was canceled due to rain from the remains of Hurricane (*) Ida. An airport located in a city with this name that adjoins neighboring Londonderry has seen declining traffic over the last twenty years in spite of appending "Boston Regional" to its name in 2006. Every June, a city with this name in Tennessee hosts the Bonnaroo Music Festival. For 10 points, what name is shared by the most populous city in New Hampshire and a large industrial city in northwest England?
A: Manchester [accept Manchester, New Hampshire; accept Manchester, Tennessee; accept Manchester, Connecticut; accept Manchester, Vermont]
Q: A large indoor playground designed by Cesar Pelli in this place contains Jean Tinguely's ("tawn-geh-LEE's") kinetic sculpture Chaos I. The final shot of a film shows a red fanned cable bridge in this place that spans the Flatrock River. In that film set in this place, multiple scenes are set outside of a mental hospital designed by James Polshek that also serves as a bridge. An ambient soundtrack cuts off one character's dialogue as she responds to another saying "I'm interested in what (*) moves you" while standing outside of a modernist bank in this city. Henry Moore's sculpture Large Arch is located at this city's I.M. Pei-designed library. A film titled after this city opens with a character played by Parker Posey searching for a Korean professor before he collapses outside of Eliel Saarinen's First Christian Church. A 2017 film about Jin and Casey's brief friendship by the video essayist Kogonada is set in, for 10 points, what city in Indiana which also contains Eero Saarinen's Miller House?
A: Columbus, Indiana
Q: This place was swallowed by a hellmouth following the first season of the absurdist sports game Blaseball. Suelo, a "simple living" advocate who quit using money in 2000, lives part-time in a cave near this place. A DOE remediation program in this place is hauling 16 million tons of radioactive tailings to nearby Crescent Junction. A discovery by geologist Charlie Steen, who built the Atlas Mill in this place, led to it being named the "Uranium Capital of the World". A difficult mountain biking route near this place which goes over petrified (*) sand dunes is called the Slickrock Trail. A mysterious triangular metal pillar was discovered in a slot canyon near this city in 2020. Courthouse Towers and the Phallus Pillar are rock formations near this city, which lies across the Colorado River from Arches National Park. For 10 points, name this most populous city in the Canyonlands of eastern Utah.
A: Moab, Utah
Q: Note to players: Specific term required. The centerpiece of one of these buildings located in scrublands 7 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico is named for John Crosby. It's not a Free Library, but one of these buildings in the village of Derby Line, Vermont was built atop the United States-Canada border and is named for Carlos Haskell. A post-Civil War rush to build these buildings in small towns led to the construction of one in Woodstock, Illinois that played host to a very young Orson Welles and later appeared in Groundhog Day as the (*) Pennsylvanian Hotel. In spite of rarely or never hosting their namesake artform, hundreds of these venues served as rural centers of culture around the turn of the 20th century. One of these venues located in Lincoln Center pioneered a unique form of surtitles that are displayed on seatbacks and features a facade of five concrete arches. For 10 points, what venues host a form of musical drama that often feature arias?
A: opera houses [accept any answer that describes a place that hosts operatic performances; prompt on concert halls or music venues; prompt on theaters]
Q: Prior to becoming a member of a state legislature, former Luftwaffe airman Richard Friske founded a farm which features the fruit of this tree in its logo. As part of a 1938 attempt to prevent the construction of a John Russell Pope-designed building, dozens of women chained themselves to these trees and chanted the Joyce Kilmer poem of the same name. While driving to a gay resort town named for these trees, Ken Ruzicka accidentally struck and killed Frank O'Hara while the poet was stranded on a (*) Fire Island beach. Eliza Scidmore hosted Hanami as part of an effort to plant these trees along the rim of the Tidal Basin. Traverse City, Michigan hosts an annual festival dedicated to the fruit of this tree, whose blossoms are the subject of a spring celebration in the Washington, D.C. area. For 10 points, common American cultivars of the fruit of what tree include the Rainier and Bing?
A: cherry trees [accept cherry blossoms or cherry fruit; accept specific cherries like Rainier Cherry or Bing Cherry; accept sakura; accept Cherry Grove, New York] (Richard Friske won a seat in the Michigan legislature by campaigning on his status as a WWII veteran without revealing which side he fought for.)
Q: In 2014, a sinkhole opened in a city with this name and swallowed eight sports cars that were on display at the National Corvette Museum. A university named for a city with this name is the target of a disused rocket displayed outside its rivals' Glass Bowl stadium and has a branch campus named for the Firelands. In 2017, a US senator broke five ribs after he was tackled in a city with this name during a dispute over landscaping debris. A city with this name is home to a furry, (*) blob-shaped athletic mascot named "Big Red". In a 2017 interview, two Iraqi men who were arrested in a city with this name were described as the "masterminds" of a terrorist attack that did not actually take place. Kellyanne Conway invented a "massacre" in a city with, for 10 points, what name of the home of Western Kentucky University?
A: Bowling Green (The National Corvette Museum is in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as is Ron Paul's house. Bowling Green State University's main athletic rivals are the Toledo Rockets.)
Q: A leading family of this civilization names a harbor home to the first natural gas-powered lighthouse in the world, which is located in Westfield, New York. It's not Sparta, but a leader of this civilization names a trio of communities that formed from the northwest portion of Lysander, New York. A saccharine garden dedicated to the display of Precious Moments figurines can be found in a city named for this civilization that serves as the second largest city of the Joplin metro area. In spite of its namesake being born in the village of Florida, a show cave just downriver from a city named for a leader of this civilization inspired the fictional (*) McDougal's Cave. While in jail in a city named for this civilization, Joseph Smith was killed by an angry mob. An iconic whitewashed picket fence in a city named for a leader of this civilization marks the boyhood home of Mark Twain. For 10 points, what civilization inspired the name of Hannibal, Missouri?
A: Carthage [accept word forms like Carthaginians; accept Punic civilization; accept Carthage, Illinois; accept Carthage, Missouri] (The three communities in New York are called Hannibal, Hannibal Center, and South Hannibal. Westfield, New York's harbor is named after Barcelona.)
Q: A pianist from this place who owned an extensive doll collection composed many pieces dedicated to its residents such as Ralph Cline, who was painted in his military uniform in a 1964 portrait titled The Patriot. John Updike once quipped that a citizen of this place "is what Winslow Homer's maidens would have looked like beneath their calico." Another artist from this place painted a portrait of Patricia Nixon that now hangs in the White House. A painting set in this place titled The Way Back shows the artist's estate Big Bend from the point-of-view of a coachman approaching it. A self-portrait by an artist from this village shows him in an empty field wearing a (*) jack-o'-lantern on his head. Many paintings by a single family that lived in this village are held in its Brandywine River Museum. Helga Testorf was a resident of, for 10 points, what village in the southeast corner of Pennsylvania home to three generations of the Wyeth family?
A: Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania (Ann Wyeth McCoy and Henriette Wyeth are clued respectively in the first and third lines. Frolic Weymouth painted The Way Back. Jamie Wyeth painted Pumpkinhead.)
Q: The western ends of the Raton Pass and Palo Flechado Pass lie in this state. This state's Mescalero Ridge is the western escarpment of the Staked Plains, a large mesa. This state's tallest mountain, Wheeler Peak, is in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which end at this state's Glorieta Pass. The Pecos River originates in this state and flows through its city of (*) Roswell. An art colony in this state is located at Taos, the northernmost of its pueblos. The Rio Grande Gorge lies in this state, and the river forms the border between this state and Texas at El Paso. For 10 points, name this Southwestern state whose cities include Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
A: New Mexico
Q: Juan Perez was the first European to reach this modern administrative region, where he traded with Chief Maquinna of the Nuu-chah-nulth. Jose Martinez declared Spanish sovereignty in this modern administrative region despite John Meares's presence, causing the Nootka Crisis. James Cook's final voyage connected partial maps of this region made by voyages from neighboring Russian and (*) Spanish territories. Trade in otter pelts prompted border disputes in this province containing the northern half of Oregon Country. This province's southern border was thought to be the Northwest Passage by Juan de Fuca. George Vancouver names, for 10 points, the largest island and city of what Canadian province?
A: British Columbia [or BC; prompt on Oregon Country or Oregon Territory by asking "what modern administrative region"; prompt on Pacific Northwest; antiprompt on Vancouver Island by asking "what modern administrative region is that in"]
Q: This country's anthropologist Teuku Jacob controversially damaged specimens found there while trying to show that they were Homo sapiens. Eugene Dubois discovered a skull in this country in 1891, the first to be called the "pithecanthropus," on its Solo River; that skull is now the type specimen of Homo erectus. A species of hominin only found in this country was discovered in Liang Bua Cave in 2003; that species is thought to have survived until (*) modern humans arrived 50,000 years ago and had an adult height of under four feet. For 10 points, name this Asian country home to Homo floresiensis, also called the "Hobbit," and the specimen "Java Man."
A: Indonesia [or Republik Indonesia]
Q: A vacant lot in this place was covered in concrete and turned into a reproduction of the Park Place space from Monopoly, including a red hotel. The sentences "the seas may sink tomorrow / the ocean will remain" and "the only other thing is nothing" appear in steel artworks by Midabi in this place. This place's "Institute of Particle Physics, Metaphysics & International Relations" is a house owned by Tao Ruspoli, a Thai-born Italian filmmaker and member of the nobility of the Papal States who founded this place's "Biennale" art festival. In this place, Kim Stringfellow photographed a derelict green Airstream trailer sitting in a pool of red water and encrusted in (*) salt. The odor from fish die-offs drove many people out of this place, the lowest-elevation populated place in the US. For 10 points, name this former resort town turned art colony on the shores of the Salton Sea.
A: Bombay Beach, California
Q: A Life magazine cover photo taken in this place shows Greek Archbishop Iakovos and the UAW president at a memorial service for a Unitarian minister. A group of faith leaders were photographed wearing leis in this place during an event in which Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said that his "feet were praying". The FBI defamed Viola Liuzzo after she was murdered while driving from the state capital to this place. Annie Lee Cooper is best known for punching Sheriff Jim (*) Clark in this place, where James Reeb was murdered. Amelia Boynton was photographed lying unconscious on a road in this place after protesters here were brutalized by Dallas County deputies. In 2020, Terri Sewell called for a bridge in this city to be renamed for John Lewis. The Edmund Pettus Bridge crosses the Alabama River in, for 10 points, what city which was the starting point of a 1965 march to Montgomery?
A: Selma, Alabama
Q: In this city, a Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen sculpture of a bow and arrow in the ground called Cupid's Span is located along the Embarcadero. It's not Seattle, but this city's Russian Hill, one of its "Seven Hills," is traversed by the very steep, sharp turns of (*) Lombard Street. A structure in this city built over Fort Point connects it to Marin County. That structure, painted in International Orange, spans a mile-wide strait between this city's namesake bay and the Pacific Ocean. For 10 points, name this city where U.S. Route 101 traffic crosses the Golden Gate Bridge.
A: San Francisco [accept San Francisco Bay]
Q: While landing at an airport named for this city, planes may overfly a bird sanctuary and Iona Beach Regional Park, home to over 2 mile-long jetties. Raymond Saunders was commissioned to build a steam clock for this city's Gastown neighborhood. Robert Yelton, a member of the Squamish Nation carved (*) totem poles in this city's Stanley Park. Surrey and Richmond are separated by the Fraser River from this city. The site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, is located north of this city. For 10 points, name this most populous city in British Columbia, Canada.
A: Vancouver, British Columbia [accept Vancouver International Airport]
Q: It's not Texas, but envelopes are sent to this state's town of Valentine in Cherry County to receive a special postmark and be remailed. This state city of Alliance is home to a circle of old stacked cars dubbed "Carhenge." This state contains the Scotts Bluff National Monument and Chimney Rock on the North Platte River. This state, the only to have a unicameral state legislature, splits electoral votes by congressional (*) districts like Maine. Berkshire Hathaway, headed by Warren Buffett, is headquartered in this state's largest city. Council Bluffs, Iowa, is across the Missouri River from, for 10 points, what state's city of Omaha?
A: Nebraska [or NE]
Q: This city, named after a Revolutionary War general, is home to the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history. This city, whose 33-story AT&T building is nicknamed the "Batman Building," is located on the (*) Cumberland River and is home to Vanderbilt University. It's not Buffalo, but this city, often referred to as "Music City," is also famous for its spicy type of chicken. For ten points, name this capital city where one can enjoy Hot Chicken and visit the Country Music Hall of Fame.
A: Nashville
Q: This location was the scene of the crash of Flight 911 of the British Overseas Airways Corporation. An amusement park called "[this location]-Q Highland" is located between its namesake "five lakes."Tourists eat eggs cooked in a sulfur mine near this location, which with Mount Tate ("tah-tay") and Mount Haku is considered one of the Three Holy Mountains. Logan Paul recorded a controversial video on this mountain's (*) "suicide forest." Tourists who wish to visit this location often travel to the city of Odawara by using the Shinkansen. For 10 points, name this tallest mountain in Japan.
A: Mount Fuji [or Fuji-san or Fujiyama]
Q: A particularly useless one of these objects names the seat of Huron County, Michigan. A con-man named J.N. Wilkerson formed a bogus "Citizen's Investigative Committee" and falsely imprisoned a creepy reverend named Lyn Kelly to make money off of a crime committed using one of these objects. Signatures of an alleged serial killer who used these objects included misplaced and mysteriously lit oil lamps, arson, and proximity to railroads. Bill James' book The Man from the Train accuses Paul Muller of a series of early 1900s Midwestern (*) family murders committed using these objects, including one in Villisca, Iowa. A 1919 letter purporting to be from a criminal known for his use of these objects against Italian-Americans told "esteemed mortals" to save themselves by listening to jazz music. For 10 points, an early-1900s New Orleans murder spree was committed using what bladed weapons?
A: axes [accept hatchets or tomahawks or other near-equivalents; accept Axeman of New Orleans; accept Billy the Axeman; accept Bad Axe, Michigan]
Q: In 2011, this national park's community of Scenic was sold to the nontrinitarian Filipino Iglesia ni Cristo church for $800,000. A roadside concrete Brontosaurus that serves as the last trace of the town of Creston can be seen when entering this national park from the northwest. A former bombing range used by an air force base in the city of Box Elder overlaps with the south unit of this national park, which is home to unexploded ordnance. Signs imitating a Domino's Pizza ad that read "worldwide delivery in 30 minutes or less" decorate (*) Minuteman Missile Historic Site, which is overseen by the same administrators as this national park. The CDP of Oglala serves as a gateway to this national park, half of which is on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This national park can be accessed from the north via the tourist town of Wall, and is located to the east of Wind Cave. For 10 points, highly stratified buttes attract visitors to what national park on Lakota Sioux land in South Dakota?
A: Badlands National Park
Q: George Swain, a local celebrity in a town named for this resource, was rumored to live in a hole and regularly walked 30 miles to catch a bus. A magnate for this resource founded the Key System, a private transit network which ran trains across the Bay Bridge. In a ghost town originally founded around this resource, Marta Becket gave one-woman shows for over 40 years at the Amargosa Opera House. William Tell Coleman built the Harmony Works for this resource at Greenland Ranch, which was later more accurately renamed to Furnace Creek. This resource can be produced from a (*) mineral named for Kern County, in which a town named for this resource contains California's largest open-pit mine. A means by which this resource was transported to the railroad at Mojave provided the name for a cleaning product. For 10 points, what resource was hauled across Death Valley by teams of twenty mules?
A: boron [accept borax or borates or boric acid; accept Boron, California]
Q: Dan Becker runs a museum in Austin, Texas dedicated to one of these objects which overlooks the Garden State Parkway in Union, New Jersey. One of these objects placed alongside Interstate 40 to advertise Ralph Britten's truck stop is still standing despite the truck stop's closure in the 1980s. One of these objects in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota is nicknamed "Paul Bunyan's fishing bobber". In the third episode of House of Cards, a woman's death was blamed on a real-life one of these objects in Gaffney, South Carolina called the (*) Peachoid. The tallest freestanding Corinthian column in the world is one of these objects in St. Louis. Because the mall it was intended to advertise didn't exist yet, the word "MALL" on one of these objects in Florence, Kentucky was changed to "Y'ALL". One of these objects in Burbank, California serves as the home of the Animaniacs. For 10 points, name these objects which are often painted to advertise a small town, as well as providing it with water.
A: water towers [or water spheres; prompt on towers]
Q: Note to players: Description acceptable. The incidence of these events was reduced by Jasper Bilby, who worked with a windmill company to design his namesake tower. An ongoing dispute caused by one of these events impacting southern Nickajack Lake led Todd Gardenhire to invite Georgia to collect sewage-polluted Tennessee water. Stannard, Vermont is one of several New England towns that formed from gores, a type of region formed by these events. Henry Cavendish conducted the Schiehallion experiment after attributing a series of these events to the gravitational pull of the Allegheny Mountains. The community of Mechanicsville is located in a (*) "wedge" created by one of these events that lies adjacent to the Twelve-Mile Circle. A line that separates Pennsylvania and Delaware from states to their south was once irregular due to these events. For 10 points, what mistakes that often result in border irregularities are made by people like Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon?
A: surveying errors [accept obvious equivalents like mistakes by surveyors; accept mapping errors; prompt on any description of a border irregularity or a border dispute by asking "what sort of event caused those irregularities?"]
Q: This place was the center of a "Western District of Columbia" proposed in 1852 by William McBean of New Orleans, who envisioned its ruined Fort Massac being turned into a national armory. A song about this place, which repeats the line "we have a lot to give one another", was referenced on album art which had to be covered with balloon stickers following a copyright complaint by (*) DC Comics. "The Man of [this city] Steals Our Hearts" in the title of that song by Sufjan Stevens. Brandon Routh was the featured guest at the 2024 edition of an annual celebration in this place, whose newspaper is called the Planet. The base of a 15-foot bronze statue in this city is engraved with the slogan "Truth - Justice - The American Way". The world's largest Superman statue is in, for 10 points, what southern Illinois city which shares its name with Superman's fictional home?
A: Metropolis, Illinois (The album art for Illinois contained an image of Superman, which was replaced with balloons.)
Q: While living on this river, John Cozad killed a man in a land dispute, leading him to flee, change his name, and father the artist Robert Henri ("HEN-rye"). The STAR WARS committee sanctions private residential communities on artificial lakes that dominate many cities on this river, including Valley and North Bend. The west side of a city named for a tributary of this river is home to the largest railroad yard in the world, which is named for former Union Pacific president (*) Edd Bailey. While running parallel to this river, I-80 is spanned by a faux-wood archway filled with historical dioramas. This river flows to the south of Columbus near its confluence with the Loup River. This river was variously described as "too thick to drink, too thin to plow" and "a mile wide and an inch deep" by pioneers going west. For 10 points, name this tributary of the Missouri River that flows through Kearney ("KAR-nee") and Grand Island in Nebraska.
A: Platte River (Cozad, Nebraska is the home of the Robert Henri Museum. The Bailey Yard is located in North Platte.)
Q: An organ built by J.G. Pfeffer in this place was restored in 1996 due to its historical significance. Jazz musicians such as Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong frequently performed at the Inwood Ballroom in this place. Built in 1860, the St. Wenceslaus Church in this place is the oldest Czech Catholic church in the United States. While staying at a clock store owned by the Bily brothers in this place, the note "Thanks be to God" was added to the final measures of a score. A piece composed in this place, which unusually calls for a quintet with two violas, contains a second movement scherzo inspired by (*) tribal music heard by its composer. Inspired by his walks along the Turkey River in this town, that composer wrote a quartet that opens with a bright pentatonic viola melody. For 10 points, name this town in northeast Iowa where Antonin Dvorak spent the summer of 1893 while composing the "American" String Quartet and the "New World" Symphony.
A: Spillville, Iowa (The quintet clued is his third.)
Q: Ace and Con Moyer, two of the co-founders of this place, were lynched in 1868 along with its deputy marshal, Confederate veteran "Big" Steve Long. Romaine Patterson led a counter-protest in this place whose participants wore huge angel wings. Despite only living in this place for one year, Louisa Swain is one of 13 women recognized at a "House for Historic Women" here which also honors Eliza Stewart Boyd, this place's first schoolteacher and the first woman to serve on a jury in the US. NBA player Jason Collins wore the jersey number (*) 98 to honor the victim of a crime in this place, which was the subject of a "verbatim theatre" play by Moises Kaufman partially titled for it. A university in this city, which is the only public four-year university in its state, contains the highest-elevation football stadium in Division I. For 10 points, gay student Matthew Shepard was murdered in what city home to the University of Wyoming?
A: Laramie, Wyoming [accept The Laramie Project] (Louisa Swain was the first woman to legally vote in an election in the US.)
Q: A political controversy in this place involves land that was once the site of Hungerford High School, which was sold under a requirement that it be used "for the education of Black children". An 1889 newspaper article in this place encouraged "Colored People of the United States" to "Solve the Great Race Problem" by moving here. John Pearson moves from Notasulga, Alabama to this place in a novel by an author who also made that move. A resident of this place described the experience of leaving it in the essay (*) "How It Feels To Be Colored Me". Another novel's protagonist moves back to this town after being acquitted of murder for shooting her rabid husband. Janie Crawford lives with Jody Starks in this town in Their Eyes Were Watching God. For 10 points, name this town near Orlando, where Zora Neale Hurston grew up and set many of her works.
A: Eatonville, Florida
Q: Stephen Paul Paster, an Islamist terrorist, blew his hand off while perpetrating a pipe bombing at a hotel in Portland named after a person from this country. The most recently incorporated city in Iowa is partially named for a person from this country, who also names a university in nearby Fairfield known for its two golden domes. The town of Antelope, Oregon was briefly renamed after a person from this country, whose followers committed the largest (*) bioterror attack in US history in order to rig an election in Wasco County. A community on Wheeling Creek in northern West Virginia named for a city in this country contains a "Palace of Gold" originally intended as a residence for a man from this country who founded the ISKCON movement. For 10 points, religious leaders from what country founded Maharishi Vedic City and Rajneeshpuram?
A: Republic of India [or Bharat Ganarajya]
Q: In 1914, Marble Hill was separated from this island by a ship canal that also widened Spuyten Duyvil Creek to its north. Tunnel rubble east of this island formed U Thant Island south of Roosevelt Island. This island's "Little Red Lighthouse" is under its George Washington Bridge. A proposed bridge east from this island's Battery region by urban planner (*) Robert Moses was not approved, but he did connect this island to the mainland and to a larger island across the East River using the Triborough Bridge, named for this island, Queens, and the Bronx. For 10 points, name this island, the cultural hub of New York City.
A: Manhattan
Q: On a mountain in this state, an extremely dangerous device known as the "Devil's shingle" was part of America's oldest cog railway. Seven steel profilers allow visitors to this state's Franconia Notch State Park to see The Old Man of the Mountain after its 2003 collapse. A branch of the Appalachians called the (*) White Mountains are located in this state. The highest mountain in the Presidential Range is this state's Mount Washington. The Connecticut River forms this state's western border with Vermont, and it is the only state to border Maine. For 10 points, name this state whose capital is Concord.
A: New Hampshire [or NH]
Q: In this region, the Tampa Mountain is surrounded by a well-preserved medieval city whose sites include a "Black Church" noted for its collection of Islamic rugs. Two ancient symbols of this region, a golden eight-pointed star and silver crescent moon, are found on the flag of its ethnically-mixed area of "Szeklerland." This region's German-language name, Siebenburgen, refers to a set of seven fortified towns settled by Saxon migrants during the Ostsiedlung ("aust-ZEED-lunk"). A castle in this region that now houses the furniture collection of Queen Marie is located near its popular tourist destination of Brasov. This region, which borders Banat to the west, is bounded on its south and east by the Carpathian Mountains. For 10 points, name this region home to Bran Castle, located in central Romania.
A: Transylvania [or Transilvania or Ardeal; or Erdely or Transsilvanien or Uberwald; accept Siebenburgen until read; prompt on Romania until read]
Q: Stubborn rumors at the University of Kansas claim that one of these locations in Stull is home to a doorway to Hell. After a horse racing track rebuffed his attempts to share the profits, Charles Howard made good on his promise to turn it into one of these locations named for the former Bayou Metairie. In 1876, "Big Jim" Kinealy concocted a plot to rob one of these places named for Oak Ridge and hide the spoils in the Indiana Dunes. Summer film screenings take place in one of these locations on (*) Santa Monica Boulevard named "Hollywood Forever". One of these locations in Catawissa, Pennsylvania features the last remaining mortsafes in the United States, which were once used to prevent the activities of resurrectionists. For 10 points, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at what sort of location in Arlington, Virginia?
A: cemeteries [accept obvious equivalents like graveyards or burial grounds; accept tombs before it is read; accept Arlington National Cemetery; accept Hollywood Forever Cemetery; accept Oak Ridge Cemetery; accept Metairie Cemetery; accept Hooded Grave Cemetery or Mount Zion Cemetery; accept Stull Cemetery; prompt on churches or churchyards until "Bayou" is read] (The robbers at Oak Ridge were attempting to steal Abraham Lincoln's coffin for ransom. A mortsafe is a cage that goes over the top of a grave to prevent body-snatching.)
Q: A large white dome makes up the center of one of these locations built to honor the most famous resident of Wapakoneta, Ohio. The Carnival Cruise Lines terminal in Long Beach was originally built to hold an object which was moved to one of these locations in McMinnville, Oregon named for Evergreen. One of these locations in Weatherford, Oklahoma named for Thomas P. Stafford contains an object in which Stafford shook hands with (*) Alexei Leonov. One of these locations on the campus of Hutchinson Community College in Kansas contains "Liberty Bell 7", which was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean after being abandoned by Gus Grissom. One of these locations operates an annex in Fairfax County, Virginia named for Steven F. Udvar-Hazy. For 10 points, what locations include one on the National Mall that contains the Spirit of St. Louis?
A: an air and space museum [accept any answer indicating a museum for aviation or aerospace; prompt on museums alone or science museums or other answers that don't specifically mention aviation, aerospace, or similar topics; reject "planetariums"] (Wapakoneta, Ohio is the birthplace of Neil Armstrong. The Evergreen Air and Space Museum is the home of the Spruce Goose. The Stafford Air and Space Museum contains the hatch from the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission.)
Q: Two colleges in this state traditionally play the first game of the college football season for the Paint Bucket Trophy. A heavily forested plateau in the northern part of this state, which is home to a namesake band of Chippewa Indians, is called Turtle Mountain. After this state's capitol building was destroyed in a 1930 fire, martial law was declared in 1933 to compel striking workers to construct a replacement. That replacement, a (*) 21-story Art Deco tower, is the tallest building in this state. An increase in sexual violence on this state's Fort Berthold Reservation was largely driven by residents of nearby "man camps". The population of this state's western city of Williston nearly doubled from 2010 to 2020 as a result of an oil boom. The Bakken Formation is located in, for 10 points, what state home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park?
A: North Dakota
Q: Rachel Cusk's 2021 novel Second Place is a reworking of a 1932 memoir dedicated to the poet Robinson Jeffers written by a woman who lived in this place with an author and his wife Frieda. A painter looks through a hole in a piece of cheese in a photograph by Tony Vaccaro taken in this place. A Dorothea Lange photograph of a "Resettled farm child from" this place shows its subject resting her head in her hands. Four benches by Donald Judd lay at the center of a gallery in the Harwood Museum of Art in this town that holds six paintings by Agnes Martin. A painting of a starry sky above a large tree at (*) D.H. Lawrence's ranch in this town was requested by its artist to be hung upside down. Ansel Adams' first book of photographs includes many images of churches in this town, where Mabel Dodge Luhan also hosted many intellectuals. For 10 points, name this town in northern New Mexico home to an art colony that included Georgia O'Keeffe.
A: Taos, New Mexico (Lorenzo in Taos is the Luhan memoir. The Lawrence Tree is the O'Keeffe painting clued. Taos Pueblo is the Adams collection.)
Q: South Carolina's South of the Border tourist trap purports to host the largest indoor exhibit of these animals in the United States. In early 2023, a business located in Plato, Missouri dedicated to raising these animals appeared in the bankruptcy filings of Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner. A 30-foot tall one of these animals named Tommy rides a snowmobile at a roadside attraction in Bottineau, North Dakota. Residents of Springfield, Missouri lived in fear during the fall of 1953 after eleven of these animals were mistakenly set loose. Fort (*) Jefferson is found in a national park named for one of these animals that is located to the west of the Florida Keys. After Hurricane Andrew destroyed a facility for raising these animals, the Everglades became infested with an invasive type of them named for Burma. For 10 points, what class of cold-blooded animals includes turtles and snakes?
A: reptiles [or reptilia; accept more specific answers like snakes or pythons or turtles; accept tortugas; reject "birds"]
Q: Disturbing crop rotation experiments at the Morrow Plots can allegedly result in expulsion from a university in this metropolitan area. The ORDVAC was a predecessor of a series of supercomputers developed in this metropolitan area under the supervision of Donald Gillies. Villages like Tolono and Philo are namedropped in an essay set in this metropolitan area in which the narrator and Gil Antitoi are blown into a fence while playing the title sport. A Minecraft recreation of a house in this metropolitan area hosted a COVID-era (*) concert featuring songs like "Uncomfortably Numb" that was billed as "Nether Meant". This metropolitan area is home to the American Football house. A university located in this metropolitan area has attempted to adopt the belted kingfisher as a mascot to replace the stereotyped Chief Illiniwek. For 10 points, what metropolitan area is home to the University of Illinois?
A: Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area [or Urbana-Champaign or Chambana; prompt on Champaign or Urbana alone] (The second line is about the ILLIAC series. The essay is David Foster Wallace's "Derivative Sport in Tornado Alley".)
Q: Death implies that this person is one of the 36 Tzaddikim in a comic which repeats the nearly-correct myth that this person's funeral coincided with a total solar eclipse. Dream wins a bet with Despair over this person in "Three Septembers and a January" by Neil Gaiman. This person is the only real-life human mentioned as a saint in the Principia Discordia. This person was depicted as the Pope in a cartoon by Edward Jump depicting the funeral of a dog named Lazarus. This person was "dead and turned to clay" according to a newspaper article about his burial headlined "Le (*) Roi Est Mort". The black-owned newspaper Pacific Appeal was the official publisher of statements by this person, which included a warning against "utter[ing] the abominable word 'Frisco'" and one which inspired a movement to name the Bay Bridge after this person. For 10 points, name this legendarily eccentric San Franciscan, the self-styled "Emperor of the United States".
A: Emperor Norton I [or Joshua Abraham Norton] (Parts of Northern California experienced a total solar eclipse on the day following Emperor Norton's burial.)
Q: The last remaining American newspaper in this country's language is published twice weekly in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa was founded by members of a church formerly named for its association with this non-US country. This country was the first non-English-speaking country to be the destination of a formal Mormon mission, which resulted in heavy immigration from this country to Sanpete and Sevier Counties in Utah. An immigrant from this country is the namesake of an active volcano in (*) California which erupted violently in 1915. A city in the Santa Ynez Valley whose name means "sunny field" in this country's language has become a tourist destination due to its association with this country's culture. Solvang, California was founded by immigrants from, for 10 points, what country whose people also founded Elsinore, Utah?
A: Denmark [or Danmark; accept answers referring to Danish people or Danish-Americans]
Q: Jack Favor founded an annual rodeo in one of these locations that now takes place in a dedicated 10,000-seat arena. Darrell Standing learns to astrally project himself to outer space and relive his past lives in a science fiction novel by Jack London set in one of these locations. T.M. Osborne introduced a "Mutual Welfare League" in one of these locations after visiting another of them in Auburn, New York undercover. Two angel carvings from Ferdinand Magellan's flagship were donated by his family to the Church of St. (*) Dismas, which is in one of these locations. When measured by (emphasize) per capita income, 13 of the 16 poorest US counties contain at least one of these locations. The narrator of a Johnny Cash song named for one of these locations "shot a man in Reno / just to watch him die". Folsom, California contains one of, for 10 points, what facilities which also include Sing Sing and Rikers Island?
A: prisons [or jails or penitentiaries or other equivalents]
Q: Note to players: The answer to this tossup is a directional portion of a state, like "southeast Queensland" or "western Amazonas". A proper noun like "the Idaho Panhandle" may be acceptable but is not required. An acoustic anomaly located in this region's largest city is affectionately known as the Center of the Universe. This region's Tar Creek Superfund site contains the tornado-ravaged ghost town of Picher, many of whose past residents have developed health problems after swimming in easily-accessible tailings ponds. After Daniel Maples was shot dead in this region, a posse aided by illicit whiskey dealer Bud Trainer used a wagon full of dynamite to help kill (*) Ned Christie. It's not in Ohio, but this region is home to the second-largest American city called Miami. This region's city of Tahlequah is home to the headquarters of the Cherokee Nation. Oral Roberts University is located in the largest city in this region, which sustained a 1921 race massacre that destroyed its Black Wall Street district. For 10 points, the largest city in what region is Tulsa?
A: eastern Oklahoma [or eastern OK; accept northeastern Oklahoma or Green Country; accept Tri-State Lead and Zinc district; accept Oklahoma-Arkansas border; prompt on the Ozark Mountains; prompt on four-state area or quad-state area; reject "southeastern Oklahoma"]
Q: The twin settlements Wilburton Number One and Wilburton Number Two are located to the northwest of a place with this name. After witnessing an event in a city with this name, Michael Chantal sails across the Atlantic to fight Spanish fascism in Chaim Potok's novel Davita's Harp. A non-presidential George Washington founded a city with this name to the north of Chehalis. Wobblies clashed with members of the American Legion during an Armistice Day parade in a 1919 (*) massacre in a city with this name. Gas tanks at an Esso station with temperature readings of 172 degrees were an early sign of a chronic problem impacting a town with this name. In that town with this name, Todd Domboski fell into a 150 foot deep sinkhole, prompting the government to evoke eminent domain and condemn it. For 10 points, an underground fire in a coal mine caused the abandonment of a Pennsylvania ghost town with what name?
A: Centralia [accept Centralia, Pennsylvania; accept Centralia, Washington; accept Centralia mine fire; accept Centralia Massacre or Centralia Tragedy or Centralia Conspiracy]
Q: This place's location is intentionally misattributed to a neighboring state in the Purple Mountains song "That's Just the Way That I Feel." Prior to the loosening of laws in Reno, this place allowed travelers to fake a three-month residency in hotels to obtain a "Ten Minute Divorce", resulting in some of its judges handing out hundreds per year. In 1948, George Gorman's P-51 was supposedly irradiated while pursuing a UFO over this place. The terms "tail cloud" and "wall cloud" were coined by Ted Fujita after he analyzed photographs of a violent (*) 1957 tornado that impacted this city. The featured exhibit of a visitor's center named for this city and nearby Moorhead consists of an "Eager Beaver" wood chipper with the leg of a mannequin sticking out the top. For 10 points, the Coen Brothers titled a 1996 black comedy film for what most populous city in North Dakota?
A: Fargo, North Dakota
Q: The North Dakota government runs an annual public event centered around these animals in the Pembina Gorge near Walhalla, after which a species of these animals was named in 2023. A town in Moffat County, Colorado formerly called Artesia was renamed after these animals in 1966. A major 1950s political controversy involved the proposed Echo Park Dam, which would have been built inside a national monument named for these animals, whose Quarry Visitor Center is built directly on the side of a rock wall. In a region named for (*) Morrison, Colorado, Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope participated in a series of late 19th-century "Wars" named for these animals' remains. The Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana contains an extensive collection of these animals, which are studied at the Hell Creek Formation, which has one layer containing an unusually large quantity of iridium. For 10 points, what prehistoric animals included Utahraptor?
A: dinosaurs [accept specific types of dinosaurs like mosasaurs] (Jormungandr walhallaensis was a species of mosasaur discovered in North Dakota.)
Q: Hugh Dempsey was convicted of "conspiracy to poison" people in this place despite the prosecution's star witness recanting his testimony on the stand. A baseball team founded in and named for this place actually played most of their games at Forbes Field in a nearby major city, and later played the majority of their home games in Washington, DC. That team from this non-Rhode-Island place, which won the final Negro World Series, was nicknamed the Grays. A National Heritage Area is headquartered at the (*) Bost Building, a historic hotel in this place. George R. Snowden said "I want you to distinctly understand that I am the master of this situation" while leading a militia in this place raised by governor Robert Pattison. That militia aimed to restore order to this place after workers repelled a water landing by armed Pinkertons. An event in this place inspired Alexander Berkman to stab Henry Clay Frick. For 10 points, what borough near Pittsburgh was the site of an 1892 strike at a Carnegie steel mill?
A: Homestead, Pennsylvania
Q: Weaubleau, Missouri is home to an unusual form of "egg" believed to be linked to one of these locations. The Apache Death Cave can be found in Two Guns, a ghost town located a few miles northwest of one of these locations. A line across the southern portions of Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois at the 38th parallel is often posited to include a number of these locations. Yucca Flat is home to one of these locations created by an event known as Storax Sedan. Middlesboro, Kentucky is located entirely (*) within one of these locations. Daniel Barringer and Eugene Shoemaker investigated a particularly well-defined one of these locations that serves as the primary tourist destination of Coconino County, Arizona. Shatter cones and shocked quartz are common indicators of, for 10 points, what depressions in the Earth's surface often formed by collisions with interstellar objects?
A: craters [accept impact craters; accept meteor craters; accept impact structures or astroblemes; accept Sedan Crater; accept Middlesboro crater; accept Weaubleau-Osceola structure; prompt on nuclear test sites after "Yucca Flat" is read by asking "What sort of feature did the nuclear test produce?"]
Q: In 2022, a section of a wall was removed from the childhood home of an artist born in this place and sold at auction. This place is inexplicably served by a single high school, which has an enrollment of over 5000 and is known as "The Castle on the Hill." A pagoda originally intended to be part of a luxury hotel sits on a hill near the downtown area of this place. A character in a play set in this place calls an ex-Olstead employee who walks with a limp a "fucking warlock"' after being told that she's had enough to (*) drink. In that play set in this place, a character who is later clubbed over the head with a bat claims that "you could wake up tomorrow and all your jobs are in Mexico." Keith Haring, who was born in this city, grew up in Kutztown, which is located midway between it and nearby Allentown. For 10 points, Lynn Nottage set Sweat in what fourth largest city in Pennsylvania?
A: Reading, Pennsylvania (The auctioned piece of wall contained a drawing of a Radiant Baby, which a previous homeowner had painted over because they "didn't think it was very interesting.")
Q: A sign near this state's towns of Newhall and Atkins greets drivers with the cryptic message "Time ends! Eternity where?". An interstate highway in this state's Worth County passes by an extremely kitschy casino built to resemble a barn called Diamond Jo. Because it consists of land bought directly by the tribe, a Native American community in this state is called a "settlement" rather than a reservation. This state unusually designates county roads using a statewide grid system of alphanumeric names. It's not New Mexico, but the (*) BNSF Railway is partially named for a city in this state, and carries its only Amtrak service to cities like Osceola and Ottumwa. This state's city of Walcott contains the "world's largest truck stop", which is named for this state and Interstate 80 and is located northwest of the Quad Cities. For 10 points, what state's land grant university is located in Ames?
A: Iowa
Q: Note to players: This tossup is about two nearby places. The name of either of them alone is acceptable, as is the name of the community they form together. Despite enrollment in one of these places' public schools decreasing by nearly 80% in 2000, its school district made no cuts to administration and also bought an airplane. Over 20% of the world's known cases of fumarase deficiency have occurred in these places. Governor John Pyle's political career was ruined after he ordered a police raid that arrested almost the entire population of one of these places. Hundreds of homes in these places were owned by a land trust called the "United Effort Plan", which was (*) seized by the state in 2005. 15 city employees resigned after Philip Barlow was defeated by Donia Jessop in a mayoral election in one of these places, with some citing their unwillingness to work for a woman or an apostate. In 2014, a court found that these places broke the FHA by denying utility hookups to residents who were not members of the FLDS Church. For 10 points, name either the city in Utah or the neighboring town in Arizona in which a polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs was based.
A: Hildale, Utah or Colorado City, Arizona [accept Short Creek]
Q: This place was formerly the namesake of a USL League Two soccer team that prominently features a buffalo in its branding, Brave SC. An article in The Intercept describes a political ticket smirkingly nicknamed "EMS" resisting a political machine in this place, whose control of the local newspaper led to Oren Miller being jailed on a bogus perjury charge. A paper by Amanda Brian describes a consultancy employing "Disney Realism" while fabricating historical information for plaques in this place. H. Gary Morse's development of this place is often compared to Del Webb's founding of (*) Sun City, Arizona. The documentary Some Kind of Heaven is about this place, in which a man was arrested in 2023 for trafficking generic viagra. This census-designated place is home to 56 golf courses in spite of likely having a population under 100,000. For 10 points, what master-planned development in central Florida is the largest retirement community in the world?
A: The Villages, Florida [accept The Villages SC]
Q: The roadless Mahale Mountains National Park is east of this lake, and it is the largest lake directly east of the Mitumba Mountains. The Malagarasi River forms a national border before ending in this lake. The Ruzizi River drains Lake Kivu into this lake. This lake was the largest reached by Burton and Speke; Burton then falsely claimed it as the source of the Nile. This lake is the largest in the Albertine Rift, and it drains via the Lukuga into the (*) Lualaba River. Among freshwater lakes, this lake is the second oldest, second deepest, and longest. For 10 points, name this African Great Lake that used to name non-Zanzibar Tanzania and drains into the Congo River system.
A: Lake Tanganyika
Q: The people of Akwesasne claim the right to cross this river by the Jay Treaty. The Hochelaga Archipelago in this river is bypassed by the Lachine Canal. The Saguenay River flows into this one after it passes through a city named for the Algonquian word for "narrow strait." The Welland Canal is the start of a "seaway" named for this river, which itself starts at the (*) Thousand Islands. The Hudson River links to this major river through the Champlain Canal. This river receives the Ottawa River at Montreal. For 10 points, name this river that drains the Great Lakes and is the primary river of Quebec.
A: St. Lawrence River [or Fleuve Saint-Laurent]
Q: Two rivers draining into this body of water are regulated by the Old River Control Structure. The unfinished Fort Jefferson was built on an island in this body of water, which is now part of Dry Tortugas National Park. The world's longest barrier island, Padre Island, is in this body of water near Corpus Christi. The Rigolets connect this body of water to Lake Pontchartrain (pont-chart-rain), whose (*) levees overflowed during Hurricane Katrina. A chain of islands called the "Keys" are found in the Strait of Florida, which separates this body of water from the Atlantic. For 10 points, states like Texas and Louisiana border what gulf?
A: Gulf of Mexico [accept Mexico after "gulf"]
Q: This country is home to the largest lake in the world formed from a volcano - Lake Toba. One island of this country is home to its namesake lizard, the largest in the world - the Komodo dragon. This country that contains the islands of (*) Sumatra and Sulawesi has a majority Sunni Muslim population centered on its island of Java. For ten points, name this island nation located in Southeast Asia with capital at Jakarta.
A: Republic of Indonesia
Q: It's not in New Mexico, but an annual balloon festival in this county commemorates a trip by the Double Eagle II which launched from it. After the Civil War, American diplomat William Thomas recruited hundreds of Scandinavians to move to this county and establish its town of New Sweden. America's largest scale model of the solar system is located in this county. A former air force base in this county hosted "The Great Went", the first of three weekend-long concerts by Phish held there. This county celebrates its primary industry with the annual (*) Potato Blossom Festival in Fort Fairfield. This county has the highest proportion of French speakers among all non-Louisiana counties, primarily concentrated in towns along the St. John River. An 1830s border dispute involving this county was settled by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, ending its namesake bloodless "War". For 10 points, name this northernmost and largest county in Maine.
A: Aroostook County, Maine
Q: Due to irregularities with its establishment, a place with this name was divided into two towns that were officially named "Town A" and "Town B" for over two years. A community with this name is the closest settlement to Tahquamenon Falls as well as Whitefish Point, home to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The population of a town with this name decreased from about 26,000 in 2010 to under 5,000 in 2020 due to its near-total destruction in the 2018 Camp Fire. A place with this name on the southern slopes of Mount (*) Rainier contains a namesake inn operated by the National Park Service. John Prine's father was from a now-destroyed town with this name in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, which inspired Prine to write a song with this name which laments that "Mister Peabody's coal train has hauled it away". For 10 points, what is the name of the unincorporated town that actually contains most of the Las Vegas Strip?
A: Paradise [reject "Paradise Valley"] (The first three sentences refer to Paradise, Nevada; Paradise, Michigan; and Paradise, California in that order.)
Q: Speakers of this language named the county home to the non-Kentucky community of Knob Lick, a regrettably-named locale to the east of Iron Mountain Lake. While the pronunciation has been anglicized, a mountain range with a name from this language is home to Johnson's Shut-Ins, which was closed during the late 2000s after the Taum Sauk reservoir suffered a catastrophic failure. The Meramec River basin community of Old Mines is home to the few remaining speakers of a dialect of this language nicknamed "Paw-Paw". This language's word for (*) "potato" names a lake to the northeast of Stockton Lake whose outflow eventually joins the Osage River. A suburb between University City and Chesterfield is named for this language's term for "heartbreak". Settlers who spoke this language founded the oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri, Ste. Genevieve ("JEN-uh-veev"). For 10 points, the namesake of St. Louis spoke what language?
A: French [accept Missouri French or Paw-Paw French or Illinois Country French or Mississippi Valley French] (The locations in the first two clues are St. Francois County and the St. Francois Mountains. The suburb is Creve Coeur.)
Q: This place's Ogier Street provided the name of a fictional race in the Wheel of Time series, whose author identified the color of the Deathwatch Guards' armor with a distinctive shade of dark green associated with this place. Gian Carlo Menotti founded a music festival in this place as the "twin" of one in Spoleto, Italy. This city's East Bay Street features a series of pastel-colored houses called Rainbow Row. A flag with a white (*) crescent reading "LIBERTY" was flown during a battle near this city by William Moultrie. The first submarine to sink a warship in combat did so in this city's harbor. Songs like "It Ain't Necessarily So" appear in a "folk opera" set in this city. Almost half of enslaved Africans passed through Sullivan's Island near this city. The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in the harbor of, for 10 points, what South Carolina port city?
A: Charleston, South Carolina [accept just Charleston after "South Carolina" is read and prompt before by asking "in what state?"; prompt on Sullivan's Island by asking "What city's metro area is that located in?"; reject "Charleston, West Virginia"]
Q: A non-Wright Brothers bicycle shop owner and aviation pioneer named Ben Epps successfully flew a monoplane near this place in 1907. This place's city hall is home to a Civil War-era double-barrelled cannon, which simultaneously killed a cow and knocked down a chimney when tested. Suburbs of this place such as Winterville and Watkinsville have circular borders, which is typical of the state where it is located. It's not Eufaula, but on his death William Jackson attempted to legally deed an (*) oak tree in this city to itself. An apartment parking lot in this city is home to the steeple of the church at which R.E.M. played their first gig. With a western opponent, a university located in this city conducts the Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry at Sanford Stadium and employs a live English Bulldog as a mascot. For 10 points, name this city home to the University of Georgia.
A: Athens, Georgia
Q: A billionaire who built an empire centered on this food earned a second fortune in his late eighties by investing in the microchip manufacturer Micron Technology. Widman's in Grand Forks, North Dakota claims to be the home of a snack in which this food is covered in chocolate. An enormous amount of salt is used to prepare this food in a recipe from Syracuse, New York. In 2011, a commission for the promotion of this food signed a deal for the naming rights of the Humanitarian (*) Bowl, which is played at Albertsons Stadium. This food is combined with cream soup and topped with corn flakes in a Latter-day Saint dish often served at funerals. A dessert imitating this food is prepared by coating a lump of vanilla ice cream with cocoa powder and is served in cities like Rexburg and Nampa. For 10 points, Idaho leads the United States in the production of what tuber?
A: potatoes [accept specific varieties like Idaho potatoes; accept funeral potatoes; accept Idaho Potato Commission; accept Famous Idaho Potato Bowl; accept salt potatoes; accept potato chips] (The leadin is about J.R. Simplot, who was also responsible for the potato bust of 1976.)
Q: An indie rock band from this place, Lift to Experience, released a 2001 concept album about the Second Coming of Christ occurring in this place's state. Todd and Toby Pipes founded a band in this place called Deep Blue Something, which is best known for the song "Breakfast at Tiffany's". The "One O'Clock Lab Band", a seven-time Grammy-nominated collegiate jazz band, is based at a school in this place which contains the US's largest public-university music program and was the first university in the world to offer a degree in jazz studies. A musical duo from this place "will in time both (*) outpace and outlive you", according to a song by the Mountain Goats about "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in" this city. For 10 points, what city's music scene is driven by students at the University of North Texas?
A: Denton, Texas
Q: A folk-blues singer from this place busked on the streets of Venice Beach for 10 years before gaining a cult following with his album Watch Your Step, which contains the song "Sorry You're Sick". The mustachioed "Mad Potter" of this place, George Ohr, is memorialized by a Frank Gehry-designed museum partially named for Annette O'Keefe. In a work set in this place, a character loses his virginity to the prostitute Rowena while the rest of the cast surreptitiously reads his diary, which claims that Selridge calls out his mother's name in his sleep. (*) This city is the most frequent [emphasize] non-fictional setting of John Grisham's novels, including The Partner and The Runaway Jury. Arnold Epstein clashes with the abusive drill sergeant Merwin Toomey in a play titled for this city that, with Brighton Beach Memoirs and Broadway Bound, is part of the Eugene trilogy. For 10 points, a Neil Simon play is titled for the "Blues" of what city near Gulfport in southern Mississippi?
A: Biloxi, Mississippi [accept Biloxi Blues] (The leadin is about Ted Hawkins.)
Q: Babe Ruth played his first game as a non-pitcher in this place, where he hit a 573-foot home run into an alligator farm. This place's Whittington Park was built to accommodate early Major League Baseball teams who made it the "birthplace of spring training". Five officers were killed in an 1899 gunfight in this place between its municipal police and the county police. Lucky Luciano was arrested after attempting to flee to this place, whose history of organized crime is chronicled in the Gangster Museum of America. In 1832, land near this city became the first to be officially preserved for (*) recreation by the US government. The former Army-Navy Hospital and Arlington Hotel overlook this city's Bathhouse Row, the centerpiece of an urban National Park. For 10 points, name this Arkansas city noted for its naturally warm mineral waters.
A: Hot Springs, Arkansas
Q: One of these locations named Sheep Ranch was converted from a disused wind farm in Bandon, Oregon. The town of Mullen, Nebraska, population 500, is near an extremely well-regarded one of these locations named for the Sand Hills. They're not beaches, but a community primarily known for containing these locations is accessed by a "17-Mile Drive" and contains an iconic tree called the Lone (*) Cypress. A 2014 ice storm destroyed a pine tree in one of these locations which was named for having repeatedly inconvenienced Dwight Eisenhower. A. W. Tillinghast was a prominent designer of these locations, including a "Black" one on Long Island that is the best-known feature of Bethpage State Park. Several of these locations can be found in Pinehurst, North Carolina and Pebble Beach, California. For 10 points, "Amen Corner" makes up part of what kind of location in Augusta, Georgia, which hosts the Masters?
A: golf courses [accept any answer that indicates it's a place to play golf] (The Eisenhower Tree at Augusta National was named for the fact that Eisenhower shanked drives into it so often that he once asked the club chairman to have it cut down.)
Q: A sculpture on the side of a museum in this place's downtown depicts a frog sitting on top of a pocket watch. Vince McMahon promoted his first professional wrestling card in this place. This place's airport was the last one in the US to be visited by the An-225, the world's largest plane, before its 2022 destruction. In response to persistent mispronunciation of this place's name, local luminaries produced an instructional music video with the lyric "when you say it wrong it causes anger". An author who lives in this place declined to rename its (*) Kenduskeag Stream when creating a fictional version of it in which the Losers' Club uses the Ritual of Chud to defeat a monster who appears every 27 years. That fictionalization of this city is named Derry and is home to Pennywise the Clown in the works of Stephen King, who lives here. For 10 points, name this city on the Penobscot River, the third most populous in Maine.
A: Bangor, Maine [prompt on Derry, Maine before read]
Q: A section of this river that flows between a highway ramp and a Sheraton hotel is the unlikely site of a whitewater kayaking "Falls Fest". The village of Boston was rechristened as "Helltown", a site on this river that is supposedly home to the Peninsula Python, a mutant created by the nearby Krejci Dump Superfund site. In a city named for this river, televangelist Rex Humbard constructed a 500-foot tall concrete tower widely regarded as an eyesore. This river passes by suburbs like Garfield Heights before entering a city where it flows under the (*) Hope Memorial Bridge, which is home to eight art deco statues known as the Guardians of Traffic. Carl Stokes attempted to restore this river, which was derided in TIME magazine as oozing rather than flowing. For 10 points, what river that flows through Cleveland became a poster child for water pollution in the 1960s after repeatedly bursting into flames?
A: Cuyahoga River [accept Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio]
Q: Michel Brunet's ("mee-SHEL BRU-nay's") team discovered the oldest known hominins in this country's Djourab Depression. Diatom remains from a dried lakebed in this country's Bodele Depression forms dust that fertilizes the Amazon Rainforest. This country's president Goukouni Oueddei ("goo-KOO-nee weh-DAY") was one of its Toubou ("too-boo") people, who live near its highest point of Emi Koussi in the Tibesti Mountains. The Chari River flows into this country's largest lake, which has (*) shrunk 90% since the 1960s. This country defended the Aouzou Strip in a war with Libya to its north. For 10 points, name this country that names the largest lake in West Africa and has its capital at N'Djamena.
A: Republic of Chad
Q: A dam built along this river that submerged Ripon Falls and Owen Falls is named Nalubaale, a word in the Ganda language. A region named for the Manasir people is slowly getting flooded by the Merowe Dam, near the fourth of six whitewater areas of this river. Downstream from its source of Lake Tana is the (*) Grand Renaissance Dam along a colorfully named tributary of this river. Lake Nasser was created by the Aswan High Dam along this river, which forced the relocation of the Abu Simbel temple and other archaeological artifacts. For 10 points, name this longest river in the world that flows through Cairo, Egypt.
A: Nile River [accept Blue Nile; accept White Nile]
Q: It's not Palawan, but the Batak people primarily live on this island with the Lampung, who name a province on it near another island's Banten province. The Barisan Mountains along this island's west contain the supervolcano Toba. A province on this island, Aceh, is the only in its country to practice Sharia law. The Sunda Strait separates this island from (emphasize) one to the east, which contains its country's (*) sinking capital, soon to be replaced by Nusantara. The Strait of Malacca separates this island from the Malay Peninsula and Singapore. For 10 points, name this island west of Borneo and Java in Indonesia.
A: Sumatra [or Sumatera]
Q: A widespread but likely false rumor claims that this state's largest city bans publicly carrying a violin in a paper bag. Belle London capitalized on the policies of this state's short-lived American Party by founding a red-light district known as the Stockade. A chain based in this state that divides its menu into "refresher" and "reviver" categories sells pink-frosted sugar cookies in addition to its main product. In a controversial book published in this state, Bruce McConkie popularized local resistance to the use of face cards. Before becoming a poet, Dana Gioia was partially responsible for marketing that led to families in this state eating an unusual amount of (*) lime Jell-O. The "dirty soda" concept was pioneered by Swig, a drive-through soda chain based in this state. To shield impressionable children from viewing the preparation of cocktails, this state required bars to erect frosted glass "Zion Curtains" until 2017. For 10 points, what state's restrictive vice laws are inspired by Mormonism?
A: Utah [or UT] (Bruce McConkie is the author of the book Mormon Doctrine.)
Q: James Scott was convicted of "causing a catastrophe" for exacerbating one of these events in order to strand his wife in Missouri. The village of Pinhook was destroyed by one of these events following the activation of a "fuse plug" near Bird's Point. The historic French colonial village of Prairie du Rocher was saved from one of these events by the timely use of dynamite. A series of these events caused the near-total destruction of a city which contains the "Liberty Bell of the West" and was its state's (*) capital for one year. Following one of these events, the village of Valmeyer was relocated out of the "American Bottom", a region particularly susceptible to them. Kaskaskia, Illinois effectively became an exclave due to one of these events in which the Mississippi River changed course. For 10 points, what events along major rivers are mitigated by levees?
A: floods
Q: Note to players: Description acceptable. A memo about this event that was circulated by Bill Moore and Stanton Friedman attempted to establish the existence of the Majestic 12 committee. Leonard Stringfield's book Situation Red interspersed tales of this event with both one reported by Barney Barnett in the Plains of San Agustin and a similar happening in the city of Aztec. This event was largely ignored for 30 years after it occurred due to a hoax in the Twin Falls area involving an object made of plexiglas and (*) vacuum tubes. Enthusiasts use the name "Hangar 18" for a building at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base often alleged to hold evidence from this event. In the 1990s, government reports implicated Project Mogul, a scheme to track Soviet nuclear tests from White Sands Missile Range, in this event. For 10 points, what 1947 army balloon downing often claimed to have involved a flying saucer is named for a city in New Mexico?
A: Roswell incident [accept any description of aliens or UFOs purportedly being found near Roswell, New Mexico; accept any description of a balloon crash near Roswell]
Q: This place is home to the only surviving example of a building descended from the "4D Lightful Tower" that was intended to include "Ovolving" shelves in its Barwise and Danbury variants. A museum in this place contains one of forty-three test tubes alleged to hold Thomas Edison's dying breath. A 15-term mayor of this place who expressed such virulently racist views that he was put on trial for allowing a riot was named Orville Hubbard. This place is home to the only existing prototype of (*) Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion House. During a period in the 1920s in which this city's population increased by 2000 percent, portions of the River Rouge were channelized to allow for easier freighter access to it. Depending on the source, either this city or nearby Hamtramck is home to the country's largest per capita Muslim population. For 10 points, what suburb of Detroit is home to the headquarters of Ford?
A: Dearborn, Michigan [reject "Detroit"; reject "Dearborn Heights"]
Q: A county fair in this state features auto races in which drivers must grab a live pig out of a bin, hand-crank a Model T, and drive it around the track with their pig. In 1977, this state's city of Florence accidentally passed an ordinance that banned all sexual intercourse. It's not Texas, but this state's 1967 "Beach Bill" guarantees public ownership of all sand beaches in this state. A 235-foot-tall sea stack called Haystack Rock lies in the intertidal zone of this state's (*) Cannon Beach. In a disastrous 1970 attempt to clean up a beach in this state, its Highway Division used a half-ton of dynamite to "blast blubber beyond all believable bounds" by exploding a beached sperm whale. The phrase "cheese, trees, and ocean breeze" is used to describe the attractions in this state's Tillamook County. For 10 points, what state's city of Astoria was founded at the western end of Lewis and Clark's expedition route?
A: Oregon
Q: A harrowing book about this event tells of a man sentenced to be hanged for looting whose sentence could not be carried out due to a complete lack of rope. As a result of Governor Lucius Fairchild being otherwise occupied, Frances Bull led the early relief efforts for this event. Peter Pernin's memoir The Finger of God is There! describes his experiences submerging himself in a (*) river for five hours while escaping from this event. According to Ignatius Donnelly, this disaster was the northernmost supposedly caused by the breakup of Biela's comet. Along with similar events in a number of towns in Michigan and Chicago, this disaster took place on October 8, 1871. For 10 points, name this extremely deadly conflagration that razed a namesake town in Marinette County, Wisconsin.
A: Peshtigo Fire (Fairchild was providing aid to Chicago when informed of the events in Peshtigo.)
Q: A project on a tributary of this river led Howard Baker to refer to an endangered snail darter as the "bane of his existence" and "the nemesis of his golden years." Jason Isbell ("IZ-bull") describes bowing to this river and praying in a Drive-By Truckers song titled for it. The largest industrial spill in American history took place in the basin of this river when a coal ash pond at the Kingston Fossil Plant flowed into the Clinch and (*) Emory rivers. It's not in Alaska, but during Project Plowshare the government considered using 81 nuclear bombs to complete the Divide Cut linking this river to the Tombigbee. Oak Ridge was powered by dams on this river, many of which were built by a government agency directed by David Lilienthal. For 10 points, a namesake "Valley Authority" was created during the New Deal era to harness what largest tributary of the Ohio River?
A: Tennessee River [accept Tennessee Valley Authority; prompt on TVA]
Q: Shortly before his death, the father of aviation pioneer William Boeing made an ill-advised attempt to enforce a toll on a waterway in this place. In 1985, a freighter named after Socrates ran aground off this place's Park Point neighborhood after its Greek captain ignored instructions to drop anchor. The Mataafa Storm derives its name from a ship that broke up and sank off the shore of this place. When it passes under this place's Aerial Lift Bridge on November 10th, the (*) SS Arthur M. Anderson takes part in an annual five-blast memorial horn salute. Lakes Brule, Ontonagon, and Nemadji merged to form a glacial lake named for this city that likely had the St. Croix River as its outlet. This city is by far the largest in the Arrowhead Region, ahead of Cloquet and Hibbing. For 10 points, what major port city on Lake Superior is the fifth largest in Minnesota?
A: Duluth, Minnesota [accept Duluth-Superior or Twin Ports; accept Lake Duluth; accept Duluth Ship Canal] (On being told to drop anchor, the captain of the Socrates reportedly replied that "is not ocean, is big lake.")
Q: This place titles a percussion-centric work by Harry Partch that sets a series of "Hitchhiker Inscriptions from a Highway Railing" to music. In 2018, a daredevil named "Mad" Mike Hughes died near this place after the rocket he built to prove the flatness of the Earth suffered a parachute failure. An oft-stolen sign indicating that Wilmington, North Carolina is 2,554 miles away marks the western terminus of (*) I-40 in this place. In the original version of "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,"this city is mentioned between Kingman and San Bernardino. The first sentence of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas reads "We were somewhere around [this city] on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold." For 10 points, name this city situated to the northeast of Victorville, California.
A: Barstow, California [accept "Barstow: Eight Hitchhiker Inscriptions from a Highway Railing at Barstow, California"]
Q: In 1989, people brawled with clubs in the streets of this place after CREEP member Peter MacDonald was suspended from a leadership role amid fraud allegations. Oreland Joe designed a statue of a crouching man in an army uniform for a memorial in this place that rests in the shadow of an outcrop of Entrada Sandstone. A building in this place that features eight stone buttresses anchored with Ponderosa pine is designed to resemble a hogan and flies a flag featuring a (*) rainbow above four sacred mountains on a field of tan. This current home of Buu Nygren is the largest city in St. Michaels chapter. Locations governed from this city include Fort Defiance and Tuba City, as well as portions of Monument Valley. For 10 points, what city in northeast Arizona that serves as the capital of the Navajo Nation is named for a gap in a nearby stone formation?
A: Window Rock, Arizona [or Tseghahoodzani] (The memorial honors the Navajo Code Talkers. The building is the Navajo Nation Council Chamber.)
Q: It's not glassmaking, but a park dedicated to this industry is the primary attraction of Fostoria, Ohio. This was the primary industry of the ghost town of Surf, California, which is now a publicly-accessible beach inside Vandenberg Space Force Base. Franz von Papen masterminded a 1915 terrorist attack in Vanceboro, Maine which targeted this industry. The city of Helper, Utah is named for a practice which this industry frequently employed there. The central visitor center for the New River Gorge National Park is a building originally constructed for this industry in (*) Thurmond, West Virginia. A minor-league baseball team in Altoona, Pennsylvania is named for a piece of infrastructure used by this industry. For 10 points, two companies in what industry held an 1869 celebration at Promontory Summit, Utah featuring a golden spike?
A: railroad industry [accept any answers about rail transportation or trains] (Helper, Utah is at the bottom of a steep grade which requires additional locomotives to help push trains up it. Altoona, Pennsylvania is the home of the Altoona Curve.)
Q: Jimmy Gronen nearly cheated his way to a title at an event held in this place by using a concealed electromagnet to trigger a sophisticated slingshot mechanism. Prior to a move to the Milwaukee Badgers, Paul Robeson began his abbreviated professional football career with a franchise located in this place. Fritz Pollard became the first Black NFL head coach while playing for a franchise based in this place, which won the inaugural title in that league in 1920 and was nicknamed the Pros. Prior to (*) Youngstown State's move to the FCS, it contested the "Steel Tire" rivalry with a university from this city who formerly played in a stadium built into a hillside. According to a hit tweet,"Tungsten Arm" O'Doyle starred for this city's terrible 1921 Groomsmen MLB team. In 2009, a college football team based in this city moved into the New Rubber Bowl. For 10 points, a university whose sports teams are nicknamed the Zips is located in what city in northeast Ohio?
A: Akron, Ohio [accept Akron Zips; accept Akron Groomsmen; accept Akron Pros] (The leadin is about a scandal that impacted the 1973 Soap Box Derby World Championship.)
Q: Note to moderator: read answerline carefully. A John McPhee essay quotes Oliver Houck as referring to processes that led to a decline in this region as third in arrogance only to stealing the sun and making rivers run backwards. A town in this region is home to a pair of concrete bunkers that host eight million preserved fish belonging to the Suttkus Collection. In this region, twelve million dollars in federal funds were wasted on an unused marina in Port Eads, which is located south of the Head of Passes in the Balize Lobe. The unincorporated community of (*) Pilottown plays a role in commerce in this region despite having a permanent population of zero and only being accessible by helicopter. Land subsidence threatens towns in this region such as Venice, which is nicknamed "the end of the world." For 10 points, Plaquemines ("PLACK-uh-minz") Parish is part of what region in Louisiana where a major river meets the Gulf of Mexico?
A: Mississippi River Delta [accept descriptive answers like mouth of the Mississippi River; accept Southeastern Louisiana; accept Atchafalaya Basin or Atchafalaya Swamp; prompt on Mississippi Delta alone by asking "in what state?" since that term primarily refers to the region of Northwest Mississippi; prompt on less specific answers like Southern Louisiana or Mississippi Valley; prompt on Louisiana before it is read] (The McPhee essay is titled "Atchafalaya". The Royal D. Suttkus Fish Collection is located in Belle Chasse.)
Q: Upon visiting these islands in 1873, William James wrote to his brother Henry that he felt "free and happy again" while reading Goethe poems on a walk. Nathaniel Hawthorne's wife Sophia posthumously published a 10,000-word journal he kept while visiting these islands. The American Barbizon school painter William Morris Hunt died by suicide on these islands. The brutal murder of two Norwegian women on these islands was the subject of the 1873 Atlantic Monthly essay "A Memorable Murder." A poem set on these islands opens with the line "Across the lonely beach we flit." The title of that poem led Sarah Orne Jewett to nickname its author, who was from these islands, "the sandpiper." A painting of that poet's garden on these islands by her friend (*) Childe Hassam now hangs at the Met. Celia Thaxter hosted many authors and painters on, for 10 points, what group of islands in the Gulf of Maine that are split between New Hampshire and Maine?
A: Isles of Shoals
Q: A pastor from this place has advocated for theocracy using a bizarrely Marcionistic argument that "the god of this world... is the devil" and authored a 2021 blog post titled "A Biblical Defense of Fake Vaccine IDs". That pastor, Douglas Wilson, leads this place's ultra-conservative Christ Church. A 16,000-seat indoor football stadium in this place had the world's largest wooden roof at the time of its 1975 completion. Ashley Guillard, a psychic from Texas, was sued for libel after making TikToks in which she used tarot cards to accuse a woman from this city of committing a crime for which (*) Bryan Kohberger was eventually arrested. This city shares an airport with nearby Pullman, Washington. In November 2022, four students were stabbed to death in, for 10 points, what city home to the University of Idaho?
A: Moscow, Idaho (The football stadium is the University of Idaho's Kibbie Dome.)
Q: Indigenous people believed that a foaming meromictic lake in this state had healing properties, leading settlers to found the town of Soap Lake. A polysynthetic language spoken in this state, Halkomelem, is endangered and exhibits a large consonant inventory of 36, both traits typical of its family. In a legend of indigenous people native to this state, a trickster deity becomes bored of his wives and turns them into stone pillars, creating the Twin Sisters formation near Wallula Gap. The contravention of treaties signed at Point No Point and Medicine Creek led tribes in this state to pressure the government in the (*) "Fish Wars". This state's Quileute ("quill-EE-oot") tribe gave the city of Forks, a primary setting of the Twilight novels, its original name. Many tribes native to this state, such as the Cowlitz and Skokomish, once spoke Salishan languages. For 10 points, a chief of the Duwamish people names the largest city in what northwestern state home to Seattle?
A: Washington [or WA] (Forks was previously known as Quillayute.)
Q: From 1905 to 1921, one of these locations existed on Penikese Island in Gosnold, the least populous town in Massachusetts. One of these locations obtained fresh water from the US's tenth-deepest lake, which is only 160 feet across. Stanley Stein founded a newspaper called "The STAR" after being forced to move to one of these locations in Carville, Louisiana, where the 2023 novel King of the Armadillos was set. The USDA sent Austrian-Hawaiian botanist Joseph Rock to Burma to obtain (*) chaulmoogra trees for one of these locations. One of these locations which is only accessible by mule path makes up the primary settlement of the smallest county by land area in the US. A Belgian priest who worked in one of these locations until his death was canonized as Saint Damien of Moloka'i. The Kalaupapa Peninsula is home to one of, for 10 points, what locations used to quarantine sufferers of Hansen's disease?
A: leper colonies [accept any answers indicating a hospital or quarantine location or otherwise a facility for the treatment of leprosy; accept Hansen's disease in place of leprosy until "Hansen's" is read; prompt on hospitals or quarantine facilities or other answers that do not mention leprosy]
Q: The Saudi Arabian government funded a now-defunct Islamic Academy in this place that Bush-era conservatives spuriously alleged was intended to convert local residents to Salafism. In the 1970s, a former WWII torpedo factory in this place was converted into an art space inhabited by almost 200 artists. While living in this place, John Hollensbury responded to people traversing a neighboring alleyway running their wagons into his home by building a spite house often described as the narrowest in the country. To honor George Washington, freemasons constructed a 333 foot tall memorial in this city intended to resemble a (*) lighthouse. Herman Boone struggles to integrate the football team of this city's former T.C. Williams High School in the Denzel Washington movie Remember the Titans. A ferry transfers tourists from National Harbor to this city's historic "Old Town" district. For 10 points, name this city on the Potomac River to the southeast of Arlington, Virginia.
A: Alexandria, Virginia [accept Old Town Alexandria] (The Torpedo Factory Art Center building still exists in large part because the walls were reinforced to contain a possible explosion to the point that they could not safely be torn down.)
Q: A variant of this instrument misleadingly also known as the harmonium was sometimes called its "courting" type due to the design requiring its two players to sit opposite each other with knees touching. In 2022, severe flooding of the aptly-named Troublesome Creek damaged a museum dedicated to these instruments in the town of Hindman. Jean Ritchie was recorded singing folk songs like "Hangman" and "Cuckoo" while accompanying herself on this instrument. A type of this instrument that can be played in guitar and autoharp styles may be fretted using a noter. David Schnaufer taught (*) Cyndi Lauper and Joni Mitchell to play this instrument. The scheitholt is an ancestor of a type of this instrument that was brought to Pennsylvania by German immigrants before moving down the Wilderness Road. For 10 points, spoonlike hammers are used to play a variant of what zither, another form of which is central to Appalachian music?
A: dulcimer [accept Appalachian dulcimer or mountain dulcimer; accept hammered dulcimer; accept courting dulcimer]
Q: This place was the location of the first clinical trials for a hepatitis A vaccine, due to its infection rate of 70 percent. After the 1985 Supreme Court case Aguilar v Felton, this place established a school district which exclusively serves special education students. Sixty families in this place were banned from visiting a cemetery as retribution for voting for a candidate opposed by its government, whose presence on the ballot caused a mob of several hundred residents of this place to chant "Death to Joseph Waldman!". The political advocacy group United Monroe opposed land annexations by this place, whose median age of (*) 13.2 is the lowest of any US municipality. In 2019, this village became coterminous with the town of Palm Tree, which is named for a translation of its founder's surname, Teitelbaum. For 10 points, name this village in New York populated by members of the Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism.
A: Kiryas Joel, New York [accept Palm Tree, New York until "Palm Tree" is read; prompt on Monroe, New York until "United Monroe" is read]
Q: The namesake of this place may have been the man who "sold his Cow / and bought him a Commission" in the lyrics to the first published version of Yankee Doodle. A collection of antique eclipse glasses are exhibited in this place's Hopkins Observatory, the oldest extant observatory in the US. In order to protect their art collection from a potential nuclear attack on New York City, Robert and Francine Clark established a museum in this place. In 2007, this place became the least-populous place to host ESPN's College GameDay, which saw a school here contest the "Biggest Little Game in America" against a rival who changed their nickname to the (*) Mammoths in 2017. The Purple Cow is the mascot of a college in this place whose student body climbs nearby Mount Greylock every year on Mountain Day. For 10 points, name this town in the northwest corner of Massachusetts home to a liberal arts college which is a rival of Amherst.
A: Williamstown, Massachusetts
Q: A proposal to build a personal rapid transit system in this place was abandoned when Raytheon unexpectedly left the project in 1999. Attractions in this place include a museum dedicated to the world's largest public collection of Hummel porcelain figurines. In 2014, this place was the site of a still-unsolved chlorine gas attack on a furry convention. The corporate headquarters of the Big Ten Conference are located above a Fogo de Chao Brazilian steakhouse in this place. A 2023 Christmas article in The Economist described this place as "the last true political (*) machine in America" due to the control of the Stephens family. A major convention center in this village is named for 51-year mayor Donald E. Stephens and hosts events like Midwest FurFest and Fan Expo Chicago. For 10 points, name this village home to numerous airport hotels like the Hyatt Regency O'Hare.
A: Rosemont, Illinois
Q: The Erlitou Culture ("ar-lee-toh") Culture was the earliest stage to develop bronze in a civilization named for this river. The earliest "ding" cauldrons were made in this river's basin. Millet was first cultivated in this river's basin. Repeated creation of higher levees allowed this river to greatly change course relative to the (*) Shandong Peninsula when their failure caused widespread flooding. The fertility of this river's basin derives from its flow through the Loess Plateau. Early Chinese dynasties had their capitals in this river's basin in the North China Plain. For 10 points, what is this river named for the color of its carried soil?
A: Yellow River [or Huang He]
Q: A now-exhausted source of this material at Ossining, New York, was the one used for most Gilded Age mansions. High-quality sources of this material in the US are the Yule Creek Valley in Colorado and Danby, Vermont. The namesake of the Sea of Marmara, Marmara Island, is named for having this rock. Mount Pentelicus and Paros were the main Greek sources of this material. Calacatta and (*) Carrara are types of this material from Italy, the latter being the preferred type among Italian artists. This rock's parent rock is limestone. For 10 points, name this usually-white metamorphic rock that is polished for use in monuments and statues.
A: marble
Q: According to Mark Twain, a misreading of a sign for one of these businesses provided the name for the seat of Siskiyou County, California. A major technical innovation for these businesses was first used in Chillicothe, Missouri and invented by Otto Rohwedder. A 2005 arson attack on a Muslim-owned liquor store was led by the 19-year-old CEO of one of these businesses, which closed in 2007 after that owner ordered a hit on Chauncey Bailey, a journalist who was writing a story about it. That "Black Muslim" one of these businesses was founded by Yusuf Bey in Oakland. Harmon Jaarsma founded one of these businesses in Pella, Iowa, which is best known for producing "Dutch (*) letters". The oldest continually operating business in San Francisco is one of these businesses founded by Isidore Boudin, which still uses its original 1849 "starter". For 10 points, what businesses might produce sourdough?
A: bakeries [prompt on restaurants or other answers indicating the food industry] (Otto Rohwedder literally invented sliced bread.)
Q: A hugely complex IED featuring half a ton of stolen dynamite was used against one of these businesses in a 1980 bombing by ex-gulag prisoner John Birges. Instances of Montana's Town Pump convenience stores often adjoin a chain of these businesses that uses a purple-clad woman named Lil as a mascot. In 2010, the presence of these businesses led Black Hawk, Colorado to institute a blatantly illegal ban on bicycling on city streets. A Mississippi CDP formerly known as Robinsonville largely exists because of these businesses and takes part of its name from the nearby town of (*) Tunica. A particularly terrible one of these businesses in Winchester is home to the Adventuredome and a long-running circus show. Sparks is a secondary destination for these businesses in a state whose largest city, located in Clark County, is a mecca for them. For 10 points, what businesses often found on permanently-moored riverboats are the basis of the economy of Las Vegas?
A: casinos [accept riverboat casinos; accept any description of a gambling facility; prompt on hotels; prompt on resorts or Tunica Resorts, Mississippi; reject "racetracks"] (The 1980 bombing targeted Harvey's Resort Hotel in Stateline, Nevada.)
Q: A con man who vanished after committing fraud at this location dubiously claimed financial assistance from Merle Haggard in making an appearance under the name L.W. Wright. In 1986, Darren Crowder drunkenly stole a car and took a joyride at this location, an incident that Ken Squier commentated on live TV. A "curse" on this location theorized to be a result of its construction atop a Native American burial ground allegedly manifested itself in Bobby Isaac's shock 1973 retirement. Bill Elliott set a 212 mile-per-hour (*) speed record at this location, which will almost certainly never be broken due to the introduction of restrictor plates. Along with Daytona, this tri-oval superspeedway frequently experiences large accidents known simply as "Big Ones." For 10 points, what longest current oval racetrack on the NASCAR calendar is located in central Alabama?
A: Talladega Superspeedway [or Dega or Alabama International Motor Speedway before it is read] (Darren Crowder stole the pace car for the 1986 Winston 500, which resulted in police erecting a blockade in the exit of turn 4.)
Q: In 2016, a Ferris wheel formerly located at Chicago's Navy Pier was installed in this place. A college near this place, which requires students to take a "Patriotic Education and Fitness" class, describes itself as "Hard Work U" and does not charge tuition. A "faith-based wildlife park" in this place called the Promised Land Zoo is located on a road named for the novel The Shepherd of the Hills. In 2018, 17 people were killed in this place when a (*) duck boat sank on nearby Table Rock Lake. A Dixie Outfitters franchise and "patriotic superstore" named Trump Depot are among the shopping destinations on this place's 76 Country Boulevard. The central family of The Beverly Hillbillies is from a fictional town which shares its name with a real theme park in this city located above Marvel Cave. Silver Dollar City is in, for 10 points, what tourist destination in southwest Missouri?
A: Branson, Missouri [prompt on Point Lookout, Missouri or Hollister, Missouri by asking "What is the largest city in that urban agglomeration?"; prompt on Silver Dollar City before read by asking "What city is that near?"]
Q: A "half Worcester" is an unlucky outcome in a regional variant of this activity popular in New England. Hundreds of autographed bras hang from various fixtures at Holler House, a bar in Milwaukee which holds the US's oldest officially sanctioned location for this activity. Participants try to achieve a "twelve-ringer" in a variant of this activity which was once nationally popular but is now nearly exclusive to the San Antonio metro area. In 2006, Robert Mushtare was accused of fabricating a pair of accomplishments in this activity. Two regional variants of this activity are named for the fact that some equipment used for them resembles (*) ducks or candles. A book subtitled "The Collapse and Revival of American Community" used a decrease in participation in leagues for this activity to demonstrate declining social capital. For 10 points, what sport is performed "alone" in the title of a book by Robert Putnam?
A: bowling [accept more specific answers like candlepin bowling or duckpin bowling or nine-pin bowling or ten-pin bowling] (A half Worcester is a specific split in candlepin bowling. A twelve-ringer is the goal of nine-pin bowling.)
Q: In 2012, this place became the first municipality in the US to create its own bespoke typeface. This place's Times Free Press, formed from the merger of two rival papers, maintains two dueling editorial pages with opposing political leanings. The construction of an attraction near this place was funded by profits from the first patent for mini-golf. Without changing its nickname, a university in this place used a snake, a shoe, and a Native American caricature as mascots. Clark Byers painted over 900 barns to advertise a tourist trap near this place, which questionably asserted that you can "See (*) 7 States" from it. Along with Rock City, a mountain overlooking this city also contains the tourist trap Ruby Falls. The first-ever RCA Victor gold record was given to a song about traveling to this city. For 10 points, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded a hit 1941 song about what Tennessee city's "Choo Choo"?
A: Chattanooga, Tennessee [prompt on Lookout Mountain, Tennessee or Georgia by asking "What major city is that place near?"]
Q: A 1995 book by sportswriter Bill Reynolds about this place's Durfee High School basketball team is titled for this place's "Dreams". An archaeological find in this place inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to write "The Skeleton in Armor". In 2017, this place introduced the slogan "Make It Here" to replace its previous motto, "We'll Try". The murders of three people in this place, allegedly by cultists, helped initiate the "satanic panic" of the 1980s. This city's Great Feast of the Holy Ghost is an annual celebration of (*) Azorean culture. A warship named for this city's state forms the focus of its naval museum, Battleship Cove. Despite being acquitted of double murder, a resident of this city was immortalized in a rhyme which described how she "gave her mother forty whacks". For 10 points, name this southern Massachusetts city, the home of Lizzie Borden.
A: Fall River, Massachusetts
Q: This is the first word in the name of a megachurch that runs a "School of Supernatural Ministry" that received criticism in 2008 after a group of its students waited for 6 hours to call 911 while practicing faith healing on a man who fell off a cliff. Bill Johnson leads that controversial church named for this word, which frequently attempts to resurrect dead parishioners and includes 10 percent of the population of Redding, California. Charles Parham ran a bible college with this name that hosted a progenitor of the (*) Azusa Street Revival when Agnes Ozman spoke in tongues. A town with this name hosted an event held at Max Yasgur's farm, during which Jimi Hendrix played a distorted version of "The Star-Spangled Banner." For 10 points, what Hebrew term for a house of God names the town in upstate New York that hosted Woodstock?
A: Bethel [accept Bethel, New York; accept Bethel Bible College; accept Bethel Church]
Q: This place was the largest served by a structure modeled on the Hercilio Luz, a similar construction in Brazil that possessed additional eyebars. To this place's northeast is the McClintic Wildlife Management Area, which is home to a series of igloo-esque World War II-era bunkers filled with unexploded TNT. Shapeshifting aliens known as ultraterrestrials were promoted in a kooky 1975 John Keel book that popularized a (*) myth about this place. The Shawnee chief Cornstalk won a battle on the future site of this town that was the only major action of Lord Dunmore's War. This town, which is located across the Ohio River from Gallipolis ("GAL-uh-poh-LEESE"), was home to the Silver Bridge, which collapsed under allegedly mysterious circumstances in 1967. For 10 points, the mouth of the Kanawha river is at what West Virginia town home to the Mothman?
A: Point Pleasant, West Virginia [accept Battle of Point Pleasant; prompt on Battle of Great Kanawha by asking "What modern-day city typically names that battle?"] (The Keel book is The Mothman Prophecies.)
Q: Country musician Sam Baker wrote two songs about a city named after this region which repeat the lyrics "We've got Satan on the run / Shouts the Nazarene". That city named for this region is the western terminus of the Texas State Railroad, a heritage railroad originally built by prisoners in nearby Rusk. Following an event in a place named after this region, a state law enforcement agency published a bulletin controversially claiming that Erin Brockovich's response to it could result in "special interest terrorism", and reporter Evan Lambert was arrested at a press conference in that place named after this region for speaking over governor Mike (*) DeWine. A "vent and burn" of five tanks of vinyl chloride was ordered after a 2023 environmental disaster in a place named after this region. For 10 points, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in February 2023 in an Ohio village named after what region in the Middle East?
A: Palestine [accept East Palestine, Ohio] (The American towns with this name rhyme with "sheen".)
Q: The intersection of Railroad Avenue and Holly Street in this place's downtown area is the setting of the song "A Movie Script Ending." The name of this place appears at the bottom right of the cover of the album You Can Play These Songs With Chords. A Stephen Stimson mural found on this place's Prospect Street dubs it "Ye Olde City of Subdued Excitement." In 1999, a gasoline pipeline located in this place ruptured, sparking an explosion that killed three people and sent a massive fireball down (*) Whatcom Creek. This city's indie music scene spawned the bands ODESZA and Death Cab for Cutie, both of which have connections to its Western Washington University. For 10 points, name this city on the eastern shore of the Strait of Georgia located midway between Seattle and Vancouver.
A: Bellingham, Washington [or Ye Olde City of Subdued Excitement before it is read]
Q: A series of positive letters about this place from "Alisa" drew responses asserting that the sender's full name was "Alisa Dim Wit" and that her education "consisted only of a banana and an innertube". Before being partially ousted by Jamie Mueller, the Chapman family repeatedly appointed themselves to government offices in this place. This place was often compared by reputation to the nearby communities of Linndale and Brice. Prairie Township now contains the boundaries of this place in Franklin County, which inspired such local ire that a website was registered under the name [this place] (*) sucks.com. This village was dissolved by court order in 2004 after a judge remarked that a corrupt local government had caused such "ruin and decay" that its "body [was] already dead." For 10 points, what 60-person hamlet in the Columbus metro area that generated 95% of its revenue from a speed trap was partially named for the capital of Italy?
A: New Rome, Ohio [accept newromesucks.com]
Q: It's not Brazil or the Dominican Republic, but extremely steep and poor (emphasize) neighborhoods like Santo Domingo in this country's second-largest city are connected by the Metrocable system of gondolas. The Hacienda Napoles released four hippos into this country, causing wildlife concerns. The Magdalena River flows into this country's port city of Barranquilla (bah-rahn-ki-ya), located northeast of Cartagena ("kar-tah-hay-nah"). To its (emphasize) north, the Darien Gap prevents the expansion of the (*) Pan-American Highway to this country, from Panama. The Medellin (meh-day-een) drug cartel in this country was led by Pablo Escobar. For 10 points, name this South American country whose capital is Bogota.
A: Colombia [or Republic of Colombia or Republica de Colombia]
Q: Washington's Hoh and Alaska's Tongass are biomes of this kind in the United States that have a temperate climate. Puerto Rico's Sierre del Luquillo mountains are home to El Yunque [YOON-kay], the only one of these biomes in the US with a (*) tropical climate. One of these biomes in a namesake province of Brazil has recently suffered wildfires and mass deforestation. For ten points, name these forest biomes, usually in the tropics, that experience high levels of precipitation.
A: rainforests (accept tropical rainforest s or temperate rainforest s prompt on forest )
Q: This region's McMurdo Dry Valleys are home to several lakes with salinity greater than that of the Dead Sea. The Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains is home to this region's highest peak, Vinson Massif. Russia operates a research station above this region's (*) subglacial Lake Vostok. This largest desert in the world is bordered by the Ross Sea, which is a bay of the Southern Ocean. For ten points, name this cold continent that is home to the South Pole.
A: Antarctica (or the Antarctic )
Q: The Church of Scientology was first incorporated as the "Church of American Science" in this place in 1953. This place's neighborhood of Yorkship Village was federally planned to house employees at a shipyard which was the largest in the world during WWII. This place is the southern terminus of the River LINE, a 35-mile intercity light rail line. The Victor Talking Machine Company was founded in this place, which is also the location of the Campbell's Soup headquarters. The final edition of (*) Leaves of Grass was completed in this place, where Walt Whitman lived his final years. In 2012, this city disbanded its entire police force and replaced it with a county-run department to address worst-in-the-nation violent crime rates. A seasonal ferry across the Delaware River connects this city to Penn's Landing. For 10 points, name this New Jersey city which lies across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from Philadelphia.
A: Camden, New Jersey
Q: David Hrusovsky is primarily known for cataloguing unusual places for doing this activity, such as one in Weehawken, New Jersey adjacent to the Lincoln Tunnel entrance. An apocalyptic Christian commune in Benton Harbor, Michigan was primarily known for their participation in this activity. Parts of a now-destroyed location for this activity are still visible in the parking lot of the Omaha Zoo. A smaller-than-usual location for this activity in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania is named for Howard J. (*) Lamade (LAM-uh-dee). A logo depicting a raccoon named Sprocket flying a garbage-can-shaped spacecraft is used by an organization dedicated to this activity in Madison, Alabama. The set for a film about this activity is now a tourist attraction in Dyersville, Iowa. The name of a fictional organization for this activity from The Simpsons inspired one in Albuquerque called the Isotopes. Cooperstown, New York contains a "Hall of Fame" of, for 10 points, what sport played by the Rocket City Trash Pandas?
A: playing baseball [prompt on sports; reject "softball"] (Howard J. Lamade Stadium, in Williamsport, is smaller than usual because it's the home of the Little League World Series.)
Q: An abandoned hospital in this place was converted into a building-sized artwork called "untitled (dawn to dusk)" by Robert Irwin. In this place, the grave of a horse named Louie was converted to a sculpture by Coosje van Bruggen and Claes Oldenburg. Murals by German POWs can be found in this place's Building 98, which shares a former army post with the Chinati Foundation, an art museum founded in this place by Donald Judd. An art installation named for this place was officially classified as a museum following a regulatory dispute involving a 40-foot-tall (*) Playboy bunny. That artwork, which is actually much closer to nearby Valentine than this city, was created by Elmgreen and Dragset along US Route 90 and contains various shoes and handbags. A mock Prada store is named after, for 10 points, what West Texas city also known for a phenomenon of "lights" often ascribed to UFOs?
A: Marfa, Texas
Q: Note to players: The answer to this tossup is a directional portion of a state, like "southeast Queensland" or "western Amazonas". In 2013, a "decomposition chimney" in this region caused by rotting oak trees led to a 6-year-old boy being buried alive for three hours at a non-California Mount Baldy. Sidewalks are used for car parking in Marktown, a former company town in this region now entirely surrounded by an oil refinery. "Big Blowout" is one attraction in a state park in this non-Massachusetts region which contains Mt. Tom, the highest of the Tremonts. A 2020s double-tracking project finally eliminated a stretch of a commuter rail line in this region which saw trains run down the (*) middle of a residential street. The USSR modeled the city of Magnitogorsk after an industrial city in this region which contained the world's largest steel mill. The album "2300 Jackson Street" is named after an address in this region, the childhood home of Michael Jackson. For 10 points, what region's city of Gary lies on the south shores of Lake Michigan?
A: Northwest Indiana [prompt on northern Indiana; prompt on the South Shore before "south shores" is read by asking "can you describe this region as a directional portion of a state?"; prompt on Chicagoland or the suburbs of Chicago by asking the same question]
Q: Phrases like "three all the way" are used to order at a style of restaurant from this state, an example of which is named for Olneyville. Philadelphia disputes the provenance of tomato pie with this state, where it is known as "strip pizza" or "bakery pizza". This state is home to "New York System" restaurants, which serve hot dogs prepared with celery salt, mustard, onions, and ground beef known as "hot wieners". This state's seafood-centered cuisine includes (*) snail salad and a style of stuffed clam known simply as "stuffies". A milkshake from this state that consists of coffee ice cream, coffee syrup, and milk is known as a "cabinet". Wisconsin and this state use the word "bubbler" to refer to drinking fountains. For 10 points, a clear style of clam chowder that uses the quahog ("KOH-hog") is commonly served in what state's cities of Cranston and Providence?
A: Rhode Island [or RI]
Q: A church in this place was served by the first Old Believer bishop to be officially consecrated in a Russian Orthodox Church. Horace Greeley described a man freezing to death while traveling from nearby Harborcreek to this place, which Greeley called a "Kingdom". A museum ship in this place was so extensively restored by Melbourne Smith that it is often considered a replica. In response to the proposed removal of a break-of-gauge in this place, its mayor led a mob of "special police constables" who destroyed bridges and tore up railroad tracks. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong masterminded a criminal plot in this city in which Brian Wells, a (*) pizza delivery driver, robbed a bank before being killed by a bomb fastened around his neck. Mercyhurst University is located in this city, whose Presque Isle Bay was used to build the USS Niagara, the flagship of Oliver Hazard Perry. For 10 points, name this lakeshore city in northwest Pennsylvania.
A: Erie, Pennsylvania
Q: This place took its name from a private club founded by Melvil Dewey which only stopped excluding Black people and Jews from membership in 1976. Unimproved forest land around this place was donated to Black homesteaders by abolitionist Gerrit Smith to create a short-lived farming community. That community, Timbuctoo, inspired John Brown to move to this place, where he was buried. Jack Shea and Eric Heiden are both primarily known for their accomplishments in this place, which is overlooked by (*) Whiteface Mountain. A player responded "Coach crazy" when asked, several years later, about a controversial decision to bench Vladislav Tretiak during a sports game in this place. Al Michaels exclaimed "Do you believe in miracles?" while commentating on a game in this place. For 10 points, name this village in the Adirondack Mountains which has hosted two Winter Olympics.
A: Lake Placid, New York [prompt on North Elba, New York] (Jack Shea and Eric Heiden both won gold medals in speed skating at Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid.)
Q: Note to players: The answer to this question combines a foreign nationality and a U.S. state, like "Zimbabwean Alaskans." Apocryphally, a mother telling her children that signal fires were actually lit by the Easter Bunny cooking eggs sparked a tradition of this ethnic group in which fires are lit on 22 hills the night before Easter. The Cherry Springs Dance Hall was founded by an Apache captive of this ethnicity who was raised by Quanah Parker. Freethinkers from this ethnic group founded Latin settlements, inhabitants of which later resettled in Comfort and Boerne ("BURN-ee"). Inhabitants of the Hill Country from this ethnic group were gunned down en masse by Confederate soldiers during the 1862 (*) Nueces Massacre. The seat of Comal County was named in homage to Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, who urged this ethnic group to settle in the United States as part of the Adelsverein. For 10 points, Fredericksburg is a cultural center for what ethnic group that emigrated from a central European country to the Lone Star State?
A: German Texans [or Texas Germans; prompt on Germans; reject "Texans"] (The second line is about Herman Lehmann.)
Q: While imprisoned in a county named in reference to this resource, the notorious outlaw Big Nose George was killed following an escape attempt, after which the early female physician Lillian Heath began using the cap of his skull as a doorstop. In a town named for this resource, David and Doris Young took 150 children hostage and demanded an audience with Ronald Reagan before detonating an improvised gasoline bomb. The hamlet of Aladdin is home to a wooden tipple, a type of structure used in the production of this resource. This resource is (*) extracted at Peabody's North Antelope Rochelle Mine, which is located an hour to the south of Gillette. During a labor dispute involving miners of this resource, dozens of Chinese-Americans were murdered by members of the Knights of Labor in the Rock Springs Massacre. For 10 points, Wyoming is the United States' largest producer of what resource, which names its Carbon County?
A: coal [accept specific varieties of coal like anthracite or lignite; accept coke; accept Cokeville, Wyoming; prompt on carbon until it is read since the leadin is about Carbon County, Wyoming; reject "charcoal"]
Q: In the song "Four Winds", the singer travels to a town known for being home to many of these people by rented Cadillac and company jet. A School of Enlightenment in Yelm, Washington is run by J.Z. Knight, one of these people who purports to worship a murder-justifying Lemurian deity named Ramtha. M. Lamar Keene coined the term "true believer syndrome" in reference to a group of these people living at Indiana's Camp Chesterfield. "Mr. Splitfoot" was created by a trio of these people who attributed their abilities to the peddler Charles Rosna. Volusia County, Florida is home to (*) Cassadaga, an unincorporated community considered the world capital of these people. While living in Hydesville, New York, the Fox Sisters fraudulently claimed to be these people by cracking their toe joints to produce rapping sounds. For 10 points, Harry Houdini opposed what people, who often conduct seances to communicate with the departed?
A: psychic mediums [or spirit mediums; accept psychics or clairvoyants; accept spiritualists; accept descriptions of people who communicate with the dead; prompt on cult leaders after "Knight" is read by asking "what ability does that cult leader claim to possess?"] ("Four Winds" is from the Bright Eyes album Cassadaga.)
Q: The short film An American Mosque describes the 1994 arson of a small-town mosque in this place, the first criminal destruction of a mosque in the US. Two-thirds of the world prune market is controlled by a company headquartered in this place. A farmer nicknamed the "Peach King" founded an annual cultural festival and parade in this place whose 2023 edition featured a float celebrating an Indian army general's assassination. This city's annual Nagar Kirtan is the largest Sikh gathering outside India. In 1978, five young men from this city's metro area returning home from a college basketball game mysteriously (*) disappeared, and were later found dead in a Forest Service trailer with an unopened food locker. Marysville lies across the Feather River from, for 10 points, what seat of Sutter County, about 45 miles north of Sacramento?
A: Yuba City, California [prompt on Marysville, California before mention by asking "what is the name of the largest city in that metro area?]
Q: James Fulton created several of these objects in Vidor, Texas, which inspired a film named for them. A 2020 arson attack targeted one of these objects created by turkey farmer Alfred Hamilton in Napavine, Washington. One of these objects indirectly provides the name for the rivalry between MLS clubs Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati. The Outdoor Circle tried to have the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile banned from (*) Hawaii because of a law against these objects, which are also illegal in Vermont, Maine, and Alaska. Images of Brian Urlacher are accompanied by slogans like "This way to O'Hair Hairport" in often-memed examples of these objects in Chicagoland. Many of these objects promise five-cent coffee and "free ice water" in the vicinity of Wall, South Dakota. For 10 points, what objects are often placed adjacent to highways to advertise tourist traps?
A: highway billboards [prompt on road signs] (James Fulton's billboards about his daughter's unsolved murder inspired the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The Columbus-Cincinnati rivalry is named the Hell is Real Derby, after an iconic billboard on I-71 between the two cities.)
Q: A single acre of land in this region was bought and devalued by restrictive covenant in Cameron Rowland's conceptual work Depreciation. A bedspring in the fork of a tree captures evil spirits in a photograph from a series depicting a culture from this region by Carrie Mae Weems. Actress and abolitionist Fanny Kemble divorced her husband to publish an influential journal describing the conditions on a plantation in this region. Freed slaves worked on abandoned plantations in this region during the (*) Port Royal Experiment, which likely inspired Sherman's promise of "forty acres and a mule." The Julie Dash film Daughters of the Dust centers on a culture from this region that speaks a Guinea coast-influenced creole language. For 10 points, what region of the Atlantic Coast is home to the Gullah people?
A: Sea Islands [accept anything describing coastal South Carolina or coastal Georgia; accept Lowcountry; accept Saint Helena Island; accept Butler Island; accept Edisto Island; accept Sea Islands Series]
Q: Prior to a 2007 import ban, the average resident of this territory consumed 44 pounds of turkey tails per year. A uninhabited piece of land treated as part of this territory by the American government was sold to Eli Jennings for 15 shillings per acre and a bottle of gin and is known as Swains Island. This territory's record-breaking 31-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Australia precipitated the latter's 2006 move to the Asian Football Confederation. Unusually, residents of this territory are recognized as American (*) nationals rather than citizens, preventing them from voting in federal elections. Mount Matafao and Rainmaker Mountain shelter the deepwater harbor of this territory's capital, which was devastated by a 2009 earthquake and tsunami. For 10 points, Tutuila is the largest island in what southernmost territory of the United States, which has its capital at Pago Pago?
A: American Samoa [or Amerika Samoa; reject "Samoa"] (Swains Island is the subject of a long-running territorial dispute between the United States and Tokelau.)
Q: In 2018, a field in this place was decorated to read "Arby's now has Coke", setting the Guinness World Record for largest advertising poster. An abandoned building next door to a bar in this place displays a sign showing a bird with one eye open that proclaims this place the "Home of the Nite Owls". After his death in 2004, the private collection of a resident of this place was turned into the 5,000-volume public Rudy's Library. The application of "differential privacy" to census data attracted attention after this place's population was inaccurately reported as (*) doubling between 2010 and 2020. Unusually, the owner of a tavern in this place must issue her own tobacco and liquor licenses, because she is also both the village clerk and secretary. For 10 points, the 88-year-old Elsie Eiler is the sole resident of what village in Boyd County, Nebraska?
A: Monowi, Nebraska [pronounced "MAH-no-WHY"]
Q: An art center in this place is home to Sunrise Serenade, a kinetic metal sculpture of a bird by its native son Starr Kempf. A chapel in this place that began an eight-year renovation process in 2019 due to a leaky roof features seventeen triangular aluminum spires designed by Walter Netsch. The Penrose family commissioned a castle-like observation tower overlooking this place to memorialize Will Rogers, its Shrine of the Sun. Outside of this place, 2,700 steps can be used to climb a former (*) funicular railway track known as the Manitou Incline. While receiving tuberculosis treatment in this city, Helen Hunt Jackson was possibly responsible for giving a park home to Steamboat Rock the name "Garden of the Gods." Every summer, drivers compete in a "Race to the Clouds" outside of this city in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. For 10 points, name this city located 70 miles south of Denver in the foothills of the Rockies.
A: Colorado Springs, Colorado (The chapel is the Air Force Academy's Cadet Chapel.)
Q: An artwork in this place's Whale Park is inaccurately depicted in front of a lake in the background of US passports. Following a presidential visit, this place renamed three streets to Warren, G, and Harding. This place once competed industrially with nearby Loring, which is now a CDP with a population of zero. Ten people survived a 2019 mid-air collision between two planes returning to this city from Misty Fjords National Monument. 25 million dollars were spent to build the Gravina Island Highway near this place, which would have connected to a so-called "bridge to nowhere" that lost federal funding despite (*) Ted Stevens's threats to quit Congress if that happened. This is the southeasternmost city from which AMHS ferries depart for Prince Rupert and Bellingham, Washington. For 10 points, name this city along the Tongass Narrows on Revillagigedo (re-VEE-yuh-hee-HAY-tho) Island in far southeastern Alaska.
A: Ketchikan, Alaska
Q: This place is home to Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, the former site of the tallest artificial geyser in the world. To the west of this place, Thomas Hart Benton twice fought and eventually killed Charles Lucas at an illegal dueling ground on Bloody Island. Dozens died in a 1917 race massacre in this place after Black scabs were hired to replace striking employees of an aluminum processing plant. This place is the smaller of two that name a violent 1896 "great cyclone" that killed 255 people and heavily damaged the (*) Eads Bridge. In 2018, this city's Spivey Building received media attention after sections of its facade began to tumble onto a nearby sidewalk. Unwary tourists traveling west from the Cahokia Mounds may accidentally end up in this city. For 10 points, name this extensively blighted city located across the Mississippi River from the Gateway Arch.
A: East St. Louis, Illinois [accept East St. Louis Massacre; reject "St. Louis"] (The 1896 Great Cyclone was apparently so violent that wooden planks were found driven through wrought iron sections of the bridge.)
Q: In 1981, this place took over from Du Quoin, Illinois as the host of the Hambletonian Stakes, the first leg of harness racing's Triple Crown. The 2024 US Curling Championships were held in a complex in this place which began construction under the name "Xanadu" in 2004 but only opened in 2019. The only permanent physical MrBeast Burger location is in a mall in this place that also contains "Big Snow", North America's only indoor ski slope. A 2004 episode of MythBusters used ground-penetrating radar to investigate an urban legend that Jimmy (*) Hoffa was buried in this place. Herm Edwards scored a game-winning fumble return touchdown in this place that led to the widespread adoption of the quarterback kneel. This borough is by far the least populous municipality to have hosted the Super Bowl. Two different NFL teams share MetLife Stadium in, for 10 points, what borough in New Jersey's Meadowlands?
A: East Rutherford, New Jersey [prompt on the Meadowlands before mentioned; reject "Rutherford"; reject "New York"]
Q: The descendants of this archipelago's first female Tafa'ifa, Salamasina, occupy three of the four highest roles in its Fa'amatai system. Louis de Bougainville named this archipelago the Navigator Islands. Malietoa Laupepa was restored as king of this archipelago after an 1889 cyclone in its largest port destroyed US, UK, and German ships there, defusing its namesake "crisis." The Tripartite Convention (*) split this archipelago, giving the Manu'a Islands and Tutuila to the US and Upolu and Savaii to Germany. For 10 points, name this archipelago made up of a US territory with capital Pago Pago and a country with capital Apia, where Margaret Mead studied girls "Coming of Age."
A: Samoan Archipelago [do not accept or prompt on "American Samoa"]
Q: This city's New City Hall temporarily closed their paternoster, a doorless elevator, due to its misuse by tourists. This city's Quadrio shopping center features a statue of one of its native authors made up of moving panels. Because Frank Gehry was "afraid to import American Hollywood kitsch," he did not use the names Fred and Ginger for his design of this city's (*) Dancing House. The oldest astronomical clock still in operation is this city's Orloj ("or-LOY"). Wenceslas Square was the site of protests in this city, which is home to the pedestrian Charles Bridge over the Vltava ("vull-tah-vah") River. For 10 points, name this capital of the Czech Republic.
A: Prague [or Praha]
Q: Gunnison Island is located in an almost-pink part of this body of water, partitioned by the Lucin Cutoff. It's not in the Middle East, but this body of water fed by the Weber and Jordan rivers names an effect leading to the "Greatest Snow on Earth." Antelope Island juts into this body of water, west of Ogden. Robert Smithson's (*) Spiral Jetty sits on this lake. A golden spike was driven into the ground to finish the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, just north of this lake. This lake occupies the site of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which now contains flats of this lake's namesake substance. For 10 points, what lake names the capital of Utah?
A: Great Salt Lake [accept Salt Lake City after "of"; prompt on Salt Lake before "Utah"; do NOT accept or prompt on "Salt Lake City" before "Utah"]
Q: A mysterious Giza-like sphinx made of rock is located in this country's Bucegi ("boo-chej") Mountains. After this country's worst floods in 1970, a dam was built on the Prut River, which also forms its eastern border. Cluj-Napoca ("KLOOZH nuh-POH-kuh") is the unofficial capital of a region in this country also home to Bran Castle near the city of Brasov ("brah-SHOV"). This non-landlocked country shares the Iron Gates, which form the boundary between the (*) Carpathian and Balkan Mountains, on the Danube River. Dracula and other vampire stories were inspired by Transylvania in, for 10 points, what European country with capital at Bucharest?
A: Romania
Q: In 1905, this river was accidentally diverted into the Coachella [koh-CHEL-uh] Valley, thereby creating the Salton Sea. An artificial reservoir on this river is named after the explorer John Wesley Powell, who explored this river's most visited feature. This river, dammed by the (*) Glen Canyon Dam, flows through Yuma before emptying into the Gulf of California. For ten points, name this river regulated by the Hoover Dam that carves out the Grand Canyon.
A: Colorado River
Q: A library constructed under a water tower emblazoned with this person's name serves as a symbol of a settlement named for him in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. After this person purchased the Belair Estate, the Congress for Racial Equality protested his policies in nearby Bowie ("BOO-ee"). This person responded to fears of Soviet infiltration by claiming that "no one who owns his own house and lot can be a Communist" because they "have too much to do." Snobbish limousine tourism in a development (*) named for this man is described in a 1950 TIME magazine profile titled "Up From the Potato Fields." Island Trees High School serves a notoriously uniform Nassau County suburb named for this person. For 10 points, name this pioneer of American suburbia who sold mass-produced homes to returning World War II veterans in a namesake New York housing development.
A: William Levitt [accept Levittown, New York; accept Levittown, Puerto Rico]
Q: This mountain pass is the home of VICEFest, an annual college-focused ice climbing festival. This pass was the site of the first aerial tramway in North America, whose base station is next to a ski museum which contains exhibits about Bode Miller. Marjorie Fish claimed to identify Zeta Reticuli as the home of a "star map" reproduced by a couple who were purportedly abducted by aliens while driving through this mountain pass. An interstate highway through this mountain pass was built with only two (*) lanes due to concerns about the impact of blasting. Visitors to Profile Lake in this mountain pass can use "Steel Profilers" to recreate the view of a rock formation on Cannon Mountain that collapsed in 2003. The Old Man of the Mountain was located in, for 10 points, what pass which carries Interstate 93 through the White Mountains in New Hampshire?
A: Franconia Notch
Q: Note to moderator: read answerline carefully. In a common Christmas dish from this region, a preparation of cabbage, kale, and onions is used to stuff a corned ham. Evaporated milk is used to make a cake from this region that sometimes features up to fifteen layers of chocolate frosting and is named for its Smith Island. To the west of this region, speakers of a dialect often mistaken for a form of Cornish English employ "talking backwards", like saying "good" while meaning "bad", on (*) Tangier Island. On the Wednesday of the last week of July, a herd of animals from this region is accompanied by volunteer firefighters known as "Saltwater Cowboys" on Penning Day. This non-Massachusetts region's Worcester County multiplies several times in population during the summer due to the resort town of Ocean City. A young adult novel by Marguerite Henry features feral horses that live on this region's Assateague Island. For 10 points, identify this peninsula to the east of Chesapeake Bay named for three states.
A: Delmarva Peninsula [accept the Delaware and Chesapeake Peninsula before "Chesapeake" is read; accept subregions like southern Maryland or southern Delaware or Eastern Shore or Cape Charles; prompt on Delaware or Maryland or Virginia; prompt on Tidewater; prompt on eastern Virginia; reject "DMV" or other answers indicating the area around Washington D.C.]
Q: Note to players: The answer to this tossup is a specific site, not a region or a city. The narrator of a song titled for a town dependent on this location worries that he's "lost without a single clue as to where [he's] heading" before noting that "snow is piling up / our temporary grid". This location inspired the title of Manchester Orchestra's album A Black Mile to the Surface. It's not in Utah, but George Hearst's founding of and investment in this location in the 1870s was partially responsible for his son William Randolph's fortune. (*) Sanford Lab is housed in this location, which was also the site of an experiment in which a huge tank of perchloroethylene was used to detect an anomalously low number of solar neutrinos. In a city to the northeast of this location, an apparent dispute over poker losses at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon led Jack McCall to kill Wild Bill Hickock. This location separates the twin cities of Lead ("LEED") and Deadwood. For 10 points, name this enormous retired gold mine in South Dakota.
A: Homestake Mine [accept Homestake Experiment] (Lead, South Dakota is named for a rare synonym of "lode", not the element.)
Q: In this state, a particularly unnerving Albert Szukalski version of the Last Supper constructed from plaster is the centerpiece of the Goldwell Open Air Museum. Outside of Alaska, this state is home to the farthest point in the United States from a McDonald's location. A county in this state was the only uninhabited county in the contiguous United States from 1987 to its dissolution in 1989. The discovery of an unusually-colored ore in this state led to the foundation of dozens of short-lived mining companies with (*) "Bullfrog" in their names. The Queen of the Silver Camps is an official nickname of Tonopah ("TOE-nuh-pah"), a city in this state that serves as the seat of Nye County. A nuclear waste storage site slated for Yucca Mountain has been opposed by the government of this state for the last 40 years. For 10 points, the capital of what state is Carson City?
A: Nevada [or NV]
Q: A song about this river was the subject of questionable plagiarism accusations by Theodore Dreiser against his late brother. A walled park comprises the "Roofless Church" in a town along this river which was founded by George Rapp. Along with Hampden-Sydney and Morehouse, a college named for this river is one of three remaining men's colleges in the US. Deer Creek, a tributary of this river, is crossed by the Monon High Bridge, where two teenage girls were murdered in 2017 in a highly-publicized case. "Through the (*) sycamores the candle lights are gleaming" in the chorus of an official state song named for being set "On the Banks of [this river], Far Away". The British industrialist Robert Owen established the short-lived utopian community of New Harmony along this river, which flows past college towns like West Lafayette and Terre Haute. For 10 points, what river forms the southern part of the Indiana-Illinois border?
A: Wabash River (Theodore Dreiser's brother wrote "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away". The Roofless Church is in New Harmony.)
Q: A collegiate summer league baseball team based in a city on this body of water became known as the Dock Spiders after fans chose the name over contenders like "Pipsqueaks" and "Lake Flies". The settlements of Little Chute and Kaukauna ("kuh-KAW-nuh") are home to locks preventing a species of lamprey native to a larger body of water to the northeast moving into this lake. Half a million people flock to the shores of this body of water to attend the annual EAA AirVenture show. Online interpreters of a widely-memed map of excessive (*) drinking by county often mistake this lake for an area with anomalously low levels of alcohol consumption. Due its name deriving from an Algonquian exonym for the Ho-Chunk people, this lake's name translates to "stinking water". The cities of Oshkosh and Appleton are on the shores of this lake, which flows into Lake Michigan via the Fox River. For 10 points, name the largest lake [emphasize] entirely within Wisconsin.
A: Lake Winnebago [accept Winnebago after "this lake" is read] (The Dock Spiders are based in Fond Du Lac.)
Q: An illegal casino in this place was fruitlessly raided for 64 consecutive nights due its 600-foot long entry ramp. Rachel Cockerell's 2024 book Melting Point describes a plan to relocate displaced Russian Jews to this place, which Israel Zangwill supported after the Uganda scheme failed. In 1955, this place's police commissioner Walter Johnston openly boasted about being on the payroll of 46 brothels. The Maceo family ran a criminal syndicate in this place during its namesake "Free State." This city's (*) Ashton Villa supposedly hosted a reading of General Order No. 3, which formally freed its slaves and led to the creation of Juneteenth. Isaac Cline's incompetence likely led to the death of 20% of this city's population in a disaster that incited the construction of a massive seawall. For 10 points, a 1900 hurricane devastated what city in Texas located on a barrier island?
A: Galveston, Texas [accept 1900 Galveston Hurricane; accept Free State of Galveston or Republic of Galveston Island; accept Galveston Movement or Galveston Plan] (The leadin is about the Balinese Room, which had the extremely extended entrance due to its being located on the end of a pier.)
Q: The standard staging system for lymphomas is named after this place. Graphic design teacher Jonathan Wright created the first of this place's "fairy doors". A blue zig-zag-shaped cell tower in this place was designed on the orders of Tom Monaghan, who commissioned Gunnar Birkerts to build a never-constructed "Leaning Tower of Pizza" here. A plaque on the steps of a building in this place marks the location where John F. Kennedy proposed the (*) Peace Corps. On the first Saturday in April, this city hosts a marijuana-focused celebration called Hash Bash. Marshall Sahlins led the first "teach-in" in this city, where the Students for a Democratic Society was founded. Maya Lin created the landscape art piece "Wave Field" in this city, which also contains the largest stadium in the Americas. The "Big House" is in, for 10 points, what city home to the University of Michigan?
A: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Q: In this state, public shooting ranges are located on the numerically named "State Game Lands." A fire that has been burning for sixty years is located in this state's Centralia mine. Centre County contains this state's city of State College. The unusually named town of King of Prussia is located between Allentown and the largest city in this state, home to Fairmount Park on the (*) Schuylkill ("SKOO-kill") River. Streetlights shaped like chocolate kisses are located near an amusement park in this state's town of Hershey. Harrisburg is the capital of, for 10 points, what state, whose largest city is Philadelphia?
A: Pennsylvania
Q: The native religion of this ethnic group draws heavily from the Nart Sagas and is The native religion of this ethnic group draws heavily from the Nart Sagas and is symbolized by a hammer cross resembling a T. Irish women with Afro hairstyles pretended they were members of this ethnic group in a P.T. Barnum exhibited that played on the trope of this ethnic group's namesake "beauties." The 2014 Sochi Olympics controversially built facilities over the (+) mass graves of this ethnic group, whose diaspora is primarily found in Turkey. A green flag with 12 stars and three arrows is used by, for the points, what primarily (*) Muslim ethnic group that was expelled from the northern Caucasus by the Russians in the 19th century?
A: Circassians (or Adyghe)
Q: A state park adjoining this body of water is named for singer Sonny Bono, who served as a Republican congressman for an adjoining district. The former resort town of Bombay Beach lies on this body of water, as does a community that has been touted as a model for (+) anarchist societies, Slab City. This body of water, which is fed by the Alamo and San Gorgonio Rivers, suffers from (*) frequent fish die-offs and a pervasively bad smell that has ruined its tourism industry. A 1905 mishap on the Imperial Canal accidentally created, for the points, what artificial inland sea in Southern California?
A: Salton Sea
Q: Description acceptable. Glen McLaughlin collected a set of over 250 maps that depicted this misconception, which was at one point disproven by Eusebio Kino. The origin of this misconception is thought to be the book Las sergas de Esplandi´an, which describes this place as home to a race of black Amazonian women. Despite Mercator's creation of maps that (+) didn't fall prey to this myth, and despite Francisco de Ulloa's expedition that found that Tiburon and the Colorado River were part of the same landmass, proponents of this theory claimed that the supposed Strait of Anian connected to the Sea of (*) Cortez. Well into the 18th century, some geographers subscribed to, for the points, what false theory that a Mexican peninsula was not connected to the mainland?
A: the idea that (Baja) California is an island (accept answers relating to the Island of (Baja) California; accept descriptive answers related to the Spanish belief that Baja California was not part of the mainland United States/North America)
Q: Domagaya taught this man how to make what was probably spruce beer to cure scurvy. At the Islands of the Birds, this man's crew killed around 1000 birds, many of which were Great Auks. This man, who captured two natives at Honguedo, named a water formation he found for China, the (+) Lachine [la-sheen] Rapids. Jean Fran¸cois Roberval hired this man as Chief Navigator. This man kidnaped Chief Donnacona in the hope that he could find the Kingdom of Saguenay. The phrase (*) "As false as Canadian diamonds," refers to the two shiploads of fool's gold that this man brought home to France. For the points, name this explorer who sailed up the St. Lawrence River for Francis I and named Canada.
A: Jacques Cartier
Q: The first paved section of this road began at the historic Uncle Tom's Cabin inn. Anna Pritchard put bells on "shepherds' crooks" to preserve this trail, which may once have featured yellow mustard plants on the roadside to guide travelers. Exploration by (+) Gaspar de Portol´a extended this route to Monterrey and the Golden Gate. Along this path, Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries like (*) Jun´ıpero Serra founded outposts to spread Christianity. The missions of California are linked by, for the points, what colonial Spanish road?
A: El Camino Real
Q: This country, said to be "at war" with feral cats, recently announced a five-year plan to kill them with a toxic gel. An airline passenger was fined nearly $2000 for bringing McDonald's food into this country. The Great (*) Emu War was waged in this country. After the American Revolution, England sent many of its convicts to penal colonies in this modern-day country's New South Wales. For ten points, name this country and island continent with capital at Canberra.
A: Australia
Q: The Pigeon River, which flows into this lake, served as a key waterway for the trade of furs. Scientists study the coexistence between wolf and moose populations on this lake's Isle Royale, which is near the city of Thunder Bay. This lake on the (*) US-Canadian border empties into Lake Huron via the St. Mary's River. Minnesota's Keweenaw peninsula juts into this body of water that is bounded to the south by Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For ten points, name this largest of the Great Lakes.
A: Lake Superior
Q: This place, once home to large colonies of brown pelicans, was taken over by a group of Native American activists in 1969, and some of their graffiti is still there today. The first lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States was built on this (*) rocky island, where Al Capone played banjo as part of a band in a highly fortified structure on it. For ten points, name this island off the coast of San Francisco that was once home to a notorious federal prison.
A: Alcatraz Island
Q: This U.S. state, the first to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday, is home to a city named after the inventor of a steel-making process, Henry Bessemer. Famous musical acts such as The Rolling Stones have recorded in this state's Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. The Saturn V (*) rocket that sent astronauts to the moon was developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in this state. For ten points, name this state whose capital is Montgomery.
A: Alabama
Q: An orange-and-white communications tower in this city was designed to look like the Eiffel Tower. Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel was one of the few buildings to survive a 1923 earthquake in this city. A namesake (*) "Skytree" is the tallest building in this city. Although this city in the Kanto region is currently in a population decline, it has the greatest urban-area population in the world. For ten points, name this metropolis on the island of Honshu that is the capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo
Q: The deepest and longest river gorge in this mountain range is carved by the New River. This mountain range, which includes the Catskill Mountains, was the setting for District 12 in The Hunger Games series, and its highest point is on (*) Mount Mitchell near Asheville. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains are part of this mountain range that has a namesake "trail." For ten points, name this large mountain range that spans most of the Eastern seaboard of the United States.
A: Appalachian Mountains
Q: The Jolmo Lungama Formation of this mountain begins at the top of its Yellow Band and extends to its summit. A landmark known as Green Boots can be found in a limestone alcove near its peak. Southwest of this mountain's summit is the dangerous Khumbu Icefall. The (*) Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and the New Zealander Edmund Hillary were the first to reach the summit of this mountain in 1953. For ten points, name this mountain located in the Himalayas, the tallest on Earth.
A: Mount Everest
Q: This explorer was born in the town of Sines which he was later given by King Manuel I. The Lusiads , a Portuguese epic written by Luis Vaz de Camoes, celebrates this explorer. This explorer circled the Cape of Good Hope before eventually reaching (*) Calicut. Shortly after this explorer used caravels to complete his journey, Mozambique was colonized by Portugal. For ten points, name this Portuguese explorer - the first European to reach India by sea.
A: Vasco da Gama
Q: This country, nicknamed The Hexagon, includes a highland region known as the Massif Central. This country partially surrounds a microstate that's a tax haven as well as one of the wealthiest places in the world. The people of this country eat about 30,000 metric tons of (*) snails each year. Lake Geneva lies between this country and Switzerland. For ten points, name this most-visited country in the world, home to the Arc de Triomphe, Louvre Museum, and Eiffel Tower.
A: France (or French Republic or Republique francaise )
Q: This river dumps more plastic pollution into the oceans than any other river in the world. The Grand Canal links this river to the Yellow River. This river merges with the Han River at Wuhan, and its Three Gorges (*) Dam is the highest capacity hydroelectric power station in the world. Nearly half of China's crops are grown on the plains of the lower portion of this river. For ten points, name this longest river of Asia.
A: Yangtze [yang-see] River (or Chang Jiang)
Q: This city's Canoga Park was the former location of Aerojet Rocketdyne. This city, which lies within a namesake "Basin" located in the Peninsular Ranges, is overlooked by the Griffith Observatory. This city, located in the (*) San Fernando Valley, is home to a famous sign on Mount Lee. Sites in this city include Echo Park, Venice Beach, and Hollywood. For ten points, name this most populous city in California, the second most populous in the United States.
A: Los Angeles (accept LA )
Q: This country's Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park is one of the wettest inhabited places in the world. Visitors to this country can take a 630 foot "SkyJump" from the Sky Tower in this country's most populous city, Auckland. The Alpine Fault runs along the length of this country's (*) South Island. A phenomenon known as Tolkien ["TOLL-keen"] tourism is credited with increasing tourism in this country, where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. For ten points, name this island country east of Australia.
A: New Zealand (accept Aotearoa )
Q: The Carbella Bridge was destroyed in record flooding of this location's namesake river in 2022. The Hayden Geological Survey discovered many notable features of this location, including the colorful Grand Prismatic spring. The oldest and largest (*) bison herd in the United States is located in this park. A very predictable feature of this park erupts water every 90 minutes on average. For ten points, name this first national park of the United States where one can visit Old Faithful.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: Needle-like limestone formations in this country are known as tsingys, a word that comes from this country's Malagasy language. The largest avian to ever exist, the elephant bird, was native to this country before its extinction. This country, located near the French colonies of (*) Mayotte and Reunion, contains six of the world's nine species of baobab trees. For ten points, name this biodiverse African island country east of the Mozambique channel, the only country where lemurs can be found.
A: Madagascar
Q: The Farasan Islands lie opposite the Dahlak Archipelago, known for its pearl fishing, on this body of water. The first skyscraper to surpass a height of one kilometer is being built in this sea's port city of Jeddah. This sea was formed from a rift between the Horn of (*) Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The Sinai Peninsula juts into this body of water which was legendarily parted by God for Moses and the Israelites to cross. For ten points, name this colorfully named sea bordered by Egypt.
A: Red Sea
Q: The first permanent resident of these islands was the marooned Irishman Patrick Watkins, who lived on its island of Floreana. The largest of these islands was named for Queen Isabella I ["the first"]. San Cristobal Island, which is part of this island group, was the landing site of the HMS (*) Beagle. Aboard that ship was Charles Darwin, who studied the beaks of the finches of these islands. For ten points, name this Pacific archipelago controlled by Ecuador, which is known for its large tortoises.
A: Galapagos Islands
Q: One of these features in Calaveras County, California gets its name from the moaning sound that lures people to it. A mud pit named the Chocolate Drop and a large open area known as the Big Room are parts of one of these features. Another of these features in Kentucky with karst topography is named for its (*) mammoth size. The Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico is home to one named after the town of Carlsbad. For ten points, name these dark, sometimes long, underground features home to bats.
A: cave s (or caverns ; accept Moaning Cavern , Carlsbad Caverns , or Mammoth Cave )
Q: An island in this country is a remnant of a caldera and home to the city of Oia [EE-ah], which is famous for its white buildings with blue domes. That island, Santorini, was the site of an eruption that destroyed the city of Akrotiri in this country. The regions of (*) Attica and Thessaly are located in this country. The island of Crete in the Aegean Sea is part of this country to the west of Turkey. For ten points, name this country, home to Mount Olympus.
A: Greece (or the Hellenic Republic )
Q: Popham Colony, which was in this modern-day state, was a direct rival of Jamestown. This state's Penobscot County is home to its city of Bangor. Cadillac Mountain, which is located on Mount Desert Island, is in this state's (*) Acadia National Park. This state's coast is a major site for lobster fishing. A city in Oregon was named after this state's largest city, Portland. For ten points, name this northernmost New England state that has its capital at Augusta.
A: Maine
Q: Nineteenth-century travelers through this state's Wildcat Hills would normally use either the Robidoux Pass or the Mitchell Pass. This state's capitol building, designed by Bertram Goodhue, is the second-tallest in the US and hosts an officially non-partisan unicameral legislature. Chimney Rock was a major landmark for people taking the Oregon Trail through this state, which is also home to Scotts Bluff. The Platte River flows through, for the point, what Plains state whose capital is Lincoln and most populous city is Omaha?
A: Nebraska
Q: In 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into a bridge spanning this river, and another bridge crossing it at Point-of-Rocks was destroyed in a 1936 flood. One tributary of this waterway meets this river at Buzzard Point and is crossed by the 11th Street Bridges, near which the Bonus Army set up camp in 1932. A man-made Tidal Basin adjacent to this river is the site of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the Jefferson Memorial. The Anacostia and Shenandoah Rivers flow into, for the point, what river that runs past Washington, D.C.?
A: Potomac River
Q: In the 1870s, members of Ferdinand Hayden's expedition in this region built a ranch around Liberty Cap. Nathaniel Langford was the first official overseer of this location, for which Columbus Delano organized a government-funded survey. A 1963 report by (+) Aldo Leopold suggested culling the elk population in this region. Harry Yount became gamekeeper of this region after exploring the nearby (*) Grand Tetons. An 1872 Act of Dedication defined and established this location, where Camp Sheridan was established around the Mammoth Hot Springs. For the points, name this home of Old Faithful, the first American national park.
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: In 1966, three undersea oil tanks were built in this city by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, inspiring the name of its Chicago Beach. In 2017, this city's fire department introduced water jetpacks as a means to quickly reach burning areas. This city contains the Internet City and Media City free zones, as well as the Jebel Ali zone that boasts the largest man-made harbor in the world. Slave labor has driven a construction boom in, for the point, what most populous city of the United Arab Emirates and home of the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building?
A: Dubai
Q: The Empire of Trebizond was centered around this body of water that is north of the Pontic Alps. The Golden Horn is located where this sea connects to the Sea of Marmara via the Bosphorus Strait. The city of Sevastopol is located in (*) Crimea, which is a Russian-controlled peninsula that juts into this sea. The countries of Georgia and Ukraine are situated on this body of water, and Turkey has a northern coastline on it. For ten points, name this colorfully-named body of water in Eastern Europe.
A: Black Sea
Q: Within this region, 10,000 year-old human remains and artifacts have been excavated at its Gobero site. This region's Toubou [TOO-boo] people live in its Tibesti Mountains. Lake Chad is the only freshwater lake in this region. The (*) Sahel forms a transition zone between this desert and the tropical savannas to the south, and to the north are the Atlas Mountains. For ten points, name this desert in north Africa, the largest hot desert in the world.
A: Sahara Desert
Q: In 1944, the SS Richard Montgomery struck a sandbar and sunk in the mouth of this river while holding hundreds of tons of explosives. This river's estuary is home to the Shivering Sands and Red Sands forts, which were designed by Guy Maunsell to provide (+) anti-air protection. Several plans have been proposed to build a man-made island in this river's estuary, possibly near Cliffe in (*) Kent, for use by a new airport to alleviate congestion at Gatwick and Heathrow. For the points, name this river that, during World War II, provided ground-based navigation for the Luftwaffe as they tried to bomb London.
A: River Thames
Q: In this city, a forerunner of the Miss Universe competition called the "International Pageant of Pulchritude" developed during its roaring-Twenties "Open Era." Jacob Schiff led a plan named for this city to settle Jews in the American (+) South rather than the Eastern Seaboard. Passengers traveling on a train from Beaumont to this city were inundated by a fifteen foot (*) storm surge in 1900; in that year, approximately ten thousand people were killed near this city when it was struck by a category four hurricane. For the points, name this Texas city found on a namesake island fifty miles south of Houston.
A: Galveston
Q: The central portion of this region is characterized by a "ridge and slough" landscape, and the prehistoric Mud Lake Canal was built here. The Calusa people once lived in this region, which is bordered on the southwest by the (+) Ten Thousand Islands. Marjory Stoneman Douglas fought for the (*) preservation of this region, which was used as an isolated refuge by a couple hundred Native Americans after their defeat in the Third Seminole War. Big Cypress National Preserve and a namesake national park are both part of, for the points, what "river of grass," a large wetlands in south Florida?
A: The Everglades (prompt on Florida before mentioned)
Q: Belle Isle Park, located in this city's namesake river, was designed in the 1880s by Frederick Law Olmsted. This city's Eight Mile Wall, also referred to as its Wailing Wall, was constructed in 1941 to separate black and white homeowners. Residents of this city can access (*) Canada by traveling south across the Ambassador Bridge. A museum in the Dearborn suburb of this city showcasing American innovation is named for Henry Ford. For ten points, name this city in Michigan, also known as Motown.
A: Detroit
Q: This city's Chinatown district is home to the Sri Mariamann Temple, which was created by Naraina Pillai. The Suntec City complex in this city includes the Fountain of Wealth, which was once the (+) world's largest fountain. Moshe Safdie was inspired by decks of cards for his design of a three-tower resort in this city called the (*) Marina Bay Sands. The Armenian Sarkies Brothers founded a luxury hotel in this city in 1887 and named it for this city's founder, Sir Stamford Raffles. For the points, name this Southeast Asian city-state whose economy has flourished in the five decades since it was expelled from Malaysia.
A: (Republic of) Singapore
Q: A phenomenon consisting of rapid flashes of lightning that occurs over a lake in this country is named after the Catatumbo River. Islands found north of this country include the Dutch territories of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao ["CURE"-uh-sauw], as well as the island nation of (*) Trinidad and Tobago. This OPEC [oh-"peck"] member country has the largest number of known oil reserves in the world. For ten points, name this South American country, east of Colombia, whose capital city is Caracas [kah-RAH-kahs].
A: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (or Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela )
Q: The Amerasia Basin in this body of water may have opened during the Mesozoic Era, as theorized by the "windshield wiper" model. In 2007, a Russian expedition planted a titanium metal flag on the seabed of this body of water. Deadhorse and Prudhoe (*) Bay are situated on the coast of this ocean, which, due to its low evaporation rate and heavy in-flow of fresh water has the lowest salinity of Earth's five oceans. For ten points, the North Pole is surrounded by which ocean, the smallest and shallowest in the world?
A: Arctic Ocean
Q: The comune [ko-mu-ne] of Cerda [CHER-da] on this island boasts a statue of a giant artichoke, and the men on this island are known to wear a flat cap known as a coppola ["COPE"-uh-luh]. The sonnet originated on this island, and the active stratovolcano Mount Etna is located here. (*) The Godfather was filmed primarily in New York City and on this island. A fried pastry known as a cannoli is a popular dessert invented on this island. For ten points, identify this region of Italy, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
A: Sicily
Q: This city's rapidly-developing Left Bank area is centered around the Bayterek Tower, which evokes the legend of a golden egg on top of the tree of life. In this city, Norman Foster designed the (+) Khan Shatyr, an entertainment center consisting of a giant transparent tent that is the largest in the world. Expo 2017 will be held in this city on the Ishim River. It was renamed (*) Tselinograd in 1961, shortly after it became an administrative center of the Virgin Lands Campaign. In 1997, Nursultan Nazarbayev moved his country's capital from Almaty to this planned city. For the points, name this capital of Kazakhstan.
A: Astana (accept Tselinograd before mentioned)
Q: This city's East Bay Street is home to a oft-photographed cluster of Georgian houses known as "Rainbow Row." The nation's oldest historic preservation organization is located here. This city's "First Siege" during the Revolutionary War took place on nearby Sullivan's Island. This city is centered on a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, and a fort in this city's harbor was bombed by General PGT Beauregard in April 1861. Fort Sumter is part of, for the point, what coastal South Carolina city?
A: Charleston
Q: The namesake trench of this island is the largest and deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean. This island's highest elevation is the Cerro de Punta. Miami, Bermuda, and this island define the vertices of the Bermuda (*) Triangle. Spain ceded this island to the U.S. as part of the Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish-American War. For ten points, identify this U.S. territory in the Caribbean whose most populous city is its capital city of San Jaun.
A: Puerto Rico
Q: The Grapevine Mountains in the northern part of this national park are home to Scotty's Castle, a Spanish-style mansion named for a gold prospector who may have also been a con man. From atop Telescope Peak, Mount Whitney can be seen from this national park, whose Furnace (*) Creek holds the record for hottest air temperature on Earth. This location's Badwater Basin has the lowest elevation in North America. For ten points, name this national park, a famous valley in California's Mojave [moh-HAH-vee] Desert.
A: Death Valley National Park
Q: This location was named for a breakaway Native American tribe by Lafayete Bunnell of the Mariposa Battalion. One landwark within this park can be ascended by the Salath´e Wall or The Nose. In 1881, a tunnel was cut through this park's (+) Wawona Tree. The Raker Act permitted the construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam within this park, which flooded the Hetch Hetchy Valley. (*) Half Dome and El Capitan are also found in this park, which was a frequent subject of Ansel Adams' photographs. John Muir fought to preserve, for the points, what national park in the Sierra Nevadas of California?
A: Yosemite National Park
Q: A neighborhood within this specific locale, originally named Hallett's Cove, is home to a large Greek community and is located near the Steinway piano factory. This county's Corona Ash Dumps were turned into a park that hosted an event whose slogan was "Peace Through Understanding" and featured the Unisphere. Astoria is part of this county, from which Nassau broke off in the wake of an 1898 municipal consolidation. The 1964 World's Fair took place in the Flushing Meadows Park of, for the point, what New York City borough that, like Brooklyn, is on Long Island?
A: Queens (prompt on New York (City) before "county" is read)
Q: Regions near this prehistoric site were given the Latin name "cursus" after being mistaken for Roman chariot-racing tracks. As viewed from the center of this site, the summer solstice sunrise aligns with its Heel (*) Stone. Mystery surrounds how this site was constructed, but according to folklore, it was built by Merlin. For ten points, name this famous site in England that consists of a partial ring of huge standing stone monoliths.
A: Stonehenge
Q: A phenomenon consisting of rapid flashes of lightning that occurs over a lake in this country is named after the Catatumbo [kah-tah-TOOM-boh] River. Islands found north of this country include the Dutch territories of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao ["CURE"-uh-sauw], as well as the island nation of (*) Trinidad and Tobago. This OPEC ["OH-peck"] member country has the largest number of known oil reserves in the world. For ten points, name this South American country, east of Colombia, whose capital city is Caracas [kah-RAH-kahs].
A: Venezuela [veh-nez-WAY-lah] (or Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela or Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela )
Q: Many residents of this location were forced to work on Route Zero, a roadway whose length never reached more than twenty five kilometers. Nicknames for this location included the Green Hell and the Dry Guillotine. Henri Charriere's memoir Papillon describes his time spent in this location, which he escaped by jumping into the sea and floating ashore on bags of coconuts. For the point, name this penal colony in French Guiana, an island whose prisoners included Alfred Dreyfus.
A: Devil's Island (accept the Cayenne Penal Colony; accept Ile du Diable)
Q: The Liwa Sub-Prefecture on the shores of this lake is a major center of natron extraction. Yedina people, also known as the Buduma, or "People of the Reeds," inhabit the many islands of this lake. The Jama'are and Hadejia Rivers, tributaries of this lake, have both been heavily dammed, which has partly led to this lake's contraction of over 95%, though a larger factor of that contraction has been irrigation projects that have rapidly dried up the Chari River. For the point, name this African lake that shares its name with a country with capital at N'Djamena.
A: Lake Chad
Q: Rock climbers visit this archipelago to climb a 450-foot-tall red sandstone sea stack called the Old Man of Hoy. The St. Magnus Cathedral is found in the town of Kirkwell, which is the largest settlement on these islands. The Churchill Barriers are a set of causeways that connect these islands, which include (+) Burray and Mainland surrounding a body of water called the Scapa Flow, which is home to a naval base. The Pentland Firth separates these islands from the rest of (*) Great Britain, and they lie to the southwest of the more barren Shetland Islands. For the points, name this archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland.
A: Orkney Islands
Q: In the early 20th century, this city completed a ring of fortifications called the Stelling, which overlooked the Zuiderzee. This city was surrounded by the Singel until the late 16th century, after which this city built the Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizergracht in a concentric pattern around itself. For the point, name this city located several feet below sea level on an arm of the North Sea, where a series of planned canals provide transportation near the Royal Palace of the Netherlands.
A: Amsterdam
Q: This mountain range contains the first river to be designated as a National River, the Buffalo. Another water feature in this mountain range was created when Dismal Creek bored a hole through a bluff creating Glory Hole Falls. The early Civil War battle of Wilson's Creek was fought in this range. The Shawnee Hills are often called the (+) Illinois section of this range. Land in this range was purchased by Jim McDougal's Whitewater Development Corporation, in which (*) Bill and Hillary Clinton participated. For the point, name this mountain range mostly located in Arkansas and Missouri.
A: Ozark Mountains
Q: The oldest state park in the US is named for this geographical region. One feature named for this region includes Table Rock and Terrapin Point. The capture of a fort named for this region was led by William Johnson during the Seven Years War. One battle named for this region is also known as the Battle of Lundy's Lane. A river named for this region empties into Lake Ontario after draining Lake Erie near Buffalo. For the point, give this geographic term that names a waterfall between Ontario and New York.
A: Niagara
Q: Alleged communist supporters from Nanyang University in this city were rounded up during Operation Coldstore. Marina Bay is part of this city's "CBD", or Central Business District. Located directly south of Johor Bahru, this city's layout was mapped in the Jackson Plan following Hussein Shah's sale of this city to Stamford Raffles. In March 2015, NUS University in this city played host to the state funeral of founder Lee Kuan Yew. For the point, name this city-state located on the southern tip of the Malaysian Peninsula.
A: Singapore
Q: One city in this state was home to a railroad that built the first double-track main line in America and is the seat of Berks County. In this state, a city's Dickson Locmotive Works is part of the (+) Steamtown National Historic Site. A 1962 mine fire forced the abandonment of Centralia in this state's (*) Coal Region. This state's namesake railroad built the Horseshoe Curve near Altoona as well as a station that was modeled after the Baths of Caracalla and demolished in 1963. Reading and Scranton are found in, for the points, what state where transportation bills are debated in Harrisburg?
A: Pennsylvania
Q: The Japanese cruise ship Haguro was sunk in this body of water, which shares its name with a sultanate founded by Parameswara. The state of Negeri Sembilan has a coastline on this body of water, just a few miles southeast of a city in the Klang Valley where the (+) Petronas Towers were built. The significance of this body of water to international trade would be reduced by a canal through the Isthmus of (*) Kra, as proposed by Thailand. For the point, name this strait that separates the Malay Peninsula from the island of Sumatra.
A: Strait of Malacca (or Malacca Strait)
Q: Description acceptable. Two structures used to measure these events were located on Elephantine Island. These events were followed by seasons called peret and shemu, which coincide with the rise of Sirius. The area affected by these events was known as the "black land," in contrast with the "red land."The god Hapi personified these events, which ceased after the completion of the Aswan High Dam. For the point, name these formerly annual events in which a river's waters overflowed, bringing fertile sediment to Egyptian fields.
A: flooding of the Nile (accept Wafaa el-Nil)
Q: This man's trek from Indiana to Florida was recounted in his "A Thousand Miles to the Gulf." The Lone Pines earthquake helped lend credibility to this man's theory on the formation of the Owens Valley. He broke with Gifford Pinchot following a disagreement over logging and grazing in forest reserves. This opponent of the damming of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir was notably photographed overlooking Glacier Point alongside Theodore Roosevelt in Yosemite National Park. For the point, name this naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club.
A: John Muir
Q: This landmass is the site of the southern terminus of an 800-mile-long, narrow-gauge railway whose construction was halted by World War I. One general from this region won the Battles of Hira and River to its north and the Battle of Chains within it. The Hejaz Railway runs through this peninsula, where the Rashiduns flourished. For the point, name this Middle Eastern peninsula whose land is dominated by a country led by the House of Saud.
A: Arabian Peninsula (accept Hejaz (Railway) before mentioned)
Q: This state is home to Mannington River, the Mullica River, and the Wading River. It contains the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest, as well as Lake Hopatcong. The mayor of its largest city is former Rhodes Scholar (*) Cory Booker, a city that is located in Essex County. This state has the United States' highest population density, and is home to the cities of Elizabeth, Union City, and Gloucester City. It contains Continental Airlines Arena the home of the Nets, and The Meadowlands, the home of the Jets, and Giants. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Cape May, Hoboken, Camden, Trenton, and Newark.
A: New Jersey
Q: Since the 1950s, diamonds have been mined from a tributary of this river , the Vilyuv. Flowing past usch ports as Osetrovo, Kirensk, and Bulun, it empties into the Laptev Sea and flows primarily northeast, although the Verkhoyansk Mountains alter its course substantially for a stretch. Its tributaries include the Bykov and the Kirenga, and its largest port city is (*) Yakutsk. A massacre at this river's namesake goldfields inspired a certain politican to change his name. For 10 points, name this fourth-longest river of Russia, originating near Lake Baikal.
A: Lena River
Q: Golomyanka and a species of freshwater seal are among the hundreds of unique species found in this body. Primorsky to its west, Barguzinsky to its east, and Khamar-Daban to its south are among the mountain ranges that surround it. Straddling the border between the Buryat Republic to its southeast and (*) Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest, this narrow lake receives the Uda, Barguzin, and Selenga rivers, while its only outflow is the Angara River. Containing as much fresh water as all of the Great Lakes combined, it is the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. For 10 points, name this lake located in Russia that, at sixteen hundred thirty-seven meters, is also the world's deepest.
A: Lake Baikal
Q: The large southern provinces of this country include Adrar, Tamanghasset, and Illizi, while the majority of its divisions are clustered around the capital and include Media, Blida, and Boumerdes. Despite being watered by the Wadi Saour and Wadi Djaret, it is covered by several deserts, including the Great Western Erg and Great Eastern Erg. Cities of over half a million people in this country include Constantine and (*) Oran . The eastern Atlas Mountains stretch across, for 10 points, what country, which borders both Tunisia and Morocco, has a northern Mediterranean coast, and is a large former French colony in North Africa?
A: Algeria
Q: This country is the home of the Impala Orchestra. Lakes Muhazi and Ihema are located in the east of this country, whose cities include Gitarama and Butare. Karisimbi is the highest peak of its northwestern (*) Virunga Mountains, and it shares Lake Kivu with its western neighbor. It is located to the north of a country that shared in its mid-90s ethnic strife, Burundi. For 10 points, name this country that also borders Zaire, Uganda, and Tanzania, the site of a genocidal civil war between Tutsis and Hutus.
A: Rwanda
Q: One area of this city has been nicknamed Little Kurdistan for having the highest population of Kurds in the US. Its Bridgestone Arena was the site of a 2010 benefit concert after flooding caused billions of dollars of damage along the Cumberland River. A trail which ends in this city and begins in Natchez, Mississippi was the site of the death of Meriwether Lewis. This city is both the namesake of an acclaimed film directed by Robert Altman and a recent ABC series. It contains the Country Music Hall of Fame and is the site of regular performances at the Grand Ole Opry. For the point, name this large city in Central Tennessee.
A: Nashville, Tennessee
Q: The northernmost point of this island group is Bomatu point and the island of Bomapua is located in Wagwama bay. The first Allied airstrips in the south-west Pacific were built on the island of Kiriwina in this island group as part of MacArthur's CARTWHEEL offensive to capture Rabual. Named for the first lieutenant of Bruni d'Entrecasteaux, they are located within the (*) Solomon Sea and are part of the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. Inhabitants of the government center of Losuia might exchange greetings in the native language of Kilivila as they exchange kula in, for 10 points, what island group whose inhabitants are discussed in The Sexual Life of Savages in North-Western Melanesia and Coral Gardens and their Magic by Malinowski?
A: Trobriand Islands [or Kiriwina Islands]
Q: The most northerly confirmed site of this culture was Aztalan, which has been associated with cannibalism because of its lack of mortuary artifacts. Barton Incised pottery and Nodena arrows are associated with its late site at Parkin, which may have been the capital of Casqui. Its other characteristic artifacts include ovate hoes produced with Mill Creek chert. The spread of its iconic motifs, such as the paisa - a creature featuring bird, snake, and cat features - and the chunkey player are evidence for its Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Sites such as Spiro are associated with the Caddoan subtradition, the westernmost advance of this culture, whose other noteworthy sites include Kincaid, Etowah, and one home to the Monk's Mound. FTP, name this culture associated with Cahokia, a Native American mound-building society centered along its namesake river.
A: Mississippian Culture (prompt on "Mound-Builders" and similar answers)
Q: Tectonic analysis of this body of water led to the discovery of the "Matomi Accommodation Zone," as well as Miocene formations in the Upper Delfin Basin and Wagner Basin. It's home to fauna like Heermann's Gull and the vaquita. This body of water contains the Midriff Islands, the largest of which is Tiburon Island, home to an indigenous population of Seri peoples. An expedition to this body of water by biologist Edward F. Ricketts, aboard a sardine boat called the Western Flyer, was memorialized in a book subtitled "A Lesiurely Journal of Travel and Research." Sometimes known as the Vermilion Sea for its high concentration of protozoa, it was called the "World's Aquarium" by Jacques Cousteau. Also home to Loreto Bay, this sea visited by John Steinbeck is bordered on the east by the states of Sinaloa and Sonora. FTP, name this body that separates the Baja Peninsula from the Mexican mainland.
A: Gulf of California (or Sea of Cortes, or I suppose you can prompt Pacific Ocean)
Q: A region to the west of this body of water is called the "Putrid Sea," or the Sivash, which is separated from this body by the Arabat Spit. Once known as Lake Maeotis, its southern portion features a passage once known as the Strait of Yenikale. The northeast features the deposits at the Gulf of Taganrog and it is fed from the east by the Kuban River which enters it at Temryuk, while a larger city on its shores is Mariupol. Notably plagued by an invasion of Mnemopsis leydi, this body is known as the "Fish Sea" in one language. It is separated from a larger body of water to its south by the Isthmus of Perekop, as well as the Kerch Strait. FTP, name this body of water north of the Black Sea.
A: Sea of Azov
Q: Two of this island's national parks, Yala and Wittapu, contain some of the highest concentrations of leopards in the world. This island's longest river receives the Kotmale Oya, and empties into the sea at the harbor of Trincomalee, the Mahaweli. A chain of limestone shoals links this island with the mainland and is known as (*) "Adam's Bridge," and it is bound on the west by the Gulf of Mannar. This island was the location of the kingdom of Kandy, and the Palk Strait separates its Jaffna peninsula from the mainland. Formerly known as both Serendib and Ceylon, for 10 points, name this tear-drop shaped island nation known for its production of tea, located in the Bay of Bengal, and with capital at Colombo.
A: Sri Lanka
Q: In 1866, French admiral Pierre-Gustave Roze invaded this landform, taking almost 300 royal scrolls back which are still in Paris. A mugwort soup is common in the cuisine of this landform, where a mythical bear ate nothing but garlic and mugwort to become a woman. The main language of this landform has an idiosyncratic dialect spoken on Jeju island to its south. Construction halted in 1992 on a triangular, 105-story hotel on this peninsula, where failed invasions ran aground at the Salsu river going south and the Yalu river going north. For the point, name this peninsula whose Han river flows north of the Gangnam district of Seoul.
A: Korean peninsula
Q: Visitors to this city might enjoy visiting the Jeevanjee Gardens, Sorsbie Art Gallery, David Sheldrick Centre, or Railroad Museum and they might arrive via the domestic Wilson Airport in the south. The dam named after this city is produced by the Motoine River, and its namesake river flows into the Athi River system in the southeast, though those waters have been polluted by this city's Kibera slums. Situated northwest of Machakos, it's sometimes called the "green city in the sun" and its name means "place of cool waters" in Masai, though the majority of its current residents are Kikuyu. Connected by rail to its country's second biggest city Mombasa, FTP, name this African capital home to plenty of stuff named for Jomo Kenyatta.
A: Nairobi
Q: This country controls the Toten Island, which is located in a bay named for this country's most northerly seaport city, Tanga Bay. The community of Nansio is located on this country's Ukerewe Island, the largest inland island on its continent. In the northeast of this country lies the Eden of Ngorongoro, a volcanic crater with an extraordinarily high diversity of wildlife. This country has (*) relocated its capital to the center of the country, though its economic center is still on its eastern coast. For 10 points, identify this African country, home to the islands of Zanzibar, the Olduvai Gorge, the Serengeti National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro, with largest city Dar es Salaam.
A: United Republic of Tanzania [accept Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania]
Q: The Ivai and another system that includes the Tibagi all flow into this river. Cities on its banks include Diamante and Ramallo, and its largest waterfall occurs at Iquazu Falls before it flows through Rosario. The Corpus Christi dam is one of many hydroelectric generators on this river that have erased natural features like the Sete Quedas waterfall, which was flooded after the construction of the (*) Itaipu Dam on this river. Forming the Brazil-Paraguay border before entering Argentina, this river joins with the Uruguay before its most famous feature. For 10 points, identify this South American river that empties into the Rio de la Plata.
A: Parana River
Q: This country's capital saw an event known as the December Murders at a military installation that was once Fort Willoughby, and it can be reached from its Western neighbor's Moleson Creek via the Corentyne River ferry. The Eastern part of this country contains the Tumuk Hamak Mountains and the Maroni and Nickerie rivers, while its namesake river contains the (*) Brokopondo Reservoir, which helps power its aluminum mining industry. Jopie Pengel Airport serves Zanderij in this country, whose other cities include Saramacca, Albina, and Lelydorp. Including Julianatop in the Bakhuys range, it borders Brazil and separates Guyana from French Guiana. For 10 ponts, identify this South American country, a former colony of the Netherlands whose capital is Paramaribo.
A: Republic of Suriname [or Sranan]
Q: This city houses the Days of '47 parade, and this city's Chinatown was wholesale demolished in 1952, causing a mass Chinese-American exodus from this city. That area was called Plum Alley, and small shops characterize the Sugar House neighborhood, which was established shortly after this city. The (*) Wasatch Range foothills house some of the residential buildings in this city. This city, currently run by Ralph Becker, contains a large building that is a successor to two previous versions constructed at Kitland and Nauvoo. The first Transcontinental Railroad was completed outside this city. For ten points, identify this city, which is the site of Brigham Young University and the capital of Utah.
A: Salt Lake City, Utah
Q: This place's Mount Isa Mines produce large amounts of copper, lead, zinc and silver. Its Far North portion, which occupies the majority of the Cape York Peninsula, recently considered secession. That area borders the Torres Strait to the north, and contains Cooktown and Cairns. Its capital lies on Moreton Bay and was originally called Edenglassie, after Edinburgh and Glasgow. Now that capital is known as the River City, for its namesake river. This place's Sunshine Coast gives it its nickname, the Sunshine State, and the city of Gold Coast is popular for surfing. The Gulf of (*) Carpenteria lies to its northwest, and the Coral Sea is to the east. For 10 points, name this territory east of the Northern Territory and to the north of New South Wales, with capital at Brisbane.
A: Queensland [prompt on Australia until "Far North" region]
Q: Isolation from the surrounding region occurred during the Yoldia Sea brackish stage and this body of water's initial formation occurred during the Younger Dryas stadial at the end of the Weichsel glaciation. A song title by the Dutch death-metal band Hail of Bullets suggests a massacre occurred at this place. According to the provisions set out by the Treaty of Tartu neither party could have warships above a certain tonnage on this body of water, and a common grave between the two signatories lies in Rahmaa Island located here. The (*) Road of Life was a supply transport across this body of water and provided relief during the Siege of Leningrad, and major tributaries of this body of water include the Volkhov and Svir Rivers and its primary outflow is the Neva. Located east of the Karelian Isthmus in Northwestern Russia, for 10 points, name this largest freshwater lake in Europe.
A: Lake Ladoga
Q: One landform on this island was allegedly created when a man was running with his grandmother on his shoulder, but he tripped and she flew through the air and into a lake, creating what is now called Treasure Island. Another tourist attraction here is the "Cup and Saucer Trail," named for two small hills which climb its major escarpment. On its western shore is a passage known as the False Detour Channel, which separates it from Drummond Island. One of its few towns with any population is Gore Bay, and this island can be reached via a swing bridge at Little Current. It's a northwesterly continuation of the Bruce Peninsula and to its east lies Georgian Bay. FTP, name this largest island in a freshwater lake, which belongs to Ontario and sits in the northern stretch of Lake Huron.
A: Manitoulin Island
Q: Medieval tombstones are the only surviving writing of this geographical feature's namesake dialect of the Bulgarian language. The podtzol soil around this river is notoriously poor, and it sections are marked by confluences with the Oka and Kama after it starts in the (*) Valdai Hills. A canal running along the Tsimiyank Reservoir from the city of Krasnoarmeysk on this river connects it to the southwesterly Don. A namesake city on this river was formerly known as Stalingrad. For 10 points, name this Russian river, the longest in Europe.
A: the Volga River
Q: Many monuments in this nation feature the Turul bird, a mythical falcon. The largest and most sacred building in this nation is the Catholic Basilica at Esztergom. At the center of this nation's capital is the Chain Bridge, which united two cities in the late 19th century. This country's coat of arms features the red-and-white Arpad stripes. A tilted cross sits atop this nation's Byzantine-style Holy Crown, named for its first Christian king, St. Stephen. For the point, which European nation has a gothic Parliament house on the banks of the Danube in its capital of Budapest?
A: Hungary [or Magyarorszag]
Q: Just over the eastern border of this polity is a neighbor's town of Tungsten, and its northern half is bisected by the Rock River. Its southwest is home to Kluane National Park, which is located just beyond its towns of Hains Junction and Destruction Bay. One of this polity's northernmost settlements is the town of Old Crow on the Porcupine River. Its capital was named for its proxmity to (*) rapids that reminded settlers of a galloping animal's mane. For 10 points, name this northern neighbor of British Columbia that also borders the Northwest Territories and Alaska, a Canadian territory with capital at Whitehorse.
A: the Yukon Territory
Q: The Bogda Mountains is an eastern extension of this mountain range, and this mountain range is the source of the Chu River. Tianchi is an alpine lake in this mountain range, which runs north of the Turpan Depression. The South Ingylchek Glacier is the largest area of ice in this mountain range and lies under Khan Tengri, which along with Pik Pobedy is one of the highest peaks in this range. The (*) Naryn River rises in this mountain range and is the main feeder of the Syr Darya. This mountain range runs near Urumqi and the Taklamakan Desert and it contains the large Lake Issyk-Kul as well as the city of Bishkek.FTP, name this mountain range that runs through Xinjiang Province in China and through Kyrgyzstan, which has a name that means heavenly mountains.
A: Tian Shan (or Heavenly Mountains before mentioned)
Q: This state contains the "limestone coast," and its other regions include the Barossa Valley. Kangaroo Island lies off its coast, while its inland areas include the Flinders Ranges. The cities of Woomera, Barossa Valley, and Streaky Bay are found here, as are Port Lincoln and the western town of Nullarbor. Its capital is in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges and is found near where the Torrens River meets the Gulf St. Vincent. This state has eastern borders with three other states, New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. For 10 points, name this Australian state, whose capital and largest city is Adelaide.
A: South Australia
Q: The origin of the Barada River lies within this chain. They end at the Zabadani Saddle, a part of Mount Hermon, and they also include Taa Musa. They are on the west of the Helbun valley, and their north abuts the city of Homs. They are found to the east of the Litani River, and the Biqa Valley separates them from a similarly named group. They are also the source of the Jordan. For 10 points, name these mountains to the west of Syria and the north of Israel, named for their position across from the Lebanon Mountains.
A: Anti-Lebanon Mountains [or Al-jabal Ash-sharqi; or Lubnan Ash-sharqi]
Q: The Karun river is the smallest navigable channel in this country, which is also home to the Zayandeh River. The home to the Khuzestan Plain, its deserts include the Lut. On the northeastern border of this country, one can find the Atrak River and the Kpet Dag mountain chain. The Sefid river cuts through this country's (*) Alborz mountains, which are located north of the Kavir desert. The southwestern border of this country is formed by the Shatt-al-Arab channel, and the largest mountain chain here is the Zagros. This country is north of the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern nation with capital at Tehran.
A: Iran
Q: The capital of the state by this name is home to Case de Montejo, and the state by this name borders both Campeche and Quintana Roo and is centered on Merida. The region by this name produces the fiber henequen and gets water from sinkholes, locally known as cenotes (see-NOH-tays). Islands off its coast include the Island of Women and Cozumel. It is the site of Chixculub, the impact crater of an asteroid that may have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. For 10 points, name this home to Chichen Itza and Cancun, a peninsula which separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.
A: The Yucatan Peninsula
Q: This country's tallest peak is Maromokotro, which is located in the Tsaratanana Massif range in the northwestern Mahajanga Province. The Betsiboka River flows north and empties into Bombetoka Bay, and Europa Island lies off the west coast of this nation. An epic poem known as the Ibonia originates in this country. This nation was dominated by the Merina Kingdom until a (*) French annexation in 1896. This nation's namesake plan called for a large-scale Jewish relocation to this place, but the Nazis never followed through. For 10 points, name this island nation with capital at Antananarivo that is separated from the continent by the Mozambique Channel and whose demonym is Malagasy.
A: Republic of Madagascar [or Malagasy Republic before mentioned]
Q: The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park lies in a less famous Woodstock, a town in this state, which is also home to Lake Bomoseen in its western part. Four of the five towns in its Grand Isle County lie on islands, while its other town lies on the Alburgh Tongue. Its rivers include the Winooski, the Ottauquechee, and the Otter River, its longest, while its Rutland County is home to the city Hubbardton. The Red Sandrock Hills extend along its shore of Lake (*) Champlain, while Mount Mansfield, its highest point, lies in its Green Mountains. For 10 points, name this state whose cities include Burlington and Montpelier.
A: Vermont
Q: Cities in this country include Carouge, famous for its gardens, and Monthey, in which is centered the roller coaster design company Bolliger & Mabillard. Lakes located in this country include the Zug and the artificial Sihlsee. The reworking of the Linth River improved the availability of fertile land, and tributaries of the Rhine in this country include the Toss, Birs, and Thur Rivers. Its largest lake is (*) Neuchatel, and it contains a mountain famous for having caused the death of much of Edward Whymper's party, the Matterhorn. For 10 points, name this landlocked, neutral country with capital at Bern.
A: Switzerland [or the Swiss Confederation]
Q: Warning: 2 Answers Required!These two countries fought the Torstenson War, a late phase of the Thirty Years' War. One of these two countries built the Gota Canal so ships could avoid tolls levied by the other. In 2000 a bridge opened which connected these two countries across the Øresund. These are the two southernmost of the 3 modern-day countries originally part of the Kalmar Union. For the point, name these two countries whose cities of Malmo and Copenhagen are linked by a bridge and tunnel.
A: Kingdom of Sweden and Kingdom of Denmark [accept Sverige for "Sweden" and Danmark for "Denmark"; accept Denmark-Norway or Danmark-Norge in place of "Denmark" until "Gota Canal" is read]
Q: The industry producing this product was the focus of the 2008 documentary "The Burning Season". The burning of peat bogs to make way for producing this product has led to an annual haze over Singapore. A "roundtable" on this resource states that as a result of its production, Malaysia absorbs more carbon dioxide than it produces. The production of this resource threatens the habitats of the orangutan and the Sumatran tiger, and is responsible for massive deforestation in Indonesia. For the point, name this cooking ingredient gathered from a type of tropical tree.
A: palm oil
Q: It likely shares its origin with the Olgas and the Hatajuta. Possibly the world's most famous inselberg, it formed in the early Cambrian, and together with the formations at Kata Tjuta, it lends its name to a national park. Located to the west of Alice Springs, it was first seen by William Gosse, who named it after his boss, though the Anangu, who have their own name for it, now tell stories about its creation on tours. Made mainly of arkose, a type of sandstone, it has iron impurities that give it a trademark reddish-brown color. For 10 points, name this monolith in Northern Territory, Australia, the largest piece of exposed rock in the world.
A: Uluru [or Ayers Rock]
Q: The world's longest train passes from the coast of this country to the mining town of Zouerate (zoo-WARE-aught) in the interior. This country's namesake Thirty Years' War from 1644-1674 failed to bring the Sanhajas to power here. The historical ruins of Awdaghost and Kumbi Saleh, historical centers of the Ghana empire, are found within this country. It is home to people speaking a dialect of Arabic known as Hasaniya as well as French, and cities such as Tidjikdja, Nouadibhou, and Nawakshut. For 10 points, name this large West African country bordered by Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali, and Senegal.
A: Mauritania
Q: The genus Sapindaceae is alternatively named for this object. Its name can be translated as "woman in ice" or "sacred winds of the moon." Located in the southern part of the Avenue of Volcanoes, its collapse temporarily dammed the Rio Chambo. About 20 miles northwest of Riobamba, it was first explored by Alexander von Humboldt. Its sister peak in the Cordillera Occidental is Carihuairazo. One of the routes up it is the Whymper route, named for the first man to scale it. Its summit is the furthest point from the center of the Earth. For 10 points, identify this South American peak, the tallest in Ecuador and second tallest in the Andes.
A: Chimborazo
Q: Agracha and Bu Craa are some of the exciting mine centers of this place, which borders Cape Bojador and includes the city of Smara. The indigenous population of this area is composed mainly of ethnic Sahrawis, although many have been displaced and they may now be outnumbered by government-sponsored settlers. It is among the least-densely populated regions in the world, and over half its population lives in the largest city, El Aaiun. It is comprised of the former Spanish colonies of Saguia al-Hamra and Rio de Oro, and the Polisario Front seeks its independence. For 10 points, name this semi-independent area formerly claimed by Morocco.
A: Western Sahara [or Sahara' Al-Gharbiyah]
Q: He offered to colonize the Falkland Islands for his home country at his own expense, but the islands were sold to Spain soon after he established a settlement there. On his most famous voyage, he encountered a supposed race of giants in Patagonia, but described them as only having large heads and broad shoulders. His account of the native society in Tahiti, published in 1771, did much to create the myth of the "noble savage" in Europe. For 10 points, name this French soldier and navigator, the namesake of the largest of the Solomon Islands.
A: Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Q: This city is home to the Beth Elohim Congregation, considered the birthplace of Reform Judaism in the United States and the oldest surviving Reform Synagogue in the world. Home to Rainbow Row and Hibernian Hall, its downtown is situated on a peninsula surrounded by the Ashley and Cooper rivers. It is also home to the American leg of the "Festival of Two Worlds", also known as Spoleto Festival USA. It is home to The Citadel and is the second busiest port on the East Coast. For 10 points, name "Holy City", a South Carolina locale in whose harbor the first volleys of the Civil War were launched.
A: Charleston, South Carolina
Q: This site's Stairway of Fountains runs parallel to its series of 16 fountains. The discoverer of this site initially suggested that it was a sanctuary for the Aclla Cuna. Religious buildings at this site include the Temple of the Condor and the trapezoidal Temple of the Three Windows. Its main plaza includes the Intihuatana sundial, and this place is believed to have been an estate of Pachacuti. This site sits above the Urubamba River valley, and was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. For the point, name this "lost city of the Incas."
A: Machu Picchu
Q: This country's capital is home to an Arc de Triomphe-inspired monument whose name translates to Victory Gate and includes designs of the kinnara. The chili wood plant sankhaan is used in a stew from this country called Or Lam. An archipelago in this country, the 4,000 Islands, is located in a river on its western border near Pakse. This country's highest point, Phou Bia, has been inaccessible to mountain climbers due to unexploded ordnance. Tourists to this country can see the daily procession of monks collecting alms in a city whose name translates to "Royal Buddha Image." American bombs heavily damaged the Plain of Jars in this country, where the city of Luang Prabang is located. For 10 points, Vientiane is the capital of what landlocked Southeast Asian country?
A: Laos [or Lao People's Democratic Republic; or Lao PDR]
Q: "Eco-tourism" sites in this country include Lanbi Kyun in the Mergui archipelago off the southern tip and its biodiverse Inle Lake, where the Intha people row boats using one leg on an oar. While it is the world's leading supplier in teak, numbers have been dwindling, and a type of dolphin named for a river in this country is endangered. Minority groups such as the Mon, Rakhine, and Karen are found in this country, whose nominal capital is now Naypyidaw following a 2005 decree of its government. For 10 points, what is this country on the Irrawaddy, surrounded by China, India, and Thailand, whose major cities include Mandalay and Yangon?
A: Myanmar or Burma
Q: Bodies of water in this state include Dworshak Reservoir, near Orofino, and Priest Lake in the north, and the Clearwater and Salmon River Mountains are found in the center of this state. Castle Peak is located in this state's Sawtooth National Recreation Area. This state's highest point is Borah Peak, and features in its southwest include the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Craters of the Moon National Monument, and American Falls. Its cities of Caldwell, Nampa and Twin Falls can be found along the Snake River. For 10 points, name this state whose other cities include Pocatello, Coeur d'Alene, and Boise.
A: Idaho
Q: The modern orthography of this archipelago's main language was developed by V. U. Hammershaimb ("HAHM-muh-SHY'mp"). During World War II, the British opened an airfield on this archipelago's island of Vagar ("VOH-ar"), which is often grouped with its westernmost island, Mykines ("MEE-chih-ness"). This archipelago's highest mountain, the Slættaratindur ("SLAH-tah-rah-TIN-doo'r"), is located in the northern part of its region of Eysturoy ("ES-troy"). The east coast of (*) Streymoy ("STRAY-moy") in this archipelago includes the Tinganes ("TEEN-gah-ness") peninsula, and is the home of the Løgting ("LOOK-ting") parliament. A whale hunt on this archipelago called the grindadrap ("GRIN-dah-drop") is often led by inhabitants of its capital of Torshavn ("TOH-shauwn"). The United Kingdom is south of, for 10 points, what archipelago that serves as an autonomous territory of Denmark?
A: Faroe Islands [or Faroes; or Føroyar; or Færøerne]
Q: Some of its tributaries include the Tom and Sosva, and it is formed where the Biya and Katun rivers come together after beginning in the Altai Mountains. Another of its tributaries, the Ket, as used as part of a canal system in the 1800s to connect this river with the Yenisei, but this failed due to the superiority of the Trans-Siberian Railroad. It empties into a namesake gulf in the Kara Sea, and some cities along its length include Barnaul, Salekhard, and Novosibirsk. For 10 points, identify this Western Siberian river, which forms a system with the Irtysh.
A: Ob river [or Obi]
Q: This body of water contains the beginning of the Ninetyeast Ridge. The Coromandel Coast runs along it, and Sagar Island is found just off the coast of its namesake land region. The only notable island chains are found in its east, where the Nicobar Islands are joined in a union territory with the islands naming the sea to its east, the Andaman Islands. Connected to the Gulf of Mannar by the Palk Strait, its major ports include Trincomalee, Chittagong, and Chennai, and it receives the waters of the Cooum, Kavari, and Brahmaputra. For 10 points, name this body of water stretching south to the Indian Ocean between Sri Lanka and Sumatra, which lies east of India.
A: Bay of Bengal
Q: This country's Arena Joinville ("zhoh-een-VEE-lee") is located near the only Bolshoi Ballet School branch found outside of Russia. A stadium in this country called Thrush Park is owned by Uberlandia ("oo-ber-LAHND-jee-ah") City Hall. This country's Santa Cruz football club plays in a stadium called the Arruda, located in a city known as its country's "Venice." The largest stadium in this country by capacity is named for a neighborhood bordered by Vila Isabel and (*) Tijuca ("tshee-ZHOO-kah"). The football legend Mane Garrincha ("mah-NAY gah-REEN-shah") names a stadium in this country's capital in the Federal District. The clubs Flamengo and Fluminense (floo-mee-NANE-see") manage the largest stadium in this country, named for journalist Mario Filho ("MAH-ree-oo FEEL-yoo") in the Maracana ("mah-rah-kah-NAHN") neighborhood. For 10 points, name this country whose largest football stadiums are found in cities such as Belo Horizonte ("BEL-oo oh-ree-ZOHN-chee") and Rio de Janeiro.
A: Brazil [or Federative Republic of Brazil; or Republica Federativa do Brasil]
Q: The Bahnar and Sedang groups are some of the "Montagnards" who live in the hills of this country, which was the birthplace of the secret society known as the Hoa Hao. Descendants of immigrants often live in Cholon, and its highest areas may be found near the Clear River. A notable museum here is the Cercle Sportif, while a refugee movement from this country in the 1970s was the origin of the term "boat people." Its large cities include Hua and a capital found on the Red River. For 10 points, name this country which also includes the Mekong River, the Gulf of Tonkin, and the city of Hanoi.
A: Vietnam
Q: An Easter dish from this region, sometimes prepared by setting cubed pork shoulder and calf's feet gelatin in a terrine ("tare-EEN"), is called parsleyed ham. Felix Kir, the mayor of a city in this region, popularized a mixed drink made with local blackcurrant liqueur. In the 2010s, this area was reunited with Franche-Comte ("frahnsh-kahm-TAY"), its free county, to form a new official region. The (*) "climats" ("klee-MAH") and "terroirs" ("tare-WAHR") of this region comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reflecting the development of agricultural practices in monasteries around its historical capital of Dijon ("dee- ZHAHN"). This region names a type of beef stew made with carrots, onions, and mushrooms, sometimes made with a sauce using this region's namesake dry, red wine. For 10 points, what region of east-central France gives its name to a red-purple color?
A: Burgundy [or Bourgogne; accept Bourgogne-Franche-Comte; prompt on BFC; prompt on Dijon before read by asking "what larger region is that part of?"; prompt on Cote-d'Or by asking "what larger region is that part of?"]
Q: The gap sections of such rivers as the Hernad, the Olt, and the Vah are found within this range, whose geologic borders are the Timok River depression and the Leitha Gate. Just northwest of this range are such cities as Stryy, Kalush, and Chernivtsi. Their arc encloses both the Little and Great Alfolds as well as the Pannonian Basin. Stretching to the Iron Gate on the southeast, this mountain system includes Gerlach Peak, located in its Tatras range. For 10 points, name this mountain range which extends from the Czech Republic to southern Romania.
A: Carpathian Mountains [accept Karpaty or Kapnamu mountains]
Q: This place is partially surrounded by the Gallatin, Beartooth, and Absaroka mountain ranges. Its namesake lake was once known as Eustis, and drains north through its namesake river, whose tributaries include the Lamar and Bighorn before it hits the Upper Missouri. Its namesake Caldera is the nation's largest supervolcano, and this area's geothermal activity also causes the world's largest steam eruptions at Steamboat Geyser, which is still less famous than its regular ninety-minute steam eruption cycle elsewhere. For 10 points, Old Faithful may be found in what first American National Park, located in Wyoming?
A: Yellowstone National Park
Q: In this city, Leigh-Ann Bedal excavated a large swimming pool and a 16-meter waterfall that formed part of a garden complex. Local nomads trying to find the "pharaoh's treasure" have been blamed for the bullet holes found on an urn in this city. Water canals were built between this city and the nearby Wadi Musa, where Moses supposedly struck water from a rock. Before Bostra, this city was the capital of the Roman province of (*) Arabia. Whilst searching for the Tomb of Aaron, the Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt ("BOORK-hart") rediscovered this city. The Siq ("seek") passage was used to access this city, where Aretas ("AH-ray-toss") IV built the Al-Khazneh "treasury." For 10 points, name this Nabataean ("nah-uh-TEE-in") "rose city" carved out of red sandstone, which is located in modern-day Jordan.
A: Petra
Q: This country's town of Marsaxlokk ("mar-suh-SHLOCK") is home to brightly colored boats with wedjat eyes called luzzijiet ("luzzi-yet"). A rhymed improvised duel called spirtu pront, or "quick wit," is the most popular form of this country's folksong tradition of għana ("AH-na"), which is performed during this country's festival of l-Imnarja ("lim-NAR-ya"). It's not Arabic, but consonants in this country's language are divided into moon and sun letters. The Ta' Qali national stadium in this country was used as an airfield during World War II. The Megalithic Temples of this country include Ggantija ("juh-GAHN-tee-yah") on the island of Gozo. The flag of this country features the George Cross, and it was defended by Jean Parisot de Valette. For 10 points, name this Mediterranean island south of Sicily.
A: Malta [Republic of Malta; or Repubblika ta' Malta]
Q: One of these places used only during the summer was built in Cerro Castillo in Vina del Mar. Gaston Lelarge, a student of Charles Garnier, designed one of these places named for Antonio Narino located by Nunez Square. The Vargas Swamp and Ayacucho are rooms in one of these places on Urdaneta Avenue, built for Joaquin Crespo and named Miraflores. A Juscelino Kubitschek quote inspired the name of a three-story one of these buildings, Alvorada, in Brasilia. One of these buildings, which trades with the Quinta de Olivos, was painted pink to diffuse political tensions in Buenos Aires. Cannons were fired during the 1973 Chilean coup d'etat at one of these buildings called La Moneda. The Casa Rosada serves as, for 10 points, what buildings where Javier Milei lives?
A: presidential palaces [or presidential residences; or descriptive answers indicating the home of presidents in South America; prompt on partial answers] Category: Geography - South America
Q: The "Whitehaven" one of these places on Whitsunday Island can be accessed via a town named for one of these places, Airlie. Tourists at the "Town" one of these places can view an optical illusion called the Staircase of the Moon. A walk partly named for the "Coogee" ("KOO-jee") one of these places passes by a year-round pool and restaurant at the Icebergs Club. A suburb that shares its name with one of these places hosts the Flickerfest Film Festival. They're not hills, but the (*) Cheviot one of these places houses a memorial to Harold Holt, marking where he disappeared and was presumed dead in 1967. A suburb of east Sydney is named after the "Bondi" ("BON-dye") one of these places. One of these places in Australia contains the purest concentration of silica in the world. For 10 points, name these places popular among Australian surfers.
A: beaches [accept Whitehaven Beach; accept Airlie Beach; accept Town Beach; accept Coogee Beach; accept Cheviot Beach; accept Bondi Beach]
Q: A distinctive pottery motif from a culture centred on this body of water features a circular human head with protruding fish and a triangle above it, notably appearing on bowls covering children's urn burials. Around this body of water, polished egg-shell wares were produced in the Black Pottery culture. The "first non-dual-use tool of violence" in one civilisation's history was the dagger-axe, developed by a culture on this body of water that also produced ritual vessels with three splayed legs that were made of (*) bronze. A civilisation centred on this body of water used pieces of ox scapula and turtle plastron for divination, mostly during the late second millennium BCE, in which the oracle bone script proliferated. Considered the cradle of its country's civilisation, for 10 points, name this river, the second longest in China after the Yangtze.
A: Yellow River [or Huang He; accept just Yellow or Huang after "river" is read; accept Yellow River valley; prompt on Yi or Luo rivers by asking "a tributary of what larger river?"] (The cultures in the first and third sentences are the Yangshao and Erlitou respectively.)
Q: In an event in this country held on the first Sunday every year, people take part in the "Bigi Broki Waka" ("BIG-ee BROKE-ee WAH-kah"). Some tribal communities in this country and an eastern neighbour are led by a chief granman ("grahng-mahng") below which rank the kabitens ("kah-bee-TENZ"), or captains, and basiyas ("bah-see-yahz"), or aldermen. This country celebrates a certain "Arrival Day", Prawas Din ("PRAH-wuhs deen"), on the 5th of June. A creole language spoken in this country was formerly pejoratively dismissed as (*) "Taki Taki" ("tah-kee-TAH-kee"), meaning "talk talk", and is known by the name of "[this country]Tongo". This country's capital is home to an English-built fortress originally named Fort Willoughby ("WILL-uh-bee") before its seizure by another colonial power. This country is home to the cities of Lelydorp ("LAY-lee-dorp") and Nieuw Nickerie ("new NICK-uh-ree"). For 10 points, name this primarily Dutch-speaking country in South America, with capital at Paramaribo.
A: Republic of Suriname [or Republiek Suriname or Ripoliku Sranan; accept Suriname Tongo or Sranan Tongo]
Q: This city's namesake university has an off-campus annexe called the Golden Threshold. The historic Pathargatti ("PAH-tar-guh-tee") stone arcade in this city is located near to its Laad ("lahd") Bazaar. An 18-metre high white granite monument built to the north of this city was carved of a figure who, according to a Chief Minister, was "a humanitarian who told the whole truth to the people". That statue, located on an artificial lake to the north of this city, is the world's tallest [emphasise] monolith of the (*) Buddha. To commemorate the eradication of the plague, theCharminar was built in this city. This city's highest point is the neighbourhood of Banjara Hills, which was previously a hunting ground for this city's Nizams ("nih-ZAHMZ"). This city on the Musi ("MOO-see") river is the second-largest city located within the Deccan Plateau. For 10 points, name this city, the capital of the Indian state of Telangana (TELL-uhng-gah-nuh").
A: Hyderabad ("HYDE-ruh-bad") [accept Baghnagar]
Q: In this mountain range, the Vermilion Lakes offer an iconic view of Mount Rundle. The Cave and Basin in this range's Sulphur Mountain is home to an endangered species of snail only found in hot springs. This range's Castle Mountain was home to a WWI internment camp for Ukrainians. Rock flour from this range causes the brilliant turquoise color of Peyto Lake and Moraine Lake, which are located alongside Lake Louise in this range's Valley of the Ten Peaks. Two national parks in this range are connected by the Icefields Parkway. Jasper National Park is located in this range, whose Columbia Glacier provides the headwaters of the Athabasca River. For 10 points, Banff National Park is located in what mountain range in western Canada and the US?
A: Rocky Mountains [or the Rockies; or the Canadian Rockies]
Q: This country is the home of a dance where performers carry horns called tiskts; that dance is the taskiwin. A city in this country is the site of an annual intercultural exchange called the Tan-Tan Moussem. Zohra Sidki is the only woman who currently competes in this country's native equestrian sport of mata. An annual festival celebrating a style of music developed in this country called gnawa is held in Essaouira. Audiences that gather in this country for public performances are referred to as halqas and are commonly found in the Jemaa el-Fnaa public square. This country's largest mosque, named after Hassan II ("the second"), is in its largest city, Casablanca. For 10 points, name this African nation with capital Rabat.
A: Morocco [Kingdom of Morocco]
Q: In this state, Slickrock Trail is found near a city that also hosts an annual Easter Jeep Safari. Thousands of mushroom-shaped spires can be found in this state's Goblin Valley. John Edward Jones was trapped in "The Birth Canal" while exploring this state's Nutty Putty Cave. Edward Abbey's time at a national park in this state helped inform his book Desert Solitaire. Many petroglyphs depicting polydactyly are found on this state's Newspaper Rock, which is located in Bears Ears National Monument. "Landscape" and "Delicate" are among the many namesake structures of a park in this state, which is also home to Bryce Canyon. For 10 points, name this state whose city of Moab is situated between Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.
A: Utah
Q: An 80-foot geodesic dome is found on the facade of this city's so-called "Taj Mahal of Tenpins," the National Bowling Stadium. It's not in New Mexico, but this city's Rancho San Rafael Regional Park hosts this city's "Great Balloon Race." This city's Mapes Hotel hosted women seeking to establish residency for six weeks before leaving their marriages, leading it to proclaim itself the "divorce capital of the world." A singer invoked poetic license after a photographer pointed out that shooting a man in this city wouldn't send someone to California's Folsom Prison. This city is the seat of Washoe County in the Truckee River Valley. This city forms a metro area with neighbouring Sparks north of the state capital, Carson City. For 10 points, name this "Biggest Little City in the World" in northwest Nevada.
A: Reno
Q: In 2007, the World Bank agreed to a $100 million loan for an irrigation project in this country, partly along the Ribb River. Climate shocks have been blamed for severe flooding of the Akobo and Baro Rivers in this country's westernmost region, Gambela. Emptying into an endorheic ("en-doh-REE-ik") basin, the course of the Awash River is contained entirely within this country. The Millennium Reservoir in this country began filling in 2020 as this country's namesake (*) Grand Renaissance Dam neared completion. The remains of the Australopithecus ("OSS-truh-luh-PITH-uh-kiss") hominid Lucy were unearthed from a riverbed in this country. The Shebelle ("shuh-BELLY") River cuts through this country's Ogaden ("og-uh-DEN") region. This country's Lake Tana is the starting point of the Blue Nile River. For 10 points, name this largest country in the Horn of Africa.
A: Ethiopia [or Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]
Q: The geologist John M. Saul implausibly claimed that the name of a legendary creature that lived in this body of water was the phrase "look at water" spoken in perfect English. Wildlife in this body of water was systematically surveyed in 1927 by Michael Graham and Edgar Worthington, who recorded fifty-eight species of Haplochromis. The elevation of this body of water was estimated using water-boiling temperatures to be 4000 feet by John Hanning Speke. Hubert Sauper's documentary film (*) Darwin's Nightmare centres on the introduction to this body of water of the invasive Nile perch, which decimated its cichlid ("SICK-lid") populations. This lake is emptied into by the Kagera River, whose source is in Rwanda. For 10 points, name this body of water divided between Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, the largest lake in Africa.
A: Lake Victoria [or Ukerewe or Nam Lolwe or 'Nnalubaale or Nyanza or Nyanza-Victoria] (The first sentence refers to the Lukwata. The 4000-feet estimate was much higher than Lake Tanganyika which led to it being deemed a more likely source for the Nile when this was still being discovered.)
Q: A group from this island notably involves both girls and boys in an initiation ritual in which "intruders" imitating a pig hunt shout "bite, bite, bite" and chase the children onto a platform. James Leach noted how another group on this island's coast often regarded a large ceremonial drum known as a garamut "as a man". Groups native to this island engage in formalised debates over the ownership of names, some of which are known as tsagi. The naven ritual is practiced by this island's Iatmul ("YAT-mool") people. The world's largest undammed river system by discharge volume is this island's (*) Fly River. This island, on which Mount Wilhelm ("WILL-helm") is located, is home to many species of birds of paradise and an eponymous singing dog. For 10 points, name this second-largest island in the world, shared between two countries and home to the cities of Jayapura ("jah-yuh-POO-ruh') and Port Moresby ("MORZ-bee").
A: New Guinea [or Niugini or Niu Gini or Papua or Irian; accept Papua New Guinea; prompt on Oceania or Melanesia or Torres Strait; anti-prompt on Oro Province or Northern Province or Owen Stanley Range or Hydrographers Range or Madang Province or Rai Coast by asking "what larger region is that part of?"] (The first sentence refers to the Orokaiva, the second to the Reite, and the third to the Iatmul.)
Q: This region contains the village of Eyam ("EE-uhm"), which reputedly quarantined itself in response to a plague outbreak. Two different pastries named for a town in this region both claim descent from a pseudohistorical mistake by 'Mrs Greaves'. Thomas Hobbes compiled a list of seven wonders of this region, which included an 'ebbing and flowing' well which has done neither for over 200 years and a cave known as the Devil's Arse. This region is the only source of the fluorite known as (*) Blue John, found near a hill topped with a hillfort named Mam Tor. Limestone dominates the southern 'white' part of this region, whereas millstone grit dominates the northern 'dark' part of this region which contains Kinder Scout. For 10 points, name this region of Britain home to its first national park.
A: Peak District [prompt on Derbyshire and East Midlands and other supersets]
Q: A town in this island's north became a ghost town after villagers were killed in a 1915 bear attack. A glass pyramid whose name translates to "sunny spot" can be found in a park designed in this island's largest city. Sagas called yukar were passed down by this island's native people, who traditionally tattooed the mouths of their women as a transition to adulthood. Green algae balls can be found in a caldera lake in this island's Akan National Park. This island's largest city hosts over 300 ice sculptures during its annual snow festival. The northern terminus of the Seikan Tunnel is the city of Hakodate on this island, the traditional home of the Ainu people. Sapporo is the largest city on, for 10 points, what northernmost of Japan's four major islands?
A: Hokkaido
Q: The name of a hilly area called The Kilmog corrupted a phrase from this language for a species of broom tea-tree. A region named in this language is home to the Clutha River, which provides hydroelectric power to Oamaru. The piopio bird inspired a name in this language for the fjord Piopiotahi. Since some dialects of this language merge "ng" with "k," Kai Tahu and Ngai Tahu are both terms for one iwi. The Hooker Glacier borders a mountain named "Cloud-piercer" in this language, alternatively known as Mount Cook. In 2015, the Black Caps played for the first time under a name in this language translated as "land of the long white cloud." For 10 points, give this language of the name Aotearoa that activists have fought to restore for New Zealand.
A: Maori
Q: A dialect spoken in this country merges retroflex sounds like "zh" into the alveolar "z" and removes rhoticization of "er"-ending words. Sakizaya is sometimes grouped in a dialect cluster from this region called Amis. In addition to the Philippines, symmetrical voice defines most indigenous languages from this country such as Bunun and Rukai. Since the 1940s, this country and a larger neighbor have used a transliteration system of 37 characters and 5 tone marks called bopomofo. In contrast to a larger country's language of Putuonghua, Guoyu is spoken in this island country, where over 70% speak a variant of Hokkien in cities like Kaohsiung. For 10 points, name this Asian country home to the Formosan languages spoken in Taipei.
A: Taiwan [or T'ai-nan; accept Formosa until it is read; prompt on China or Republic of China or ROC; do not accept "PRC" or "People's Republic of China"]
Q: On a holiday called Clean Monday, regions in this country prepare a dish of cured cod or carp roe mixed with lemon juice served over potatoes or almonds. Residents of this country eat traditionally dry breads like lagana and paximadi. In this country, florina peppers are commonly grilled or served with shrimp, or garides. A baked pasta dish in this country, commonly made with bechamel sauce and ground meat, is called pastitisio. Loukaniko sausages in this country sometimes accompany a namesake salad prepared with Kalamata olives. This country's language provides the names of dishes like moussaka and souvlaki. For 10 points, name this country most commonly associated with a dish of pita bread, tzatziki, and sliced meat called gyro.
A: Greece [or Hellas]
Q: A festival in this region features a group of black horses being ridden through the street, and it is believed to be good luck to touch the horses' hearts. This non-American region's town of Fornells is famous for its lobster stew. Names of villages along the south-east coast of one part of this region all begin with the prefix Bini. One of those villages in this region, (*) Binibequer ("bin-i-BEC-uh"), is separated into "Vell" and "Nou" ("vayl" and "no") regions. This region is famous for the ensaimada ("uhn-suh-IM-ah-duh"), a pastry made with reduced pork lard. Xuia ("SHOO-yuh") is used to make the cured sausage Sobrassada in this group of islands. Cheeses from this group of islands include Mercadal and Mao ("ma-HON"). For 10 points, name this group of Spanish islands featuring Menorca, Ibiza and Mallorca.
A: Balearic Islands [accept Menorca or Minorca before "islands" is read and antiprompt thereafter; antiprompt on Mallorca after "islands" is read; prompt on Mediterranean Sea before "islands" is read by asking for a specific group of islands]
Q: D. Williams and N. C. Neaher suggested how in this modern-day country, latex instead of beeswax may have been used to uniquely produce ultrafine-gauge designs at a site with excavation areas named for "Richard", "Isaiah" and "Jonah". A culture in this non-Georgia country built megalithic fences with "sophisticated stone architecture" at the site of Kochio ("KOTCH-io"). This country is home to its continent's oldest boat, dating to around 6000 BCE and known as the Dufuna canoe, whose site may have formerly been in the (*) floodplain of a rapidly shrinking lake. This country, home to distinctive terracotta head sculptures produced by its Nok culture, also contains an archaeological site which, long before the later Kingdom of Benin, created the oldest bronze artefacts in West Africa. For 10 points, name this country home to the site of Igbo-Ukwu ("EE-bow OOK-woo").
A: Nigeria [accept Federal Republic of Nigeria or Najeriya or Naijiriya or Naijiria]
Q: According to legend, a necropolis in this country featured a well home to the palace of the "Living King", and Hida ("HEE-duh") became blind for divulging the palace's nature. A building in this country supposedly defended by Guloyim and her friends has been dubbed the "Forty Girls Fortress". It's not Russia, but since criminals were often thrown from it, the name "Tower of Death" was given to the Kalyan ("kahl-YAHN") minaret in this country. A major city in this country is home to the Bibi-Khanym ("BEE-bee-KAH-nim") Mosque. A city in this country contains the (*) Chorsu ("CHOR-soo") dome in the southeast of its Registan ("REG-ee-stahn") square. This country's city of Shahrisabz ("SHAH-ree-suhbz") is home to a large monument of Timur, who established his capital at another city in this country. For 10 points, name this country whose major historic cities include Bukhara ("book-AH-ruh"), Samarkand and its capital Tashkent.
A: Republic of Uzbekistan [or O'zbekiston Respublikasi] (The first and second lines refer to Shahi-Zinda and Qirqqiz Fortress; the Bibi-Khanym Mosque is in Samarkand.)
Q: In 1984, the East Moors Viaduct was completed to form part of this city's Peripheral Distributor Road, which connects this city's West and East. This city is the only UK city to name two different motorway service stations, namely this city's West and Gate Services. Protests in the 1960s surrounding building the Thornhill Interchange meant a motorway passing this city is missing Junction 31. The train station for this city's airport is located in the nearby village of (*) Rhoose ("rooss"), and has the longest name of any UK train station.It's not Glasgow, but in 2014, this city's Queen Street Station was refurbished to allow a new platform for transport to this city's bay. The A4055 links this city to Barry Island. For 10 points, name this capital city of Wales.
A: Cardiff [or Caerdydd; accept Moto Cardiff West or Welcome Break Cardiff Gate; accept Rhoose Cardiff International Airport or Maes Awyr Rhyngwladol Caerdydd Y Rhws] (The first line references the A4232.)
Q: In the 1980s, dozens of people of this religion established a rural community in Delaware County, New York, that added the suffix "berg" to its name. In 1929, people constructed the oldest still-extant house of worship for this religion in the US in Ross, North Dakota. The US's second-largest per capita population of people of this religion is in Paterson, New Jersey. Hamtramck is the only city in the US where this religion is the majority. The AANM is a museum honoring the heritage of people of this religion who make up much of Dearborn, Michigan. An ethnic enclave of people of this religion in Anaheim includes restaurants offering maqluba and hookah. For 10 points, name this religion whose members attend Cedar Rapids' Mother Mosque of America.
A: Islam [or Sunni Islam; or Shia Islam]
Q: During the Great Depression, a secession movement in this state was supported by James "Moo-Cow" Mitchell. A novel recounts how the kidnapped Molly, Daisy, and Gracie used a structure in this state to find their way home. NASA was fined 400 dollars for littering after debris from Skylab crashed into this state, whose capital saluted John Glenn's 1962 flyby by keeping its lights on all night. George Meredith led a squad of machine gunners during a failed campaign in this state, whose population exploded after gold rushes in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. A series of rabbit-proof fences were built in this state, which evolved from the Swan River Colony. The Emu War was fought in, for 10 points, what largest Australian state, led from Perth?
A: Western Australia [or WA; do not accept "Australia" or "West Australia"]
Q: Slave traders known as pombeiros historically operated along this river and took their name from a town along it named Pumbe. Herman Sorgel's ("sor-girl") unfulfilled Atlantropa project called for the damming of this river to increase irrigation capacity. Large wooden scaffolds are used by the Wagenya people to catch large fish near the source of this river. The largest suspension bridge in this river's continent is named for its port city of Matadi. The demilitarized island of Mbamu ("ba-mu") is located in a lake-like area within this river known as the Malebo Pool. Two major hydroelectric dams are located near this river's Inga Waterfalls. For 10 points, name this river, which names two African countries with capitals at Brazzaville and Kinshasa.
A: Congo River
Q: Los Katios National Park is a protected area that is part of a mountain range with this name that partly contains the Choco Department. This name of a gulf in the southernmost region of the Caribbean Sea is shared by a region inhabited by the Guna, home to the Atrato River delta. The city of La Palma governs a province of this name that is bordered by Kuna Yala and was the site of a 17th-century Scottish colonization "scheme." Travelers often skip bypassing a region of this name by departing from Turbo or Cartagena and ending in Colon. FARC rebels once occupied the non-Amazonian rainforests of a region of this name, which is the only interruption of the Pan-American Highway. For 10 points, give this name of a "Gap" separating Colombia and Panama.
A: Darien [or Darien Gap; or Darien Scheme; or Darien Gulf]
Q: A stadium in this city houses a vegetarian restaurant named Geranium. This city is home to Rosenborg Castle. A sculpture in this city partially modeled on ballerina Ellen Price is located in the promenade Langelinie ["lahng-eh-LEENG-uh"]. An amusement park in this city inspired the design of Disneyland and features (*) Rutschebanen [ROO-sheh-bahn-en"], a wooden roller coaster. This city home to Tivoli Gardens also contains an Edvard Eriksen statue depicting the title character of the short story "The Little Mermaid." For 10 points, name this capital of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [or København] [København = "koo-bin-HOUN"]
Q: A village near this city had its iron doors shipped to London by Sir Reginald Stubbs. Possession Street marks Edward Belcher's landing in this city, and Boundary Street used to form a border for this city. The Third Plague ravaged this city, possibly because of the Peak Reservation Ordinance that segregated this city's Victoria Peak. Norman Foster built the headquarters for a bank named for this city and Shanghai. Following the First Opium War, this city became a British colony under the Treaty of Nanjing. For the point, name this southern Chinese city that was returned to China in 1997.
A: Hong Kong
Q: The Xiao'erjing ["shao-AHR-jing"] system uses this language's script to write in Chinese. Speakers of this language may use numerals to represent sounds that don't exist in English while texting in a system called "[this language] -izi." ["easy"] Letters in this language are classified as "sun" or "moon" depending on whether they assimilate the letter lam ["laahm"]. This language's (*) "Modern Standard" form is seldom used by most speakers. This language's Maghrebi and Sudanese varieties are spoken in North Africa. For 10 points, name this language spoken in cities like Dubai and Mecca.
A: Arabic [prompt on Persian or Farsi during the first sentence by asking "What other language's script does that language use?"]
Q: One brand of these products sold in Hungary is called Eros Pista ["AIR-ohsh PEESH-tah"], or "Strong Steven." One of these products produced at a factory in Avery Island, Louisiana is the McIlhenny ["MACK-ill-henny"] Company's main product. "Smokin" Ed Currie's company PuckerButt provided the ingredients for "The Last Dab," one of these products created for a (*) Sean Evans-hosted internet show. Huy Fong Foods manufactures a variety of this product of Southeast Asian origin featuring a rooster on its packaging. For 10 points, name these products whose varieties include Tabasco and Sriracha.
A: hot sauces [or chili sauces or spicy sauces or equivalents; accept Tabasco sauce or Sriracha or cock sauce until read; prompt on sauces]
Q: In 1791 in this state, many Mina people took part in a slave revolt near the False River. Eastern Air Lines Flight 304 crashed into a lake in this state that receives water from the Tickfaw and Tchefuncte ("chuh-FUNK-tuh") Rivers. Between the 12th and early 19th centuries, this state was home to an enormous log jam called the Great Raft that clogged two major rivers. During one national disaster, this state's MRGO (*) Canal contributed to intense flooding around an area named for St. Bernard. The Old River Control Structure was built in the 1960s in this state to regulate the flow of water into the Atchafalaya ("uh-CHAFF-uh-LYE-uh") River. The Red River was opened by Henry Shreve ("shreev"), the namesake of this state's city of Shreveport. Lake Pontchartrain ("PONCH-uh-train") is located in, for 10 points, what state where the Mississippi River flows past New Orleans?
A: Louisiana
Q: This body of water was once named after John Bigler, with its name later changed because of Bigler's secessionist sympathies. The 1960 Winter Olympics were held west of this lake in a previously undeveloped resort named for a slur against Native American women. John C. Fremont was the first person of European descent to encounter this lake, whose surrounding area provided timber for settlers attracted to the Comstock Lode. This lake is east of Truckee and another lake named for the Donner Party. For the point, name this sixth-largest lake in the US, located on the California-Nevada boundary.
A: Lake Tahoe
Q: It's not Macon, Georgia, but this city's Cannonball House is located across from the Esplanade that hosts its Military Tattoo. This city's Gilded Balloon, Underbelly, Pleasance, and Assembly make up its "Big Four" venues. In this city, local stone was used to build the Canongate Wall of a government building designed to mirror an extinct volcano called Arthur's Seat. Heavy investment has gentrified this city's port area of Leith ("leeth"). The world's largest performing arts festival is this city's Festival Fringe. This city's castle is at one end of the Royal Mile, which ends in the east at Holyrood Palace. This city is connected to the county of Fife by the world's second-longest cantilever bridge. For 10 points, what largest city on the Firth of Forth is the capital of Scotland?
A: Edinburgh ("ED-in-bur-uh") [or Dun Eideann]
Q: A pink-colored phenomenon on this body of water, referred to as the Lanterns of Saint Anthony or by a name in the Bari language, can aid or kill fishermen who live in tin houses on stilts. An indigenous word for copaiba names the city of Cabimas on the eastern shore of this body of water. The main land route to a city in Zulia State named for this body of water is over the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge. Air circulation over the spot where the Catatumbo River meets this body of water causes the most frequent lightning on earth. The oil extracted from the spit at the north of this body of water has funded the Bolivarian Mission social programs in the westernmost founding member of OPEC. For 10 points, what largest lake in South America is located in northwest Venezuela?
A: Lake Maracaibo [or Lago de Maracaibo; accept Tablazo Strait]
Q: This region's city of Birobidzhan ["bee-ROH-beed-jahn"] is the capital of the world's only Jewish administrative division. Nerpa seals are endemic to a body of water in this region also home to the Buryat people. A peninsula in this region contains the Valley of Geysers and encloses the Sea of (*) Okhotsk ["oh-KOTSK"]. This region is crossed by a namesake railway whose eastern terminus is in Vladivostok. This region's city of Irkutsk sits near the deepest lake in the world. Lake Baikal is in, for 10 points, what vast region of Russia east of the Ural Mountains?
A: Siberia [or Sibir'; accept the Jewish Autonomous Oblast or Yevreyskaya avtonomnaya oblast or JAO before "Jewish" is read; prompt on Russia or the Russian Far East or Asian Russia or equivalents until "Russia" is read; prompt on Kamchatka Peninsula during the third line]
Q: In legend, this natural feature was created by a battle between the sky god Skell and the god of the underworld, Llao. John Wesley Hillman was the first non-Native man to see this feature, which was used in Klamath vision quests. The Phantom Ship and Wizard Island are found in this body of water, as is a tree stump named Old Man of the Lake that has been bobbing in its waters since at least 1896. For the point, name this caldera lake that formed several thousand years ago from the eruption of Mount Mazama in Oregon, the deepest lake in the US.
A: Crater Lake
Q: Archaeologists in this country hope to find all fifty of the "Elliq-Qala," or "Fifty Forts," including castles at Guldursun and Toprak. Toxic dust storms cause chronic illnesses in this country's depopulated city of Moynaq, home to a "cemetery of boats." Most of the Karakalpak people live in this country around a river delta home to the cities of Nukus and Urgench. This country's main ethnic group speaks the second most widely-spoken Turkic language, which is closely related to Uighur. The city of Andijan lies in this country's section of the Ferghana Valley. Before the effects of irrigation for cotton growing, the Amu Darya met the Aral Sea in this country. For 10 points, what most populous country in Central Asia contains cities like Samarkand and Tashkent?
A: Uzbekistan [or Republic of Uzbekistan; or O'zbekiston Respublikasi]
Q: A Santiago Calatrava-designed glass bridge in this city was the site of a scrapped wheelchair lift project. A style of milk-like glass known as lattimo ["la-TEE-mo"] originated in this city. Convicts saw their last view of this city before imprisonment while crossing its (*) Bridge of Sighs, which connects to a building that housed medieval rulers of this city. The Po empties into the Adriatic Sea near this city. A campanile ["camp-ah-NEEL"] overlooks this city's Piazza San Marco. The Doge's Palace is in, for 10 points, what Italian city with many canals?
A: Venice [or Venezia]
Q: Rogier Verbeek studied one of these events, having directly witnessed it from Buitenzorg. One of these events is hypothesized to have occurred in late 1808, based on a peak in sulfate concentration in Arctic ice cores and South American descriptions of atmospheric anomalies. One of these events at Mount Tambora caused 1816 to be a "year without a summer." The red sky in Edward Munch's The Scream was inspired by one of these events that devastated islands in the Sunda Strait. For the point, name this type of event that, in 1883, destroyed the island of Krakatoa and killed tens of thousands of people with pyroclastic flows.
A: volcanic eruption (accept anything do with a volcano erupting; accept Krakatoa eruption)
Q: This river is home to its namesake goose Neochen jubata and the crocodile Crocodylus intermedius. The Guahibos and Atures rapids are located on this river and its river system is linked to a much larger river system by the Casiquiare Canal. This river's tributaries include the Apure river and the Meta. The Maipure and Warao live around this river. This river is the site of one of the largest deposits of (*) tar sands outside of Canada. This river's name means "a place to paddle." This river flows through the Llanos and it has a large delta. Cities along this river include Puerto Ayacucho and Ciudad Bolivar. For 10 points, name this large river of Columbia and Venezuela which gives its name to a work of Aphra Behn.
A: Orinoco river
Q: To the north of this feature may be seen the sphere of fast-food joint Orange Julep, which shockingly rises 40 feet into the air, as well as a namesake university's famed pale-yellow art deco tower and the Oratory of St. Joseph, home to the world's third-largest basilica dome. The downtown of this feature's namesake city lies to its south and features skyscrapers like the Pier Luigi Nervi-designed Stock Exchange Tower and the I.M. Pei-designed (*) Place Ville-Marie. This geographic feature itself features a 103 foot-high cross that is illuminated in blue in honor of St. John the Baptist and purple to mark the death of a Pope, while its southern slope is home to its namesake city's McGill University. Named in honor of King Francis I by Jacques Cartier, for 10 points, name this large hill surrounded by a namesake city, the largest in Quebec and second largest in Canada.
A: Mount Royal [accept Mont Royal or Montreal; do not accept "Blue Line"]
Q: This city's Royal Botanic Gardens contain a carved stone seat called Mrs. Macquaries' Chair. One of its oldest neighborhoods survived controversial renovation in the 70s and is known as "the Rocks." This city is bounded to the west by the Blue Mountains and to the north by the Hawkesbury River. In this city, the Gladesville Bridge and a bridge nicknamed "the Coat Hanger" cross its major river the Parramatta. Like London, its historic red light district is called (*) Kings Cross. This city's beaches include Manly Beach and Bondi Beach, and it lies on Port Jackson, the largest natural harbor in the world. The Cooks River and the Georges River flow through this city and in to Botany Bay. For 10 points, name this home of a Jorn Utzon designed opera house, the largest city in New South Wales and all of Australia.
A: Sydney
Q: A 1987 headline of El Tiempo promised that this city would have a metro in three years, although construction only began in 2020 for a route starting at Portal of the Americas. Under the mayorship of Enrique Penalosa ("PAY-nyah-loe-sah"), this city, which is served by El Dorado International Airport, built the TransMilenio Bus Rapid Transit system. This city, surrounded by Cundinamarca, houses a museum featuring a gold raft depicting a legend among its (*) Muisca people that inspired El Dorado. This capital city has a museum in its central La Candelaria district dedicated to the artist Fernando Botero. The Plaza de Bolivar in this former capital of the Kingdom of New Granada commemorates the aftermath of the nearby Battle of Boyaca. For 10 points, name this capital of Colombia.
A: Bogota [prompt on Distrito Capital]
Q: This river is crossed by the world's longest single-span bridge for pedestrians and cyclists near Huningue ("oo-NANG"). Many hydroelectric facilities lie along a "Grand Canal" parallel to this river near the town of Kembs ("KEHMSS"). This river, whose artificial mouth is the "New Waterway," turned red and experienced mass fish death after a fire at the Sandoz chemical works. Human settlement of this river's peatland delta likely caused its (*) Lek distributary to form. Distance markers along this river count kilometers from the bridge at Lake Constance. A "land" named for this river is a major industrial area near where the Ruhr flows into this river, including the cities of Mainz ("MIGHNTS") and Bonn. For 10 points each, name this river that forms much of the Franco-German border before flowing into the North Sea.
A: Rhine River [accept der Rhein; accept Rijn; accept le Rhin]
Q: Alfred Thayer Mahan ("muh-HAN") hypothesized that the middle of this region was a "debatable and debated ground" in a book titled for the "Problem" of this region." A large part of this region is the title "Geographical Pivot of History" in another work. Two of the three parts of Nicholas John Spykman's ("SPEEK-man's") Rimland lie in this region, which Halford Mackinder theorized contains most of the strategically important "Heartland." (*) Jared Diamond argued that too little geographic balkanization in this region made its great powers unchallenged despite the correct "axis of orientation." The Sunda Shelf is part of this region, which lies west of the Wallace line. This region also contains the "Roof of the World" near the site of the Great Game. For 10 points, name this continent separated by the Urals from Europe.
A: Asia [accept Central Asia or Middle Asia; prompt on Eurasia; prompt on Russia or the Russian Empire; prompt on East Asia or Southeast Asia or South Asia or North Asia with "what larger region is that part of?"]
Q: This body of water was first swum across by Brenda Sherratt in 1966. The River Oich ["oyk"] empties into this body of water. The ruins of Urquhart ["UR-kaart"] Castle lie on the shores of this body of water, which is located southwest of the city of Inverness in the Great Glen. This lake was the site of Dr. Robert Wilson's Surgeon's Photograph, which most scientists now believe was (*) staged and crops out a submarine. A 2018 DNA survey of this lake failed to locate a long-necked reptilian resident. For 10 points, name this loch in the Scottish Highlands, the supposed home of a monster dubbed "Nessie."
A: Loch Ness [accept Loch Ness Monster]
Q: This city is home to the World War II-era restaurant Mary Mac's Tea Room. It's not Boston, but a hotel in this city dubbed the "Pregnant Building" appeared as the Time Variance Authority headquarters in Loki. The only captive whale sharks in the U.S. are in this city's aquarium, the (*) largest in the country. Ebenezer Baptist Church lies down the street from Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home in this city. A secret formula created by John Pemberton is supposedly contained in a vault in this city's World of Coca-Cola. For 10 points, name this largest city in Georgia.
A: Atlanta
Q: This holiday is celebrated in the Philippines as Undas. A character associated with this holiday first appeared on a 1944 Art Institute of Chicago catalog and is named Catrina. Marigolds are commonly used to celebrate this holiday and pictures adorn a shrine called an (*) ofrenda that is built in the days leading up to it. A film inspired by this holiday features the song "Remember Me." Decorated sugar skulls called calavera are created during this holiday. For 10 points, name this Mexican holiday honoring deceased relatives.
A: Day of the Dead [or el Dia de los Muertos or el Dia los Muertos until read]
Q: Gibbs Farm in this country is home to enormous sculptures including Neil Dawson's Horizons. The Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers lie along this country's Southern Alps. This country's largest city, which sits on a field of about 53 volcanoes, lies northeast of the (*) Bay of Plenty. Proposed designs for a replacement for this country's flag feature a red Southern Cross next to a silver fern. The Cook Strait separates this country's North and South Islands. For 10 points, name this southwestern Pacific country whose largest city is Auckland.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: Nepal's Gurung ["goo-ROONG"] people climb sheer rock faces to obtain a product from these animals with hallucinogenic properties. These animals' communication systems were studied by Karl von Frisch. In many European countries, these creatures are informed of births, deaths, and marriages in a practice known as "telling" them. A foodstuff produced by these creatures is eaten with (*) apples on Rosh Hashanah. These creatures can be calmed by the use of "smokers." Mathematician Thomas Hales proved the efficiency of a hexagonal pattern created by these creatures. For 10 points, name these insects that produce honey.
A: bees [accept honeybees; do NOT accept or prompt on "bumblebees"]
Q: A salt flat in this mountain range contains a tapered hill whose name means "sharp cone." A non-Brazilian statue of Christ the Redeemer stands at this mountain range's Cumbre Pass. This mountain range contains the farthest point from Earth's center, (*) Chimborazo. This mountain range's namesake condor is the largest bird of prey in the world. This range ends at the Tierra del Fuego archipelago and contains the highest peak in the Americas, Aconcagua. For 10 points, name this long mountain range in western South America.
A: Andes [or Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range]
Q: A soup based on this ingredient is topped with ham and eggs in the Andalusian dish Salmorejo ["saal-mow-REH-hoe"]. A puree ["pure-AY"] of this ingredient is prepared with lentils and butter to make the Indian dish dal makhani ["dahl muck-uh-nee"]. A festival featuring this fruit is held annually in the Spanish town of Bunol ["buh-nyaal"]. The volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius was used to cultivate these fruits' (*) San Marzano variety. Inspired by the new flag of Italy, Raffaele Esposito used this fruit with mozzarella and basil on the first Pizza Margherita. For 10 points, name this fruit that is used to make marinara sauce.
A: tomatoes [or tomates or tamaatar or pomodoro or pomodori; accept specific varieties of tomatoes such as San Marzano or Roma tomatoes; accept La Tomatina]
Q: It's not Zimbabwe, but the Lion Temple was built near the Great Enclosure of one site in this country. This country disputes the Hala'ib ["hahl-la-EEB"] Triangle with its neighbor to the north, while both lay no claim to nearby Bir Tawil. The (*) Darfur region lies in the west of this country. The White and Blue branches of the Nile meet between this country's capital and its largest city, Omdurman. A country with its capital at Juba declared independence from this country in 2011. For 10 points, name this country with its capital at Khartoum.
A: Sudan [or Republic of the Sudan or As-Sudan or Jumhuriyat as-Sudan; do NOT accept or prompt on "South Sudan"]
Q: Since 2005, a 35-mile fissure has been forming at this geologic region's Dabbahu Volcano. A major lava lake lies in this region's volcano Erta Ale. A formation denoted "RRR" in this region created its Gulfs of Zula and Tadjoura. This region's Awash River yielded the Hadar jaw-arguably the oldest Homo specimen-and the namesake of Ardipithecus, whose name derives from a language sharing this region's name. It's not Iceland, but a terrestrial mid-ocean ridge in this region exemplifies (*) ocean formation. This region's Lake Assal is Africa's lowest point. The now-ghost town of Dallol in this region has the world record for hottest inhabited place and is in its Danakil Desert. As the "Lucy" skeleton was found in this region, its species name refers to it. For 10 points, name this region formed by a triple junction of the African, Arabian, and Somali plates, centered on Djibouti.
A: Afar Triangle [or Afar Depression or Afar Triple Junction; accept Danakil Depression or Danakil Desert before mention; prompt on Australopithecus afarensis; prompt on broader answers like Horn of Africa or Great Rift Valley by asking "which geologic region within that?"]
Q: Most of the remaining population of Welsh's Milkweed is in a park named for these geographical features with a distinct "Coral Pink" color. The largest area in the Arctic with these features is in the south of Alaska's Kobuk Valley National Park. The intermittent Medano Creek maintains the size of these formations in a national park in the San Luis Valley of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Kelso region is one area where these features are known to (*) "sing." The largest of these formations made of gypsum are found at a national park designated in 2019 that periodically closes for missile testing. Crescent-shaped barchan ones of these formations contrast with a 750-foot-tall star-shaped one in a national park named for them in Colorado. For 10 points, Indiana's only national park, on its northern lakeshore, is named what wind-shaped sand formations?
A: dunes [accept Indiana Dunes National Park; accept Great Sand Dunes National Park; accept Kelso Dunes; accept Coral Pink Sand Dunes]
Q: Joseph Poncet founded this island's former mission of St. Pierre. This island contains Wikwemikong Unceded Territory, whose inhabitants refused to sign the McDougall Treaty in 1862, along with five other indigenous reserves. This island's people are called "Haweaters" for their love of local hawthorn berries. This island is separated from the Bruce Peninsula by the Main Channel. This island is the cultural center of the Odawa, and its name refers to an underwater "Cave of the Spirit" that renders it sacred to the (*) Anishnaabe. This island divides the North Channel and Georgian Bay from the main portion of its parent water body. This island contains the largest second-order island in the world and the largest island lake. For 10 points, name this largest freshwater lake island in the world, located in Canadian Lake Huron, named for being the home of Gitchie Manitou.
A: Manitoulin Island [or Manidoo Mnis or Odawa Mnis]
Q: A 2015 survey revealed that this mountain is actually ten feet shorter than originally thought. This peak was first ascended by Bradford Washburn using the West Buttress Route. This mountain's namesake national park is serviced by a 92-mile long road closed to private vehicles that leads to Eielson ["ILE-son"] Visitor Center. The (*) Kahiltna ["kah-HILT-nuh"] Glacier starts at this mountain. In 2015, this mountain was renamed to a Koyukon name meaning "the high one." For 10 points, name this Alaskan peak, the highest in North America.
A: Denali [or Mount McKinley]
Q: To accommodate five "founders," a designation in this legislation requires a certain ratio to be between 1:1 and 9:1. This legislation defines "sedentary" species as moving only in "constant physical contact" with the ground. This legislation uses equivalent nickel quotas to define quotas in "the Area," the first subject of the phrase "common heritage of mankind." This legislation is enforced from Kingston, Jamaica by the ISA. This legislation led to negotiations on "straddling" resources in areas like the (*) "Peanut Hole." In 2023, a section on "biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction" was added to this legislation. This legislation defines a "contiguous zone" twice as wide as 12-mile "territorial" areas and excludes "rocks which cannot sustain human habitation" in defining 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones. For 10 points, name this foundational set of international maritime laws.
A: UNCLOS [accept UN Convention on the Law of the Sea] (The first line refers to the definition of archipelagic states, whose five initial examples are the Bahamas, Fiji, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.)
Q: Note to players: This question is asking for a subnational political unit, like "Puerto Rico" or "Florida" An engineer in this subnational political unit developed a way to make artificial glaciers now used for local irrigation, dubbed "ice stupas." This region's namesake chronicle describes its history as a trade hub formerly called "Maryul," accessed by the Khardung La from Yarkand to the north or the Zoji La from a "vale" to the south. This is the most Buddhist political unit in its country due to a majority around its capital, Leh. This modern political unit's Shyok River is indirectly fed by the second-longest glacier in the world, the (*) Siachen. This political unit, which names a southeastern extension of the Karakorams, claims but does not control Aksai Chin. A December 2023 court decision upheld the 2019 revocation of Article 370 to create this political unit. For 10 points, what largest Union Territory was formed by the partition of Jammu and Kashmir?
A: Ladakh [prompt on Kashmir by asking "name the easternmost administrative political unit within the broader disputed Kashmir region"; reject "Jammu and Kashmir"]
Q: The Siboga expedition of non-sociologist Max Weber proposed a boundary bisecting a region named for this person. This person built on Philip Sclater's work to posit that the world was split into six regions grouped into Megagaea, Notogaea, and Neogaea. The Tanimbar Islands are the easternmost part of a region named for this person, according to a study by Richard Lydekker. The most famous feature named for this person has alternate northern extensions proposed by (*) Ernst Mayr and Thomas Huxley and passes through the Makassar and Lombok Straits. The border between land home to Asian fauna and a transitional region towards Australasian fauna, named for this biologist, is his namesake "Line." For 10 points, name this "father of biogeography" whose discoveries spurred the publication of On the Origin of Species.
A: Alfred Russel Wallace [accept the Wallace Line or Wallacea]
Q: This is the largest tropical island on which rat eradication has been attempted, but 60 to 80 rats survived and populations recovered. After the Essex was destroyed by a sperm whale, inspiring Moby-Dick, its castaways first landed on this island. In early 2024, Plastic Odyssey finished clearing 9 tons of plastic waste off this remote island, previously called the most polluted in the world due to trash carried by the South Pacific Gyre. This [emphasize] currently uninhabited island supplied turtle eggs and red feathers, and a neighbor supplied basalt and obsidian, in a triangle trade with Mangareva described in (*) Jared Diamond's Collapse. Aldabra and this island are the world's last raised coral atolls in near-pristine condition. This island lies in but does not name an archipelago that also includes Oeno and Ducie Atolls. For 10 points, name this island, the largest of the Pitcairn Islands.
A: Henderson Island [or Henderson Atoll]
Q: Moderator note: Read the entire answerline and note the directed prompt Historical or modern names acceptable. A 2020 Ana Martinez work analyzing "performance" in this place describes its role in public protest. 18,000 people posed nude in this place for a 2007 photoshoot by Spencer Tunick. Agusti Querol Subirats designed four sculptures of Pegasus that formerly decorated this place. In 1978, Eduardo Matos began excavating a site at this place after an 8.5-ton circular stone disk representing a dismembered moon goddess was discovered. The Cruz de Manozca is located in a church in this place whose Crypt of the Archbishops includes the resting place of (*) Juan de Zumarraga. That cathedral in this place also holds the tilma of Juan Diego and was where a massive "sun stone" calendar was unearthed during renovations. For 10 points, a national president rings a bell used by Father Hidalgo and delivers the Cry of Dolores every year in what central square of Mexico City?
A: Zocalo of Mexico City [accept Plaza de la Constitucion or Constitution Square; accept Plaza Mayor of Mexico City; accept Plaza de Armas of Mexico City; accept Templo Mayor; prompt on Mexico City or Tenochtitlan; prompt on Zocalo or Plaza de Armas or Plaza Mayor before "Mexico" is read by asking "in which city?"]
Q: This state's Slateford Junction was connected to a [emphasize] more easterly state's Port Morris first via the "Old Road" and then a high-speed "Cutoff" 11 miles shorter. This state's two largest cities were connected by the "Main Line" via a corridor now named for this state's nickname that ascends a mountain with minimal grades via the Horseshoe Curve. An interstate in this state has a section known as the "Blue Route" and a Northeast Extension to a turnpike that was the (*) first long-distance controlled-access highway in the US and is called the "Grandfather of the Interstates." This state's largest train station is the William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, while its namesake railroad names the busiest railroad station in the Americas in New York. For 10 points, the Lehigh Valley Railroad connected what state's coalfields to its largest city, Philadelphia?
A: Pennsylvania
Q: The practice of rarabu, or fish-driving with coconut leaves on this body of water, has largely died out. The village of Alite on this body of water functions as an ossuary for deceased priests; those priests are involved in pig-sacrifices to sharks, and are kept in a house of skulls following decomposition. Jack London described a visit to this body of water aboard the yacht Minota during which Captain Mackenzie was hatcheted and then eaten in revenge for murders on the Ysabel plantation in his Cruise of the Snark. On islands in this body of water, speakers of the (*) Kwarae language may share a tambu house with the Wala people as a marketplace. Unlike the nearby Lau Lagoon, outer settlements on this body of water were mostly built on existing reefs. This body of water's best-known product was said to have been introduced by a resident of Tafilo who arrived on a coconut raft after being banished from Bougainville. A product manufactured on this body of water is made using red romu, black kurila and white kakanda, and is used to assuage taboos like fa okae or in bride-price payments by the wane i asi, the salt-water people, who dwell on outlying islands like Laulasi. FTP, name this large lagoon known for supplying and manufacturing its nation's Tafuli'ae shell currency, and on which the capital of Malaita province, Auki, is located, in the Solomon Islands.
A: Langa Langa Lagoon or Akwalaafu
Q: In October 2023, a country closed all of its diesel power plants after Shema Power [this lake] opened the world's largest methane extraction system on it. The term "mazuku" is most associated with deaths around this lake. Until 12,000 years ago, this lake emptied north towards Lake Edward. The March 23 Movement and most active "Mai-Mai" militias operate in a region named for this lake. Bukavu lies on the south end of this lake, while many invasions have occurred on the road between Gisenyi and (*) Goma to its north. The Ruzizi River drains this lake into Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River system. This lake is the largest believed capable of having limnic eruptions of carbon dioxide. A conflict commonly named for this lake is a continuation of the Second Congo War. For 10 points, what African Great Lake west of Rwanda names two provinces of the DRC?
A: Lake Kivu [accept Shema Power Lake Kivu] ("Mazuku" refers to deaths caused by carbon dioxide in a limnic eruption.)
Q: The progress of Christianization in this state is linked to a stone found in the Nachtweide Marsh, the Mercury Stone, and a stone bearing a carving of pigeons surrounding a chi-rho monogram known as the Ursus Stone found beneath the old church of Pachten. The still extant Abbey of Tholey, which was first led by St. Wendel, was the first known religious community in this state. The Dollberg hosted the first fortification in what is now this state, the Otzenhausen, a rampart of the Treveri, whose ancestors also set up the menhir Gollenstein, its nation's largest. Another fortification in this state is a converted castle which is known for its informatics seminars which created the cryptographic technique DP5 named for it. That castle of (*) Dagstuhl also manages the computer science bibliography website DBLP, and this state's capital hosts the Max Planck Institute for Informatics. This state is known for a five-mile row of smelters which is part of an industrial heritage preserved by the first foundry to use blowers in gasification, the Volklingen Ironworks. This state rises from the confluence of the Prims with its namesake to the upper Weiskircher Heights in the Hunsruck Uplands, which hosts a coal basin which was transferred to France following World War I. FTP, name this western German state known for its heavy industry legacy, named for a tributary of the Moselle.
A: Saarland
Q: Wetland preservation efforts in this country include the Nagitamo-Narungazi Canal, which utilizes water from the Rugege Swamp, although during droughts, conflict develops between ecological and agricultural concerns, as the canal depletes water levels in the rice-growing Nyavyamo Marshes. Those wetlands are part of the protected Lacs du Nord landscape, which lies within the savanna of the Murehe Forest to the north of the granitic batholith which delimits the Bugesera Depression. Estates found in the center of this country contain a hearth built for livestock known as an igicaniro. Most of those traditional Rugo estates are found along the high ridge of the Mugamba, which appropriately means "cow" in this country's principal language. Agriculture in this country's central (*) Buyogoma Highlands is hindered by lithosols and lateritic caps, and most farmland is found in the periodically flooded Imbo Strip, which begins in the northwestern province of Cibitoke. This nation's capital is surrounded by several royal drum sanctuaries, known as karyenda, and contains the former royal court, the Ibwami. To the southwest of that capital, the Rurubu river converges with the Ruvyironza, whose source on Mt. Kikizi is claimed as the remotest Nile source by many inhabitants of this nation. FTP, name this nation with capital Gitega and largest city, Bujumbura.
A: Burundi
Q: Economic activities on this plateau benefit a class known as the Kapiski, and were said to be based on a technology from Gudur and used a smaller version of local divices which also include the Mafa and the Teleki-Burna. Males living on this plateau undergo the biannual coming of age ceremony, the Ber, which is critical for warriors as the name of this plateau refers to the frequent blood-feuds of the Bura and Marghi peoples, and means "vengeance." The economy of this plateau was disrupted by the constant raids of the Lamdo of Madagali in the 20th Century, and by a 21st century movement which burned villages like Mefir Suku and Baba. It's not the Jos, but those activities, which continued largely interrupted from the time of the more westerly Nok culture, produce a raw material known as (*) duburu. This plateau contains a number of terraces containing sacred trees, which are part of the lay Kasa, containing circular adobe daga thatch-roofed houses, many of which contain bellows for shaft furnaces. The Kasa is distinct from the royal Sama, which is primarily made of granite, and houses a monarch of the Dur Dynasty. This was the only world heritage site described by Koo Saro-Wiwa in her travel guide Looking for Transwonderland. FTP, name this iron-smelting cultural landscape of northeastern Nigeria, best known for its still-functioning palace of the Hidi.
A: Sukur Plateau (prompt on "Mandara Mountains")
Q: A group sharing its name with this ethnic group lives in Fuyu County, Qiqihar ("chee-chee-har"). After being refused asylum in Alaska, refugees of this ethnicity live near Lake Van in the village of Ulupamir, having previously fled the Urkun genocide by settling in the Wakhan Corridor. A state of the "Yenisei" precursor to this ethnic group may have inspired the unification of their namesake forty tribes by the subject of their national epic. This ethnic group are the main mountain-dwelling nomads of northern (*) Central Asia. An exodus of Uzbeks down the Fergana Valley occurred after ethnic riots with this group around Osh. This ethnic group are the main inhabitants around Jengish Chokusu, the highest peak in the Tian Shan, and the second most voluminous salty lake in the world, Issyk Kul. For 10 points, what ethnic group names the country whose capital is Bishkek?
A: Kyrgyz people
Q: Politics relating to this place are analyzed in Jacob Blanc's Before the Flood and Christine Folch's Hydropolitics. The Yvyrupa Commission examined the Ava people's removal from Tekoa Ocoy after an event at this place, from which Operation Mymba Kuera rescued animals. An annual payment for this place was raised from 124 to 360 million dollars in 2009 and ended in 2023 after 50 years. This place lies near Guaira Falls, formerly one of the highest-volume waterfalls in the world. This place on the Serra Geral Flood Basalt has the largest (*) power plant connected to both 50 Hz and 60 Hz transmission lines. This place is 9 miles north of Friendship Bridge, connecting Ciudad del Este to a town named for nearby Iguazu Falls. This place's name means "the sounding stone" in Guarani. For 10 points, name this second most productive dam in the world, on the Parana River between Paraguay and Brazil.
A: Itaipu Dam [or Barragem de Itaipu or Represa de Itaipu; accept Itaipu Binacional Dam]
Q: An ancient empire controlled access to this location by colonizing the village of Halala, which sat at the northern end of a difficult route which would have needed to negotiate the treacherous River of Forty Bends. A Roman empress which gave her name to that colony perished after traversing that route, and a later empire relocated its citizens to a fortress which stands north of modern-day Porsuk. That empire, which evacuated Faustinopolis, kept watch on this location from the southernmost of nine beacons designed by Leo the Mathematician. A modern route which is said to go through, but actually bypasses this area, passes the Varda Viaduct, and involves 37 rail tunnels which ascend from the (*) Cakitsuyu Valley. The plateaus Tekir and Akcakoy merge just to the northwest of this location, creating a north-facing funnel in the highlands of the Burucek. Armies approaching this location from the south would have encountered the castle of Anahsa and an older fortress which was known to the Arabs as the Kawlak. The city of Pozantı guards this artery which passing crusaders called the "Gates of Judas." That gorge of the Gokuluk River hosts the E90 highway, but in the time of Xenophon was said to be only wide enough for a single ox-cart. FTP, name this pass traversed by St. Paul on his way to the Galatians and Alexander the Great en route to Issus which connects Cappadocia to its namesake region, located in the Taurus Mountains.
A: Cilician Gates or Gulek Bogazy
Q: Conservationists oppose the proposed dredging of this river for access to oil refineries at its city of Schwedt. A canal directly linking this river and one of its tributaries connects it to Metropolis GZM via Gliwice ("glee-VEE-tseh"). A canal to the Notec River connects this river's largest tributary, the Warta, to the largest river system in its country. The drainage divide between this river's basin and the Danube Basin runs through the (*) Moravian Gate, which separates the Carpathians from the Sudeten Mountains. This river eventually flows into the Bay of Pomerania after emptying into the Szczecin Lagoon. This river directly drains Silesia, and its broader catchment basin drains much of western Poland. For 10 points, Wroclaw is the largest city on what river that forms much of the Germany-Poland border along with its Neisse tributary?
A: Oder River [or Odra]
Q: These people mine bentonite clays from the sacred valley of Nkokomoni, which is surrounded by the ancestral caverns of Bodimong. Women among these people may attend finishing schools headed by a monga mophato, while men commonly wear the hoholobela until completing the initiation rites of lobollo lo banna, afterwards donning the lekhokolo. An early council-site of these people which is still revered today is found beneath a mountain which was believed to grow enormous at night and to steal back pebbles or dirt taken from it. That capital replaced their sacred mountain of Butha-Buthe as their chief revered site (*) , Thaba Boisiu. The Lozi are the closest relatives of these people outside their principal country, and the Kololo split off from them due to events described by an epic written by Thomas Mofolo, who is a member of these people. That epic discusses a figure whose rise at first separated, then united the various branches of these people, one of which spoke the official language of the former polity Lebowa, which means "north," and was a homeland of the affiliated Bapedi. Chiefs and princes of the other branch are instantly recognizable from their wearing of the straw hat, the mokorotlo. FTP, name this people group of Southern Africa whose southern language branch is the official language of their namesake nation, which is spoken in Maseru.
A: BaSotho (accept the debatably incorrect but commonly BaPedi or SePedi before mentioned)
Q: In one country, a fluvial example of this type of landform is associated with accelerated erosion in the Huqf Hills, and is named "this type of landform" of Ill Omen. A 2020 study in that country has proposed using plasterboard landfills to stabilize one of them that is causing settling beneath the city of Sohar. The Hith anhydrite beds are an ancient deposit indicative of this type of landform which hosts hydrocarbon reservoirs and plays an important role in the development of dolomite beds from limestone deposits. The Matti example of this type of landform was named for an unfortunate who disappeared while attempting to cross one of them, and non-flooded portions of an example called the Mother of (*) Worries is underlain by quicksand. The Tal Moreeb is a sandhill that overlies interspersed examples of these landforms at the Liwa Oasis. The Rawdat Jarrah Depression separates one of these landforms from the Bay of Zekreet which created it, and is the Dukhan, the largest one in Qatar. One of these landforms is created by the restricting conditions created by the Great Pearl Bank, which unlike the khor model involves growth by the evaporation of capillary seepage rather than supratidal flooding; that one is the Abu Dhabi example, which is mined for its contents. FTP, name these flatlands made of high concentrations of solanchak soil, which contain sylvite and halite, found on the Arabian Peninsula.
A: Sabkhas (Accept equivalents like Arabian salt flats before the FTP marker. Accept salt marsh, as they are indistinguishable from sabkhas when flooded. Do not accept "khor" because more than half of the clues are not coastal)
Q: The Minquiers are a treacherous reef located in the northeast of this body of water. Agricultural waste washed into this body of water occasionally supports dangerous blooms of the hydrogen sulfide-producting ulva lactuta algae, which once washed ashore with lethal consequences for residents of one of its ports. That farm waste mostly enters this body of water via the Gouet River. The Birlot Tidal Mill provides brackish drinking water to a village on the western edge of this body of water in the Berhat Archipelago. An opera of Cesar Cui tells a tale of piracy based from a port on this body of water which is also the setting of the 12th-century lai, Laustic. That port, which was founded by a follower of (*) Brendan the Navigator, is the fifth stop on a pilgrimage which also involves this body of water's ports of Dol and Treguier. The Bay of St. Brieuc is the southernmost extension of this body of water. This body of water's principal estuaries are that of the Rance River between its namesake port and the port of Dinard in Ile-et-Vilaine, while silt from the Couesnon, See and Selune Rivers support a causeway which floods daily, cutting off access to the main structure depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. FTP, name this gulf found to the west of the Cotentin Peninsula between the Channel Islands and the Cote d'Armor of Brittany which contains Mont-Saint-Michel.
A: Gulf of St-Malo
Q: A population of endangered feral horses roams over this city's western Kondudo Mountain. Widowhood in this city may be indicated by an upside-down aflala uffa, a covering on long necked black pottery kept in a private pantry room known as a dera. One of this city's oldest neighborhoods is named for the now-departed Argobba people. A butter-rich type of porridge mixed on the Festival of Ashura is believed to portend famine in this city if less than half is consumed by hyenas. Trade and famine in this city have historically depended on its control of the strategic passes of Darmi, which is often choked off by the Gadabursi Clan, and Galdessa, through which its main faith was introduced from (*) Zeila. The historic core of this city is Feres Magala Square. This city's Badro Bari Gate was a drilling ground for Malassay troops guarding the fortress Jugol. The first domesticated coffee plant is believed to come from this city which is also dubiously stated to be the origin of qat. This city is the capital of the smallest and easternmost of its nation's regions that are enclaved within the larger region of Oromia. This city's namesake ethnic group refer to it as the "Gey," though it is best known by its Somali name. FTP, name this walled ridgetop city located south of Dire Dawa whose ninety-nine mosques make it the fourth holiest city in Islam and Ethiopia's chief Muslim city.
A: Harar or Harar-Gey or Medina al-'Awliya or Adare Biyyo
Q: This structure contains a gallery backed by a series of vaults known as the dahliz, and is entered via a gate known as the sqifa. Another gallery in this structure accesses an apartment decorated by yellow tulips, blue narcissus and red cintamani patterns which are found on Iznik tiles. Ramparts removed during an occupation of this structure which once buttressed it against wind have added to its seismic vulnerability and caused much damage to its principal music room. This landmark is located across the Boulevard Taleb from a colonial era armoire known as La Poudriere. Most of the improvements to this former fortress were completed when its only resident occupied its (*) janissary's barracks, and was one of three similar structures belonging to that resident, including the Dar Aziza, which was a gift to his favorite wife, and he occupied it after abandoning the similar Palace of Djanina. Attempts to fortify grain warehouses at Bone and La Calle governed by an occupant of this structure were a bone of contention which led to a diplomatic incident involving a fly-whisk during negotiations at this place, which also served as a residence of Admiral Barbarossa. Within the Ottoman Empire, only Topkapi Palace was larger than this royal seat. FTP, what is this Franco-Moorish castle of Hussain Ali Khudja which stands over its namesake north African city's medina and Kasbah?
A: Palace of the Dey of Algiers (also accept: Castle of Algiers) or Dar es-Sultan of Algiers, prompt on "Kasbah" or "Palace of Algiers."
Q: A national park in these mostly forested mountains hosts the wetlands of the Jilmoeneup Fen, one of three of its nation's highland moors, the high cliffs of the Azure Cranes region and a step waterfall known as the Nine Dragons. As a symbol of longing, that national park's place-names mirror a more northerly peak in this range which is in autumn called "hill of many-colored leaves" and in winter "stone bone mountain." A painting of that mountain which labels twelve of its twelve thousand pillars also contains a depiction of a famous Rainbow Bridge which was destroyed in a 1723 flood. This mountain range also contains a tungsten mine which was built around a spirit rock which represents the sorrow of an infertile princess. That mine, the (*) Sangdong, is found on its namesake peak below three shamanistic altars, the Cheonjedan, as well as a temple built to enshrine a miraculously appearing statue, the Manggyeongsa, and it also contains the Odae subrange, known as the "Five Platforms," which host important bowl and skull relics. Its highest peak contains the difficult Dinosaur Ridge trail as well as the Valley of a Thousand Buddhas on Mt. Seorak. Springs from these mountains birth rivers like the Han and Nakdong. FTP, name this mountain range which includes Mt. Kumgang, the Yeongnam Alps, and the Olympic town of Pyeongchang, found on the east coast of the Korean peninsula.
A: Taebaek Jeongmaek Range - the painting is Jeong Seon's View of Pungak in Spring and Autumn. Anti-prompt on "Yeongnam Alps" or "Korean Alps"
Q: A map of Claudius Ptolemy shows the ancient city of Thinae in this area as the farthest known place from Rome, and golden medallions bearing the image of Antoninus Pius have been found in a ruin which Louis Malleret identified as its city of Cattigara. That city had been reached by Greek sailors after passing the Golden Chersonese and entering the Magnus Sinus. Female entrepreneurs visit Sam Mountain in this region to give offerings to a goddess known as the Lady of the Realm, who demands seven return pilgrimages in exchange for success. The aforementioned ruined trade hub of Oc Eo, formerly on Rach Gia Bay, now names a second century culture associated with this region. Many adherents of the White Lotus offshoot (*) Hoa Hẚo faith still practice in this region despite the public beheading of its leader in a city best known for its Cai Rang Floating Market. The Plain of Reeds, which extends southeast from the Takeo Plateau into this region, is a backwater basin caused by ancient flooding, and is so acidic no rice could be grown there until the 1970's. The Ca Mau peninsula and the island of Phu Quoc were created due to progradation of sediments from this region. The channels Song Thien and Song Hao are the main distributaries of, FTP, what system of waterways which support the city of Can Tho, through which Southeast Asia's longest river enters the South China Sea in southern Vietnam?
A: Mekong Delta or Ðong bang song cuu Long (prompt on "Indochina," "South Vietnam," "Cochin," etc; prompt on "Bassac" by asking "what larger river system is that a part of?) - also anti-prompt on any provincial names like "Long An," "Đong Thap," "Tien Giang," "An Giang," "Ben Tre," "Vinh Long," "Tra Vinh," "Hau Giang," "Kien Giang", "Soc Trang," "Bac Lieu," and "Ca Mau"
Q: One of the first Western descriptions of this region focused on its village of Zavarak, part of the District of Pain, which was visited by Dame Freya Stark. Another of its districts is governed from Mo'allem Kalaya, whose name refers to a disguise assumed by an earlier traveler who stayed at Andej; that district is Sharqi. The village of Gazorkhan is found in this region in which the village of Heniz is the access point for ascending its northern peak of Sialan. The historic center of this Tat-speaking region is known for its jagged inaccessibility, as the ferocious white waters of the Taliqan combine with its namesake river and pour into the gorge of the Shirkuh, which exits the massif of the Throne of Solomon. The scholar Juvayni salvaged several astronomical treatises before burning a library in this region, though its famous garden of (*) houris almost certainly did not truly exist. That garden was discussed by Marco Polo and in a novel that is the best-known work of Slovene literature. The ruins of the fortress of Lambsar are found in this region, which were part of a defensive network which also stretched across adjacent Talakan before their destruction by the Mongols. FTP, name this mountainous region of Qazvin Province, also known as Rudbar, best known for its namesake Nizari Ismaili castle, which once served as the headquarters of de'i Hassan-i-Sabah and his order of Assassins.
A: Alamut or Rudbar before mentioned. Prompt on "Qazvin," "Alborz Range," etc
Q: Agricultural activities on the south of this island are limited by the Terra Grande-Pracuuba and Mapua extractive reserves, while its north is characterized by Baruti palm swamps that presently are largely unexplored, part of which are protected by Charapucu State Park. Those swamps may occasionally merge with a large fluctuating lake found in its east, Lake Arari. The earliest period of settlement of this island is known as the (*) Ananatuba Period. This island was the center of, and is named for a culture known for a female shamanistic tradition which practiced ceramic urn burial within mound dwellings, which may be found at sites like Monte Carmelo and Os Camutins. This island divides a sub-archipelago found to its southwest which is bifurcated by the Tajapuru River from the northern Bailique archipelago. Water buffalo fazendas dominate the eastern savannas of this island, while its west is home to one of its ecoregion's largest varzeas, whose flood levels fluctuate according to the bore of the pororoca and the volume of the north-flowing Xingu. Much of that water is funneled south by furros into the estuary of the Para, which separates it from Belem. FTP, name this acai-farming largest fluvial island in the world, located at the mouth of the Amazon.
A: Ilha de Marajo
Q: This nation's Seke tongue is endangered due to emigration which is so geographically concentrated that fully one sixth of its speakers now live in a single apartment building in Ditmas Park in Brooklyn. This country is also the home of the Kaike people, who harvest a fungus which sprouts from mummified ghost-moth larvae, which is used as the performance-enhancing drug yarsagumba, grown in their native Tichurong Valley. The dzo-herding Walung people hosted a 1774 treaty which set one of its kingdom's boundaries at the (*) Kankai River, which that kingdom of Lembu then violated by invading Ilan. This country's Andha Galchi Gorge is a source of Shaligram shells which are gathered by its Thakali population for worship by devotees unable to make pilgrimages. Another gorge of religious significance in this country, the Chovar, was cut by a flaming sword to relieve its central valley of a serpent infested marsh which surrounded the thousand-petaled lotus Svayambhu. That lotus is central to the religion of a people for whom this country is named, which merged from tribes like the Licchavi, Malla and Kosala to form an empire native to the branching canyons of its Pahal region before being conquered by the Gurkhas. FTP, name this country which contains the birthplace of the Buddha at Lumbini, peaks like Makalu and Kanchenjunga, and its capital city of Kathmandu.
A: Nepal
Q: These islands' easternmost member of Piperi is forbidden to protect its colonies of monk seals and Eleonora's falcons, part of a biological reserve which also keeps the island of Skantzoura uninhabited and also includes the archaeological site, the Cyclops Cave. Another island in this chain is forbidden only to women, as it is a colony of the Megisti Lavra monastery which is manned by only one monk. Another monastery in this archipelago is the target of a pilgrimage beginning in Volos, that of St. Riginos the Hieromartyr, who was beheaded by Julian the Apostate for introducing Christianity to these islands. A 1965 earthquake completely destroyed the third largest member's capital town of (*) Patatiri, which was built on the ruins of the Knossian colony at Icus. The first looming of a banner consisting of a white cross on a sky-blue background occurred on one of these islands which in antiquity saw the wreckage by storm of the relief fleet of Xerxes. Lycomedes was a king of that island who pushed Theseus from one of its cliffs in a jealous rage, and sheltered Achilles, who sailed from it to Troy after being discovered by Odysseus. FTP, name this archipelago consisting of islands like Alonissos, Skopelos and Skyros, located to the northeast of the island of Euboia.
A: Thessalian (or Northern) Sporades
Q: A sculpture depicting a man undergoing the torture of the "wood of the macau" is found on this city's waterfront. After attending a university in this city, a poet and abolitionist met Tobias Barreto and Jose Bonifacio the Younger to found his country's Condorist movement. Another abolitionist in this city dwelled in its Magdalena Mansion when crafting its nation's emancipation laws. That home of the Baron of Goiana was also used as a fort during an occupation which constructed the castle of Vrijburgh in this city; that castle was surrounded by the first botanical gardens in the Western Hemisphere, and its ruins are located in its Dutch quarter of (*) Mauritsburg. The Morno and Tejipio Rivers converge in this city, and the Princess Isabel Bridge and a bridge named the "Fair Lady" of this city elicit its nickname of the "Venice of" its country. This city also contains Euclides da Cunha Square, and its Sertao House focuses on the culture of its home state's dry interior. This city's maracatu costumes are displayed along with small, colored umbrellas during the frevo dance, part of this city's carnaval tradition, which it shares with its northern neighbor, Olinda. This city is built on the islands of Boa Vista, Santo Antonio, and its namesake, which is named for its offshore limestone reefs. FTP, name this city on the Capibaribe River, the capital of the northeastern state of Pernambuco in Brazil.
A: Recife
Q: This landmass's Rhino Head Headlands support birds like the Cape Barren Goose, which are also found on an offshore series of flat islands known as the Althorpes. Dolomite mined for an ironworks at nearby Whyalla is part of a system of coastal karst which supports rare freshwater springs like the Tiddy Widdy Springs; that coast also supports the largest oyster bank outside of the United States. The remnant lignotubers of the mallee-scrub headlands of this landmass were the cause of its farmers' high bankruptcy rate following the Strangways Act until the invention of the stump-jump plough, whose factory was located at its city of Ardrossan. Prior to settlement, this landmass saw the perfection of the fire-stick farming techniques of the (*) Narunggan people, who maintain a traditional capital at Maitland, and who lead bio-restoration efforts that have led this landmass to be called the Great Southern Ark. This southwestward extension of the horst of the Hummocks terminates at the Dhilba-Guuranda-Innes National Park on this peninsula's "foot," which contains its main port center of Port Giles, while its "boot" contains its largest city of Kadina. FTP, name this barley-producing peninsula which separates the St. Vincent and the Spenser Gulfs, the second largest and centermost of South Australia's three large peninsulas, which is not to be confused with a larger one in Queensland.
A: Yorke Peninsula (accept Guuranda until that is said; do not accept "Cape York Peninsula" which is the one in Queensland)
Q: The lost village of Pisais is believed to be located in this province due to the name of the modern village of Ibsheway, which is associated with the minor deity of Shai. Both of the plausible sites for a village which is now called Khom el-Kharaba were identified in this province when sebakh diggers discovered the Zenon Papers, which detailed the founding of Philadelphia, and this province was also the source of the early medical Kahuni Papers. This province contains a pair of lakes featuring sulfur springs west of Samuel the Confessor's mount of Kalamoun, between which are found the tallest waterfalls in its nation, the El Rayan. These are located southeast of a valley of (*) archaeocete fossils, the Wadi al-Hitan, and this province also gives its name to an elephant ancestor with a shovel-like tusk. This province's capital is built around a channel crossed by the double-arched bridge of the Qaitbay Mosque. The workers' town of El Lahun in this province is associated with a series of eroded and partially buried pyramids of Sesostris II. The Bahr Yusef forms an inland delta in this province which created agricultural land used to grow figs and olives during droughts, and later became a center of the cult of Sobek. FTP, name this governorate defined by a namesake oasis containing the large lake Birket Qarun, which is ruled by the successor city to the ancient town of Crocodilopolis.
A: al-Faiyum
Q: Though not connected to this body of water, the remains of the original village that gave it its name is identified with the promontory known as Sugar Loaf Hill and is believed to lie within Point Judith Pond. That settlement, among others on this body of water, was known for producing a shell bean and sweet maize-based stew which was referred to as succotash in a language that shares its name. The sea god Paumpagussit was primarily identified with this body of water. Schoolchildren learn the islands of this body of water using a mnemonic which omits (*) Gould and Coasters Harbor and ends with "...and the little Hog over there." This ria of the Sakonnet River Valley, which also receives the important early milling industry-supporting Blackstone River, as well as the Taunton, was a northern endpoint of the 18th Century Triangular Trade, which was regulated by ships like the St. John and the Gaspee, which today rest on its bottom. FTP, name this estuary in which the islands of Prudence, Aquidneck and Conanicut may be found, named for an early Native American people group which established Quonset longhouses in what is today Rhode Island.
A: Narragansett Bay
Q: Archaeoastronomy efforts beginning in this province include the dolomite stone circle Adam's Calendar, which is part of this province's Blue Swallow Reserve. The western portion of this province saw the discovery of seven terra-cotta heads which were named for the European name for Mashishing, Lydenburg, and this province also contains the stone-walled terraces of Moxomatsi, part of the legacy of its Bokoni Culture. Native villages of one ethnic group in this province such as Satara and Skukuzi were destroyed to clear land for a national park in this province, and their inhabitants now dwell with the Mapulana people in the banana-growing town of (*) Hazyview. Scottish immigrants in what would become this present-day province dynamited a waterfall to reach a reef of gold, resulting in the Twin Falls of Mac-Mac, part of a mining legacy which began with a gold strike at Pilgrim's Rest and which also resulted in the initially Scottish-owned Kinross Mine. A river valley in this province's Barberton Mountains gives its name to a no-longer-generated volcanic equivalent of peridotite, the Komati Gorge, which is in turn named for a southern subtribe of the aforementioned Tsonga. FTP, name this eastern province of South Africa, also the home of the Matabele and Swazi peoples, which contains the headquarters of Kruger National Park and its capital of Mbombela.
A: Mpumalanga Province
Q: Mount Uro and Mount Kurn are part of an ophiolite found in these highlands which hosts a phosphate mining district which is also enriched in uranium and vanadium. The Hugeirat foothills of these mountains shelter their most endangered peoples, who are scattered between villages like Sija, Baboy and Shenshen. The allochthonous Massakin people dwell in the southern bend of these mountains, where they are surrounded by a people who speak the market language of Krongo, as well as the Heiban Moro population. The northeastern "ninety-nine hills of" this range shelters a ceremonial king, the Makk of (*) Taqali, who was a traditional rival of the Kingdom of Sennar, and earlier, these mountains formed the southwestern frontier of the Kingdom of Alodia, who knew them as the region of Al-Ahdin. A namesake confederation of peoples living in their northwestern reaches speaks the common language Ajangwe. These largely roadless mountains are made up of the triple-massif of Ghulfan, Karko and Kadaro. The Mother of Mercy Hospital is found in these mountains' town of Gidel, which is overseen by a New York surgeon who has been compared to Jesus Christ by their Muslim population, has been targeted in bombing raids for coordinating evacuations by refugees fleeing the SAF and the RSF. FTP, name these mountains found northeast of Kadugli, located in Kordofan.
A: Nuba Mountains or Jabal an-Nubah
Q: This city was founded on land purchased from the village of Tung. A nine-story double-octagonal leaning tower found in this city contains murals depicting, among other subjects, the Battle of Muktsar. That tower is found in the old portion of this city, which is entered by way of gates like Chattiwind and Sultanwind. One temple in this city is a labyrinth leading to the half-submerged model of the Vaishno Devi caves; another is founded on the site of a mythical horse sacrifice and is dedicated to (*) Durga. This city's Heritage Street begins at a former jail and town hall which is now a museum devoted to the consequences of a nearby border drawn by Cyril Radcliffe. A poem taken from the novel The Abbey of Bliss and a sculpture depicting the faces of victims ascending in a tongue of flame are found at the entrance of a park in this city. This city also contains the offices of the Supreme Akali Party, the Throne of the Timeless One, in the Akal Takht. This home of the aforementioned park Jallianwala Bagh takes its name from a sacred pool excavated by Ram Das on land granted by Akbar. FTP, name this city in which that pool, whose name means "pool of nectar" saw the erection of the Golden Temple, the holiest city in Sikhism, found in Punjab.
A: Amritsar
Q: A species of creamy-white and bright green leptopelian frogs is named for, and is endemic to, these mountains, where its population is most concentrated around the waterfall of Tchimbele. Another waterfall which provides an exit from these mountains, the Kinguele, is the source of much of its nation's hydroelectricity. Both of those waterfalls are part of the Komo River, and are found on the western edge of the Woleu-Ntem plateau. In a national park in these mountains, the Seni Mont receives its nation's highest annual rainfall, providing flora for butterflies like the cymothoe and the euphaedra brevis, and is co-managed with the Mbe unit. The Bwisi and Punu Peoples are among the inhabitants of these mountains in another nation, where they form the western edge of the (*) Bateke Plateau, though it is the Kunyi that dominate them in that nation. The highest subrange in these mountains is named for a French explorer who entered them through the Ngounie River, and contains Mount Mimongo and Mount Iboudji, the Chaillu Massif. In yet another nation, rocks from these mountains provide the fishing grounds of the barrage of Livingstone Falls. FTP, name this mountain range, best known for being a Pleistocene rain forest refugium, which crosses Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo and the DRC from northwest to southeast.
A: Crystal Mountains or Monts de Cristal
Q: Maritime examples of these formations, which present a serious hazard to seacraft, may be found at the Bay of Marombe, where the forest of Anjajavy meets the sea. Tiavato bats are known to roost in caverns lying beneath these formations, the longest of which include the Caverns of Andrafiabe. Large areas covered by these formations have largely been protected from its nation's slash-and-burn agricultural tactics. Their formation requires the complete removal of their rock type's calcite-rich leach cap, which creates isolated battlements of them atop the Ankarana Wall. These formations, many of which tower over the (*) Manambolo River, support hyper-endemism in their most famous location, such as leaf chameleons and the nesomyine rat, and form three separate ecosystems, the lower of which dwells within their nation's dry forests, which supports species like Deken's Shifaka. Most of these formations are found in its nation's districts of Morafenobe and Antsaloa in Melaky Region. The national park protecting these formations is sometimes known as the "forest of knives." FTP, name these rugged karst plateaus, the most famous of which can be found on the Cliffs of Bemaraha, characterized by pointed needle-like dolomite towers whose name is Malagasy for "walking on tiptoes."
A: Tsingy or Malagasy Stone Forests (prompt on "karst platforms" or "karst towers" by asking for the specific type platform or tower or the native country. Prompt if someone says just "stone forests"
Q: This landmass contains the type locality for the titanium minerals Zirconolite, Cafetite and Kassite, which has been developed into an important titanium-rare earth mine within its Afrikanda District. Mining of copper-nickel deposits discovered on this landmass's Montshatuntur Hill have caused displacement of the last Akkala-speaking peoples, whose last fluent member lives in Yona, and acid rain from its processing has devastated the forests surrounding Lake Imandra. The center of this landmass is dominated by the massive laccoliths of the phosphorus and nephelinite-rich (*) Khibiny Massif, the world's largest apatite deposit. In addition to mining, this landmass is famous for an endeavor to determine whether a metamorphic granite or basalt was responsible for a seven-kilometer discontinuity, which unexpectedly discovered water and hydrogen. The heights of the Lovozero Massif stairstep from the center of this landmass to the southern Kandalaksha Gulf in its south, while the giant statue Alyosha stands over its largest city in its north, where the commemorative Church of the Savior on the Waters is found adjacent to the remains of the submarine Kursk. FTP, name this Arctic peninsula, known for a superdeep borehole, which contains most of Russia's Suomi population, home to the city of Murmansk and located between the White and Barents Seas.
A: Kola Peninsula
Q: An Alpine lake in this province was supposedly the home of the fairy princess Badri ul Jalam from the Arabian Nights, and is named for an Egyptian prince who was forbidden to meet her after falling in love with her in a dream. That lake is located in a valley associated with legends of forbidden love, and the villages of Purnas and Lalazar are named after lovers who were killed for meeting against local wishes. The Kunhar River flows out of that valley, the Kaghan. This province contains the ruins of the ancient capital of Pushkalavati, which are located north of the modern city of (*) Charsadda. Archaeologists like to bicker about whether this province's mountain of Elum Ghar or the spur ridge of Pir Sar hosted the infamous citadel of the Rock of Aornos. This province's southern region is bisected by an extension of claystone and sandstone highlands which merge into the karst highlands of Sheikh Badin National Park and host the temples of Kaffir Kot; those mountains are a spur of the Suleiman Range. Though ethnically continuous with the rest of this province, the higher western portions of this province were autonomous until 2018, being part of a series of federally administered tribal areas. FTP, name this frontier province containing the Spin Gar Mountains and the highest portion of the Hindu Kush, Tirich Mir, named for a famous mountain pass and an ethnic group, which surrounds the Peshawar Valley in Pakistan.
A: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Q: The shores of this non-American body of water are home to the second tallest statue of Pablo Picasso, which was actually commissioned by Picasso unlike a similar one in Chicago. The reformation-era castle of Lacko is found on an island in this body of water which is owned by the city of Lidkoping. This body of water is often photographed from the flat-topped mountain of Kinnekulle, or from the twin plateaus of Halleberg and Hunneberg, from which its anthraconite is sourced. Isostatic uplift gradually caused this body of water to separate from Lake Ancylus via a strait which is now partly preserved in the (*) Sveafallen landscape. This body of water's ospreys and oystercatchers are protected by a national park which surrounds its Djuro Archipelago. The Skaldskaparmal states that the helmet Hildisvin and the horse Hrafn were taken after an ice-battle on this non-Estonian body of water whose ancient fortress mound of Earnanæs is traditionally associated with the dragon slain by Beowulf. This body of water receives the Klaralven River at Karlstad, and drains over Trollhattan Falls via the Gota, through which its waters reach the Kattegat. FTP, name this third largest European lake which serves as a tri-point for the borders of Varmland, Dalsland and Vastergotland, and which is the largest lake in Sweden.
A: Vanern Lake
Q: It's not in California, but a northwestern ridge of this mountain contains two tectonic-hydrothermal carbonatites which host its nation's richest source of rare earth elements. Those wishing to avoid the steepest ascent of this mountain may route through a mountain pass named for the sound of a lovesick phoenix; that route through O Quy Ho Pass also passes the Silver and Love Waterfalls. One population dwelling around this peak refer to it as Azalea Mountain due to the preponderance of azaleas and rhododendrons, while to its nation's dominant ethnicity its name translates to "rock of the tottering giant." A valley to the north of this mountain is known for an area of old carved stones which are interpreted as cadastral lines, and which were left by populations which preceded the current Laghu and (*) Giay residents. The Three Holy Mothers and Saint Tran Hung Dao are venerated on a monastery on this peak, and the Kim Son Bao Thang pagoda is found at the top of this mountain. This mountain lies on a ridge which also includes Phu Long, part of the Hoang Lien Mountains, which forms the northern boundary of the Black River Basin. This mountain has risen nearly twenty-five feet in the last hundred years due to restraining motion along the Red River fault. FTP, name this highest mountain in Vietnam, which is considered the easternmost in the Himalayas.
A: Fansipan or Phan Xi Pang (prompt on early "Hoang Lien" or "Nam Xe")
Q: This valley's agricultural legacy includes a rhubarb trading city associated with a legend of a conqueror who emptied a vat of wine into a disappearing creek in order to share with victorious troops. Another city in this valley contains both the tongue of the translator Kumarajiva as well as a secret tomb which yielded a bronze winged horse which has come to unofficially symbolize its province. A canyon leading into this valley was flooded in 1959, submerging two of three levels of caves known for black dragon murals and an early Buddha statue beneath a reservoir on the Huangyang River, the (*) Tiantishan Grottoes. From east to west, the massifs Wuqiao and Yanzhi are the main highlands which break up this northwest-sloping valley which also contains the difficult-to- navigate Danxia badlands. Its eastern end lies beneath a sheltering range known as the Horse's Mane which allows travelers to avoid the wastes of the Badain Jaran. One of those travelers described its central city as Campichu and recounted a legend that Kublai Khan was born in this valley. For those travelers, including Marco Polo, the Jiayuguan Pass marked the center of this passage from which the Yumen pass led to western lands. FTP, name this narrow valley which connected the Ordos Loop and the Jade Gates along the Northern Silk Route, lying between the Qilian Mountains and the Gobi Desert, around which its namesake province is organized.
A: Gansu Corridor OR Hexi Corridor (Hexi Zoulang) before mentioning "namesake province."
Q: The western coal sandstone highlands of this island include the Canrobert Hills, and its Tingmisut Lake may be an eastern extension of the microkarsts of the Raglan Range. This island is also the largest of the two breeding grounds of the gray brant, a possibly new species of goose threatened by development of the Drake Point gas field east of the gypsum domes of its Sabine Peninsula. Vilhjalmur Stefansson discovered a lost cache of materials left by Francis McClintock on this island while McClintock was searching for the ill-fated Franklin expedition. The northwestern Ibbett Fjord was first described on that expedition, though (*) Hecla and Griper Bay on its northern edge had already been named for the ships of an explorer iced-in for 10 months at its Winter Harbor. William Parry and his crew were awarded five thousand pounds by Parliament for passing the 110th meridian near this island; that meridian now forms the 3rd northernmost insular subnational land border as it crosses this island, which lies north of Victoria Island. FTP, name this 8th largest island in Canada divided between the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, home to the deeply indenting Murray and Liddon Gulfs, named for a title of Britain's First Sea Lord Robert Dundas.
A: (viscount) Melville Island or Illuliq
Q: A far northeastern structure often given this name involved the river Kalyus and once formed a boundary associated with the Bolokhoveni. The ancient town of Flaviana was involved in the construction of the oldest and smallest of the structures given this name. A town formerly named Hasancea changed its name in recognition that it lies on one of the constructions given this name. That one, which stretches to Axiopolis, is found in the same country as one that follows the Carasu Valley to Pallas. Intense debate rages on whether one passing villages like Pervomaisk and Zaim had the name (*) "Greuthungian." The largest of these constructions is featured on the coat of arms of the district of Cahul-that one is segmented into three parts, one starting in Galati County, the second in Vadul lui Isac, and the third found on the shores of the Sasyk Lagoon. Theodore Mommsen implies that that one stretched to Tyras due to Neronian coins which feature it, but in its most recent form it was more likely built by Athnaric. Like the more western Furrow of Novac, which was named for Constantine, this series of fortifications is likely named for a folk hero rather than its namesake, whose only confirmed project in the area of concern stretches from Halmyris to Tulcea in northern Dobruja. FTP, give the collective name for this series of fortifications of Romania, Ukraine and Moldova named for a Roman Emperor.
A: Trajan's Wall (s) or Troian's Wall, or Upper or Lower Trajan's Wall
Q: Hank Nater, a linguist of this people's language, postulates that its phonology may be defined by mirroring syllabic and non- syllabic sonorants, these believed to be necessary to predict syllables in obstruent-saturated expressions such as that for "he had had in his possession a bunchberry plant." This people group formally ended the suppressive aboriginal education practices of their host nation by opening a learning center at Acwsalcta. Their homeland was created from the bodies of slain giants by the warrior goddess Qamaits, who got bored and left Senx in charge of them. These non-Wakashan people also revere the creator god Ahlkw'ntam, but many practitioners of their religion were converted following the activities of Christian Saugstad, whose colony built the Augsburg Church at (*) Hagensborg within their dominion. This southernmost of the peoples whose Sun Masks were collected by Franz Boas celebrate winter in their Echo Mask Ceremony, which is performed along waterways such as South Bentink Arm and the Dean Channel, as well as their namesake river, the heart of their ancestral lands having been located at King Island. FTP, name this Coast Salish people group, an indigenous First Nation who were settled on that river of British Columbia during the reign of their last independent chief, Pootlass.
A: Nuxalkmc or Nooksack or Bella Coola
Q: A religious minority in one of this geopolitical region's defining cities once worshipped in the Green Church until being forced to relocate north to the Mor Mattai Monastery. Another religious minority in this region reveres the mausoleum of Muhammad ibn- Hadi al-Hadi in Balad, and has been targeted by its majority faith. A city in this region once hosted the Yeshiva of Pumbedita, one of the two most important Jewish academies of the first century AD, though that city is today known as the "city of mosques." This region's Sawatra Tribe, reveres its ancient (*) Farouq Mosque, built by Hadith al-Amri in a city known for still using waterwheels called norias for irrigation. That city of Hit produces bitumen, but this region is notably poor in other petroleum products. This region is a stronghold of its nation's Duri tribe. One of this region's mosques inspired Philip Johnson's Chapel of Thanksgiving, and is known for a minaret called the "snail-shell," but was bombed after being used as a snipers' nest. The boundaries of this region as commonly drawn bisect the Tharthar Reservoir on its western edge, and it itself is roughly bisected by the border of Saladin Province and al-Anbar province. FTP, name this geopolitical designation for the region contained between Ramadi, Tikrit and Baghdad which indicates its dominant sect of Islam, in opposition to the dominant Shiite population of the rest of Iraq.
A: Sunni Triangle (do not accept "Sunni Triangle of Death," which is a confabulation of two different "triangles", or "Triangle of Death"
Q: A suburb of this city formerly named Adeline was designed based on the perpendicular streets and pathways of Radburn, New Jersey, but has fallen into vice despite an urban renewal plan which re-aligned its homes to face its street. This arid city gets most of its water from the distant Helena River via the Mundaring Weir, and most of its people are descendants of people who arrived on the overnight train the Westland, leading to Victorian-style hotels like the York and the Exchange, but also to its notorious Hay Street brothels. A mineral that was later determined to be an intergrowth of petzite and coloradoite, both tellurides, was originally named for this town, though its fortunes have more recently been re-aligned to nickel mining at (*) Kambalda. This city was founded either after the search for a cast horseshoe led to the discovery of outcrops on Mount Charlotte, or after local Wongi tribesmen flashed Paddy Hannan a certain stone that they worshipped. But for its boom-bust cycles, this city would have become capital of the proposed state of Auraria. This city's scattered operations were combined to form its namesake Super Pit during the 1980s to produce nearly one million ounces per day from the remnants of a lode known as the Golden Mile. FTP, name this mining settlement of the Coolgardie District on the western Nullarbor Plain in Western Australia.
A: Kalgoorlie-Boulder, West Australia (if someone buzzes in and says "Boulder," prompt by asking what larger conurbation that is part of). Prompt on "Coolgardie District."
Q: A non-Arizona based ethnic group inhabiting the Grand Canyon of this river uses its Fairy Pool for ritual purification during a coming-of-age ceremony for women. That ethnic group also considers sacred a peak which stands above the source of this river which is shaped like a sleeping feline and is forbidden to foreigners. A poem concerning this river likens it to a "green silk ribbon" set among "jade hairpins." The hilt of a sword used in a legend to slay a creature attempting to drink from this river is said to overlook its confluence with the Taohua above the Water Moon Arch. That hilt, actually the Pu Xian-dedicated Bottle Pagoda, stands on a peak formerly named for this river at (*) Elephant Trunk Hill. Much of the volume of this river is lost after exiting the Mao'er Mountains to crevices which feed chambers like the Julong Deep Pool. This river changes names to one meaning "river of sweet osmanthus" after absorbing the Gongchong, then falls into the Xi River, thus forming a transport corridor to the north via the Lingqu Canal. The western Fengcong style of erosion characterized by this river's basin gives way to the eastern Fenglui style, which hosts the Reed Flute Cave. Known for a tradition of cormorant fishing which is still practiced around Yangshuo, FTP, name this river known for its scenic karst towers which appear on the 20 Yuan banknote, and which flows through Guilin.
A: Li River or Lijiang (accept Gui before "Guilin" is mentioned.) - note, the ethnic group mentioned is the Yao.
Q: Bladed tools indicate a mixed Lavalloisian and Mousterian culture occupied this valley's Moiltyn-am settlement at approximately the same time as settlements on the Uliastai River, and it also contains the remnants of ancient towns such as Har Bondgor. This valley begins at the Red Waterfall, its nation's tallest and widest. This valley lies just north of the source of the ancient force of kut, and a later force known as suu, both of which confer ruling legitimacy. A ruler who set up a palace at Doit Hill and a people who built a city now known as the Black Ruin revered that holy forest mountain of (*) Otuken. The latter of those locations is found between its namesake river's exit from the Khangai Mountains and its confluence with the river Tuul. The Tovkhon Hermitage overlooks this valley, and a monk who made an early attempt at parachuting was based at its Erdene Zuu, its nation's first monastery, which was founded by the grandfather of the inventor of its nation's sacred solombo script using the stones of a city chosen as ordu by Ogedai Khan. FTP, name this grassy river valley whose nomadic cultures eventually coalesced to form cities like the Uighur capital of Khar Balgas as well as Karakoram, which also names an early series of Turkic inscriptions, found in Mongolia.
A: Orkhon Valley
Q: A lake on Mount Aulocrene is the source for this river, but it first emerges from a spring near the Park of Cyrus, after which it crosses the Civril Plain. A mysterious white knight was the savior of a battle fought on this river by a king attempting to reach the port of Adalia; that battle was lost by a force launching ambushes from the slopes of Mount Messogis. The victor of that battle had successfully forded this river's "Little" version, which he referred to as the Caystre, but was destined for a disastrous defeat on Mount Cadmus. Another battle involving this river was won by a deity who defeated the Pessinuntines, but became this river after sacrificing his mother, son and sister in return for success. This river once featured on the currency of (*) Tripolis, where it joins the Lycus. This river's coastline-altering sediment is now contained by the Cindere Dam, but had previously created Lake Bafa by cutting it off from the bay of Icaros, and has engulfed the islands of Hybanda, Lode, and an island which once hosted the port of Miletus, which lies near a namesake national park also named for the Dilek Peninsula. This river begins its defining course in the olive and fig groves around Saraykoy in its namesake graben and enters the Aegean Sea southwest of Aydın. FTP, name this Turkish river which gives its name to the slow-flowing sinuous curves of flatland watercourses.
A: Great Meander River or Buyuk Menderes (do not accept "Kucuk Menderes", or "Little Meander")
Q: This district features a new Holland-themed neighborhood based on the Kattenbroeck District of Amersfoort, and contains replicas of buildings like the Hofwijk Mansion in Voorburg. The name of another part of this district was bestowed in deference to a poem about a writer's second departure from Cambridge, and features a rebuilt temple which was destroyed in the Russo-Japanese war in Kangqiao. This district developed according to the One City, Nine Towns initiative, which razed the outer village of its Shezhuang Temple. A museum in this district features a twenty-nine hundred tile jade burial suit sewn with gold wire; that museum, designed by Ando Tadao, occupies the (*) Aurora Building. The port of Yangjing follows a canal which circumscribes the original portion of this district, which now also includes Nanhui, which was originally so depopulated it took eight universities to fill it. This district also features an industrial zone which is often referred to as its nation's Silicon Valley. Lujiazui Park is the chief green space of this district, and is in shadow most of the day due to towers like the Jinmao and a structure containing a twisting outer glass shell that covers several "sky atriums." Containing its nation's first Free Trade Zone, FTP, name this district on the east bank of the Huangpu River containing skyscrapers like the World Financial Center and the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.
A: Pudong New District
Q: Success upon entering this city according to a tradition of one of its enterprises is governed by the ability to discover a frog which rests upon a skull. One of that enterprise's co-operatives is a facility that hosts the VEGA Petawatt Laser, the Center for Pulsed Laser Studies. This city's oldest business is a manure factory found in its neighborhood of Conejal, which was named for rabbits which invaded after evicted residents did not return; that business in that formerly Jewish quarter of this city is located on Mirat Avenue. The Garden of (*) Calixto and Melibea is found between this city's old and new cathedrals, part of a literary heritage which also surrounds a cave beneath the sacristy of St. Cyprien believed to be haunted by the demon Asmodeus. This city's Augustinian Church contains Jose de Ribera's Immaculate Conception. This city's Plaza Mayor was one of the first structures designed by Alberto Churriguera, whose family also designed this city's high altar of San Esteban. This city is entered by means of a Roman bridge which on one side exhibits a Verraco of its former inhabitants, the Vettones, and on the other, a statue of Lazarillo de Tormes, who begins his picaresque career by serving a Blind Beggar in this city. FTP, name this town in Castilla y Leon whose Fonseca and Anaya Colleges are part of a university founded by Alfonso IX in 1218AD, Spain's oldest.
A: Salamanca
Q: A type of greasy mud known as Cherbe underlies the topmost soil layer in this eco-region, which was once so sticky only the Abrisham Stone Way could cross it, and today major highways approaching it proceed no further than the town of Anarak. A town on the edge of this region contains the northernmost of the only two mosques designed in imitation of the Mosque of Medina, the Tarikhaneh. Half-Mountain is a peak in this region which stands three thousand feet above its bajada, testifying to the remaining tectonic forces which enclosed and desiccated this region's now-extinct (*) Tethys Lake. This region grades into the uplands of the Abarkooh and the Saghn to the south, where it is bounded by the Karkas Mountains. Prevailing winds remove particles from domes created by ancient diapirism in this region, sweeping them into the basin of the Rig-e Jinn and forming towering dunes. An alternate name for this region refers to the mosaic-like crusts that form due to intensive evaporation from the quicksand traps that surround its buried salt marshes like Namak Lake and the Bardaskan Playa; that evaporation occurs due to the dry air that remains from south-moving storms which further north nourish its country's Hyrcanian rain forests. The bulk of this region lies in Semnan Province. FTP, name this large desert in the rain shadow of the Alborz Mountains in north-central Iran.
A: Dasht-e Kavir or Great Salt Desert before "salt marshes"
Q: An early plan to divert this region's water for a nearby city which failed ultimately led to the establishment of Wharton State Forest; that water, which is so sterile it was sought by ships for transatlantic voyages, charges the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer, and feeds bogs in which the iron for the frigate Guerriere was sourced. That iron also fed an early industry based at its towns of Pemberton, Shamong and (*) Batsto. The Battle of Chestnut Neck, which took place in this region, failed to quench that industry. During the Revolutionary War, this region was notorious as a haunt of a loyalist pack of outlaws known as the Refugees, and its sphagnum moss was sourced for scarce bandages. The Swedish name for this area, the Drake Kill, and the Lenapi name Popuessing both refer to a dragon-like figure later said to have been the thirteenth child of a woman of Leeds. FTP, name this region characterized by notably poor, sandy soil, as well as many cranberry bogs, in which the abundance of its namesake trees allegedly provides shelter for its state's official cryptid, the Jersey Devil.
A: the Pine Barrens or Pinelands or the Pines
Q: One of the waterways feeding into this body of water is a source of placer gold and emeralds from deposits like Shoshoba and Hariri, and is famous for an ancient stele describing how to find and harvest water for gold miners. That waterway's mineral wealth was protected by fortresses at Ikkur and Quban. The trade terminal of Korosko on this body of water replaced by the railroad to (*) Wadi Halfa which enters it from the south; both of those routes begin at Abu Hamad. The Oasis of Kharga is dominated by the Qamhat, a people originally from the basin of this body of water. The Kiosk of Qertassi as well as the serpent idols of Dedwen and a series of inscriptions which portrays the king Silko as a Roman horseman are found to the north of this body of water. The Gate of Kalabsha was gifted to Germany in gratitude for efforts surrounding this body of water. The Hall of Nectanebo is found on the island of Agilkia as a result of those efforts, though the great fortress of Buhen could not be saved from the creation of this body of water. FTP, name this large lake formed by the Aswan High Dam overlooked by the Temple of Abu Simbel, named for a president of Egypt.
A: Lake Nasser (accept Lake Nubia) or Boheirat Naser
Q: In this river's final section, it is fed by a number of confined aquifers, a real example of which are the springs of the River Annis, and a legendary example of which is the "Wondergat," which is believed to feed gems into it through a hidden tunnel. Because so few people live on this river, diversion efforts begin as far upstream as its Malibamatsu and Senqu headstreams, and its mid-course Oviston Tunnel allows its waters to reach Cradock via the Gariep Dam. In its central course, the south ridge of Asbestos Mountain forces this river into a swift-flowing loop abetted by the inflow of the seasonal (*) Great Brak. Native peoples associate a deep pool on this river with a treasure-guarding, diamond-eyed, cattle-devouring python who dwells beneath the King George Cataract of Aughrabies Falls, beneath which this river enters its Gorge Tracts section below its only large city of Upington. This river's rockiest section is found shortly before its mouth as its waters are forced north in the canyon country of the Richterveld. Shortly before emptying into Alexander's Bay in Namaqualand, this river absorbs the Fish River as it forms the border with Namibia. FTP, name this chief river of South Africa which is named for a Dutch dynasty rather than for the color of its silt.
A: Orange River
Q: This city administers a meadow and forest steppe ecoregion to its southeast known for its virgin black earth which includes a 11th century statue known as its "stone woman." That ecoregion also contains an iron-mining industry centered in this city which is based on ferrous quartzites which create a magnetic anomaly named for this city. This city's Treasurer's House and Puzanovsky Residence are this city's oldest surviving homes. Reconstructions of this city followed a fire which cleared the way for churches like the Voskresensko-Ilinskaya and devastating floods on the Tuskar River, and followed an awkward grid due to this city's western hill, Kazatskaya (*) . An icon painted in this city's outlying Black Hermitage which healed its resident St. Seraphim is still returned regularly to this city despite having been evacuated first to Serbia then New York; that icon, the Root Icon of the Sign, is the subject of a painting by Ilya Repin depicting a Religious Procession in this city. The invasion route of the Muravsky Trail crosses the Seym River just to the east of this city, and it was fortified by Boris Godunov along with Yelets, Stary Oskol and Belgorod against Crimean Tartar invasions. A later battle which was actually fought mostly at Prokhorovka is also commemorated in this city. FTP, name this Russian city best known for being the focus of the largest tank battle of World War II.
A: Kursk
Q: This island's inhabitants claim land based on ancestry with the weaver princes Nuenue. A Marist mission at Melsisi on the west coast of this island is blamed for the extinction of its original language, Sowa, via preferential use of the local Apma tongue, the related Ske language surviving by virtue of its position south of its main river. That surviving language is centered at Bwaravet. The Avoiuli script was invented on this island. Curved boars' tusks form the basis of a unit of currency called the livatu on this island which utilizes a bank called tangbunia. That bank is named for baskets used to store items which form the economy of the (*) Turaga nation, which promotes its nation's tradition of kastom. One of this island's termini is a dock beneath a large round rock known as the Mushroom Rock, but called Cook's Rock by Europeans. Some of those Europeans include Elizabeth II, who observed a disaster at Panngi in which stiff lianas during the monsoon season resulted in paralysis for one of the Bule tribesmen which performed its most famous ritual, which is known as Nanggol in Bislama. FTP, name this island best known for its residents' tradition of diving from Gol towers tied to vines to assure an abundant yam harvest, containing the city of Bunlap in Vanuatu.
A: Pentecost Island or Pentekos or Vanu Aroaroa or Araga
Q: The intermittent dome Cristal on this mountain keeps getting destroyed and rebuilt by slope failures, and is found at the center of Toaza, the southern member of its double caldera. Settlements to the east of this mountain are partly shielded from its activity by the Rio Cinto Ridge surrounding it. An American painting of this peak incongruously adds two palm trees which could not possibly survive here to a canyon bridge, possibly over the Quebrada El Baran. An epic poem of Karina Galvez surrounding events taking place on this mountain begins "Exhausted by two defeats in Huachi / we join the forces of (*) Paya, Albion and Yaguachi." Those events took place in the suburb of Sangolqui, are commemorated by a Campo de Mars inscribed with the words "Cima de la Libertad," and involve a lieutenant who refused to leave the field despite four gunshot wounds and an episode of siroche. Though eventually losing out to a unit measuring the distance between Dunkerque and Montjuic, Pierre Bouguer measured the arc-length of a second after three weeks on this mountain's Ruku summit, the Guagua summit being both lower and more dangerous due to its activity. FTP, name this volcano, notable for a military victory of Antonio Sucre over Melchor Aymerich which secured independence for provinces from which Ecuador would emerge, found just west of Quito.
A: Pichincha
Q: A suggestion that this promontory received its revered position due to its proximity to the Nanteos Cup have recently been challenged by assertions that its legends were merely invented to ward off poverty following a conflagration. The topmost portion of this promontory, the Beacon Sand, is a sandstone cap which protects the lower rocks of the Blue Lias from erosion. Ponter's Ball Dyke and the banks and moats of the New Ditch are posited to have originally connected to earthworks found on this promontory, but they could turn out to be a spiral walkway or a caerdroia labyrinth, making this structure a (*) twmpath. Lower elevation limestones on this promontory are the source of an iron-rich spring which empties into the river Brue. An ancient name for this place is derived from a time when the plains surrounding it were flooded, causing this former island to appear to hover-that name was Ynys Wydryn. Richard Whiting was hanged, drawn and quartered on this promontory, having been the final head of a monastery which built a daughter cathedral on it, that of St. Michael's. That monastery was originally built of wood which supposedly sprang from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea. FTP, name this terraced hill which stands above its namesake Somerset Levels town, which is associated with legends of the Celtic Otherworld, Avalon, and the Holy Grail.
A: Glastonbury Tor or Ynys Wydryn (before mentioned)
Q: An exurb of this large city was founded on the ruins of the former native capital of Yaguana, while the natural amphitheater that eventually came to host this city first hosted the town of Guahaba. That amphitheater was, for much of its history, associated with and named for a hospital on its Turgeau Heights. A southwestern district of this city contains the National School of Thor in a former presidential palace, and is locally known as Kafou. An airport in this city is attacked by rioters in a novel in which Sophie Caco departs for New York from it. The population of a large slum to the west of that airport was swelled by an African swine flu outbreak which led its nation to cull most of its pigs; that slum is dominated by an organization called the (*) G9s, which is run from adjacent Lower Delmas. This city's poverty-stricken district of Cite-Soleil contrasts with the wealth of an eastern suburb located on the slopes of the Massif de la Selle, Petionville. Its largely female Iron Market was its nation's oldest before it, along with its Notre Dame Cathedral on the Place du Champ du Mars, was destroyed by an earthquake in 2010 centered at Leoganes. FTP, name this city on the Gulf of Gonave, the capital of Haiti.
A: Port-au-Prince or Potoprens (the novel is Breath, Eyes, Memory)
Q: Some of these structures were topped by horizontal ridge designs common to their city's courtyards known as agben. Satellite cities like Ghohuobo and Uselu benefitted from the latest of these structures, one of which forms the northwestern edge of the neighborhood of Evbodia. The Ogba Road occupies a largely polluted remnant of one of these structures. The oldest of these structures were hollowed out before the emigration of the Okpekpe during the reign of the Ogiso, and utilized fractal designs according to ethnomathematician Ron Eglash. Some of these constructions are still topped with (*) palm oil lamps. Ivbiyeneva and Akpakpava were two examples of the named ones. Within these constructions, their city's lost wax casting bronze plaques, the Ama, were perfected to honor queens known as Iyoba, by guilds working on Igun Street. The innermost of these constructions is crossed during the festival of Igwe, which celebrates the coronation of Euware Ogidigan, who greatly enlarged them. In the time of their use, acacia pits and avalanche traps were among the terrors of these structures, which when surmounted led invaders to the choice of nine gates. FTP, name these disjointed concentric constructions which are penetrated by the Ikpoba River and surrounding the palace of the Oba of the Yoruba in the capital of the state of Edo, the second longest collection of earthwork structures in the world.
A: Walls of Benin City or Moats of Benin City or Defenses of Benin City or Ubinu or Iyanuwo
Q: Groundwater flow associated with this feature has been posited to explain why two estuaries, the Celestun Estuary, and the mangrove swamps of the Bocas de Dzilam, remain open despite high longshore sand transport. That flow is regionally influenced by the Sierrita de Ticul, the Holbox Fracture Zone, and this structure. The deepest of a series of springs overprinting this structure is the Xkalak, one of ninety-nine sources of deep fresh water determined to be controlled by it. In addition to those sources, Terance Winemiller has noted a statistical variance associating aguadas and chultunes with ancient settlements within this structure, noting that more of them occur north of the (*) Puuc hills. Argon-argon dating of microspherules from Gorgonilla Island gives the oldest date for the formation of this structure which is associated with suevites discovered beneath the Yaxcopoil henequen plantation. A Bouguer gravity gradient anomaly may be found beneath the seaward end of this structure, and differential compaction and porous coral reefs have been posited to account for a ring of cenotes corresponding to its terrestrial inner rim. FTP, name this astrobleme containing the city of Merida and located on the northwest coast of the state of Yucatan, whose formation is blamed for causing iridium anomalies at the cretaceous-tertiary boundary and wiping out the dinosaurs.
A: Chicxulub Crater (accept "Yucatan Cenote Ring" before "ninety-nine sources" is read)
Q: Elder women of an isolate culture of this eco-region practice a nighttime curative singing ceremony called the anikui tohe, which may go on continuously for as long as eleven hours. A language of this region is unique for expressing finality via iambic or trochaic stresses. The eloping lovers Alicia and Arturo Covo observe hunting parties targeting speakers of that language in a national epic taking place in this region. The lengthy and violent (*) Maipures Rapids are found in a national park within this region which also contains landforms like the arenales of La Macanilla. Seasonal flooding of this region's rivers, which include the Cinaruco, Tomo and Arauca, creates the isolated palm forests of the Morichales, the habitat of the endemic northern long-nosed armadillo. The eastern reaches of this region possess oil sand reserves that are second in size only to those of the Athabasca. Vast seas of molasses grass have choked out this home of the Pume and Guahibo people's native flora, which is frequently burned to create grazing for a cattle culture that is older than that of the Gauchos. That culture's herds are centered in the province of Apure, ranging from Meta to southern Guarico. FTP, name these flatlands of eastern Colombia and southwestern Venezuela.
A: Los Llanos (the national epic referred to is El Voragine of Jose Eustacio Rivera)
Q: The Ignach Cross is an artifact in this region which marks the furthest northwestern advance of an invading army. Another lost artifact in these uplands is associated with a monastery on an island which contains the Cathedral of Our Lady of Iberia and was the home to the Theotocos of Iversk. The target of an Epiphany pilgrimage to St. Nilus Monastery is found on another lake island, that of Stolobny, which previously held condemned prisoners that were later buried in Mednoye. That island is found in a lake known as the "European (*) Baikal," Lake Seliger. A canal in this region which replaced a portage beginning in the upper course of the Tsna River was its nation's first, and was built by the Dutch engineer Adrian Houten to cross a divide which also includes the Tikhvin Ridge and the more northern Vepsian Highlands. Most of this region is composed of terminal moraines which accumulate to their greatest height near Vyshny Volochuk and drop steeply toward the Lovat' River on the western plain of the Ilmen. This highland region shelters a now-mostly-assimilated population of Karelians who fled there to escape forced Lutheran conversions. FTP, name this spring-studded highland area on the border of Tver' and Novgorod Oblasts, the source of the Dvina, Dnieper, and Volga Rivers.
A: Valdai Hills or Valdaiskaya Vozveshennost'
Q: At the Seedskeedee Wildlife Refuge, this river preserves an isolated stand of cottonwoods, the only one in its dry upper basin, which hosts a namesake "drift" that is its nation's longest-lived cattle drive. This river dissolves calcite from the Summerville Formation along the Grand Wash Fault, which resurfaces as orange travertine as deposited by the bimodal cold-water Crystal Geysir, which was formed from an errant oil well. A basin of this river provides the predominant alternative to the Solvay Process from its trona mines. Below its largest dam at Dutch John, this river breaks through the Morrison Formation at the Gates of Ladore before absorbing the (*) Yampa at Steamboat Rock, and circumscribes the Split Mountain Gorge after bending through its wide eastern arc. The Price and San Rafael Rivers introduce coal ash pollution from the west to this river from its state's Energy Loop. This river's Desolation Canyon separates the East and West Tavaputs Plateaus, downstream of the Flaming Gorge, home to the Uintah and Ouray tribes, before meeting its end between the Island in the Sky and Maze districts of Canyonlands National Park. FTP, name this tributary of the Colorado River which drains much of southwestern Wyoming and eastern Utah.
A: Green River
Q: The Vanika, Palanggyo and Sarajija are among the clans that dwell within this mountain's Tengeru system of canyons, part of a tribe which dwells to the north of Lake Duluti. The national park which contains this peak is known for a large fig tree which has been tunneled through to provide passage for wildlife. The main north-flowing stream which exits this mountain falls over the Tululusia Waterfalls. Altitude recovery is evident with peaks like the spatter cone of the Great Domberg Hill, this mountain having endured an early-Holocene summit collapse which created its Momella Lakes, each of which exhibits a different color of algae (*) . Ngurdota Crater is a former side vent of this nephelinitic peak, whose Kitoto Overlook purviews the main funnel of the Ngare Nanyuki headstream to the southeast. This mountain is named for a people with an exonym meaning "the noiseless," and is the center of the cosmogony of the Chagga People, who have largely denuded its lower slopes in the search for wild honey. The wetter northeastern slopes of this mountain form a buffalo glade known as the Ujambo Wa Mbogo, and due to its wildlife diversity, the lower southern slopes of this mountain are known as the Little Serengeti. This mountain stands over the host city for the African Court. FTP, name this stratovolcano found in Arusha National Park whose summit is visible to the west of Kilimanjaro.
A: Mount Meru
Q: The generative lithology of this area's signature features was used to create its first man-made structure, the walls of a monastery belonging to the Pauline Fathers, at this site on a ridge above one of its features named Gradina. One of the largest of those features was supposedly created due to a prayer to the Black Queen, and another is said to host the Treasure of Gavan. The dominant rock type central to this location also comprises the surrounding Lika Plain, which saw its nation's nobility nearly extinguished at a battle known as that nation's "first dissolution." Because this protected area sits between the strategic (*) Ljubovo Pass and the D50 state highway, this site also found itself at the center of a namesake Bloody Easter incident which began its nation's independence war, and landmines have still not fully been cleared from it. This area shares similar features to those created by calcareous sinter banks within the more southern canyons of the Una, and a joint venture is proposed to connect them via the Pljesevice Virgin Forest. Those features include Golovac, Proscansko and Kozjak, which are formed by shallow tufa dams on the Matica River, which joins its namesake via the cascades of the Sastavci to form the Korana. FTP, name this famous national park located in the Dinaric Alps known for its Karstic lakes and waterfalls, Croatia's first UNESCO world heritage site.
A: Plitvice Lakes National Park (the battle is Krbava Polje for the curious)
Q: This neighborhood contains the massive necropolis Azimpur, which notably contains the graves of Armenian Christians adjacent to Muslims, but which is so crowded the dead must be stacked two deep in shared graves. The target of a Chaitra pilgrimage, Langolbondon, is found in a national temple in this neighborhood, though much the temple surrounding it has been lost to its nation's Vested Property Act and reprisal attacks for the burning of the Babri Mosque. The Chowk Bazaar is located on the eastern edge of this neighborhood which was once served by its own port at Kamrangirchar. This neighborhood is connected to the fort of Zinzira by two tunnels which were sealed along with a labyrinth which proved fatal to several dogs, an elephant, and soldiers in pursuit of fleeing mutineers during the (*) Sepoy rebellion. A structure in this neighborhood was a subject of artists like Robert Home and Johan Zoffany, though a river depicted in one of those paintings, the Buriganga, has since retreated. That structure contains the Quilla mosque, the white marble tomb of princess Pari Bibi, as well as the governor's residence, Diwan-i-Aam, which was built for Muhammad Azam Shah. FTP, name this central neighborhood of Old Dhaka known for its pink granite Mughal fort whose name means "Red Garden."
A: Lalbagh (prompt on "Old Dhaka" or "Jahangirabad")
Q: Two of the lesser hosts for the resource which is the focus of this endeavor are two long basins beginning at the Arch of Qargaf and Mt. Sawda. One section of this project was overseen by Antonio Ibanez de Alba and involved installation of fifty thousand artificial palm trees. Mt. Hasouna provides two branches of the second phase of this endeavor which ends at the fertile Jeffara Plain, relying on potential energy from the Nafusah Plateau, while a third phase connects the Kufra Basin with its first branch, which passes from Tazerbo to Ajdabiya. A recent expansion of this construction involved extensive drilling at (*) Jaghboub. This endeavor was launched in 1984 when the president of its nation laid its cornerstone at Sarir, according to some critics as a snub to the Senussi. Work on this project suffered a setback when two BM-21 rocket launchers were photographed at the Brega Factory, which was then hit by NATO airstrikes. The Grand Omar Mukhtar Reservoir is an agricultural endpoint for one of this endeavor's sections. A map of this project appears on the 20-dinar banknote of its nation. FTP, what is this labyrinth of subterranean pipes and aqueducts leading from the Nubian Sandstone fossil aquifer to cities like Sirte, Benghazi and Tripoli, described by Muammar Gaddafi as the Eighth Wonder of the World?
A: Great Man-Made River
Q: Davletgirey is a ruined medieval city located beneath one of the escarpments that enclose this physiographic region which was in its day known for producing blue glass beads. The Kenderlisor Depression is a long gash in this region which is home to its namesake mouflon as well as jeyrans and jackals, and contains the ruins of the neolithic city of Vazir. A mountain in the west of this region was conquered when a besieging army under Astsyz bore a hole through it to a well sink feeding a fortress first used by Jochi, creating tunnels now used to summit the sphinxlike mesa-top fortress of Sherkala; that mountain lies within today's Karatau Range, which is known for its pink mudstone towers and hosts the thousands of rounded silicified concretions of the (*) Tarysh, also known as the "Valley of Balls." To the southeast, this region falls into the dry valley of the Uzboy and borders Lake Sarygamysh. Along with the Tupqarghan Uplands, which contain the Aktau and Mangystau Ranges of the Mangyshlak Peninsula, this more easterly desolate highland region separates the marshes of the Dead Kultyk and the Gulf of Kaidak from the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Gulf, and to the east its colorful chinks, or cliffs, abruptly drop into the saltpan of the Aral Sea. FTP, name this clay plateau located on the east side of the Caspian Sea which covers the Karakalpak Autonomous Republic and western Kazakhstan.
A: Ust-Yurt Plateau (prompt on "Kara Kum Desert" by requesting the name of the landform if someone buzzes on the first clue); prompt on "Karakalpak Highlands"
Q: It's not the English Channel, but the Dover Cliffs mark the southern edge of a highland region on the north end of this body of water, which along with the Malima marshlands hinders navigation along its northern shore. In addition to those northern obstacles on the shore, that north end also features a labyrinth of shifting channels surrounding islands like Faignand and May. The stagnant swampland surrounding this body of water yields to the rocky ledges of the Kintambo Rapids, which mark the edge of the Atlantic Uplift. An important gap in the low chain of southern hills which bounds this body of water is formed by the delta of the (*) Nsele River, which terminates in this body of water. Officially this body of water extends from Inga Point to Kallina Point in a reverse crescent around the deep forests and papyrus swamps of the demilitarized zone of Bamu Island. Middlemen trading slaves on behalf of the Portuguese crown were named for a notorious marketplace on this body of water known as the Pumbe, which was at the end of a trade route which was replaced by an early railroad to Matadi. This body of water marks the southwestern end of its mother river's navigability, allowing boats to reach upstream Mbandaka. FTP, name this expansion of the Congo River which separates the two closest national capital cities in the world, Brazzaville and Kinshasa.
A: Malebo Pool (or Lake Nkunda) or Stanley Pool
Q: National parks in these highlands include one that protects a cave famous for a natural opening which permits sunlight to shine on the underground Khuha Kharuehat Pavilion, but which is crossed by a fatal-to-wildlife limestone bridge known as the Death Bridge, and one that protects a seven-tiered waterfall which is shaped like the three-headed elephant Erewan. These highlands are the home of the southernmost community of Lisu-speaking people, and in their southern reaches also support the indigenous Tonga. Lengths of colored brocade are tied around hopea odorata trees in these highlands' (*) Singkhon Pass, which hosts the southernmost shrine to the wood-spirit Nang Ta-khian. That pass is the western entrance to its nation's Khlong Wan corridor. Another pass in these highlands is slated for rail development as part of the Dawei Port Initiative. These highlands contain the ultra-prominent peak of Myinmoletkat and a namesake river that forms from the confluence of the Ban and Kamaungthwe and flows to the port of Mergui. The Taimen-Rensetsu "Death Railway" of World War II crosses these highlands at Three Pagodas Pass. FTP, name this source of the Khwae and Petchaburi rivers, a chain of hills which increase in height as they extend south into the Isthmus of Kra, where along with the Kraburi River they form the border between Thailand and Myanmar.
A: Tenesserim Hills or Bilauktaung Range or Tanintharyi or Tho Khao Tanao Si
Q: A park in this neighborhood contains the landmark tree, the Grand Gomero, a one hundred-and-fifty-foot-wide rubber tree. The modern and brutalist designs of the "slums of" this neighborhood are found southwest of Soler street and are socially but not geographically excluded from its bounds. An art museum in this neighborhood contains the naturalist Portrait of Manuelita Rosas, but also Manet's Bridge of Argenteuil; this neighborhood also contains sculptures such as Giulio Monteverdi's The Dead Christ." (*) Pius XII oversaw the conversion of a former residence of his in this neighborhood, the Fernandez Anchorena Palace, to its nation's apostolic nunciate, and other embassies are located in the former Pereda and Ortiz Basualdo Palaces. This neighborhood's cultural center was until 1980 actually a home for its city's destitute, and was commissioned by that city's first mayor, Torcuato de Alvear, but given an Italianate overprint by an architect that oversaw the modernization of its city's architecture, Juan Antonio Buschiazzo. This neighborhood's official and alternate names stem from a Franciscan convent that is its city's second oldest church, Nuestra Senora del Pilar. FTP, name this wealthy neighborhood of the Barrio Norte noted for its French architecture and for containing the grave of Eva Peron in a posh namesake cemetery in Buenos Aires.
A: La Recoleta (or "El Pilar" before that is mentioned. Prompt on "Barrio Norte.")
Q: In addition to its chief religious edifices, this mountain hosts the church of St. Urael, who led its founding emperor to discover it. The first European description of this mountain stated the only portal accessing its summit was known as Macaraquer, through which the church Egzyabeher Ab could be reached. Historically, nobility that watched over this mountain bore the title Jantirar. The ascent from the canyon of the river Bashilo is the last leg of a pilgrimage to this mountain, which houses the sacred text Mashafa Tefut and becomes especially crowded during the festival of (*) Meskel. Carl Jung identifies one representation of this mountain as mythical and a symbol of the collective unconscious, but this home of the southern third of the true cross, which is itself cross-shaped, is very much real, like the similar Debre Damo and Wehni being a keep first perhaps used by the Zagwe Dynasty. Ahmad Gran ended its use by murdering its imprisoned princes under the negus Na'od. FTP, name this mountain located in the woreda of Ambassel, best known as the subject of a song sung by an "Abyssinian Maid" in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kublai Khan," the former home to the Ethiopian treasury.
A: Mt. Abora or Mt. Amara or Amba Geshen or Gishen Mariam or Amba Negast'
Q: These peoples' mythology includes the progenitor-giant Nosjthej, who sent his son El-lal to teach them to hunt, while gatherers among these people made trading voyages to the western country of Chulilaw, the land of strawberries. Settlements of these people were known as aike internally, though a mixed-race people group who settled among them knew them as tolderias. Some of these people traded with settlers of towns like Trelawny, and a large community of these non-Araucanian people still speaks Welsh in the town of Trelew. Their recognized communities include the Rio Chico settlement of (*) Norquinco, the southern Camusu, and Cerro Indice, a remnant of a larger reservation established around Lake Viedma. Confusion in classification of these people causes some anthropologists to add the word "Complex" to this ethnic designation, and resulted from intermarriages with Mapundungun-speaking peoples before they were pushed to near extinction during the Conquest of the Desert. Thomas Falkner used the word "Kuni" to refer to branches of this people living south of the Chubut River, the boundary of their northern and southern divisions. This ethnonym, which replaces a derogatory name that refers to large feet, has also been used to designate all native peoples living south of the Rio Negro. FTP, name this Chon-speaking people group, the ancestral inhabitants of Patagonia.
A: Tehuelche (also accept any of the following: Serrano, Puelche (before "non-Araucanian") or any of the following before "Kuni" is read: Guenena-Kene, Mechuarnuek'ink, Manekink, Aonikenk, Chehuache Kenk; prompt on "Chon," "Chono" or "Tson, or "Native Patagonians."
Q: The quarries Sirkusirkuyoq and Mullupurku supplied most of the stone involved in the construction of this city. The stone face of the earlier thunder-god Tunupa, who was adopted by its inhabitants as an abundance-deity, guards the series of storehouses Pinkuylluna which supplied this city. Victims believed to have been sacrificed at a stone above its main temple were likely to please the glacier Apu Veronica. Ceremonies at this site took place on the hill of Bandolista. This city's surrounding countryside is musically portrayed in the first movement of a symphonic triptych of Alberto Ginastera, a portrayal of a general who is exiled to this city for his love of Cusi Coyllur. This site's founder dwelled at a series of lowland interconnected plazas at Qellu Raqay at the end of the sunken terraces, the Callejon. The eastern approaches to this city were guarded by the fortresses Choqana and (*) Inkapintay, followed by the narrow gates of the Tiyupunku, which were used to trap and rout a force of conquistadors at Mascabamba before they could reach features like the Wall of the Six Monoliths. This site's defender Manco Yupanqui eventually abandoned it for more defensible Vilcabamba. Founded by Pachacuti, FTP, name this city known for its altered fountain, the Princess Baths, where the Incan elite worshipped at the Temple of the Sun above the Patakancha River, named for the hero of an Incan drama.
A: Ollantaytambo
Q: In a literary sermon delivered in this city, a priest compares it to Sodom and blames its destruction on two adulterers who are each saved from executions by an earthquake. The El Arrayan strike-slip fault threatens this city's industrial northern districts of Quilicura and Huechuraba, and an eastern suburb built atop its active San Ramon Thrust contains a large gas plant and also a particularly fragile structure made of nine glass shells, its continent's largest Baha'i temple in Penalolen. This city's oldest church contains the Virgen del (*) Socorro, which was carried around as a talisman by its conquistador founder who set its early stakes beneath Huelen Hill after a conference with the Picunche. A large statue, the Immaculate Conception, stands on this city's San Cristobal Hill above its Bellavista neighborhood, which contains a mansion with a notable library bridge named for one of its inhabitants' tousled hair, La Chascona. The husband of that inhabitant wrote an ode to a fish stew popular in this city, the Caldillo de Congrio. A leader defended this city's former mint, the Palacio de Moneda, with a machine gun before committing suicide in 1973. This city contains its continent's tallest skyscraper, the Centro Costanero. The national congress that once met in this city abandoned it for Valparaiso in 1990. FTP, name this judicial and executive capital of Chile.
A: Santiago de Chile (the short story is Heinrich von Kleist's "The Earthquake in Chile")
Q: Concerns about the impact of cyanide leaching on a branch of this river surround recent renewed operations around the legacy Angovia gold mine. That branch of this river serves as an artistic and cultural boundary for a people who use the sacred night mask, the Gye, and the more serrated "lo-like" southern mask, the Gu, which is due to increasing Yaoure influence on the sculpture of the Guro. The eastern branch of this river begins with a hook around the capital of the Senufo People, and was a historic boundary with the Kpelaga. After forming the eastern boundary of the now deforested (*) Maraoue National Park, the western branch of this river merges with its eastern branch below its main barrage at Konabonou, below which it forms the eastern limit of the Gagu and the Lakota Dida. That main channel enters its main wetland at Grand Lahou after absorbing the Nzi. That wetland, the lagoon of the Tagba, is connected by the Asagny Canal to the Ebrie Lagoon, and thus to the basin of the Comoe, forming an intracoastal cocoa and manganese trade corridor. The two branches of this river give their name to provinces ruled from Bouafle and Bouake. FTP, name this river with Red and White branches best known for its Lake Kossou Reservoir, which supports the city of Yamoussoukrou and provides hydroelectric power to Cote d'Ivoire.
A: Bandama River (accept Bandama Rouge or Bandama Blanc, or "Red Bandama" or "White Bandama)"
Q: It's not in Spain, but a song written by a native of this city became the principal theme of the best-known rhapsody of composer Ananda Sukarlan. Smog from this city has been known to mix with the mists of the nearby karst lake Rammang-rammang, and much of its pollution originates with modified minibuses known as pete-pete which serve as public transport. A ruler of this city once dwelled at a stilted ironwood palace to its south which now houses the Balla Lompoa Museum in its suburb of Sungguminasa. This city's trade hegemony began with an alliance with Tallo, creating a dual polity centered on the Jeneberang Delta at its now ruined fort of Somba Opu. (*) Iftar in this city is often celebrated by consuming the iced banana dish pisang ijo, and both the blue double-domed floating Amirul Mukmudin mosque as well as a ninety-nine domed orange and white mosque accessed via a bridge shaped like the tongkonan houses of its native Torajan population are found on its Losari Beach. This city's harbor, known for its pinisi ships, is guarded by a fort built by a colonial power which took advantage of bad blood between the Bugi ethnic group and this city's namesake inhabitants, Fort Rotterdam. Known for a namesake Bado nut oil which gave rise to cloth guards on upholstered headrests, FTP, name this city on the Celebes Peninsula, the largest city on the island of Sulawesi.
A: Makassar or Ujung Pandang (the rhapsody is Rapsodia Nusantara)
Q: A painting entitled the "Apotheosis of..." this city contains the likeness of an arsenal designed by Anthony van Obberghen which was used in its reconstruction, and was painted by Izaak van den Blocke. This city's St. Mary's Church contains the ashes of a mayor who was stabbed to death there at a charity event in 2019, and was the original location of Hans Memling's The Last Judgment. It's not Rome, but this city is known for a Neptune Fountain which is its nation's oldest secular monument. That fountain is found inside a market entered by way of the (*) Green Gate which also contains this city's diplomatic centerpiece, Arthur's Court. This city's Kursenieki population is nearly extinct, but its university is the world leader in Kashubian studies. This city's reconstructed St. Bridget's Church sports a massive Tree of Life made of amber. A fort on this city's Westerplatte Peninsula withstood seven days of bombing before surrendering, and its post office square played a central role in Gunther Grass's The Tin Drum. FTP, name this capital of the voivodeship of Pomerania which saw the first battle of World War II but which is better known for shipyard protests by Lech Walesa which became Poland's Solidarnosc Labor Movement, located at the mouth of the Vistula.
A: Gdansk or Danzig
Q: The Futuh al-Habasa relates how this body of water's native tankwa watercraft were no match for rafts of invaders who burned its island of Gelile Zakarias, and also torched a structure built by David I on Mitraha. A number of paintings of Alaqa Engida are found on the Zege Peninsula, which hosts the Kidene Mehret Monastery on a southern embayment of this body of water. After losing battles like Alagi and Jimma, a foreign power fortified the (*) Gorgora Peninsula as part of the southern phase of a final stand on this body of water. The Rock of St. Mary is found near the mouth of the Gumara River on this body of water, its namesake being believed to have rested here before returning to Nazareth, and likely contains the tomb of Frumentius on the island of Qirqos. Dek is the largest island in this body of water, though more famous is an island which contains St. Stephens Monastery, Daga Island, which hosts imperial tombs like those of Fasilides and Yekuno Amlak. This lake is sometimes considered the source for a river which exits it via Tis Isat Falls, found south of Bahar Dar. FTP, name this large highland lake whose forty-four islands contain monasteries like Narga Selassie, a reservoir for the Blue Nile in Ethiopia.
A: Lake Tana
Q: Important visitors to this feature may be served a meal of Aqrouz within a town constructed using a local composite soil known as Kershef. The southwest of this feature is a large gazelle reserve supported by a maze of lakes and scrublands like the Tabaghbagh Marshes, and its northwestern fringes support cheetah populations who water primarily at El Ghazzalat. The northern edge of this feature amount to a cuesta of the El Diffa plateau, while its southern slopes contain on-again, off-again aquifers controlled by another of its source's many Messinian events. Ralph (*) Bagnold discovered caverns beneath this feature, which has a name meaning "dripping," referring to a spring which creates one of its many phragmite swamps. Khamaseen winds blowing across this feature remove soil and sand broken up by halofracturing, creating fine sand known as fech fech. This feature is part of a trade network between the oases of Moghra and Qara. The southern end of the "Devil's Garden" is found on the northern cliffs which anchored the southern British defense lines during World War II, and it still contains land mines. FTP, name this large sub-sea-level depression in northwestern Egypt which prevented German flanking maneuvers by Erwin Rommel during the Battle of Al Alamayn.
A: Qattara Depression
Q: Two masters of this city are symbolized by a pair of marble lions brandishing bows and arrows at the center of its neighborhood of Cacaveli. This city's only modern skyscraper commemorates the date its nation's phosphate mines were nationalized, the Hotel du Deuxieme Fevrier. This city's suburb of Aflao was primarily settled by GaDangme refugees who had been displaced by the Akwamu, and the Phla, who were fleeing enslavement, while this border city itself was mostly settled by the Anlo branch of its main ethnic group, who used its position to evade British taxes. Another group of refugees settled in its suburb of (*) Akodessawa, where they established its Marche des Feticheurs. One of that number of Brazilian freedmen established a coconut empire run from its core of Bey Beach, an enterprise of its sole aristocrat, Octavianus Olympio. This city was, until it moved to Abuja, the first headquarters of ECOWAS, and is still the headquarters of the West African Development Bank, but assumed its most famous status following the transfer of a colonial administration from Zebe, a suburb of Aneho, by a power whose Verbist Missionaries built its German gothic Sacred Heart Cathedral. FTP, name this dominant city of the Ewe, the capital of Togo.
A: Lome
Q: These people are known for traveling communities of bards and rhapsodists known as mbomo, who recite knowledge, myths and epic tales accompanied by a stick zither containing one to three calabash resonators known as the mvet. A syncretic religion practiced among these people involves the psychedelic drink iboga, which is taken as communion over a four-day easter ceremony, which is known as Bwiti. Evouat is an oft-visited village of these people which overlooks the Elobey Islands. The "proper" division of these peoples includes the subtribes Okak and Ntumu, though their language forms an intelligibility cluster with the Beti and Bulu. A ceremonial object worn by these people belongs to the anti-black magic secret society, the (*) Ngil, and is known for its high brow and elongated face, and was banned by French colonials, though it inspired the sculpture Head of Amedeo Modigliani, and their traditional religion, the Byeri has returned. These people's greatest population density may be found on the northern banks of the Ogooue River, having migrated south from the Sanaga Savannah Highlands, and their village of Beyoghe was the foundation of modern-day Libreville. FTP, name this member of the Beti-Pahouin groups of peoples, a large ethnic group of southern Cameroon, northern Gabon and Equatorial Guinea who are known for their often skull-bearing reliquary masks.
A: Fang (anti-prompt on "Bulu," "Beti," or "Pahouin" until mentioned because some linguists and anthropologists say there is a collective identity) also accept Fan
Q: Pink marble from this province's Yayla Mountain district is known as the "Rose" of this province. A narrow marble pillar in this province once served as both pulpit and home to the Stylite Saint Simeon, who dwelled on it for forty-five years; that pillar was part of a series of heretical monasteries which had given the name "Mount of Infidels" to its host mountain range. The strategically critical Belen Pass was a route through those mountains, which today are called the (*) Nur Range, and mark the eastern boundary of the corn and peanut producing plain known as the Cukarova. Another agricultural area in this province, the Amik Valley, is in Islamic eschatology the westernmost of the two sites associated with the final battle. The ruins of a Great Octagonal Church founded by Constantine is believed to lie beneath this province, and a cave in this province is home to St. Peter's Church, from which the first usage of the word "Christian" was reported. This province's Ulu Mosque and the Church of St. Paul have been reduced to ruins due to a February 6, 2023 earthquake in the bordering province of Gaziantep. FTP, name this province which contains the Orontes Delta, the only land annexed by Turkey following the Treaty of Lausanne, containing the cities of Iskenderun and Antioch.
A: Hatay or Liwa al-Iskenderun until mentioned
Q: A city in this physiographic region suffers the interminable wind, the Sadobistroz, which creates dust pollution so severe that cycling for 30 minutes is said to outweigh exercising benefits. According to the Jamasp Namag, prior to the Frashokereti, the virgin Eredat-fedhri will enter a lake in this region to give birth to the three Saoshyants, as that mythical lake, Kansava, is associated with a real-life lake island at the center of this region containing a basalt mountain featuring the fire temple of Ghagha-shahr. That mountain is also the target of an Islamic pilgrimage to the tomb of Khwaja Ali Mahdi. That system of now arid lakes, once supported the giant Bronze Age (*) Burnt City, the Gate of Slaves, and the later dynastic center of Zaranj. The Shile River overflows every decade to irrigate this region's lowest point, the Godzareh Depression, and this region's desert of Dasht-e-Margow now desiccates rivers like the Khash before reaching those lakes, or hamuns, which now consist only of the saltpans of Punzak and Sabari. The river Helmand no longer reaches its namesake oasis in, FTP, what large drought prone basin lying mainly in Farah and Nimruz Provinces and containing the city of Zabol whose topography is defined by the southern Chagai Hills and the northeastern foothills of the Hindu Kush, which is bisected by the Iranian-Afghan border?
A: Sistan Basin or Sakastan or Drangiana or Zranka
Q: One genus of this coeval community contains the first discovered water lily known to inhabit freshwater ecologies, whose fossils are known only from the La Meseta formation, while the progenitors of the most widespread genus still extant are present in the only 4-million-year-old Meyer Desert Formation. Exceptionally large individual members of this collective include the giants Te Matua Ngahere and Tane Mahuta, today found in the Waipoua Forest. The extinct Weinmannioxylon of this collective bears resemblance to the current Eucryphia, and also relatives of Cunoniaceae found in New Caledonia; such similarities were first noted in the first scientific essay to openly support (*) Darwin's Origin of Species by Joseph Dalton Hooker. The Atherosperms were among the first entrants to this collective proposed to explain similarities in the Chilean Yelmo and the Akapuka of New Zealand. This collection of organisms began its evolution in West Gondwana, though the subduction of the Phoenix Plate and the formation of the Scotia Ridge permitted a current to cut off its source, which includes southern Beech forests. FTP, name this collective of vegetative biota today containing only its native pearlwort, mosses, lichens, and hairgrass associated mostly with the northernmost peninsula of the southernmost continent.
A: Antarctic Flora (accept "Antarctic Plants" "Antarctic Trees" or anything mentioning Antarctica and forms of vegetative growth or evolution)
Q: The villages of Edoro and Lenda within this eco-region are the centers of four dynamic plots dedicated to studying its dominant botanical species. It's not in Indonesia, but one of the native peoples of this eco-region speak a variety of the Bila language whose name partially refers to it. This eco-region contains a pair of monadnocks upon which grow a namesake cycad of the genus Encephalartos, part of a granitic intrusion that also composes Mount Mbeya. Operation Safisha focused on clearing the Muchacha artisanal gold mine in this eco-region of rebels, though that mine has largely been taken over by Chinese interests. The town of Bomili in this region sees the (*) Nepoko join its namesake river to form the Aruwimi. The natives of this forest are known for building their dwellings with Mangongo leaves, which are found growing among its canopy of mbau trees, through which a path was hacked by Charles Stanley during the Emin Pasha rescue debacle. Those native inhabitants were first studied by Anne Putnam from a base on the Epulu River, which now serves as headquarters for an important wildlife conservation district. FTP, name this rain forest known for its Okapi Reserve and for being the home of the Efe and Mbuti people, located on the western shores of Lake Albert and named for a province of the Congo ruled from Bunia.
A: Ituri Rain Forest (anti-prompt if someone buzzes in and says "Okapi Reserve"); prompt on "Congo Rain Forest"
Q: It's not in Malta, but craftsmen on this promontory use the roots of its Tetraclinis groves in its local thuya tradition of cabinetry. The Ksob River meets the sea at this promontory which contains the ruined watchtower Burj el-Berod, which is located to the north of the reef breaks of Cape Sim. The main city on this promontory received a large influx of slaves from Kano in the 15th Century, and is still famous for a late-June Gnaoua music festival. The Bayt Dakira in that city on this promontory pays tribute to a time when ten Jewish families managed almost all of the trade to Europe through it. This promontory's namesake archipelago is known for a dye extracted from molluscs, and in antiquity was known as the Iles (*) Purpuraires, but is more famous as the locale of a prison for its sultanate's Amazight population, who knew it by a phrase meaning "self-anchorage." This promontory features a medina fortified by a French military architect who had worked for Vauban at St-Malo, Theodore Cornut. This was the site of the station Arambys founded by Hanno the Navigator, and the first of the trading stations built by Lusophone travelers under Henry the Navigator. FTP, name this Moroccan cape, home to a city often referred to as the "port of Timbuktu," which served as the primary maritime connection of sub-Saharan Africa to Europe prior to the founding of Casablanca.
A: Cape Mogador or Migdol or Essaouira
Q: The southern reaches of this region are known for a type of ignes fatui caused by the spontaneous ignition of phosphine known as the Chir Batti, which crosses into it from the Banni Grasslands. Khirasara and Dholavira were once thriving ports in this region which is fed by the river Luni; in a later time, Ptolemy knew this region as a hazardous gulf known for its shifting sandbanks which was known for marooning triremes, though coastal uplift created a chain of namesake hills which cut this bowl-shaped depression off from the sea. Part of the name for this area refers to an early map which, when read upside down, resembles a (*) tortoise. During wet season flooding, this region's wildlife may be stranded on elevated dunes called bets or medaks, and this region is known for two wildlife preserves, one which is named "flamingo city," while the other, located in the "little" region of this name is a home for its nation's endangered wild asses. In Midnight's Children, Salim Sinai faints from heatstroke while attempting to cross this region. A boundary dispute in the west of this region has only partially been alleviated by channels known alternately as the "bastard's stream" and the "bastard's drain," which are the only means of patrolling the meandering Sir Creek. FTP, name this oil-rich salt marsh on the southern edge of the Thar Desert which spans the border of Pakistan and India.
A: Rann of Kutch
Q: This island's actual ornithine residents, such as frigate birds, commonly nest on St. Giles Rocks, but an alternate name for the "little" version of this island, a former cotton plantation found across Tyrrell's Bay from its east, is misleadingly named for non-existent birds of paradise. Goat Island separates that island from its main landmass, one of whose settlements is known for an Easter goat-racing tradition. A watercourse containing a three-stage, triple pool waterfall, Argyle Falls, descends from its highest point of Pigeon Peak. A sculpture found on its north coast consists of three cylinders surrounded by a series of beige stairs, and is a monument of Janis Mintiks commemorating a crew of settlers who founded the second and westernmost Fort Jacobus to protect colonies given the Dutch names for the port cities of (*) Mitau and Libau. A tombstone found on this island containing the epitaph "a mother without knowing it and a wife without letting her husband know it" is found in that city of Plymouth, which was established by settlers from Courland. This island's west end contains the supposed aphrodisiac waters of the Nylon Pool, and is protected by the Buccoo Reef. Fort King George protects Rockly Bay on this island's south, on which is found its capital of Scarborough. FTP, name this island, the smaller of the twin islands making up the nation with capital Port-of-Spain.
A: Tobago
Q: Speculation that the word "gelwane" found at this location, as well as in its nearby train station, was related to the area's prominent anti-Kurdish sentiment evaporated when a 15-year-old vandal with Aspergers syndrome was arrested. A peat bog just to the southeast of this location yielded a mummified figure now housed in its municipality's St. Nikolai Church; that female mummy had been taken from the Haraldskaer Estate near Vejle. Most of the homes at this location have been removed to the open air museum of Den Gamle By in Arhus. Frescoes at a church in this location were restored by the nearly-blind painter Julius Magnus Petersen; chambers below that church yielded several gold artifacts. A monument at this location depicts a sea serpent wrapped around a lion, and refers to a queen as its nation's (*) ornament. Another image on that monument may be an allusion to a figure who hung nine days pierced by a spear in its depiction of the crucified Christ, which is itself a reference to a conversion claimed by one of its commissioners, but which began with a much earlier visit by Saint Ansgar. This location also contains a famous stone ship which was found beneath a mound dedicated to Thyra. FTP, name this ancient capital known for its rune-bearing stones set up by Gorm the Old and Harald Bluetooth at a royal burial complex in Denmark.
A: Jelling
Q: This was the largest of the three cities whose industrial development established the concept of the "Culture of Work" in the collaboration Sons of the Machine by George Lombardi, and this city's work ethic may be traced to the Basque concept of auzolan, its region having the highest concentration of Basque names outside of Spain. That industry was enabled by the completion of the La Quiebra rail tunnel and the discovery of coal at Amaga. This city's impoverished hillside neighborhood of Santo Domingo Savio is now reachable by gondola, and contains the prototype of this city's parque bibliotecas concept, the Espana Library. (*) This city's urban renewal has resulted in a Metro rail connecting its suburbs like Itagui and Sabaneta and three hundred light-bearing concrete columns, the forest of lights, in the former red-light district of Plaza Cisneros. The black and gray gothic revival Uribe Cultural Palace in this city is named for the inspiration for the literary Aureliano Buendia. This city's Virgin of the Mystic Rose supposedly grants "dark miracles," and during this city's "troubles" was known as the "Madonna of the Sicarios." Those hitmen did much of their business in this city's Comuna Trece, which is connected to its core via the longest escalator in South America. FTP, name this capital of the Antioquia Department, the former home of Pablo Escobar, Colombia's second largest city.
A: Medellin
Q: The winds Notus and Afer are said to be "black with thunderous clouds" from this mountain range in Book 10 of Paradise Lost, a description which follows an account of a voyage which named their northern terminus Cap Liedo, and a southern offshore continuation of them the Salvezze Archipelago. That southern continuum of these mountains is today named the Banana Islands. The Guma Reservoir in these mountains is a source of ferroplatinum, part of a layered mafic complex which also includes the Big Water platinum mine. The (*) Temne People refer to these mountains as the Romarong, and to the river that defines their eastern flank Mitomba. That river, which now shares its name with these mountains, may be the crocodile-and hippopotamus-populated Bambotus described by an earlier explorer. Black Johnson and Pickett Hill are the highest points in this range whose Sugar Loaf Hill collapsed in a 2017 landslide which buried the suburb of Regent Town. The foothills of these mountains include Tower Hill, which is home to a national parliament and state house. FTP, name this mountain range on the Western Area Peninsula believed to have been named either for its shape or for the echoing roar of storms on its summits, which makes up the bulk of the peninsula containing its namesake nation's capital, Freetown?
A: Lioness Mountains (Accept Sierra Lyoa or Sierra Leona or Sierra Leone)
Q: The word for hand, taintu, in a language once spoken around this mountain, is at the center of a debate concerning whether that tongue was a language isolate or a more allochthonous member of the TAP group. The extinction of that culture was locally attributed to a ruler who fed dog meat to a participant of the hajj. The sultanate of Dompu was once headquartered on the southern slopes of this mountain. This source of the river Guwu is today known for its cashew and coffee plantations, though a sappan-trading culture dominated this mountain for most of its history; that culture was discovered by Haraldur Siggurðson in 2004 near the town of Calabai, and is known as the (*) "lost kingdom of" this mountain. A northwestern footpath from Pancasila and a more popular road from Doro Mboha access this peak. Though Henrich Zollinger first described the lower Casuarina rainforests and upland cogon grasslands of this peak, its central features, which include the cones Molo and Tahe, as well as the domes Kadiendi Nae and Doro Afi Toi, were only discovered in its dangerous caldera in 2015. This mountain separates the southwestern Seleh Bay from the northeastern Sanggar Bay, an arm of the Flores Sea. FTP, name this powerful stratovolcano on the north coast of Sumbawa which registered the largest eruption in recorded history on April 5, 1815, causing the 1816 "year without a summer."
A: Mount Tambora or Tomboro
Q: Inhabitants of this island may curse their enemies by burning boat effigies known as doti-doti. The east coast of this island is noted for a population of sacred eels which dwell in a pond near Waai, while the north coast of this island features a thatch-roofed mosque which was miraculously transported from the solfatara-infested mountain of Wawane to Kaitetu in 1664, as well as the also thatch-roofed Hila Catholic church. The recent Christianization of this island, which includes resurgence of burnt cathedrals in towns like Soya Atas, has been driven by Islamic emigration, mostly to Buton, as well as refugees from the eastern (*) Lease Islands, Sula and Buru. This island's history of massacres includes one at Cambello which became the subject of a John Dryden drama subtitled The Cruelties of the Dutch to the English Merchants as well as the World War II era Laha Airfield massacre, and a national hero nicknamed Pattimura was executed at this island's Fort Victoria. The southern coasts of this island include the arched rocks of Pintu Kota Beach; those are found on the Leitimur Peninsula, which is connected to Leihitu by the isthmus covered by its largest city's neighborhood of Passo. FTP, name this former clove-trading island in the Banda Sea whose namesake city is the capital of the Moluku Province of Indonesia, that gives its name to a hard, knotted type of wood.
A: Ambon or Amboina
Q: Pink stones used in the architecture of this city transition to timbered housing to mark the area of influence of a 1750 fire; that boundary follows a line to its main marketplace from the Simony House. The Waldbachstrub Waterfall is found at the confluence of two rivers above this city, part of the Valley of the Echern, which is found above its upper neighborhood of Lahn. It's not Verunum, but an ancient predecessor of this city was known for supplying an early version of manganese steel. This city gives its name to a four-hundred-year radiocarbon (*) calibration enigma that is usually solved by wiggle matching. Burial sites in this city span the cremation-dominant Urnfield to the tumulus ritual Villanovan cultures, defining a period which ended with the appearance of the Marzabotto Brooches. This antecedent of an important Noric mining center is currently so narrow its cemeteries must be recycled into ossuary house like the Michelskappel Beinhaus every 10 years, and its Corpus Christi procession takes place in boats over a lake whose ancient pipeline delivers brine to the Ebensee. Cemetery artifacts from this city correspond to artifacts recovered from the Salzwelten, the oldest salt mine in the world. FTP, name this city beneath the Dachstein Massif which gives its name to a late Bronze-age proto-Celtic culture, found in Austria.
A: Hallstatt
Q: A council called the Tharapeti which governed lands surrounding this mountain attribute disasters involving it to a stuttering thief who supposedly destroyed a cross which had been erected to assuage a land feud. That feud had earlier resulted in the murder of Nicolas Toral for trespassing on the Plains of Cuiyusuru near it, and those disasters were documented by mineralogist William Foshag, who established an observatory on the nearby hill of Jaratiro. Survivors of those disasters later founded the cities of Barranca Seca and Miguel Silva (*) . The mesa Los Hornitos which flanks this mountain was formed during its Taque-Ahuan orogenetic phase after its vent of Sapichi spilled from its upper north slope. A particularly-long lived eruption of this mountain, the youngest of those protected by the Pico de Tancitaro National Park, destroyed all but the belfry of the Temple of San Juan Parangaricutiro, which can be seen surrounded by fire in a painting entitled Memories of... this mountain by David Siquieros. This mountain submerged part of the Purepecha village of Angahuan, one of whose residents claimed to "own and operate" this volcano. FTP, name this cinder cone which famously emerged from Dionisio Pulido's cornfield in Michoacan on February 20, 1943.
A: Paricutin
Q: In one stage of development of this river, one of its largest features was completely swallowed by Lake Tetcella, which drained quickly once an ice sheet blocking its mouth melted. Another glacier carved its present course through a side ridge of Sunblood Mountain. A particularly twisting and perilous section of this river sees it receive its Broken Skull tributary just east of the Vampire Peaks, and it absorbs the warm tufa springs of the Rabbitkettle just before beginning its protected portion. That danger, subject of a book by Raymond Patterson, has amplified legends of a (*) curse surrounding this river, which causes prospectors to disappear after wandering into one of its four canyons. The "Rock Gardens" of this river begin shortly after it widens and turns southeast at the Moose Ponds after rising on the slopes of Mt. Christie, following which it absorbs its "Little" branch south of the Sapper Range. Most of this river consists of rapids, only beginning a meandering course after meeting the Flat River as it exits the Selwyn Mountains, encountering its only settlement as it flows into the Liard River. FTP, name this river best known for flowing over the massive Virginia Falls, and giving its name to a large national park in the McKenzie Range of the Northwest Territories.
A: South Nahanni River
Q: One orogeny affecting the region which would become these mountains introduced Pharusian ocean basalts which are now visible in their western cliffs during the accretion of the Tilemsi Arc. The last habitat of and northernmost range of the painted hunting dog was found around Garet el Djenoun in the granitic Teffedest Range of these mountains until the mid-20th Century. The Manzaz and Tahalra lava fields, which contain most of these mountains' scoria cones, are part of a volcanic legacy which continues in today's Akator Plateau, which is best known for the clifftop hermitage of (*) Assekrem, which saw the assassination of the hermit Charles Foucauld. These mountains' town of Abalessa saw the desecration of the Tin Hinan Tomb, the resting place of a matriarch known as the "queen of" these mountains. These mountains' Tan Afella Oasis saw the infamous Beryl Incident, a nuclear venting disaster which was part of the In Ekker underground test series. These mountains were the southernmost source of a Ganges-Brahmaputra style river system which carved the Arak Gorges and eventually the offshore Cap Timiris Canyon which was active as recently as the third millennium BC, and east-flowing wadis originating in them once reached all the way to Lake Chad. FTP, name this Saharan mountain range located east of Tamanrasset and containing Mount Tahat, the highest point in Algeria.
A: Ahoggar Mountains
Q: The word "tuob" is the only known word recorded from a people of this peninsula, that word meaning "gold" leading some linguists to hypothesize that their extinct tongue may be related to the language Tol, and thus is perhaps Hokan. This peninsula's dwindling community of English-speakers worships at the formerly Wesleyan Bethel Church, also known as "La Chorcha." Rincon Bay is found at the tip of this peninsula in a municipality known for a treehouse popular with cliff divers, the El Cabito in Las Galeras, found south of Cape Cabron. The El Limon waterfall is found in the mountains of this peninsula near the birthplace of neoclassicist painter and Domique Ingres protege, Theodore (*) Chasseriau. Scottish Bay is located to the north of this peninsula, and the Yuna River meets its namesake bay just to its south. This peninsula's city of Las Terrenas is now largely French and Italian-speaking, and it contains its nation's largest remaining enclave of African-Americans in its city of Santa Barbara, the result of an immigration policy of Jean-Pierre Boyer. An early encounter with the aforementioned Ciguayo people led a bay on this peninsula to be named the "Bahia de las Flechas" by Christopher Columbus. FTP, name this peninsula, the site of the first violence between Spanish conquistadors and Native Americans, located on the northeastern coast of Hispaniola.
A: Samana Peninsula
Q: A flag proposed for this polity features nine interlocking rings and an inverted catfish, referencing nine traditional families living in cities like Makhir Abior, Mokwe and Abathok. The Twic tribe who dwell south of this polity have recently raided the southern border camp of Agok, which is also frequently targeted by groups which descend from the older alliances of the Murahleen. Negotiations surrounding this polity were necessary due to a through-passing critical pipeline from the Heglig and Unity fields, and it itself is the center of the economically crucial Muglad Basin. Like the disputed (*) Kafia Kingi area, this polity is subject to the mandates of the demarcation line of January 1, 1956, and agreements specifically targeting this polity are the subject of the fourth chapter of a resolution signed in Naivasha, which one signatory was later accused of failing to implement. That referendum also discussed boundaries with the similarly contested state of Ruweng to its east. Neither party of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has decided if the nomadic Messiryia Tribe may participate in a referendum which would make this home of the Diffra Oilfield part of either the state of Bahr el Ghazal or South Kordofan. FTP, name this petroleum-rich enclave populated primarily by the Ngok tribe which is ruled jointly by Sudan and South Sudan.
A: Abyei Condominium
Q: Outsiders attempting to cross this region face the Apporodinna Attora knolls, a gypsum sentinel which forbids passage to all but initiated elders. One being associated with this region is responsible for a curse left at the well of Beelpa and the creation of rock formations called the Water Birds by creating sandstorms to confuse his travelling companions in an attempt to seduce his daughters-in-law. That figure, the crane Wurru, had nearly died of thirst after following the Macumba River into this region. The Cult of Warrthampa began in this region when a gift of feathers by natives of (*) Dalhousie Springs struck an alliance with the Karanguru peoples, the source of those feathers being a certain grass wren that gives its name to the town of Birdsville. Branches of ephemeral streams like the Cooper and Diamantina create this region's southern Channel Country, which is characterized by claystones whose erosion creates its notorious "bull dust." Wells known as mikiri provide sustenance for the Wangkurru people of this region which contains the Big Red Dune by tapping the Great Artesian Basin. An internal tri-point in this region is known as Poeppel's Corner. FTP, name this desert of central Australia named for a geographer who was also a washing-machine magnate.
A: the Simpson Desert or Arunta or Munga-Thirri
Q: Henrik Sørenson wrote the first studies of this district's most notable sites, which compared them to similar elements of the Mingshan Temple in neighboring Anyui, and featured critical analyses of ox-herding texts as a unifying element in one of them. In addition to those sites, this district contains a manor exhibiting its nation's first space-bred lotus plants. Before those sites became well known, this district was remembered as a site of strife between the Gelaohui and coal mining Christians who kept building large churches between two temples devoted to Lingguan. A mountain in this district is associated with the divine hierarchies of Shao Xing displayed within the Sanqing Caves; these hierarchies contrast with the preferences of the Taishan Family on the (*) Hill of the Stone Gate. Another place in this district features mostly the work of Wen Wijian, who unusually did not display religious preferences. The largest of this districts' artistic attractions are found within a U-shaped gorge unified by the Monastery of Holy Longevity, and depict the Peacock Queen, eighteen levels of hell, and a reclining Buddha which makes use of an underground spring on Treasured Summit Mountain. FTP, name this district of Chongqing known for five UNESCO-listed mountains depicting nearly fifty thousand Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist rock carvings.
A: Dazu District or County or Qu (prompt on Chongqing)
Q: Part of this building's water supply includes a faux-mausoleum commemorating a victory at Adana which is actually a cistern named for Ya'qub Shah al-Mimandar, which is currently cut off from it by the Kobri el-Ebageah. The first complete incarnation of this structure introduced two northeastern towers called the Tower of Sand, and the Tower of Iron, which still remain. Only the Bab al-Mudarraj, a curved gate resembling a similar structure in Damascus, remains of the original plans of this structure, although the lion sculptures from its Lion's Tower as well as a now beheaded eagle are visible on its police museum. Stories tell how the inferior limestones of this structure's foundations led the vizier (*) Qaraqush to quarry beneath the necropolis of Abusir for buttressing materials. The Madrassa of Sultan Hassan stands beneath the western walls of this structure adjacent to the burial site of Shah Pahlavi, the Ar-Rifa'i Mosque. Those walls are part of a series of strategic fortifications on the Mokattam Hills which include the Mamluk ramparts of the Aqueduct of An-Nasr Mohammed, which its founder sought to use to fuse its host city with nearby Fustat. FTP, name this large fortress built by Saladin containing the Mosque of Muhammad Ali found at the southern end of the Islamic District, El Khalifa, in the Egyptian capital.
A: Citadel of Cairo or Qala'at Salah ad-Din
Q: A half-buried granodiorite column quarried at Sazava in this structure's graveyard of the St. John the Baptist Decapitation Church is named for a supposed deal with the devil that a priest could finish a mass there before it could be stolen from Rome. This place contains a sculpture of two mythical lovers who once opposed it by building the castle of Devin, and a historical force targeted it with cannon from the Church of Our Lady on the Grass. A knight once famously escaped from this place by bounding over its walls while on horseback, and then leaping into a river from the bastion of (*) Libuse's Bath. This fortress encloses its city's oldest rotunda, that of St. Martin, as well as the chapel of Our Lady of the Ramparts within its gothic Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. Harps introduce the foundation of this fortification at the beginning of the first movement of a tone poem by a composer buried in this place, and it thematically returns to the sound of horns at the end of its second movement. Most of the current form of this fortress is due to remodeling, which includes the Empire-style Brick Gate, though most of this fortress is in the Baroque style, including its Leopold and Tabor gates. FTP, name this ancient castle containing the graves of Bedrich Smetana and Karel Capek whose depiction begins Ma Vlast and overlooks the Vltava River from its rock in the upper city of Prague.
A: Visehrad or Prager Hochburg or Prague Upper Castle
Q: A guardian of this region is represented by a rock-pillar which was cut in half by a foolish ant who contaminated it by stealing a crumb of water-yam. That guardian, Bruku, is the patron of a people who weathered sieges in caverns such as those of Enkofieho, now located near the town of Twenedurase. After being conquered, those people were ruled from the Adum Palace and converted by a Swiss population which settled at Abetifi. The highest portion of this region is a series of northwest-southeast trending erosional scarps from which tumble the falls of Tini and Asubone. The Kaemu Mountains are an extension of this range which tops out at Mt. (*) Akwakwa. The Pru and Afram rivers flow northeast from this region, while of the rivers flowing south, the Birim is the most economically important due to its diamond production, while the Tano is the longest. This region's history as a frequent ethnic stronghold stems from its gold mines of Konongo and Obuasi, the most recent inhabitants being primarily the western Wasa and the eastern Fante. This region peaks on the Kwahu Plateau, which forms a divide between its nation's southern moist forests and northern savannas. FTP, name this cocoa producing highland region which separates the Akan Lowlands from the basin of Lake Volta, containing the city of Kumasi, and named for an 18th century confederation.
A: Ashanti Hills or Ashanti Uplands (accept Kwahu Plateau until "Kaemu Mountains" are mentioned)
Q: An eschatological prophecy concerning this city states that two shepherds of Muzaina seeking it will perish in the valley of Thaniyat al Wadah after finding it deserted. This city is surrounded by mounds known as 'itm, many of which cluster at Quraidha. The northwestern entrance to this city is a valley which is divided in two by the Mount of Mana. That valley containing this city is overlooked from the southern castle of Dahyan from Mount Ayr. In the rainy season, this city receives water from the torrents of Aqeeq and Kanat, which merge to the north of this city and largely define its green belts. Graves in this city's cemetery of al- (*) Gharqad were desecrated by having their domes removed upon a 1925 conquest of this city. A siege of this city ended following prayers for rain on Mount Sela', and earlier saw a defender take refuge in a cave on Mount Uhud after landing at this city's distant port of Yanbu. That battle focused on the ditch al-Khandaq dug around this city into which burned debris was later poured by Sultan Abdul Majid I, who lavishly renewed this city while undertaking the pilgrimage of Ziyarah. This city's al-Qiblatain Mosque has two niches pointing toward Mecca and Jerusalem. FTP, the tombs of the caliphs Umar and Abu Bakr are found in what second holiest city in Islam, the destination of the hejira containing the Mosque of the Prophet?
A: Medina or Yathrib
Q: Nanohaloarchaea bacteria form spherical clusters within chlorargyrite-wurtzite chimneys at a system of springs in this physiographic region, providing a template for exploring for signs of former life at sites like the Martian Nili Patera crater. The highlands of Arrata to the east of this region are sometimes known as this region's "Alps." The Tendaho Dam in this region provides its only source of water, but is at a severe risk for seismic collapse. An earthquake in this region's city of Ahmed'ela created an iron chloride-rich lake, the Gaet'ale Pond, which is the most (*) saline body of water in the world. Lake Afrera, whose shifting crusts were known to swallow camel caravans, was mined for salt in this region until Mt. Nabro contaminated it with sulfuric acid, and volcanism at Erta Ale and Mount Ayalu in this region attest to its creation due to divergent motion south of a triple junction. Most of the non-hydrothermal lakes in this region are evaporite-dammed remnants of the Awash River. FTP, name this tectonically sunken physiographic region inhabited by the Afar people containing the green acid springs of Dallol as well as Lake Assal which covers northeastern Ethiopia, eastern Eritrea and Djibouti.
A: Danakil Depression (or Afar Triangle or Afar Depression until mentioned)
Q: Masks of these people include the Wan Pelega, which represents the great antelope, and the Balinga, which represents a female from an antagonist ethnic group, and are incompletely studied due to alternating application of their traditional ancestral path, the yaaba soore as it relates to photography. Le Mal de Peau is a novel about a woman partially of this ethnicity written by an author of this ethnicity. A secondary ruler of these people claims the title "Rima of Zoungrantenga." These people claim the Yarse as a trading class among them, although the Yarse self-distinguish as more distinct due to early acceptance of Islam. These people give their name to their nation's (*) Central Plateau, which is actually inhabited by ethnic groups like the Nuni and Buamu. The "root kingdom" of these people is seated at the palace Na Yiri, and descends from the union of the lost hunter Riale and the warrior princess Yennenga of Dagbon, who founded Tenkodogo. That kingdom is itself allegiant to a figure whose royal amulets, the nam, were taken to Yatenga, leading to an abortive war now commemorated with a court ceremony on Fridays in his nation's capital. These people's city of Ouahigouya was bombed in the Christmas War of 1985. These people are divided into the spiritual class, the Tingabisi, and the royal class, the Nakomse, whose first king was Ouedraogo. FTP, name this Moore-speaking ethnic group which includes the author Monique Ilboudo, led by the Moro Naba from his palace in Ouagadougou.
A: Mossi People
Q: One of these islands concentrates the medicinal plants of its native inhabitants at the Ariiura Gardens. That island also contains the ruined Fa'ahia settlement, which contains a wealth of fossils from now-extinct seabirds. During Christian evangelism in these islands, a church was erected over the ceremonial center of Tainuu. These islands' westernmost member was uninhabited until the wreck of the Julia Ann left a population of mostly Mormon survivors on the atoll of Manua'e. John Webber painted a portrait of a princess from these islands, (*) Poedua. Two shaped scoria blocks found at South Otago and Tautaku and a third from the dunes of Stewart Island match isotopic signatures and petrographic characteristics of the Teahetia-Mehetia hotspot; that hotspot is also responsible for volcanic necks preserved at Mount Ronua and Orohena on their largest member. The second largest of these islands contains the only navigable river in its region, the Apoomau, which flows into the Faaroa Bay just north of a learning center containing the war-altars of Taputapuatea. According to the Maori, Hiro departed from Raiatea in these islands before settling Aeatearoa. FTP, name these islands containing Raiatea, Bora Bora and Tahiti, the largest of the archipelagoes of French Polynesia.
A: Society Islands or Totaiete Ma (accept Isles Sous la-Vent or Leeward Islands until Mehetia is mentioned).
Q: The recent eruptive history of this peak was established via stratigraphic columns compiled from the Respingo Saddle as well as the cliff site of Aguacatal. Respites on the ascent of this mountain include the Las Rocas Mirador and the Los Fogones site, which is located near its halfway point known as the Road to Heaven. Two lower, older and smaller domes associated with the orogenesis of this mountain include the Cerro Pando, as well as the northwestern Colorado Volcano, and other evidence of its past activity are found in the Rio Macho de Monte, which is the boundary between its lahar plain and avalanche plain, a threat to the village of Nuevo Bambito. The Janson Plantation owes its productivity to the soils produced by this mountain, which are an important source of its nation's geisha (*) coffee. Montessus de Ballore reported the first recorded eruption of this peak, however an 8th Century eruption destroyed a burgeoning settlement at Cerro Punta, from which a trail running to Boquete, which is famous for its Quetzals, ascends this lesser peak of the Talamanca Range, from which both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts are visible. An alternate name for this peak also names its province as well as a gulf to its south. FTP, name this tallest peak in Panama.
A: Volcan Baru or Pico Chiriqui
Q: This mountain range contains the cleft of Mendhagiri, which is the target of a pilgrimage featuring a waterfall surrounded by no fewer than fifty-two temples. This range forms an obliquely sintered horst with a higher, more northerly mountain range, which it meets in the Maikal Hills, whose village of Amarkantak was a favorite meditation ground for the poet Kabir. Traditional agriculture in this range is largely limited to the valley of Wainganga, while charcoal mined from the northern Mahadeo foothills of this range sustain impoverished jhum-practicing (*) Gond tribes who have left the higher slopes of these mountains largely fire-scarred. A hill in this range used by Lakshmana to keep a watch on the south hosts the watchtower Bandhavgarh. As these mountains rise from the western Rajpipla Hills, this divide between the southern basin of the Tapi and the northern valleys of the Narmada also forms the border between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh before falling gently into the eastern plains of Chhattisgarh. FTP, name this second northernmost of the mountain ranges of the Deccan Plateau whose name means "the seven folds," whose highest peak, found in Pachmarhi, is Mt. Dhupgarh, and whose Pench Valley was the setting for The Jungle Book.
A: Satpura Range
Q: The Cerro de las Chivas is located immediately west of this coastal city. The full name of this city's mission church refers to a local re-burial tradition involving painting the bones of the deceased with red ochre, and ends with a native word meaning "place full of reeds." Native peoples, who practiced those Las Palmas funerary rites, knew this city as Anuiti, and were proselytized by Padre Nica Tamaral, who founded a church on the Plaza Mijares, but was martyred there at the beginning of the (*) Pericu Rebellion. The reeds referred to by this city's original inhabitants referred to an estuary terminating at this oasis of the Sarcocaule Desert that is its nation's third largest, its now underground river meeting the sea at the bay of San Bernabe after beginning in the Laguna Mountains, and in the days of Vizcaino was the last source of freshwater for northbound ships before turning west toward the Philippines. This city makes up the eastern end of a touristic corridor that begins at a rock formation known as El Arco. FTP, name this southernmost of the Jesuit mission cities of Baja California that now defines a large resort corridor along with San Lucas known as Los Cabos.
A: San Jose del Cabo
Q: In its current iteration, this structure breaks up and becomes increasingly sporadic after crossing the Tambaoura Plateau, and its most complete iteration is found as it bends north through the Valley of the Mboune. Large gaps in this structure are necessary due to brush fires in regions like Ferlo. Curiously, one of this structure's endpoints is found to the north of the Lompoul Desert. Losses due to smuggling within this construction has been combatted by increased student involvement from the School of (*) Djibelor. This is the third construction of its scale and type after a similar but smaller one in a wildlife corridor in Aravalli and the first one, the "Two North" initiative. Many of the polyvalent gardens of Tessekere and Thioly are dedicated to this structure which is noted for local variations such as preferences for sclerocarya birrea preferred by the Peulh people or the balanites aegyptiaca, a source of medicines for the Wolof. This construction bisects the department of Matam, and is pierced by the Faleme River at Kadira as it exits Tambacounda. Based on an idea of Richard Baker and proposed during the 2002 N'Djamena Summit, this is, FTP, what large project involving twenty-four nations but as of 2024 found chiefly in Senegal which aims to curb desertification with a large forest which will terminate in Djibouti?
A: the Great Green Wall of Africa (or alternately of the Sahara and Sahel)
Q: The southernmost ridge defining this peak forms the promontory of Cape Opus. A cirque on the western slopes of this peak is defined by Tomporachi and formed by the thrust fault Gerontobrachos. A namesake peony endemic to this mountain is threatened by the aluminum mines St. Anna, Variani and Shila, which are found in a lateritic karst that extends to Mt. Ghiona. The Matesis waterfall cascades from this mountain. Citizens fleeing a flash flood founded the city of (*) Lykoreia on the highest peak of this mountain after following wolves from a city-state ruled by a son of Kleodora and Kleopompus, and that peak is connected by ridges to southern Mt. Kirphe. In addition to bauxite, this mountain's lower slopes are a source of Formaela cheese, which is produced at its town of Arachova. This mountain defines the honey-producing valleys of Kephissus and Amphisa, one of the first abodes of beekeepers, and its Corycian Cave was home to the Thriae, who had the bodies of bees and the heads of women. Either the adjacent Mt. Helicon or this mountain was the source of the Castalian Spring, which was used to clean the temples of Delphi below it; that spring conferred the gift of poetry on its imbibers, and this mountain inspired a school of poets led by Charles Marie Leconte de Lisle. FTP, name this southern peak of the Pindus Range, the home of the Muses in Greek Mythology.
A: Mount Parnassus
Q: One subdivision of these people was once known for sacrificing an albino at Parrot Island in order to summon European ships, which if successful sometimes resulted in their having been sold as slaves at the Esuk Mba slave market at Akpabuyo. Another ceremony of these people involves the purgation of animal effigies called nabikim at the festival of Ndok, which now corresponds to their new year of Ubin Usa. This largely monotheistic people utilized an 8-day calendar week based around the holy day of Akwa Ederi, which was sacred to the god Ndem. These people likely lived closely with the Ibibio at one point in their history, who gave them a name meaning "oppressors" before they split into divisions like (*) Usukakpa, Adiabo and Obutong, part of the "twelve clans of" these people who absorbed tribes like the Kiong. Scottish missionaries targeted their settlement of Atakpa, also known as Duke Town, where many were converted by Mary Slessor, who later was given the honorary title "Queen of Okoyong" for her advocacy for them. Like the Ekoi who they displaced, wealthy members of this ethnicity may become Amama to direct their community's wealth as leaders of the secret society Ekpe, an instrument of their patriarchal monarch, the Obong. FTP, name this chief ethnic group of the states of Abia and Cross River whose colonial name comes from their principal city of Calabar.
A: Efik (prompt on "Old Calabar"), also accept Eborutu, Iboku, or Ifa Ibom
Q: Shi'ite muslims living along this river partake in an annual pilgrimage to the riverside neighborhood of Ta Kayi, while Sunni traders worship at the Ton Son Mosque. A queen and princess were entangled in curtains and drowned in this river after their barge collided with the Sorawan on the way to the Summer Palace, supposedly due to a law that royalty is untouchable; that accident occurred near this river's (*) Ko Kret Island, whose Paramaiyikawat Temple is famous for its leaning pagoda. A city on one of this river's tributaries uses its water to raise fish in baskets, and the Mae La catfish are found in this river. That tributary changes names seven times between Mae Won and Uthai Thani, finally joining this river as the Sakae Krang. A large Chinese population dwells along this river's Tha Chin distributary, which departs its waters at Chai Nat. This river begins its tortuous course at the confluence of the Ping and the Nan at Nakhon Sawan, and ends in a short, muddy delta at Samut Prakan which supplies some of its nation's important canals, known as khlongs. This river's tidal bore meets the Pa Sak tributary under the spires of Ayutthaya. FTP, name this river named for a founding member of its country's Chakri dynasty on which Bangkok is found.
A: Chao Phraya River
Q: One island in this body of water contains the Delaiwawa Cliff, from which the chief candidate brothers Matawalu and Rasolo were ordered to jump; the survivor, saved by a rewa tree, went on to found the Vuanirewa clan. Another island in this body of water contains a passage only accessible if all sailors observe funerary postures unless a Turaga is present, the Daveta passage. The demigod Naikasi visited all of the islands in this body of water, finally gifting his talents to inhabitants of an island now known for its turtle-calling tradition. The population of (*) Banaba was relocated to an island in this body of water after their island was destroyed by phosphate mining. In addition to Nayau and Totoya, this body of water contains the birthplace of its nation's first king, Nairai. That king was held responsible for the destruction of consul John William Brown's home, leading to the seizure of his islands Batiki and Ngau, and its nation's subsequent cession to Britain. Wainunu and Savusavu Bays are northern extensions of this body of water which may be entered via the Kadavu and Lakeba passages, avoiding its treacherous coral. Containing the Moala Group as well as the Lomaiviti Archipelago, FTP, name this sea which separates the Lau Islands from Viti Levu in Fiji.
A: Koro Sea (be careful not to accept "Coral Sea.")
Q: It's not in Wales, but the Llawreny Peaks and Mt. Pembroke serve as the "gates of" this body of water, which is esconced by the angled St. Anne and Dale points. A path initially known as "the great running away" accesses this body of water; that pathway from the Clinton Valley was reported by Quinton McKinnon in 1888. This body of water starts below the Tutoko Valley and the Donne River confluence, from which the U-shaped chasm bridge is visible. The native name for this body of water refers to a now- extinct bird which mourned the failure of a certain deity to procure immortality for his people at this place after this feature was believed to be carved by the adze (*) Te Hamo. A type of deep-sea coral that is actually white when living thrives in this body of water due to a 30-foot-deep layer of tannin which blocks sunlight, but which is visible due to the presence of an underwater observatory at its intersection with the Harrison River. The Homer Tunnel connects the Hollyford Valley to this continuation of the Cleddau and Arthur Rivers which also receives the Lady Bowen and Stirling waterfalls, and the steep pyramid of Mt. Mitre adds to this inlet's scenic value. FTP, name this feature of the Tasman Sea, actually a deep fjord in the South Island of New Zealand.
A: Milford Sound or Piopiotahi (actually, the official names are one and the same)
Q: A village of these people hosts the August slaughter festival Vylgynkoranymet, which results in a dish consisting of stomachs stuffed with venison, blood and onions known as kyvlet. That festival is the culmination of a form of transhumance which revolves around a river which in its upper course is called the Vulvyveyem, and in its lower course, Om'vaam. The ethnic village of Tavayvaam displays the arts and folklore of these people via the language society Murgin Vetgav, which meets on the shores of Onemen Bay. The Saqqaq Culture is believed to have originated with these people. A script used by these people was perhaps influenced by the designs of shamanistic drums and developed by Tenevil at a university at Ust-Belaya. The novel A Dream in the Polar Fog concerns a shipwreck among these people, and was written by Yuri Rytkheu, the father of their literature and a native of the village of (*) Uelen, which is found on a peninsula named for these people. A conquering people use an exonym meaning "rich in reindeer" for these people who share the endonym Luoravetlan with the neighboring Koryak. FTP, name these people who notably kept the head of attempted conqueror Dmitry Pavlutsky as a trophy, who occupy a far-eastern Autonomous Republic administered from Anadyr that also administers the Kamchatka Peninsula in extreme northeastern Siberia.
A: Chukchi or Chukotki (or Luoravetlan if given before mention)
Q: A community of assimilated Jews living in this city, which stems from a 19th Century Sephardic migration from Morocco, rediscovered its roots in the 1990's and is in the process of performing Aliyah, mostly to Ramla and Beersheba. The early nineties also saw the last of the Moracano people die out in this city. This city's native peoples are the second most numerous of the Zaparoan peoples after the Arabela, and are the subject of a novel surrounding Roger Casement's deployment to this city. This city's Casa de (*) Fierro, falsely attributed to Gustave Eiffel, serves as the focal point of another novel by the same author in which an officer is re-assigned to Lake Titicaca after being disgraced for arranging prostitution for soldiers stationed there. A potential fifth district of this city is the lakeside Moronacocha, which is located west of Punchana. This city, which is best known for its floating Belen Market, has a secondary port at Nauta on the Maranon River, but until a highway link to Sarameriza is established only water transport is possible. FTP, name this setting of novels like The Dream of the Celt and Captain Pantoja and the Secret Service, the largest city in the world not reachable by road, found at the confluence of the Nanay, Itaya and Amazon Rivers in Peru.
A: Iquitos
Q: A shallow but rocky downstream section of this river is plied by the boats of peoples like the Omba and Songoora, and as it ends it passes through the commune of Tolimo, which is named for a type of construction unique to this river. Briefly navigable sections of this river hosted the former capital of the Sultanate of Utetera, and a higher section supports a city which during a civil war became a basin of misery after all of its food was looted by rebels descending another river from Kiambi, leading to the 2003 (*) Ankoro airlift. This river begins as a torturous and writhing whitewater gorge which carves a path across the Manika Plateau. A notable expansion of this river into papyrus marshes occurs below the western foothills of the Kibara Mountains, which is extended by Lake Kisale, through which it is joined by the Lufira as it forms the northwestern boundary of Upemba National Park. That section is this river's Kamolondo Trough, which begins at the Nzilo Falls below Kyabukamba, and ends as it enters a series of rocky defiles known as the Gates of Hell, whose northern end sees its confluence with the navigation-enabling Elila at Kindu-Port-Empain. A symbol of this river is the conical baskets of the Wagenya people, who give their name to the final cataract of this river, which is found northwest of Ulundi. FTP, name this principal tributary of the Congo River found to the south of Boyoma Falls.
A: Lualaba River
Q: Like Mt. Iris, this peak contains periglacial features such as cryoplanations, but field studies by Hilmar Schroder postulated moraine deposits on this peak were actually mudflows, making it the tallest peak in the world without glaciers. This peak's name derives either from hot springs like the Quebrada Los Zorritas or from a name meaning "false water," a reference to the fact that its snowmelt disappears beneath a debris field at its base. That water from this peak occasionally reaches the Salar de Punta Negra, and its own namesake saltpan beyond Cerro Rosado contains three abandoned borate mines as well as the Mariano lithium project. An asphyxiated male, a Sun Virgin known as the (*) "maiden of" this mountain and a female known as the "Lightning Child" were discovered on this peak in 1999. All three of these mummies, known as the "children of" this mountain, were victims of the ritual qhapac hucha, and were taken from the highest archaeological site in the world. It's not Ojos del Salado, but this mountain supports unique bacterial and algal communities associated with its penitentes, and mice found on this peak represent the highest mammalian settlement on Earth. FTP, name this volcano located in the Puna de Atacama on the border of Argentina and Chile which also contains the world's highest weather station and is the world's second tallest active volcano.
A: Cerro Llullaillaco
Q: A group of neolithic cave dwellings which occupy three canyons which drain into this body of water are centered around the village of Yuvadamı, and despite possibly containing a later allochthonous Buddhist temple are mainly used by the Bekiran and Mamxuran tribes to store potatoes. A city at the exit of those canyons and located on this body of water is also famous for six cemeteries, including Merkez and Kırklar, which contain tombs of a dynasty founded by Sokmen the Slave-Driver. In addition to those (*) Ahlatshah headstones, islands in this body of water contain Surp churches of Garabed and Astvatsatsin. The Bendimahi and Zilan rivers feed this body of water's shallower, cliff lined northern pool, which is separated by a crater ridge from the maar of lake Aygır to the north, and this body of water formed due to lava flows from the volcano Nemrut which blocked the Murat River. This body of water's islands of Akdamar and Carpanak are center of a monastic architectural tradition of the kingdom of Vespurakan. This lake is named for an ancient capital of Urartu, and is called Gola Wane by its current Kurdish population. FTP, name this large lake in eastern Turkey, the namesake of a long-haired type of cat.
A: Lake Van
Q: Exploration of this river's middle course was hindered in the nineteenth Century by nearly constant guerilla warfare of the Nimka tribe with their longstanding adversaries, the Natokoi. This river's headstream begins with the Jach'a Juqhu on the slopes of the Wila Qullu and changes names five times, receiving this name only after reaching Urmiri. This river cuts a deep gash through the Serrania de Aguarague before beginning a largely unwavering course through its lower, multicultural mid-section. After flowing through the lands of the Chorote, this river reaches an international tripoint in the traditional land of the Wichi before flowing through Pilaga- and then (*) Tobas-speaking settlements. Another people who live on its banks refer to this river as the Ysyry Araguay, but it is now referred to by a Quechua name which means "red river." A president staying on this river was arrested in 1934, leading to a successful coup of Jose Luis Tejado Sorzano named for its oil-producing city of Villamontes. That coup occurred during a conflict which saw a large fortress on this river built at Ballivian. This river separates its southern nation's province of Salto from the department of Presidente Hayes on its northern bank. FTP, name this river that flows across the Gran Chaco that forms the border between Paraguay and Argentina.
A: Pilcomayo River (accept Ysyry Araguay or Juqhu River early)
Q: It's not in the Appalachians, but peridotite comprises the eastern, or Red, portion of these mountains, which gives way to the snow- covered granites of its central White portion and ultimately the forested Green members of its western slopes, and a west-flowing river rising in them supports two allochthonous Algic-speaking people groups. An icefield in these mountains occasionally forms in a cirque above Sapphire Lake, but disappears entirely in the absence of its region's atmospheric rivers, part of a notably low- elevation cryosphere that also contains Grizzly Glacier. The Okwanuchu People consider the namesake divide of these mountains their ancestral home, while the third highest member of these mountains was known as the "Northern Staircase" to the (*) Wintu. That divide of these mountains was cleared of its native population in a massacre that resulted from rumors surrounding its Lost Cabin Mine, and is now known as the Castle Crags. Along with the lower, more easterly Scott Mountains and the westerly Salmon Range which parallel these mountains, this range forms the smaller, but higher portion of the Klamath Mountains, and climaxes at Thompson Peak. FTP, name this mountain range found north of Weaverville in a large namesake county in northern California, the only range in North America to bear the name "Alps."
A: Trinity Alps (prompt on "Klamath" Range)
Q: Inter-ethnic strife in the Lapur Hills to the west of this body of water have caused pastoral members of two of its ethnic groups to abandon their flocks to become fishermen at Lowarengak, creating a migratory cascade of displacements that only stopped once it reached Natole, while the other settled at Lokataung. In addition to the smaller of those groups, the Merile, a people group present at the time of its documentation referred to it as the "Black Lake," a foil to the more northerly Chew Bahir. That initial documentation also mentioned a volcano within this body of water now known as the Barrier which was first named for a (*) Hungarian Count, Mt. Teleki, who made contact with the Samburu. At the time of the Nataruk Massacre, this body of water was an extension of Lake Baringo, which drained to the ancient Sobat Tributary, though this now endorheic lake is fed only by ephemeral streams such as the Kerio. This highly alkaline lake lies on the western edge of the wastes of the Chalbi, making it also the largest permanent desert lake. The dissected badlands of the Koobi Fora Ridge stand to the east of this lake whose fossils include the habiline Homo Rudolfensis. FTP, name this Rift Valley Lake which separates the lands of the Rendille, Borana and Oromo from its namesake people group, whose Ethiopian portion receives the Omo River, though it is found mainly in Northern Kenya.
A: Lake Turkana or Anam Ka'alakol
Q: A language native to this city's northern suburbs contains a consonant transcribed by adjacent upright and inverted exclamation points known as a post- alveolar slap, speakers of which work in a surrounding wine region known for introducing the dry-red Makutupora grape. The village that became this city was erected on the edge of a muddy stream passing through a fig grove known for entrapping elephants, giving rise to a name meaning "it has sunk." This city is dominated by the broken mesa of Mlinwa Hill, which tops out at Lion Rock. In addition to the aforementioned language (*) Sandawe, many of this city's street-signs are written in the native Rangi and Gogo languages. This city's native architecture, the Tembe, has been largely eliminated in favor of developments such as the Magufuli, a planned suburb housing principally administrators of this city, who must commute to its central ward of Viwandani. This city, which is the stronghold of its country's Chama cha Mapinduzi party, contains a parliament known as the Bunge, which meets in the legislative palace, the Ikulu. This city was designed to undulate with its existing topography, and largely without monuments in accordance with the principals of the Ujamaa program of Julius Nyerere. FTP, name this federal capital of Tanzania.
A: Dodoma
Q: The Nakalaphala Basin to this south of this city provides evaporitic limestone, but also contains asbestos. This city's tshimo microgardening tradition is displayed at greenspaces like the Mmanotha Gardens. Farmland surrounding this city saw the first introduction to its people of a oxen-drawn plow known as the mogoma, and the fictional city of Golema Mmidi, which sees an attempted farmer's revolution, is drawn on aspects of this city. A hill in the center of this city is known for being the pulpit of a crier who summoned formerly militarized work squads known as mephato, a forerunner of the Brigades Movement, which was launched with this city's (*) Swaneng Hill School. Those hills are foothills of the southeastern Tswapong Range, which hosted the former capital of Phalatswe. This city replaced Shoshong as the seat of a people who migrated from Bechuanaland over a dispute over a cow, and converted to Christianity under their kgosa, Khama the Great. FTP, name this village on the Lotsane River, the birthplace of Seretse Khama and the tribal seat of the Bamangwato, the subject of a Bessie Head historical novel subtitled "Village of the Rainwind," and the capital of Botswana's Central Province.
A: Serowe or Serowa
Q: A collection of tumuli in these mountains' Valley of Tombs, the Agorass n'Tchissikian, is noted for human remains whose only excavated skeletons have been discovered to be mostly headless. That valley is located within a technocomplex noted for its diatomite truncated blades which is named for its fish fossils and is the namesake of the Kiffian culture. These mountains are known for their many overlapping ring dykes, the remnants of calderas like Arakao. Much of the sedimentary uranium found in the Iullemeden Basin to the west comes from granite in these mountains, and is mined at (*) Arlit. These mountains' blue-banded cipollino marble which was for many years sourced from Izouzaouenehe is cut off from the main body of these mountains by the Temet Dunes and is now protected within an Addax Reserve. Underground watercourses in these mountains give rise to oases such as the Timia Valley, one of these mountains' many kouris. The highest point in these mountains waters the former gardens of Aouderas, a home of the Ikelan of the Kel Owey people, who abandoned it after it was ravaged by locusts. That mountain is the code name for its nation's presidential plane, Mount Bagzan. The Tenere Desert results from a rain shadow cast by these mountains. FTP, what is this massif in northern Niger named for a sultanate headquartered at the trading city of Agadez?
A: Air Massif (or Abzin or Azbine Mountains)
Q: Legends surrounding this feature's formation were popularized by Archbishop Lucas Fernandez de Piedrahita. This feature is under the restorative care of the El Porvenir Farm Ecological Preserve, as in the late 20th century it became a source of airborne E. coli. It's not in Nevada, but this feature is found at the head of a gorge formed by catastrophic drainage of the ancient Lake Humboldt. This feature is found just below and west of its nation's oldest archaeological site, which along with the more northerly El Abra site preserves the first evidence of the domestication of (*) guinea pigs. A mansion of the architect Carlos Tapias, which is now a biodiversity and cultural museum, was constructed on a precipice overlooking this feature, but was closed due the overpowering odor of sewage in 1992. This feature has become a popular place for residents of Soacha to commit suicide, though legends suggest indigenous people survived plunging off this feature by turning into eagles; ironically this feature's name means "he who fell precipitously." This 430-foot-high feature was supposedly created when the god Bochica struck the hills of Cundinamarca, saving the Muisca from a flood and allowing a tributary of the Magdalena to exit its upland moors. FTP, name this Colombian waterfall on the Bogota River famously portrayed by Frederick Church.
A: Tequendama Falls
Q: A sculpture which in its second exhibition was renamed Black Man from Timbuktu was originally titled for a resident of this region, and was modeled by the emancipated slave Seid Enkess. That sculpture, which refers to that resident as a member of the Tribe of Mayac, was a companion piece of Charles Henri Joseph Cordier's Venus Africaine. This region's namesake ethnic group is closely intertwined with a people of the Maliki tradition whose last sultan enslaved his own people to build a palace on Mail Mountain. That sultan's capital is known for a pre-Islamic culture known for producing iron jewelry fashioned with ostrich eggs and is also known for its early Christian pottery, that of (*) 'Ain Farah, the great city of the Tunjur. This region was first ruled by a Nilo-Saharan people who settled along the Wadi Howar after moving out of the Deja Hills, where they had clashed with a northern ethnic group occupying the Jebel Marrah mountains-that northern group now makes up the bulk of the Justice and Equality Movement. FTP, name this region best remembered for an early 21st Century genocide perpetrated by the Janjaweed which gives its name to northern and southern states with capitals al-Fashir and Nyala, located in western Sudan.
A: Darfur (prompt on "Western Sudan," etc)
Q: A suburb in this metropolitan area was the first to celebrate Eid al-Adha by throwing flower pots filled with sand and barley called Dokhalah into the sea; many of those are made from palm vanes sourced from the grove of Alwazarah. That suburb shares an island with Darin, which was home to a church which in the 7th Century began the tradition of the blessing of marriages by priests. In addition to the island of Tarut, this conurbation's island of Marjan is known for a white, conical spiral tower. This conurbation started on the former pearl-fishing lands of the Dawasir Tribe south of the cape of Ras (*) Tannurah, and has a corniche that is continuous with Half-Moon Bay, which is known for its resorts. A center of world culture alternately known as the Ithra is found in this conurbation, which was founded by a company that drilled this city's Prosperity Well, its nation's first. A city in this conurbation currently has the world's largest airport by land area, which shares a name with a causeway that links it to the eastern island of Um al-Nasan belonging to Bahrain, that name being that of King Fahd. FTP, name this oil-rich metropolitan area whose chief city forms an industrial "triplet" complex with Dhahran and Khobar, Saudi Arabia's chief Persian Gulf shipping port.
A: Ad-Dammam (Prompt on "Triplet Cities;" but also accept Dharam or Khobar)
Q: This city was founded on an artificial hill known as the Kond of Ghugo, and was first mentioned as a waypoint on a canal which watered the Kuarlini Valley by a military power which is believed to have destroyed its first satellite fortress, Metsamor Castle. The Mohrablor Hill site in this city attests to its iron age roots. Greek traders named this city for Artemis, though its natives eventually renamed it for a son of Sanatruces. A Spear of Longinus found in this city was taken from its reliquary by a patriarch and used to fend off the Russians in 1827, though some of this city's other relics had already been taken to New Julfa after a brutal 1604 sacking of this city by Shah Abbas. This city's (*) bells of war can be heard throughout the three movements of the 21st symphony of Alan Hovhaness, which was dedicated to its resident, Vasken. This city contains the bones of a saint who successfully evaded the persecutions of Diocletian only to be martyred by Tiridates III, Hripsime. This city's principal cathedral, which contains a 12-sided cupola, was founded on the impact site of a golden hammer, and is the Church of the Only Begotten Descended, the first church established in its country by Gregory the Illuminator. FTP, name this city on the Kashagh River, the seat of the Armenian Orthodox Church located just north of the Aras River west of Yerevan.
A: Etchmiadzin or Vagharshapat
Q: Clans of the central portion of this island are known for six-month roast pig feasts associated with the ceremonial "passing of the cane" following the death of a chief; those Kabai feasts end when the tree used to organize the pigs is decorated. The south of this island is noted for secret societies like the Tumbuan, found on its Gazelle Peninsula. Riverbeds in this island's Punam Hills serve as a source for its limestone Kulap figurines, which confine the souls of the deceased until mourning is complete, following which they are smashed. Burial on this island must await the completion of lime wood and sugar cane Tatanua masks used in elaborate (*) Malagan funerals, which are famously performed by the Nalik people. Despite averaging only 10 miles in width, the spine of this island, which includes the Rossel and Tirpitz Ranges, are extremely steep and rugged, climaxing at its archipelago's highest point Mount Tauron, and its lower slopes are subject to mass wasting events due to heavy deforestation of its lowland jungles. The Boluminski Highway connects Namatanai to the former German copra plantations along the east coast of this island. FTP, name this member of the Bismarck Archipelago which lies just to the northeast of New Britain, part of a province with capital Kavieng that is part of Papua New Guinea.
A: New Ireland or Latangai or Niu Ailan
Q: Gneisses and quartzites found in this depositional area have a short provenance, being sourced at the inselbergs of Kelogi and Naibor Soit located just to the north and southwest, but run opposite to the direction of its paleocurrents. A plant whose fibers were used by locals to make ropes, bandages and slingshots gives its name to this place, the "place of the wild sisal," a type of agave. The Naabi Ignimbrite forms the base of the stratigraphic column in this place, which contains a collection of phonolite objects sourced at the Engelosen Volcano found at (*) Heberer's Gully. This place's fame comes from the smaller of its two drainage systems which originates on Lemagrut Mountain. The larger of those drainages owes much to the periodic overflowing of Nduti Lake, which when combined with the tectonic sinking of the Olbabal Depression led to stream cutting through formations like the Naisiusiu and Masek beds, whose ash from Kerimasi and Olmoti aided in the preservation of the Hipparion three-toed horse remains discovered by Wilhelm Kattwinkel. FTP, name this badland ravine in the Serengeti associated with skulls belonging to Paranthropus boisiei, Homo habilis and Homo erectus discovered by the Leakeys, preserving evidence of early hominid evolution.
A: Olduvai Gorge or Korongo Oldupai
Q: One group of former inhabitants of this now protected area were noted for meting out grisly sentences for extramarital pregnancies, such as being tossed into Nyabugoto Cave or over the Kisiizi Falls, and another abandoned outcasts on one of many "punishment islands," the best known of which was Akampene, found in Lake Bunyonyi. The principal family groups found in this location are named for places like the Habinyanja Swamp, the Bitukura River and the Mubare Hill, which are part of the Kigezi Highlands. (*) The Mishaya family split from the largest group native to this area in 2010, though their parent Nshongi family is still the most populous to be found in this protected area, which forms the northern end of a migratory zone beginning in the Parc National des Volcans. Along with the establishment of the more southerly Mgahinga Reserve, this protected area restricted the hunting grounds of its former inhabitants to the Echuya Reserve. The Ishashi is the longest of the rivers that passes through this park on its way to Lake Edward. Located just to the south of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and having a name meaning "darkness," FTP, name this forest, a former home of the Batwa, known for containing almost half of the world's population of mountain gorillas, found in southwestern Uganda.
A: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (National Park) - the families mentioned are the gorilla families
Q: The facade of this city's Rabbi's House is the only remainder of a five-sided ghetto now outlined by the modern streets of Cristiana, Calvi and Giustiziati which was until its liquidation the home of the first Jewish opera singer and her husband, the composer of the first Baroque Hebrew liturgical music. This city is surrounded on one side by the dry lake Pajolo, which was part of a defensive landscape created by Alberto Pitentino. This city was founded by a notoriously indecisive figure condemned to weave a length of rope which is eternally consumed by a (*) donkey and named for a daughter of Tiresias. This city's most ancient extant church is set beneath the Piazza della Erbe, the Rotunda of San Lorenzo. Other churches in this city include one which may contain the grave of Longinus and another that is noted for its lack of facade columns, a turning point in the career of Leon Battista Alberti. A horse farm near this city contains the Sala dei Giganti depicting the Titanomachy, the Palazzo de Te, designed by Giulio Romano. A library founded by Maria Theresa and Bibiena's Scientific Theatre are found in this city's Academia Virgiliana. This city's main structure is found on the Piazza Sordello and contains the oculus of the Camera degli Sposi. FTP, name this Lombardian city on the river Mincio perhaps best known for its ducal palace, the Reggia of the Gonzagas.
A: Mantua
Q: Radium-bearing travertine quarried in this city was used to build its neighborhood of Talesh Mahalleh, which despite being the most radioactive inhabited place in the world is often listed as an example of radio-adaptive effects on local populations. The Mamshlem Waterfall cascades into a deep pool in a canyon above this city, which, like its upland retreat of Arbeh Kaleh, features a much cooler climate, and a cable car beginning in this city accesses Mt. Ilmeili. This Gilaki-speaking city is the lowland starting point for access to the mountain springs of Barshi found in Javaher Deh, which also passes through the Dalikhani Forest, though this city's raison d'etre are its nine (*) hot springs, which include Sangbon, Kotalum and the Royal Sadat Mahaleh spas. This city's former Casino Boulevard has been re-named "Teacher's Square." The Tamashagah Kazar, a former summer palace in this city, once hosted a meeting of foundations based in the Camargue and Slimbridge with Eskandar Firouz. A secretariat based at Gland, Switzerland is part of a governing body established by that meeting in this city which convenes every three years to consider additions to, among other catalogues, the Montreux Record, a threat level landscape classification system. FTP, name this resort city on the Caspian Sea, a favorite of Shah Pahlavi, whose 1971 convention in Iran established its namesake list of wetlands.
A: Ramsar, or Sakht Sar
Q: Letloepe Hill in these mountains is surrounded by its country's only highland grove of redwoods, which are found beneath a cavern named for Qacha, the final prince of the Phuthi people. Native plants unique to this mountain range include a rare species of mountain bamboo, the ts'ehlanyane, and some, like the sehlabathebe water lily, are known for having evolved spiral leaves which permit flotation in their high tarns. Another cave in these mountains which is found within their Clarens sandstone, is the Sebaayeni, which contains over a thousand individual pre-historic paintings, and is found in their (*) Ndedema Gorge. These mountains are separated from the related Chimanimani Mountains by a failed rift valley which permits the passage of the Save River. The northernmost of the mountains collected under this name is responsible for a microclimate which supports the mango- and avocado- growing garden town of Tzaneen, which lies beneath the forested Iron Crown Mountain. The Blyde River Gorge marks the beginning of the "little" range of this name, south of which are found peaks like Monk's Cowl and Champagne Castle. Tugela Falls tumbles from this mountain range which also births the west-flowing river, the Caledon. FTP, name this mountain range which tops out at peaks like Mafadi and Thabana Ntlenyana on the border of Lesotho and South Africa.
A: Drakensberg Mountains or Khahlamba or Quathlamba or Maloti
Q: A survey crew attempting to draw a border around this place found a bottle inscribed with the initials "G.B," which despite a fetish for bottles amongst a local population had not been disturbed. The border that crew established forms a salient that strikes west along a ridge from Nerekoro before turning north at this location and ending at Kolafe. A local tradition upon reaching this place is to sacrifice a white waterfoul and sprinkle its blood on the leaves of trees above it in order to prevent a death-curse which arises from looking into it. Mt. Kenna lies directly to the west of this location, and beyond it lies the conical peaks of the "brother" and the "sister," the peaks of the (*) Sulu. Immediately below this location, the Falico and Tamincono join its namesake. The Bagbe and Bafi Rivers begin flowing south on either side of this location, which is found within a valley of the Kurankos and Northern Kissi peoples; those rivers eventually go on to create the Sewa. A high priest representing this location blocked the advances of the Zweifel-Moustier expedition, who had nonetheless already sighted Tembikunda Hill, a large moss-covered rock in the Loma Mountains. FTP, name this spring near Forokonia in the Futa Djallon Plateau sought by the likes of Richard Lander and Mungo Park at which begins the third longest river in Africa.
A: Source of the Niger River (accept Joliba Spring, accept Tembikunda Hill or "Source of the Tembi" until mentioned)
Q: One of the mysteries associated with this region is a pair of Medici lions of forgotten origin which graces the Keglevic palace in its town of Petervasara. The foothills of this region contain the ruins of the castles of Ovar and Hasznos, which are revered by a native people who share the variga or sun cross symbols with the Avars and have a name suggesting descent from the Cumans. Though the officially designated start of this region is with the western peak of Muzsla, the castle of (*) Holloko lies on the Raven Stone, which is sometimes included in it, and in the east its peaks follow in close succession from a peak known as the Eagle Stone. An asteroid named for this region was discovered on the principal station of the Konkoly Observatory within it. This region forms a bridge between the western lands of the aforementioned Palocz people, the Cserhat Hills, and the cavernous beech-lands of the eastern Bukk, and they lie to the south of the massive stalactite containing karsts of the Aggtelek. Access to these highlands, one of Europe's youngest volcanic provinces, from the southern vineyards of the Sarhegy is provided by the twin parallel gorges of the Nagy-patak and the Nagy-volgy. FTP, name these mountains found between the Tarna and Zagyva Rivers north of the city of Gyongyos containing Hungary's highest peak, Kekesteto.
A: Matra (Or Matra Range) - prompt on "North Hungarian Mountains"
Q: Many early mariners recorded their names in what is now this territory on a chalk bluff known as Sapodilla Hill. A museum in this territory contains the oldest European shipwreck found in the western hemisphere, the Molasses Reef Wreck. One of this territory's villages of Bambarra claims to trace its origins to the Bembara of Mali and Senegal, and many of its citizens have ancestral roots extending to the shipwrecked slave-ship, the Trouvadore, which had departed from Sao Tome. Many of those Belongers worked on plantations made possible due to sinkholes filled with arable soil known as banana holes, or in harvesting pans called (*) salinas. The Conch Bar Caves are the largest cavern system found within this territory's host archipelago. The two main groups of islands in this territory are separated by a deep trench called "the Wall." Those islands are north of the humpback whale breeding site, the Silver Banks, and include Salt Cay and the rock-iguana sanctuary of Chalk Sound, found on Providenciales. Another island is named for a type of cactus resembling a fez. FTP, name this former salt-mining British Crown Colony consisting of two groups of islands at the far eastern end of the Lucayan Archipelago with capital Cockburn Town.
A: Turks and Caicos
Q: One of the industrial zones found within this formation is named for the reddish iron-rich hills around Buchwa, that of Zvishavane. This feature sports a set of northern miombo woodlands through which flows much of the white water of the Mavuradonha Range. A similar but lower western flanking formation of this feature is the Unvimeela Mafic Complex, though that formation lacks the rich P1 Layer found in this formation. It's not an ophiolite, but the majority of this formation consists of sequential dunite, harzburgite and olivine bronzitite layers which contain cyclical (*) chromitite-pyroxenite horizons-these occur within magma chambers like the southern Wedzi and northern Musengedzi. The Mvurwe Beacon is a regional high point found along this formation. The ghost towns of Lalapanzi and Vanad are found along this feature, their populations having moved to the current mining town of Mutorashanga. The Darwendale Dam takes advantage of the natural restrictions imposed by this formation on the Manyame River to provide water and hydroelectric power to its nation's new capital, Mount Hampden. FTP, name this 350-mile-long collection of layered ultramafic intrusions discovered by Karl Mauch which host most of the platinum, nickel, and gold of its namesake nation, whose name is a misnomer due to its components' horizontal and therefore more sill-like characteristics.
A: Great Dyke of Zimbabwe
Q: This river's chief tributary is named for having been a source of masts for the Havana shipyards. Shortly after receiving the Coachapa on its meandering middle course, this river bifurcates into its eastern Mistan and western Apotzongo branches, which rejoin downstream to create Tacamichapa Island. Several ilmenite mirrors have been recovered from the downstream bogs of this river around Cascajal, and their creators also carved two statues raising the axis mundial and facing off against a jaguar above this river at the ruined site of El Azuzul (*) . One of the earliest maps of this river was produced by Francisco Gali, who suggested its use as a link between what he called the Mar del Norte and the Mar del Sur. Below the Uxpanapa, a modern port on this river contains its nation's first sub-riverine highway tunnel and is the southern terminus of a rail ferry beginning in Mobile, Alabama. A mythological figure sailing east from this river on a snakeskin raft gave it a name meaning "place of the hidden serpent." A floodplain of this river near San Lorenzo has yielded several large stone heads. FTP, name this river that crosses the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and flows into the Bay of Campeche at its namesake port city, notable for being the cradle of Olmec civilization.
A: Coatzacoalcos River
Q: Treasures taken from this city include a gold underglazed jar sporting a monkey and tree design, as well as a vine-and-peony designed flower pot, one of the largest of its period's celadon vases. This city was the target of a pilgrimage centering on the ashes of Uichon, as the Chontae Sect originated in foothills to the north of this city. Those foothills of the Tiger Leaping Range, the Ahobiryong, also contain one of its nation's Three Famous Waterfalls, the Pakyon, and the south gate to its old walled town contains one of its nation's Three Famous Bells, the Yonbok. This city's (*) Mt. Janam contains an academy hall that began its existence as a home for the philosopher Jong Mong-ju, who was later assassinated while standing on this city's Sonjuk Bridge. A ruined astrologer's tower, the Chomsongdae, is found in this city, which also contains the stone platform remnants of the once multistory Mangwoldae Palace, which was unrivalled in its blue and white splendor until the sacking of this city by the Red Turbans. Kings in this city were noted for hiring geomancers to place its monuments, which now make up one of its nation's two UNESCO world heritage sites. FTP, name this city which was known for giant Confucian mausoleums like that of the Hyonjongnung Tombs prior to a bloody 20th Century battle preceding the Imjin Retreat, the only city to switch from South to North Korean control.
A: Kaesong
Q: This mountain range contains Welcome Pass, named by a group of American explorers who left a note for a latecoming Soviet expedition led by Garrik Grikurov between Cairn and Czamanske Ridges at the entrance of one of its few wind-sheltered valleys. It's not on the moon, but that valley, Tranquility Valley, is found within a massif alternately named for Augusto Pinochet. The southernmost rocks associated with these mountains are exposed in the Pecora Escarpment. The Himmelberg Hills, which parallel the Saratoga Platform, were named for a petrologist who noted similarities in the pyroxenites of this range to the older platinum-bearing Bushveld Complex; these were found among the layered gabbros of the (*) Dufek Range. This range also exhibits anomalies caused by an iron-bearing cliff, Magnetite Bluff, part of its Forrestal Subrange, which is separated from the related Neptune Range by Sallee Snowfield. This specific range of mountains once connected the Ventana Mountains with the Cape Fold and Thrust Belt. FTP, name this mountain range which guides the Foundation Ice Flow from its source to the Ronne Ice Shelf, named for a naval base in the Southern United States.
A: Pensacola Mountains
Q: This landmass's central range hosts a large forest whose Papakai block has recently been decimated by possums, while its southern Wharekirauponga Forest is the center of a proposed gold mine which may impact the endemic Archy's Frog. The north end of this landmass is composed of prehnite-pumpellyite facies greywackes, part of the Manaia Hill formation. Coastal hot springs like the Lost Spring on this landmass attest to a lingering volcanic legacy that is still present beneath offshore Mayor Island. The loom-giver (*) Hinerehia hails from the steep slopes of this landmass's northernmost mountain range, and in addition to the sacred nature held by its current natives, its highest point is the supposed spiritual center of the Patupaiarehe. That mountain is sacred due to a fern tree marking the grave of a captain of the Arawa; its range, the Moehau Range, extends south to the Waikawau River. Port Jackson marks the northwestern tip of this landmass, and its east coast contains Mercury Bay and Cathedral Cove. This peninsula's native name translates to "spine of the fish of Maui," the larger landmass it is on being likened to a stingray with the Northland Peninsula the tail by the Hauraki Maori. FTP, name this peninsula which separates the Firth of Thames from the Pacific Ocean, the smaller of the two peninsulas of New Zealand's North Island.
A: Coromandel Peninsula or Te Tara-o-te-Ika-a-Maui
Q: The original inhabitants of this nation maintain a traditional village between Isukulati Falls and a natural staircase known as the Dog's Head. This nation claims three hundred and sixty-five rivers, many of which flow rapidly through hazardous gorges like the five-foot wide Ti Tou Gorge, and create features like its Emerald Pool, which drains through the Castle Bruce River. A memoir of a non-native of this nation, who was also the first female elected to its legislature, focuses on its northern Calibishie Coast and is the posthumously published Black and White Sands (*) . The Brandy River meets the sea at the Batibou Beach on that coastline. The newly-completed Waitukubuli Trail crosses this nation from Cabrits National Park near Portsmouth to Scott's Head Point, en route accessing volcanic features like the hot sulfur springs, the Wotten Waven, the Boeri crater lake, and a Boiling Lake, part of its Morne Pitons National Park. Morne Diablotin is another national park that protects its national bird, the Sisserou Parrot, which appears on its flag. FTP, name this island nation, the adopted home of Elma Napier and home of Jean Rhys, the last home of the Kalinago, with capital Roseau.
A: Dominica (do not accept "Dominican Republic")
Q: A northeastern branch of these people speak a dialect named for the Sefim River. The live burial of N'Kanande Ka ended the line of kings of these people following the fall of their capital of Quinhamel to an army of Teixeira Pinto. These people are the most ethnically allochthonous of their nation, possessing both the haplogroup L3e2b common to Mozambique, but also the U5b1b of the Saami, and within their primary nations are closest in heritage to the Mandyak with whom they share the island of Jeta and the Mankanha, and are historically foes of the Balanta, who dwell with them in (*) Fulacunda. These people claim descent from Prince Mecau of Quinara, whose six wives gave rise to tribes represented by, among others, the frog, aardvark and leopard, the Bosso, Bosuzu and Bossassun, who spread out to regions like Bandim, Mindara, and the capital of an empire which ruled under the captaincy of Cacheu which now gives its name to their principal city. These people dwell primarily on the north bank of the river Geba. FTP, name these people of Biombo and the Casamance who also make up most of the population of the city of Bissau.
A: Papel or Pepel or Pelel (also accept: Moium and Oium)
Q: A long running dispute of traditional ownership of this range of formations centers on mutual intelligibility of the Nyininy dialect of its southern claimants with those of the Margaret River. Carolyn Shoemaker determined that a 7-kilometer diameter circular feature found on this range represents some type of astrobleme. The Mendoowoorji landscape-painting style contains the color variations of these features; that painting school was later absorbed by the (*) Warmun school, which is known for its white dots. The famous portion of this range of formations begins just north of Halls Creek. One of the indenting features of this range, which protects stands of Livingstonia fan palms, was created when a Gija deity took pity on a creature fleeing a tormenting cockatoo. Features like Cathedral Gorge and Echidna Chasm penetrate these cyanobacteria- and iron-manganese- stained formations which began with sandstones and conglomerates deposited into the Red Basin and shaped by the rain and winds of the Tanami Desert. The native name for this range of formations means "sand falling away" in the Djaru tongue. FTP, name these often beehive-shaped orange and black striped cone karst sandstone features of Purnuluru National Park of the Kimberley Region of Australia.
A: the Bungle Bungles or Billingjal (prompt on "Purnuluru Badlands")
Q: A temple in a western suburb of this city was supposedly found by digging at a spot where a stray cow released milk, resulting in the Gombeshwar Caves' Shaivite shrine. This city hosts a large Baluchi community in its centrally located district of Makadara, which is older than the slum of the same name in its nation's capital. The oldest district of this city is its Kongowea neighborhood, at which the Thenashara Taifa settled under the progenitor queen, Mkisi, near the current location of its stone Mnara Mosque. This city's northeastern sprawling suburbs of Bombalulu and Shanzu are rapidly encroaching on the (*) Mtwapa Archaeological Zone, which may have hosted its continent's first Indian colony. This city's Likoni slum was the site of a late 20th Century riot which targeted wealthier Luhya and Luo resort communities which was perpetrated by, among others, the Mijikenda. This city is found on a large coral island which is served by the western port of Kilindini. This city traded hands over the centuries due to empires like the Zimba capturing its Portuguese Fort Jesus, which is found in its district of Kibokoni. This city, which is ruled from its Kizingo District, has recently painted its main economic zone with Egyptian blue trim and white stripes. FTP, name this large coastal city whose best-known monument is two sets of arched tusks which pass over Moi Avenue, Kenya's second largest city.
A: Mombasa or Mvita
Q: This mountain's south-facing slopes contain a series of sandstone caves known as the Wynberg Caves. The eastern slopes of this mountain support the Newlands Forest, which contains an endemic red orchid known as the "pride of" this mountain as well as a namesake ghost frog. This mountain is accessible via Skeleton Gorge from Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, while a more central route which splits through the cliffs of this mountain is the Platteklip Gorge. The Twelve Apostles are a series of lesser summits on the west side of this mountain. According to the Lusiads, this peak's shape was inherited from the fallen titan (*) Adamastor, who is equated with the Korana chief T'kana according to a novel of Andre Brink. This peak was notably summitted by an explorer who carved a cross into the adjacent Lion's Head on the way to its summit. That summit is now marked by a cairn known as Maclear's Beacon. The only constellation named for a terrestrial geographic feature was inspired by a layer of fog on this mountain observed by Nicholas Louis de la Caille. When this mountain is not covered by orographic clouds, it is visible from beaches like the Bloubergstrand, as well as offshore Robben Island. FTP, name this iconic mountain which stands above Cape Town.
A: Table Mountain or Tafelberg
Q: A journalist of this ethnicity won the Pulitzer Prize for photojournalism depicting student life at Detroit's Southwestern High School, but dedicated his life-work to his homeland and these people. These people revere traditional herbal healers known as suruhana. Ruling and wealthy classes of these people were once served by the Manachang caste, whose descendants may be the current Refaluwasch. According to myth, these people emerged from the split rock of Fu'una, that rock either having been razed to make way for a church at Atua or being the current seastack Laso de Fua at (*) Umatac. Similarities in the round-topped stone pillars once used to support their homes have led to postulations of origins with the Ifugao people of the Philippinesthough DNA evidence has identified Sumatra as a more likely origin. One story states that these people were transported to their current home by Spanish ships after surviving a massacre; more likely these already-present close relatives of the Yap civilization only adopted Spanish loan words from colonial practices. The latte stones which are a symbol of these people were original creations intended to prevent rat infestations in places like Aguijan and Tinian. FTP, name these indigenous inhabitants of the Mariana Islands and Guam.
A: Chamorro or CHamoru (or course, prompt on "Asia/Pacific Islander")
Q: A composer who was organist at this city's Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is known for his re-working of Handel's Messiah for organ and local native instruments known as his Bantu Te Deum. This city has reclaimed eastern lands intended for industrial uses to create its market gardens of Kilobelobe and Kamilombe. This city's wealthy Karavia neighborhood is sometimes derided as its "golf plateau," and is home to many of its native and foreign captains of industry; much of that industry has pushed out the use of its native Sewa language to its outlying suburbs of Kasapa and Kaponda. This city's university is known for the legacy of its Center for the Study of African-Inspired Novel Literature, but became infamous due to a massacre perpetrated by an elite military unit known as Les (*) Hibous, or the Owls. That university is a hotbed of activity for a movement founded by escaped death-row general Gedeon Kyungu headquartered in this city, the Mai-Mai. This city's wealth is tied to the fortunes of the nearby Ruashi and Etoile Mines, which were formerly managed by the co-operative Gecamines. This city was founded under the name of Elizabethville to support those mining operations, in deference to the then-Queen of Belgium. FTP, name this large cobalt-and copper-processing southern Congolese city, the capital of the province of Upper Katanga.
A: Lubumbashi (the composer is Joseph Kiwele)
Q: A people native to these mountains believe them to be the home of seal-carrying strongmen, the Toonijuk, whom they hunted to near extinction. Those native peoples were proselytized by Moravian missionaries operating at the indenting Ramah Bay. Its continent's oldest folded cratonic gneisses may be found at Saglek Bay, which indents this range at the southern end of a namesake national park. To the west of these mountains, the (*) George Plateau rises to the Koroc Ridge within Kuururjuaq National Park. Tent rings found in these mountains are the southernmost to be associated with the Thule Culture. Its highest point bears a name meaning "wolverine," and is accessed via the eastern Minaret Ridge, but was only first summited in 1978, its cryosphere hindering access from Cape Chidley, becoming ice free only south of Hebron Fjord. That summit bears the name of a native woman who survived a smallpox outbreak while visiting George III in England. The Selamiut Subrange of these mountains contain that peak, the highest continental summit of its nation east of the Rockies. Mt. Caubvick is the highest point of, FTP, what mountains, the southernmost of the Arctic Cordillera, found east of the Gulf of Ungava, which forms the border of Quebec and Labrador?
A: Torngat Mountains (prompt on "Arctic Cordillera")
Q: Attempts to decipher script found in this city have focused on tablets bearing mountain goat images, three boats, and direction- finding birds which may indicate a naval culture once operated there. At least one home in one of this city's wealthier neighborhoods employed the oldest known example of a subterranean furnace known as a hypocaust. This city is associated with one of many ivory rulers using a 17-millimeter base unit called the (*) angula, and Earnest MacKay found a precisely notched shell in this city finely divided into 6.7-millimeter lines; that shell was produced in the northeasternmost quarter of this city, which was exclusively devoted to shell working. A seal uncovered in this city contains a possible endonym, which alludes to its large role in the domestication of the chicken, Kukkutarma, and displays a seated triple-horned figure. This city's highest point is occupied by a Kush-era stupa from which Rakhal Banerjee recovered its first flint scraper. Artifacts from this city were divided in 1947, causing the Pashupati Seal and the Dancing Girl statues to be separated from the steatite Priest King. Though this city's elite remain totally unknown, one of its foundations is called the "Priestly College," and it also features a Great Bath and a Great Granary. FTP, name this Bronze age city southwest of Sukkur, the largest of the Indus Valley civilization's cities, with a name meaning "mound of the dead."
A: Mohenjo-Daro
Q: A religious group dwelling in this city and its outlying Goto Islands still worships under a crest of the Gion Cult and reveres a syncretic depiction of St. Mary as Guanyin; that dwindling community of Hanare Christians were portrayed in the novel Silence and are distinct from the formerly syncretic Mukashi sect, which has largely reconciled with the Catholic church. Those remaining syncretic Christians are mainly found in this city's district of Sotome. The Glover Mansion overlooks this city, whose vista includes a fan-shaped artificial island which became the center of its nation's (*) Nanban trade as well as later learning centers associated with the Rangoku movement. This city's Oura Cathedral commemorates a series of executions in this city which pushed its Christian community underground; those 26 crucifixions occurred after this city's harbor became only the second in its nation to be opened to trade following Hirado. That deep but narrow harbor is enclosed by the southern Cape Nomo and the northwestern Nishisonoki Peninsula, and is a continuation of the Urakami River. This city's Shinno Shrine incorporates a one-legged torii, part of the consequences of an abandoned plan to destroy Kokura. FTP, name this main harbor city on Kyushu Island which survived the second nuclear attack on Japan to end World War II.
A: Nagasaki
Q: The western border of this place contains the causeway of Grande Cheniere, which is identified with a predecessor of its eponymous culture, the Cole Creek Culture. That later culture, which gives a name meaning "persimmon" to this place, is better known for giving rise to peoples such as the Tensaw. Those peoples were displaced by a colonial force that established the town of La (*) Balize in the south of this place, bringing slaves whose descendants would later lobby to count votes by incorporating its city of Seymourville. Civil rights in this place were opposed by racist strongman Leander Perez, who sealed it off from neighboring Jefferson parish following Hurricane Betsy. Much of the rescue operations following Hurricane Katrina were directed out of a naval air station in its city of Belle Chasse. Governed from Pointe-a-la-Hache and containing the city of Buras, FTP, name this southeasternmost parish in Louisiana containing the birdfoot delta of the Mississippi River.
A: Plaquemines Parish
Q: The international portal Purungat Bridge crosses this river to enter the xeric badlands of the Nyumba Mane. This river occasionally disappears into dispersed wetlands managed by Jita-speaking peoples in its lower course after flowing around the Olo Oloo Cliffs. The end of that estuarial section is considered to be the Mukendo Peninsula, which is known for being a battleground in the continuing bad blood between the Wakwaya and Wakiroba peoples. This river's ultimate source is in a shrinking wetland belonging to the Ogiek which is prone to self-swallowing, the Napuiyapi Swamp. This feeds this river's parent streams, the (*) Nyangores and Amala, which merge to generate it after falling from the Mau Escarpment. This river becomes a haven for waterfowl below the Topi Plain between the Olpunyata and Saparingo Swamps. The most famous portion of this river sees the Talek and Sand absorbed from the Loita Hills as it passes through the savannas of Ikorongo and turns northwest, skirting its namesake Triangle, which marks the largest entrance of its famed ungulates. FTP, name this river, best known for a large pre-autumnal mid-course blue wildebeest migration which must survive crocodile attacks in Serengeti National Park as well as in its namesake Kenyan reserve, nicknamed the "river of death."
A: Mara River (accept Maasai Mara)
Q: A western population of Rabha People in this area cut timber from the Chilapata Forest, which forms a wildlife corridor between the Buxa Reserve and a national park which was established in the former homeland of the Toto. Dokla forests which once permeated this area have succumbed to urbanization and irrigation projects like the Gajoldoba Barrage. This area wraps around a population of Kurux-speaking Muslims, and minority languages spoken in this area include Bodo and Mundari. The Tin Bigha Corridor passes through the eastern part of this area on its way to Dahagram-Angarpota, though the nation benefitting from that corridor has yet to agree to a proposed reciprocation which would pass through (*) Tetulia to shorten travel through this area. A 2015 land swap involving part of this area eliminated the world's only third order enclave, Dahala-Khagrabari. From the south, this area may be entered by following the Mechi River, while the Chumbi Valley is the northern end of a transportation network that passes through this lower area that is subject to landslides originating on the Doklam Plateau. Two rebel armies, the NSCN and ULFA, smuggle weapons through this area. This strategically vulnerable area was widened in the north by a 1975 referendum which absorbed the kingdom of Sikkim. FTP, name this corridor which narrows to a 12-mile gap controlled by Darjeeling that separates Bangladesh and Nepal and connects the Seven Sisters provinces to the rest of India.
A: Siliguri Strip or Corridor (if someone buzzes in and says "Chicken's Neck," prompt for the official name; also prompt on "northern West Bengal," "Southern Darjeeling," "Alipurduar," "Tarai," "Western Dooars," etc)
Q: A reservoir named Vietnam Heroico and a neighborhood named Saigon attest to an expat Vietnamese population on this island, and suco-suco is a local Japanese interpretation of one of its nation's dominant dance forms. Though it lacks the large sugar plantations common to its nation, its third largest settlementwas named for a famous sugar mill. A prison based on the panopticon was based at this island's suburb of Chacon, and held belligerents like Armando Valladares. It's not Tir na n'Og, but accounts of indigenous canoes and crocodiles from this non-fictional landmass, which was previously named for its parrots, inspired (*) J.M. Barrie's bio-ethnography of Neverland. Many of those crocodiles occupy this landmass's Lanier Swamp, and caves near this island's Punta del Este beach preserve petroglyphs of those Guanahatabeyans. Much of the English-speaking population on this island is found in a town founded as Jacksonville among its population of Caymaneros, and a sizable American cemetery is found beneath the marble-bearing Caballo Hills on the Las Casas River in its capital, which is located on the Gulf of Batabano. FTP, name this largest member of the Canarreos Archipelago ruled from the city of Nueva Gerona, the second largest island in Cuba.
A: Isla de la Juventud or Island of Youth or Island of Pines
Q: Populations of these people that are believed to be uncontacted are known as Moxihatetea. Shamans of these people contact spirits called xapiripe using yakoana, which is blown into the nose by an apprentice. A film produced in this peoples' village of Miximiximabowei-teri follows the evolution of misperceptions during a conflict initially believed to have been started due to incest. They are known as the Guajaribo to an adversarial people who took much land on the upper Padamo River from them, though the Cauro and Ventuari Rivers support villages coexisting with those adversaries, the (*) Ye'kuana. The Uraricoera River has been contaminated with mercury from artisanal gold mining on the lands of these people, and gold miners on their land perpetrated the Haximu Massacre. These people live in independent villages demarcated by oval-shaped open thatch-roofed palisades known as xapono which are ruled over by leaders called tuxawa. Violence among these polyandric people was said to be related to increased male success in childbearing by an anthropologist who referred to them as "the fierce people," Napoleon Chagnon. Featured in the film The Ax Fight, FTP, name this Native American people group who practice non-territorial warfare native to the southern Orinoco Basin and the upper Branco River in the Brazilian state of Roraima.
A: Yanomami (accept any of the following: Guaica, Ninam, Xamatari, Xirixana, Xiriana, or Guajaribo (before mentioned)).
Q: Digdeguash Falls enters this body of water at its northernmost reach. In a language of one people dwelling on this body of water, its name translates to "place where pollock leap from the water." Qonasqamkuk is an ancestral capital on this body of water that is a bone of contention between Charlotte County and that people group, who also inhabit a town they refer to as Sipayik at its Friar Roads passage. In addition to the main river feeding this body of water, it receives the the Bocabec and Magaguadavic rivers from the northeast, beyond which it is referred to as Maces Bay. Sail rock is a treacherous sea stack at a western entrance to this bay which is guarded by a (*) red-and-white striped lighthouse. A series of dikes connecting Dudley, Treat, and Carlow islands have contributed to unpredictable currents on the west side of this body of water; those currents have resulted in irregular surface trenching, upwelling spouts and standing waves at its juncture with Cobscook Bay near the town of Lubec. FTP, name this bay, whose Old Sow whirlpool is a result of tidal currents passing between Eastport and Campobello Island originating in the Bay of Fundy, that along with the inflowing St. Croix River forms the boundary between New Brunswick and Maine.
A: Passamaquoddy Bay (prompt on "Bay of Fundy")
Q: This region hosts the type locality for the minerals thorogummite and the rare earth mineral fergusonite, part of the now-flooded Barringer Pegmatite, which provided most of the incandescent material used in the Nernst Lamp. Cool, dry microclimates in this region which line the Sabinal River preserve relict deciduous populations which include its Lost Maples. The Tonkawa people believe that ghost-fires may be found on a pink monadnock found at this region's center. That mountain, which is known for contractive creaking and groaning, is the most exposed portion of the granite underlying the (*) Llano Uplift, and is known as Enchanted Rock. The eastern boundary of this area is a fault overlying a notable karst zone that hosts springs like the Comal and San Marcos Springs; these flow east from the Balcones Escarpment. This target of the Adelsverein Colonial Project hosts much of the German blood found native to its state; that project resulted in the establishment of its city of Fredericksburg. The source of the rivers Pedernales, Nueces and Guadalupe, FTP, name this highland area found at the eastern end of the Edwards Plateau, home to the towns of Kerrville, Blanco and New Braunfels, as well as the Johnson ranch in central Texas.
A: the Hill Country of Texas (prompt on "Edwards Plateau")
Q: In one period of history, this river formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Tien and Telensin after rising in the Spring of Sebgag. As this river exits its parent Amour Range it begins its struggle with evaporation, being only a chain of interconnected marshes and mud bogs crossing its nation's High Plateau until its confluence with the stream of the Nahr Ouassel near Chabounia. Tributaries of this river drain the Taza Mountains and the Beni-Madoun Plateau. This river emerges from a deep white-water gorge at Djendel, defining a namesake loop which begins as this river passes beneath the hill of the walled citadel of El (*) Boukhari before arcing around the Ouarsenis Range. The name of that loop, which defines this river's dramatic western turn above the university town of Khemis Miliana, means "the Boar's Tusk." A provincial capital on this river re-named itself for it because its country's population associated its former name of El Asnam with earthquake damage. That capital is part of a cotton, citrus and grape-growing plain which separates the Dahra Massif and Mt. Zaccar Rherbi. This river bisects the wilayets of 'Ain Defla and its namesake, clipping the northern salient of Relizane, and reaches the Gulf of Arzeu north of Mustaganim. FTP, name this famously muddy river which is known as the Granary of Algeria.
A: Chelif River or (Oued n'Chelif) or Selif
Q: The channel of the Koglmuhlbach wraps around the eastern edge of this place, part of a system of turbine-supplying canals connected to edifices surrounding it. One of those buildings contains the Zirbelstrube, whose wood paneling caused a scandal for Max Streibel due to its expense. The Battle of Alexander at Issus once hung in an arcade facing this place, and one of the gates leading to it faces its city's first work of Leo von Klenze, the Dominican priory Theatinerkirche, which lies across the Odeonsplatz from this place. Another edge of this place faces the home of a theater which premiered Hedda Gabler and Semiramide, the (*) Cuvillies Theatre. A black granite monument to its city's White Rose movement stands on the northeast corner of this place. This is the southwesternmost edge of a green space that is connected to its city's English Gardens through the Finance Garden. A twelve-sided pavilion located at the center of this place contains a statue representing its state's resources of salt, game, water and agriculture. The foyer of Hercules Hall, home to its city's Symphony Orchestra, faces the south edge of this place which was created by Maximilan I. FTP, name this court garden of the Wittelsbach dynasty bordered by its city's theatre district on Galeriestraβe and by Ludwigstraβe, home to the Diana Temple and Germany's largest urban palace, the Residenz, in Munich.
A: the Hofgarten
Q: The main valley of this non-European river was initially colonized by Croatians, one of whose descendants, Radomir Tomic, successfully lobbied for the nationalization of the principal industry drawing on it. This river feeds a body of water connected with the legend of the drowned princess Colque-Coillur via a system of napas so deep that even Jacques Couteau declared that it was bottomless. In its upper course this river passes the ruins of the fortress of Lasana, then its nation's oldest church, San Franscisco de (*) Chiu Chiu. A lower town on this river was initially named Coya Norte and boomed following the introduction of an extraction plant using the Guggenheim Process and is currently its nation's only active company town, Maria Elena. The product processed at that plant contributes to the brackish nature of the lower portion of this river, the fresher snowmelt from mountains like Cerro Polapi and rivers like the San Pedro having been used for copper extraction at Chuquicamata or evaporation near Quillagua, the driest inhabited place on Earth. This river rises on the slopes of the volcano Mino, flows in a hook-shape around Calama, and dives through its final gorge west of Tocopilla as it marks the border between Tarapaca and Antofagasta. FTP, name this longest river in Chile which waters the otherwise bone-dry Atacama Desert.
A: Loa River
Q: This river gives its name to a neolithic flint-trading culture known for its fishnet pottery that formed a link between the northwestern Zedmar Culture and the southeastern Polesye Culture. A painting depicting a church on this river in Kalozha near its confluence with the Lasosna preserves the image of a south wall which was later undercut by it. That famous subject of the artist Mykolas Kulesa is the Church of Boris and Gleb. The Pauksciai Mound overlooks this river near Prienai within the forest of Punia, which is known for 28 hill forts built along it; one of those is the Hill of Margiris, a possible host of the legendary castle Pilenai. That section is also known for a series of fault-directed (*) teardrop-shaped meanders which feature on the 500-unit banknote of one of its nations. A canal utilizing this river's Czarna Hancza tributary links this river with a larger river to the west via the Biebrza. This river formed one of the most stable and long-lived boundaries in Europe due to the Treaty of Lake Melno, which left its delta in the hands of a power which built the Memel Castle at its mouth; later, a raft in this river hosted another treaty whose violation by crossing it was described in War and Peace. FTP, name this river within which the Treaty of Tilsit was signed that flows through Grodno and Kaunas and empties into the Curonian Lagoon south of Klaipeda and separates Kaliningrad and Lithuania.
A: Neman River or Nemunas or Nioman or Memel (until mentioned)
Q: One species native to this eco-region is the dominant invasive of locales as distant of the Corraun Peninsula and the riverbeds of Taranaki, while in this eco-region that species became a symbol of protests dubbed "el octubrismo" by their suppressing government. Another species, its native country's national flower, was once used as a sarsaparilla substitute and has a scientific name after Napoleon's mistress Josephine, but is called "kodkulla" by its indigenous population. In addition to the (*) nalca and copihue, this region is dominated by dense stands of bamboo called quilantales. A lost priest stumbled on an isolated northern vestige of this eco-region in the Cordillera de Talinay and used its products to build the Church of San Francisco in La Serena. A type of nut that sustained this region's native population is found in its deciduous uplands in Conguillio National Park, the Pehuen. This region grades into the matorral scrubland via the nothophagus biomes of the Bosque Maulino, while the icecaps of the Campo de Hielo Norte and the Gulf of Penas separate it from the southern Magellanic subpolar forests. The Huilliche people carved many tools from the alerce, a Southern example of the redwood found in this eco-region. FTP, name this large rain forest sustained by the coastal Humboldt Current and the orographic rainfall of the Westerlies in the Andes, named for the capital of the Los Rios Region in Chile.
A: Valdivian (Temperate) Rain Forest (or Bosque Valdiviano)
Q: A swordsman with a snowflake crown personifies this river at its source between the Cerro de San Felipe and the Molar of San Juan, part of the Sierra de Albarracin, and it shortly thereafter passes through its wide canyon at Talavera. The dilapidated towers of the Castle of Anguix overlook this river's now flooded confluence with the Guadiela above its third reservoir, below which it forms a loop around the ruins of Recopolis. In the former country of the Olcades to the south of this river, its name is associated with a monarch who was crucified by (*) Hasdrubal after losing a namesake battle on it. The Entrepenas and Buendia Reservoirs are involved in a scheme which transfers this river's water to the basin of the Segura. This river's Embrocador Reservoir waters the fountains of the Garden of Parterre and the canals of the Isle Garden just above its confluence with the Algodor and Jarama. In this river's lower course, it surrounds the island fortress of Almourol Castle before passing Santarem and reaching the Sea of Straw at Vila Franca de Xira. Probably the most famous monument on this river is the Belem Tower, which served as the departure point for expeditions from it. FTP, name this river which flows through cities like Aranjuez and Toledo before flowing under the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon.
A: Tagus River or Rio Tejo
Q: Nitraria and Tamarix have been planted as a windbreak on this body of water's village of Jabal Kandi. Inhabitants of the Geoy Hill complex depended on a spring flowing into this body of water, and were likely related to the Yanik culture to its east. Several Girdan kurgans overlook this body of water from the south. To the inhabitants of one island within this body of water, it is known as Darya, while an ethnic group dwelling on the shores of this body of water refers to it as the Blue Sea of Kaputan. In ancient times its inhabitants knew it as Chichast, meaning "glittering," though Ptolemy mapped it as Lake (*) Martian. Hulagu Khan and his son Abaka are supposedly entombed in a buried castle on Shahi Island in this body of water along with a massive treasure hoard. This body of water receives snowmelt from the twin massifs of Sabalan and Sahand from the north via the Talkheh River, and is the endpoint for the north-flowing Jagatu and Tatavi. Several islands in this body of water have merged into a large peninsula, as this southernmost of the historical Seas of Armenia rapidly loses volume due in part to a mixing-restricting bridge that causes its north and south waters to often take on blue and red hues. Attempts to revive this lake have brought overflows to its basin from the Zab. FTP, name this salt lake between the provinces of East and West Azerbaijan in Iran.
A: Lake Urmia or Daryacheh-ye Orumiyeh (accept Urmu or Darya or Kaputan Tsov also)
Q: The southwestern edge of this place contains the long peninsula of the Kakayo-Quena Ridge, which contains its only lighthouse, and forms a backbone of rocks that climaxes at Chiquisani Hill. Fluctuation in the size of bays like Sabacera and Machamachani which indent this landmass may have given rise to local flood myths, and though larger during the Pleistocene, carvings near its ruins of Ch'uxu Qullu indicate it has never been wholly accessible by land. One culture present on this landmass built the ritual center of Chucaripupata to protect the sacred stone of Murokata. A labyrinth on this landmass called Chinkana is believed to have been occupied by reliquary custodians, some of which contained obsidian traded with Jis'ka Iru Muqu. This landmass is believed to be the body of the largest of two stone giants pulled from the receding waters of the (*) Unu Pachacuti. Most of this landmass is closed due to a feud between its villages of Cha'lla and Cha'llapampa, though the palace of Tupac Yupanqui at Pilkokaina and the shoreline Inca Stairway are still accessible from Yumani. Pilgrims seeking this landmass's namesake temple must cross the Strait of Yampupata, which separates it from the Copacabana Peninsula. The birthplace of Inti, FTP, name this large Bolivian island found at the center of Lake Titicaca.
A: Island of the Sun or Isla del Sol (or Titi Qaka, or Titi Qala)
Q: WARNING: Two answers required. These formations stand above the Gwagwa Plains, and the lowest of them forms a highland complex with the Bwari Hills. One of these formations was at the center of a prophecy of a migratory group who founded the city of Shinapa beneath it. A theory surrounding the name of the easternmost of these formations surrounds a victory of the parent ethnic group of the Gwandara tribe. The village of Chachi sacrifices a black dog, ox and male goat to the westernmost of these formations yearly, being the only village with a tribal connection to one of them, though that one is also considered to be a protector of the (*) Gwari, and the source of a curse surrounding an uncompleted hotel named for it. The highest of these two formations stands over the western suburb of Madalla, while the other forms a scenic backdrop above Pedam Lake and is the focal point of a complex of buildings surrounded by their nation's National Assembly and the Presidential Complex which was first occupied by Ibrahim Babaginda; that villa was named for the easternmost of these objects and was the first district completed of Phase I of a large project of Kenzo Tange. FTP, name these two inselbergs found on either side of the city of Abuja, the "A" and "Z" of its nation's central highlands.
A: Aso and Zuma (prompt on "Abuja Inselbergs" or "Big Rocks in Abuja" or equivalent vagueness)
Q: This geographic feature lies above the eastern portion of the basins of the Berkhine and the Oued Mya, which are separated by the El Biod Ridge. Houihat Erreched is an unusual thermal lake found within the eastern portion which is found near the critical landmark of Tembaine Mountain. Both of those features are found within Jbil National Park. A mosque on the western edge of this feature is noted for supporting an important Ibadi sect led by the scholar Taleb et-Tayeb. Wells such as the Burj Sif Fatima and the (*) Hassi Messaoud, which are now known for their oil, function by tapping the Wadi Igherghar, a network of channels covered by this feature which preserves what little rainfall that waters it. The high temperatures of the region containing this feature are alleviated commonly by high roofing such as the multi-domed architecture of the town of El Oued, as well as troglodyte hilltop towns such as Douiret and Chenini which overlook this feature from the east. High elevations of this feature begin to appear to the east passing south of Biskra. This feature is slowly advancing on the towns of Ghadames and Tataouine. FTP, name this large sand sea which reaches into Tunisia from Algeria.
A: Grand Erg Oriental or Great Eastern Erg
Q: This physiographic region is believed to be prowled by the coq-djinge, a red-haired version of the tigre de montaigne, part of the mythology of a people who settled these highlands under the leadership of their chieftain, Koom. Historically, this region has served as a refuge for peoples fleeing enslavement, as it formed a difficult-to-penetrate sandstone labyrinth above the flatlands of Dar Rounga. This region's Bambousa savanna is protected by the Yata Ngaya preserve, which on its west edge encloses the (*) Andre-Felix National Park, and is continuous with the cross-border Radom National Park. The Yulu people control the highest pass in these highlands, the Col Quijoux, part of a barrier which forms the southern border of the prefectures of Vakanga and Bamingui-Bangaran. The Kotto River defines the physiographic southern limit of this highland region as well as defines the limit of its primary nation's "limit of depopulation," as a similar vast but almost totally vacant highland region is found to its southeast, though this triangular-shaped granite plateau is sometimes grouped with that sister plateau, the Tondou Massif. FTP, name this highland region containing Mount Toussoro, the sources of rivers like the Bahr el-Arab, whose divide forms the boundary of the Central African Republic and Sudan, and is named for a forest antelope, not a type of drum.
A: Bongo Massif (accept Tondou Massif until mentioned; accept Bongo-Tondou Highlands)
Q: This structure houses a scripture said to have been written using ink said to have been created from copper, coral, gold, pearl and green diamonds. A chapel within this structure depicts eight holy and eight furious manifestations which were used by a demon-slayer. The base of this structure contains the Gardens of Shol, which contains the interior and exterior columns associated with it, one of which is believed to exhibit its province's oldest carved script. Two (*) thangka banners representing Tara and Sakyamuni were once united on the south frontage of this structure during the festival of Shotun; that festival still sees lhamo performances at Zhongjiao Lukang Park on its northern perimeter. Another part of this structure covers the cavern Chogyel Drupuk, a meditation chamber. This structure, whose style was inspired by the Leh Castle of Ladakh and itself inspired the later Putuo Zongcheng Temple, stands on one of its province's thee "protector hills," the others being Pongwa and Chakpo. Its location was chosen by Konchog Chophel due to its proximity to Sera, Ganden and Drepung Monasteries, and once fulfilled the function of the summer Norbulingka during winter. FTP, name this dzong palace built by Lobsang Gyatso on the hill of Marpo Ri, whose White Section is the former home of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa.
A: Potala Palace or Tse Potala
Q: A renascent breakaway movement would make this city the largest in the province of Idel. A fortress at the center of this city contains a formerly leaning tower named for its last queen, Soyembika. This city's first professional theatre group, Sayar, founded the Kamal Academic Theatre in this city's Bista District on the shores of Lake Qaban, which along with the Bolaq Canal forms part of an ethnic divide in this city. Bauman Street is home to an (*) "Alley of Stars" honoring actors of this city's chief ethnicity. A university in this city is known for its contributions to chemical structure theory, and double bonds were first drawn by a professor in this city. An academic rivalry at that university surrounded an argument regarding the stabilities of substituted alkenes, and both Zaitsev's Rule and Markovnikov's Rule were proposed in this city's Butlerov Institute of Chemistry. One of that university's earliest professors was Karl Fuchs, who in addition to being a naturalist was an expert on one of this city's dominant peoples, who built the only mosque found inside of a Kremlin. That Kipchak people comprise the westernmost remnant of the Golden Horde, which founded this city after overthrowing the Bulgars. FTP, name this birthplace of organic chemistry on the Volga River, the capital of Russia's Tatarstan Autonomous Republic.
A: Kazan'
Q: This eco-region contains the standing-stone columns of Rajajil, which lie in the suburb of Qara outside Sakaka. Another stone found in this eco-region tells of the introduction of the deity Salm of Hagam by a son of Pet-Osiri, which originates in a city which also contains its nation's only Pharaonic inscriptions. That city also contains the Qasr al-Bejaidi, as well as a multicolored fortress owned by the famously loyal Jewish warrior-poet Samawal bin 'Adiya, and is the Oasis of (*) Tayma, from which hailed the biblical Eliphaz. The town of Tabarjal in this region is known as a national breadbasket due to its date and olive cultivation. This region contains the Al Naslaa landmark, a twin-pedestaled petroglyph covered red sandstone boulder which is evenly split by a joint. The crescent dunes of this largely sandy region grade into the gravels of the Dahna to the southeast, and to the south are bounded by the highlands of the Jabal Shammar, south of which is the Nejd. The southern boundary of this region provided a route to attack the city of Aqaba during World War I, as T.E. Lawrence was refused passage through it. FTP, name this northernmost of the deserts completely enclosed by Saudi Arabia found in an oval shaped depression in Al Jawf Province.
A: An-Nafud Al Kabir (prompt on "Arabian Desert.")
Q: Sea level rise affecting this city may be illustrated by a native story of the movement of the sea stack Daribah Nungalinyah from Koolpinyah to its current location. Some of the first dwellings built in this city are found at Myilly Point; these include the museum the Burnett House. This city's Buffalo Creek wetlands feature a former lagoon that has largely silted up due to longshore flow, while its southern wetlands occupy a national park famous mostly for its concrete bunkers; those wetlands lie south of this city's Winnellie industrial ward. This city's parks feature several very old tamarind trees said to have been planted by divers who introduced (*) sarongs to a people who call themselves the Gullinbirrijin. This city was founded following an aborted attempt to establish a settlement at Escape Cliffs and occupies the lands of the Larrakia, having been founded under the name Palmerston. Those lands occupy a south facing peninsula between Frances and Cullen Bays to the south of Casuarina Beach, and feature developments like the skyscraper Manunda Place and a parliament house built over ruins created by Cyclone Tracy in 1974 and prior to that by Japanese bombers. FTP, name this city on Beagle Gulf, the capital of the Northern Territory of Australia.
A: Darwin or Garramilla (yes, Darwin's waterfront faces west)
Q: Relics in this city are kept in a pair of olive wood boxes accessible using opposing corkscrew keys. Security is necessary as one of those relics had been stolen and had to be recovered from a Belgian collector who had the audacity to ask for reimbursement. In addition to its chief function, this town contains a pair of two-story roundhouses known as the Lasta Tukuls which serve a dwindling Coptic population. The Washa Mik'el Cave is found beneath this town which is overseen by the high rock of the Asheton Maryam Monastery on (*) Abune Yosef Mountain. A structure on the outskirts of this city features frescoes of hunting scenes featuring one-eyed lions. One of the buildings in this city is noted for a column supporting dueling white and black bulls and contains a triple window whose first arch has an upper opening, while its final sill has a lower opening. The two sections of this town are separated by the Yordannos River. Most of this city's structures feature hidden lofts and are accessed by a labyrinth of trenches, such as a pitch-black tunnel representing hell which serves as the entrance to Bet Merkorios. FTP, name this highland town known for its healing gold cross and rock-hewn churches like Saint Maryam and Saint Giyorgis, named for a 12th Century king who attempted to carve a replica of Jerusalem in Ethiopia.
A: Lalibela
Q: A unique type of wetland found along the shores of this landmass's largest lake, as well as rivers like the Claro and Sirena, is the jolillo palm swamp, and it also contains the flooded upland canyon jungles of the Quebrada Vaouedano, which forms the western edge of an indigenous reserve of the Alto Laguna branch of the Ngabe people. The King Louis Waterfall is found just north of the southernmost city on this landmass, while its largest city is bisected by the swamps and jungle canyons of the Quebrada Cacao. The Chocuaco River flows north from this landmass whose northern limit is Violin Island and the marshes of the (*) Sierpe, though tectonically Isla del Cano is its northwesternmost extension. The Cabo Matapalo Lighthouse guards the southeastern extremity of this landmass, two fifths of which is covered by a national park whose Jurassic forests host populations of giant anteaters and Baird's taipirs and is accessed via its largest city of Puerto Jimenez. FTP, name this peninsula, home to that non-South American Corcovado National Park in Puntarenas, that separates the Dulce Gulf from Drake Bay, the smallest and southernmost of the two peninsulas that extend from the west coast of Costa Rica.
A: Osa Peninsula
Q: Before entering this landmass, pilgrims make offerings to the souls of deceased migrants who perished in a 1912 famine, the Animas de Guasare. This landmass mines salt from the pink waters of the Salinas de Cumaragua. Its first church was erected by a Swiss priest in gratitude for divine protection after his boat floundered at the cliffs of Punta San Ramon following a transatlantic voyage. This landmass's Cocodite Mesa is the northernmost habitat of the Hueque Scorpion. Its name translates to "garden between the seas," though the only lowland forests on this landmass are found in the Montecano Reserve, the balance of its woodlands being found on the triple-summited inselberg Cerro Santa Ana, which is home to its endemic blue tarantula. That name also refers to a xeric shrubland that extends to several offshore islands to the east of this landmass. In 2011, its nation's president claimed certain intelligence sources had mistaken its Los Taques Wind Farm for an (*) Iranian missile battery. Pipelines cross the Gulf of Coro to this landmass's chief city of Punta Fija, which processes most of its nation's best-known resource which is extracted from beneath Lake Maracaibo. FTP, name this large oil-refining peninsula connected by the dune-covered Isthmus of Medanos to the mainland, part of the state of Falcon in Venezuela and known for a colorful type of boa constrictor.
A: Paraguana Peninsula
Q: Three new lectotypes of the asparagus plant, the equisetoides, deflexus, and plesuris species, were first collected from this place by botanist Friedrich Welwitsch, and it is the home of microendemics such as the faustus species of gecko, a subtype of a species named for a queen who fought against an opposing dynasty that was based in this place. The Lutete River to the west of this place is the boundary of this agricultural breadbasket region which was first organized by Juan Manuel Pires, and which is described in chapter 21 of Livingston's Missionary Journeys. This is the westernmost exposure of a lithologic unit which begins with the rock labyrinths of Cambunzo and continues intermittently northwest via the monolith of Frog Rock. This is the southwestern limit of the Cacuso Plateau, part of the (*) Malanje Highlands. The aforementioned Hari Dynasty were lords of this natural stronghold which saw desperate defenders leap from its pinnacles to avoid slavery after losing a battle which ended its primacy as the rival capital to an empire ruled from Cabaca. Despite her opposition to this place, a large pseudotrack in this place, the Pe da Reinha, is attributed to the footprint of Nzinga. FTP, name this last capital of the kingdom of Ndongo which is famous for its towering conglomerate outcrops which overlook the valley of the Kwanza River in Angola.
A: Pungo-Andongo or Pedras Negras (accept Black Rocks of Pungo-Andongo) prompt on "Malanje Highlands" or "Cacuso Plateau" or "Angolan Highlands"
Q: The Khafr Waterfall plunges from this mountain on its northeastern approaches. One method of accessing this mountain follows the Kaladoun Gorge, which splits the eastern flank of this mountain beneath the col of Poutak, while a more gradual route begins in the walnut and pomegranate groves of Ab Malakh and ascends to Atabaki Pass; that route targets the summit of Kal Ghodveis. The spring of Ab Nahr exits the southeastern base of this mountain beneath the Khersi Gorge; that spring is a popular summer watering area for the nomadic (*) Bakhtiari people. This mountain's highest summits are connected by the Kay Khsorou Ridge, though a popular lower route to its highest point skirts Dej Mountain. In an example of the hazardous Lee wave phenomenon associated with this peak, an airliner carrying 66 passengers to Yasuj crashed near Noqol on this mountain in 2018. This centerpiece of its nation's Sanandaj-Sirjan structural zone is so large it is sometimes considered a subrange of its parent mountain range, and contains over 40 peaks over 14,000 feet, including Hozdal, Morgul, and the highest summit, Qash-mastan. FTP, name this limestone massif on the border of the provinces of Kogiluyeh-Boyer-Ahmad and Isfahan, the highest peak in the Zagros Mountains.
A: Mount Dena or Kuh-e-Dinar (accept Ghashmastan before mentioned); prompt on "Zagros"
Q: A southern salient of this state is home to its Ut-Main speaking minority. This state once enjoyed year-round water due to the aquifer of the Kalambaina. This state's Issa Forest is the hideout of a crowd of bandits largely blamed for massacres in villages like Garki. Upstream from this state, the Bakalori Dam attempted to extend floodplains for cowpea and millet cultivation, but ended up desiccating this state's downstream rice paddies around Durbawa and Wamaka, leading to mass displacement and riots. The historic smithery of (*) Makera Assada developed along the Dundaye River in what is now the north of this state, and now practices its ironcraft in the ward of Magajin Gari. Of the two dominant ethnic groups present in this state, the lower class of one, the Zoramawa, is subservient to the aristocratic Torankawa, while the Gobirawa are increasingly wary of state favor. Those once peaceful groups share a capital city found at the junction of the River Rima with its namesake river which contains the Mosques of Bello and Shaihu, which were instrumental in the creation of a sultanate which now claims authority over its nation's Muslims. FTP, name this northwesternmost Nigerian state which shares its name with a Fulani caliphate once ruled by Usuman dan Fodio.
A: Sokoto (or Sakkwato)
Q: The market Sna Jolobil in this city is known for exhibiting its native's backstrap-loom method of weaving its characteristic sleeveless tunics called huipiles. This city is found between the mines of Totolapa and Simojovel, which produce a source material for fossils of the Apozonalli Scorpion. Many of its miners and weavers dwell along this city's periferico in a crescent of violence-plagued slums known as its "Cinturon de Miseria," which is made up largely of religious outcasts from its surrounding municipalities of Zinacantan and Chamula. This city's main cathedral contains five altarpieces of Miguel Cabrera. A museum in this city preserves the legacy of two anthropologists who described local ruins such as Tonina and worked to preserve forests on its western volcano Cerro Huitepec, the (*) Na Bolom. This city's La Caridad Temple was the first hospital in the western hemisphere catering specifically to indigenous peoples, specifically this city's Tzotzil and Tzeltal Populations, who make up much of a movement based at nearby Ocosingo, which protests frequently at its Plaza Treinte-uno-de Marzo. FTP, name this amber- and jade-mining settlement, the first of the cities to be occupied by the Zapatista movement, which is partly named for the author of The Destruction of the Indies, and was the first capital of that author's bishopric of Chiapas.
A: San Cristobal de las Casas or Jovel
Q: A colony of Jens Munk established at what would become the site of this village failed when only three survivors piloted the sloop Lamprey back to Copenhagen, the remains of the frigate Unicorn only being recovered centuries later from its namesake river's tidal estuary. The easternmost community of the Dene people can be found at this settlement, though many have abandoned it for Tadoule Lake, that community being the Sayisi people, many of whom endured a disastrous relocation from (*) Little Duck Lake. Another group of people native to this area have had their artifacts collected by Catholic missionaries, who display them at the Itsanitaq Museum. The estuary upon which this village is founded is also famous for a large migration of Beluga whales, its principal Muskeg-dwelling megafauna also being protected by nearby Wapusk National Park. This settlement, which is served by a railroad from The Pas, is the southernmost endpoint of a trans-arctic trade route beginning in Murmansk, though sanctions have largely left economic activities to those promoting ecotourism surrounding its ursine residents, who approach it in autumn while waiting to hunt ringed seals. FTP, name this "Polar Bear Capital of the World" located on Hudson's Bay in northern Manitoba.
A: Churchill, Manitoba or Kuugjuaq
Q: The highest point overlooking this place is accessed from the north from the village of Beherobie through Organbidexka Pass or from the armory of Orbaizeta from the south. An alternative to the usual approaches to this place from the north is to follow the Auola Ridge to Linduz, and then turn southeast or southwest through the passes of Mendichuri or Atalosti. That route, along with the approaches to the Chateau Pignon, was used by General Reile to gain the high ground in a notable defeat of General Wellington. The Chapel of Sancti Spiritus and the Church of St. Mary of (*) Orreaga are popular points of respite when accessing this place. An ancient route which originally traversed the Gap of Lepoeder beneath the peak Astobizkar, the Via ad Astrurica Burdigalam was modified in the Middle Ages, and now snakes its way over the Ibaneta Ridge from the valley of the Nive to the valley of Irati past the peak of Urkulu. Both of this place's claims to fame are disputed by the village of Valcarlos, although St. Jean Pied-de-Port is the usual starting place for the religious reason for accessing this mountain pass. FTP, name this highest point on the Camino de Santiago through the Pyrenees which is best known for a battle in which Basques avenging the fall of Pamplona ambushed the rearguard of Charlemagne, resulting in the death of Roland.
A: Roncevaux Pass or Roncesvalles Pass or Ronceval Pass or Orreaga (before mentioned) or Ibanetako Mendatea (before mentioned)
Q: Ines Romeu was the only survivor of a detention center in this city which consisted of rooms modified to listen to prisoners' heartbeats and was used to torture victims into becoming double agents, which was known as its Casa de Morte. Another house in this city contained its nation's first alcohol-based water-heating system on Encantada Hill. A telephone line in this city, the first outside the United States, involved a residence constructed on its Corrego Seco Farm. A large granite monolith called Elephant Rock towers over this city's neighborhood of Taquaril. This city is the southern gateway to the Tingua Mountains, and the north- flowing Piabanha River begins in this city. This city, its nation's second planned city, was constructed by J. Friedrich Koehler and settled mostly by Bavarian immigrants. This city briefly replaced (*) Niteroi as its state's capital due to two naval revolts in the 1890's. A treaty signed in this city ended the Acre war, and this city's Quitandinha Palace witnessed its nation's declaration of war against the Axis powers. This city's Black River Palace was preferred over the Catete Palace because its position in the northern foothills of the Serra dos Orgaos made it less susceptible to Yellow Fever epidemics. FTP, name this new world home of Dom Joao I which is named for his successor, an imperial city found to the north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A: Petropolis
Q: Navigational features within this feature include a series of fractures resembling a steer's head between its two naval bases and the large promontory extending into it, Howard-Williams Point. One of those navigators gave his name to a type of piedmont that rests above this feature beneath Mt. Mourning and the Minna Bluff, Jack Eady. Explorers meeting at the intersection of the Robb Glacier and this feature named a prominent cape within it using a (*) Maori phrase meaning "gathering," that expression leading to the name Cape Huinga. The Kamb Ice Stream within this feature has seen oceanic cavity exploration by remote submersibles designed to explore Europa. This feature's discoverer remarked "we might with equal chance of success try to sail through the White Cliffs of Dover" upon meeting with this 600-foot-high obstruction now mostly claimed by New Zealand while attempting to locate the South Magnetic Pole. FTP, name this largest ice shelf in Antarctica located east of Victoria Land.
A: Ross Ice Shelf
Q: One source of this river is found on its municipality's Fortuna Ranch at the La Estrella Spring. The west fork of its upper basin is dammed to create the Gilbert Reservoir and the Gota Blanco, while its upper east fork supplies the five-armed Charco Mono lake. This river flows northeast after absorbing the Yarayabo at Palma Soriano, turning west as it enters the Protesta de Baragua just past Miranda. The "heights of" this river begin at Jiguani, where its oldest fortress stands. This river lost half of its navigability in 1616, when a disastrous flood choked off inland access to the sea at Tasajeras, and because its colony's only other navigable river was the (*) Sagua la Grande, ended Bayamo's dominance in its colony's contraband trade. A skirmish whose name refers to this river and the Contramaestre was fought against Spanish loyalists and a force ascending from Playitas in 1895, making a martyr of a certain poet-patriot with an obelisk at Dos Rios; earlier, another warrior poet, Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, wrote an "Ode to" this river. This river ends in the province of Granma, where it feeds alluvial swamps surrounding the Bay of Guacanayabo. Rising in the Sierra Maestra and supporting its country's coffee plantations, FTP, name this longest river of Cuba.
A: Cauto River
Q: A lake in a poem set on this landmass inspires a king to muse on the "sportive names" of its nation's geography, describing it "with barriers drear" and "precipices dark and shear / yielding no path for goat or deer." That lake, Coruisk, empties into the sea through its country's shortest river, the Scavaig. A peninsula on this landmass is known for a tradition featuring outlandish scarecrows known as tattiebogles. One of this landmass's villages guards a strait named for King Haakon which is famous for a chain dragged across it by a princess who dwelled at Castle Moil. Ventifacts of the Torridonian Sandstone found in the hills above the village of (*) Uig make up this landmass's Balnaknock Hills. This landmass is covered by the high ridges of the Black Cuillin, which contains its highest point, Sgurr Alisdair, which overlooks Glen Sligachan. The chief city on this landmass surveils the promontory of Dun Caan on the Isle of Raasay, and is surrounded by the Trotternish Ridge on the north, which contains the tri-point of the eroded gabbro plug, the Old Man of Storr within the Quirang, and to the south by the mesa, Fingal's Seat. Armadale and Dunvegan Castles are the main historic seats of power on this landmass. FTP, name this bastion of the MacLeod and MacDonald Clans, a large island off the west coast of Scotland which is ruled from the city of Portree.
A: Isle of Skye
Q: This city is seeking diversification of its economy in a textile district on its southeastern flank known as Al-Bayadiyah, whose workers will dwell in a large wedge-shaped development of apartment blocks known as the NTC in deference to its ancient name. A recently constructed western suburb of this city built mainly of earthen material was the basis for the manifesto Architecture for the Poor, but failed when the population of Qurna refused to relocate. The "Vision of the Elder to the Elderly" occurred in an eastern suburb of this city, which contains the modern-day Monastery of St. Bakhomous. This city's (*) Cathedral of St. George serves as its namesake eparchate, which serves a population which Claude Sicard mostly failed to convert to Catholicism. A court in this city hosts the tomb of the Islamic saint Yusuf al-Haggag whose feast day of Mawlid curiously resembles a more ancient festival which ended with a barque arriving in this city, that of Opet. This city sits on the opposing bank of a recently discovered palace city bearing the sobriquet "the dazzling" and dedicated to Aten. Connected to northern Karnak via the Avenue of the Sphinxes, this is, FTP, what city, best known for Amenophis III's temple of Amon and Nut, built over the southern portion of ancient Thebes, located across the Nile from the Valley of the Kings?
A: Luxor or al-Uqsur or Waset (if someone buzzes in and says "Thebes," prompt for the modern town)
Q: A forest of Canafistula and White Angico trees on an island in this river are part of an unusual-for-its-region deciduous forest protected by Fritz Plaumann State Park at its junction with the Queimados. A left tributary of this river has a name meaning "River of the Small Pig Caverns" and introduces hydrothermal flows into this river, while its second longest right tributary, which is predominantly responsible for its high load of sand, is the Ibicui. Within Turvo State Park, a submerged canyon of this river which is only visible in its dry season receives the parallel Mocona Falls. This river rises just 40 miles from the ocean in the Pelotas Headstream, and assumes its name after merging with the Canoas. (*) A slow-burn border dispute involves a tributary of this river which begins in the parallel Cuchilla de Santa Ana and flows west, the Quirai. The Esteros de Farrapos, this river's main wetland area, was threatened and the San Martin Bridge was blockaded in another diplomatic crisis on this river that involved pulp mills constructed at Fray Bentos. The upper reaches of this river are impassable due to rapids below its south turn at Monte Caseros, but is accessible by small craft from Paysandu to Salto above its junction with the Rio Negro. FTP, name this South American river that combines with the Parana to form the Rio de la Plata and gives its name to a country to its east.
A: Uruguay River
Q: Skeleton Mountain, or Otom Kawi, is a fossiliferous butte believed by these people to be the home of a soul-stealing bird-monster. Among these people, the Kohtumvre Ya'ura are a society that represents the Pharisees in a syncretic religion that focuses on a being celebrated by clowns called pahkolam that unites the realms of Yo, Huya and Seyewailo, three of their nine recognized worlds, the Anias. The music of these people comprises the second and third themes of the principal symphonic opus of Carlos (*) Chavez. One allochthonous branch of these deer dance celebrating people, referring to themselves as their "Mountain" branch, are administered from Lubbock, the "mountain" in their name referring to their ancestral Vacatete Range. Another is the Phoenix suburb of Guadalupe, reported to be 44 percent comprised of this ethnicity. The building of the Presa Alvara Obregon flooded much of what remains of their lowland homeland near their Eight Villages, which include Bacum, Cocorit and Vicam. Many of these Cahitan people also dwell in colonias like Sarmiento and El Coloso in Hermosillo. FTP, name this people native to the southern Sonoran Desert, known for fighting a series of namesake wars with Mexico.
A: Yaqui or Yoeme or Hiaki
Q: A western subrange of these mountains contains the Tereskai Cave Paintings and lies to the north of the Charvak Reservoir, whose construction submerged a total of one hundred and fifty separate archeological sites; that reservoir and rivers feeding it separate it from the Pskem subrange. The atheist poet Hamza Niyazi was stoned for attempting to remove a shrine to Ali in another subrange of these mountains. The 1906 rupture of a blind thrust beneath a northern branch of these mountains led to an earthquake named indirectly for an epic poem; that (*) Borohoro Range is the source of a wind whose lesser phase is referred to as the ebe, which issues from an island lake, eventually becoming the ferocious Buran after passing the Dzungarian Gates. A deep basin in these mountains is enclosed by their "Sunny" branch, which hosts the Vorukh, Sokh and Shohimardon enclaves, and the northern, or "Shady" branch of these mountains, which contains the Aksu Canyon and is the source of the river Talas. The "eye" of this range, Lake Issyk-Kul, is found between those two branches. FTP, name this mountain range of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and western China with a name meaning "Heavenly Mountains," whose highest point is Jengish Chokusu, also known as Victory Peak.
A: Tien Shan or Tengri Tagh (accept Alay before mentioned, accept Alatau) - the epic earthquake is, of course, the Manas
Q: This site supplanted the primacy of previous altars built at Sokehs and Nett. One of its enclosures featured a courtyard for Peid Loal, a stone-throwing competition outside the servants' quarters on Kelepwel, which is adjacent to Idedh, which likely functioned as a soil-storage unit. One of its least understood features are the stacked giant boulders of Pahnwi on its southwestern edge; that construction is so infested by sea-poison roots its bricks have been forced out of alignment. This site is noted for being built on columnar basalts that were incorrectly alleged to have been part of the lost city of Kahnihmweiso, which was believed to have been swallowed by a nearby (*) blue hole. This site's Dapahu functioned as a shipyard for canoes, while the adjacent Peinering was a coconut oil refinery; these, like the high-walled tombs of Karian and Peinketel are part of its royal district of Powe, which was built around the grand tomb of Olosohpa, who allegedly employed a dragon to lift its stones. This site was abandoned after its founding dynasty was overthrown by Isokelekel. Noted for canals that have given it the name "Venice of the Pacific," FTP, name this now ruined capital of the Saudeleur Dynasty located on Timwen Island off Pohnpei in Micronesia.
A: Nan Madol
Q: Along with portions of homilies recovered from Fayyum, this city has provided the most complete portion of the "Alaph" section of the Living Gospel, as well as fragments of the largely pictorial Ardhang of Mani. High points like Boyluk in this city are often occupied by aerated mud-brick structures known as chunche which desiccate products from this city's Valley of the Grapes. The Bezeklik Caves outside of, but associated with, this city contained its predominant culture's oldest murals, but were removed by teams of German and Japanese archaeologists; that culture once occupied the massive deserted city of Yarkhoto and ruled from a capital at (*) Karakhoja. Despite high temperatures in this location, the valley surrounding this city remains green largely through a system of interconnected wells called the Karez. Sun Wukong used a magic fan to extinguish mountains found to the west of this city, the Flaming Mountains. A staircase-rimmed bowling-pin shaped structure which combines the geometric designs of Islam with the floral motifs of its nation is the symbol of this city, and a pilgrimage target in Tuyoq, the Mazar of Hojamu, contains the tomb of the first Uighur to convert to Islam. The Emin minaret, China's tallest, is found in, FTP, what prefecture-level city on the edge of, and sharing its name with, the lowest point in Asia, found southeast of Urumqi in Xinjiang?
A: Turfan
Q: The mineral springs of Bankya and Gorna Banya are found in this city's southwestern Lyulin Hills, which were immortalized in the "Folk Feast" of a certain native composer. A scree slope to the northwest of this city, the "Golden Bridges," are a moraine colonized by golden lichen which conceal an underground river which later flows beneath its historic Lion's Bridge via the Vladaya Gorge. That river is sourced on a peak which contains its nation's longest cavern, Duhlata. This city's Fakulteta slum lies on the south edge of the park Zapaden and hosts its largest (*) Roma settlement, and its Roma ghetto of Filipovtsi was created by an order of Nikita Krushchev. An ecclesiastical council which established the first legal prerogative for the primacy of the Roman see was held in this city, which was at that time named Serdica. This city is named for a 5th Century church which became a mosque only to be returned to Christians due to earthquakes that kept destroying its minarets. That church contains the grave of the playwright Ivan Vazov, who also names this city's principal theatre. FTP, name this city which hosts nearly 30,000 Old Church Slavonic manuscripts in its Cyril and Methodius National Library whose most famous religious edifice is the neo-Byzantine Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, located on the Iskar River, the capital of Bulgaria.
A: Sofia
Q: This area's strategic mineral deposits include the Jabal Sela, a mountain composed of sheared biotite granite rich in autunite group minerals and the offshore rare-earth bearing black sand fans of the Wadi Deiat. An enigmatic microclimate found in this area is the mist oasis of the acacia-covered Gabal Elba, which receives more than eight times the precipitation of nearby Abu Ramad due to orographic condensation, though its highest point is the much drier Mount Shendib. Unloading docks in the largest town in this area are in the process of locating to Hadarba, the former trading terminal of (*) Shalateen having been closed by a party which accepted Mamdouh Ali Omara as the first member for parliament from this area. Confusion surrounding a political boundary and an administrative one demarcating the northern zone of influence of the Abdaba people created three years apart is responsible for conflicting claims on this area which is also home to Beja nomads. An assassination attempt followed a request for oil concessions in this manganese-rich region, which meets the similar, but unclaimed terra nullis of Bir Tawil at northern Africa's only quadripoint. FTP, name this disputed region on the 22nd Parallel between Egypt and Sudan named for a village on the Red Sea.
A: Hala'ib Triangle or Muthalath Hala'ib (prompt on "northeast Sudan," "southeast Egypt," etc)
Q: Business finance in this neighborhood's subcommunities of Otodo Gbame and Oko Agbon often relies on local thrift collectors known as Alajo. Much of its business is focused on its Asejere Market and the Oka Baba Plank Market, found in its southern Akimbo section. Development agencies keep trying to force its residents to relocate to Agbowa, and some of the structures in this neighborhood were targeted with machetes in 2012 along with neighboring Iwaya. This neighborhood is named due to its abundance of coronation leaves which are also a traditional fertility aid. Most of the population of this neighborhood are refugees from Badagari. The (*) Third Mainland Bridge forms the eastern boundary of this neighborhood, which is located just southeast of its city's Trinity University campus. This neighborhood was, until the rains of 2016, the home of an A-frame structure built on recycled barrels built by Kunle Adeyemi which doubled as a fishing pier and community center and served as prototypes for similar structures now operating in Belgium and Italy. FTP, name this waterfront slum with a largely Egun ethnicity whose stilt-homes and canals lead it to be called the Venice of Africa, best known for its pioneering "floating school," found on the Lagos Lagoon.
A: Makoko
Q: A more unique myth concerning construction of these places indicates the builders of the first ones hailed from Takoronga, however most mention that the first ones were built using the branches of the former world tree Tekaintikuaba. That more divergent myth originated from Tabiteuea; most acknowledge the first one was built at Nukantewa after a ceremony known as the "bringing of the timbers." Henry Maude wrote a history of the evolution of the role of mythology employed by ombudsmen known as Unimwane associated with these constructions. These constructions lack ceremonial paepae as well as central ahu stones, but like the more southern marae commonly use coral as a cornerstone known as the boua, which support pillars known as (*) oka. These support triangular roofs covering the boti, or seats of power, which may sometimes be occupied by protestant church leaders. Tabontebike and Tabiang are distinguished by their length to width ratios, with the wide side commonly facing the lagoon. The largest of these constructions houses a unicameral legislature, was built at Ambo after its members moved from Bairiki, and is called the Assembly of the Sacred Mountain. FTP, name these structures, most commonly made from thatched pandanus leaves and coconut branches, found at the centers of villages in Kiribati and Tuvalu.
A: Maneabas or Maneapas or Mwaneabas; also accept Tabontebike or Tabiang or Maungetabu until mentioned.
Q: Springs like the Kabukalan Spring provide water for the southern portion of this island; that fresh water flows over the Kawasan Falls into Matutinao Gorge. The Bogo Plain is a rare flatland area on this island's north that is dedicated to sugar cane cultivation, but this deforested and non-self-sufficient island's largely imported agriculture is typically distributed at its capital's Carbon Market. Rapid economic expansion on this island has tempted that capital's suburb of Talisay to expand into the Campinsa Hills, causing conflict with its mountain district of Maghaway. This island gets its name from scorched earth tactics used against pirates like the (*) Magalos by a Cholla prince who founded a capital believed to lie beneath its largest city's neighborhood of Mabolo; fighting off pirates later became the responsibility of Mexicans who occupied this island's now ruined Fort San Pedro. A pilgrimage to this island terminates at a basilica containing a Flemish image of the newborn Christ which survived three fires which is paraded through the streets during the Sinulog Festival. A cross displayed in Sugbo Square was first raised by an explorer who baptized its king Humabon before departing this island for either Poro or Mactan and his death at the hands of Lapulapu. FTP, name this crowded Visayan island, home to beaches like Bounty Beach, the coral reefs of Moalboal and Malapascua, and the first capital of the Philippines on the Camotes Sea.
A: Cebu
Q: A monument in this city to its alphabet's 24th letter, now orthographically unique among Indo-European languages, exists one block west from a monument to a printer whose 1517 Bible printed in this city institutionalized that alphabet, providing an alternative to its language's initial Arabic script. That monument to the non-syllabic "u" is found just west of this city's Skoriny Square. This city's main cathedral was redesigned in the baroque by Johann Christoph Glaubitz without its original seven domes after powder being stored there exploded; that church of Safyiski Sabor (*) has a bell raided from Novgorod by a prince who was rumored to skulk around Kyiv dressed as a werewolf, and a set of rock inscriptions connected with his grandson Boris. Another church in this city contains 12th Century frescoes including a "St. Anthony and the Centaur" and many Orans commissioned by a now-patron saint of its nation; that Transfiguration Church also hosted a bejeweled cross commissioned by that saint which is featured on that nation's Pahonia coat of arms, the Cross of St. Euphrosyne. This city, which falsely claims to be the geographical center of Europe, also claims to be its nation's oldest. FTP, name this former city-state on the Dvina River best known for having being ruled by Vseslav the Sorceror and for being the site of Belarus's first university.
A: Polotsk or Polatsk (yes, Belarussian was first written in Arabic script due to Crimean Tatars assimilating there)
Q: The Masisi Mine is known for producing a dangerously radioactive variant of this raw commodity in this country. It's not gold ore, but in 2020, heavy rains in this country collapsed a mine at Mwenga focusing on this raw commodity, and it's not spodumene, but an Australian alternative to mining this raw commodity in this country includes the Kapanga deposit, which could replace up to half of it. In this country, the SMB Group has violently resisted the union Cooperamma, which is mining this commodity at Rubaya. Sources for this commodity may be tracked using an electron microprobe because, in contrast to other Kibaran deposits of this commodity, this commodity in this country has a tendency to have a high (*) tapiolite component. Mining of this commodity alongside tungsten and tin in this country has decimated the wildlife of the Kahuzi Biega National Park, much of that wildlife having been used for bush meat. In 2016, a neighboring country claimed a thousand percent increase in production of this commodity, though further investigations determined most of it was actually stolen from mines in this country's North Kivu province. FTP, name this commodity regulated by the Dodd-Frank act whose refinement produces semiconductor capacitors used in laptops and cell phones, an admixture containing iron-manganese niobate, an oxide of an element with atomic number 73 which is still mostly mined by artisanal means.
A: Columbite-Tantalite from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (do not accept "Tantalum from the Democratic Republic of the Congo" because it isn't a raw commodity and the refined product is not produced in the DRC). Prompt on a partial answer or "Conflict Minerals."
Q: This area's most important church is found in the town of Joqolo, though currently only Birkiani has a majority Christian population. Those Christians make pilgrimages south to the Alaverdi Monastery on St. Joseph's Day. The dominant people group living in this place revere Khevsureti holy sites like Anatori Jvari, while other members of that community worship at the Duisi Mosque; both current religions operating in that community display syncretic elements which originate with the Nakh faith. That people group comprises the only member of their ethnicity not (*) deported for supposed collaboration with Nazis during World War II. The now ruined Qizilbash fortress of Bakhtrioni guards the lower approaches of a route through this location which passes Mt. Borbalo on its way to its nation's Tusheti region. A senior leader of Islamic State who used the nom de guerre Omar hailed from this place, and threatened to return to it to launch an invasion to the north; that leader was Tarkan Batirashvili, who was of the Kist subethnicity which makes up a majority in this place. FTP, name this narrow defile through the central Caucasus which opens into the Alazani River Valley in Georgia, best known for being a notorious weapons smuggling corridor during the Chechen Wars.
A: Pankisi Gorge (prompt on "Kakhetia")
Q: A cross in this town which now stands at the Headfort Place Courthouse once stood in its market before being struck by a school bus, and was used to hang rebels two at a time following an 18th Century rebellion. This settlement, which once hosted the principal Dun on the ancient Sli na nAssail, which ran to Rathcrogan, also contains fortifications related to its role in the border wars of the King of Breifne. The Spire of Lloyd is an inland lighthouse which marks a Pauper's Grave to the south of this settlement; another cemetery in this place houses an oratory which contained the relics of a saint who produced a psalter known as his (*) Cathach. That oratory is connected by tunnel to a church which was home to a famous Crozier now housed at the British Museum. That church, which survived four Viking raids, is part of a monastic settlement known for a jewel-encrusted treasure which contains the oldest extant European image of the Virgin Mary, as well as an elaborately illustrated Chi-Rho vexillum on vellum now housed at Trinity College. FTP, name this townsite in County Meath noted for its namesake Columban abbey, which once housed the Book of Kells.
A: Ceannanus Mor (accept Kells before mentioned)
Q: An island in this state saw the greatest disaster inflicted by animals on a human army, as troops attempting to flee across the Mu Marshes were devoured en-masse by crocodiles. That island is part of an archipelago which is known for its mud volcanoes, and also includes Unguan and Cheduba. Friar Sebastian Manrique described a 17th Century Catholic church attended by ronin refugees in a trading center in this state. That trading center's first mosque was the Shindhikan, and a temple on Pokhaung Hill, the Shaitthaung, has now been defaced by concrete after a leaking roof repair. That trading center had been founded on a tributary of the (*) Kaladan River. In addition to the Theravada-pracricing Mraung-U, this state also contains the remains of Mahayana kings at the Great Golden Hill of Waithali, as well as the creation site of the Mahamuni Image, Dhanyawaddy, which is found in the western foothills of a mountain range which continues north to form the Patkai Range. Buddhists living in this state today are largely in conflict with a population that lives in its northern district of Maungdaw, its nation's greatest percentage of Muslims, many of whom have fled northwest across the Chittagong Hills. FTP, name this state on the Bay of Bengal which is the home of most of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims as well as its namesake ethnic group, ruled from its capital of Sittwe.
A: Rakhine State (or Arakan)
Q: Sacred windows known as rorun-puyar serve as portals for these peoples' gods, and are also used to exchange ceremonial tools, and mortals who peer through them from the outside may be ostracized or severely punished. Though only one hundred or so spoke the language of these people at the turn of the millennium, their legends, or yukar, including an epic concerning an otter-hunter with a magic sword, the Kutune Shirka, are being used to revive it. A hunting device invented by these people known as an amappo is a spring trap loaded with an arrow, which may be coated with a poison called surku originating with aconite plants. Matagi huntsmen use a number of animal and forestry-based loanwords from these people who often adopted and raised (*) Ussuri brown bears, and sacrificed them in spirit-sending Iyomante ceremonies. The native lands of these people are referred to as the Mosir, which at times has included lands disputed with the Uilta and Ulch, as well as their northern neighbors, the Nivkh. The Shibuchari River flows through much of these people's economic sphere of influence, the subject of a 17th Century revolt; other hegemonical re-assertions of their trade rights resulted in revolts on the Oshima and Shiretoko Peninsulas. FTP, name these native people, who included chieftains Kochumain and Shakushain who currently dwell on the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido.
A: Ainu
Q: This city's Castanheiras Wildlife Refuge is a forbidden zone established to protect its symbol, the endangered Pied Tamarin. Though this city's Educandos and Sao Raimundo rivers are considered threatened due to its principal economic activities, the mouth of the Puraquequara features an overlook exhibiting a phenomenon caused by tannic acid immiscibility which extends for several miles southeast of this city, and is part of the Anavilhanas Archipelago. An economic boom in this city built the mansions of Adrianopolis, this city's wealthiest neighborhood. This city was named for a nearby people whose name means (*) "Mother of the Gods," having been established under the name Sao Jose da Barra as a hedge against south-advancing Dutch traders. This city's neighborhood of Taruma contains the Adolpho Ducke gardens, the largest urban forest in the world. This city's opera house on the Praca Sao Sebastiao once saw half of a visiting troupe perish from yellow fever and features a rubber driveway. This large city is the only state capital in its nation not connected to the national capital by road. FTP, name this inland port city located just west of the confluence of the Negro and Solimoes Rivers, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas.
A: Manaus
Q: The lowest step of these non-Albanian highlands hosts the iron ore-mining forest of the Saranda, which was once a notorious cannabis corridor, but is now largely denuded. That section of these highlands grade into the Garhjat Hills to the south. The Lodh Falls drop into the nearly perfectly round cylinder of the Chhechhari Valley in the northwest of this region. A fault-induced type of waterfall known as a scarp fall, exemplified by the Pheruaghaugh Falls and Sadni Falls, occur on the North Karo and Sankh Rivers in these highlands, and another river, the Kanchi, exits these highlands by flowing over the (*) Dassam waterfall. This northeasternmost extension of its nation's so-called Red Corridor hosts several pockets of Naxalite resistance. The southwest of this region is a strongly faulted and dissected collection of mesas known as the Jashpur Pats, and this plateau is bisected in its center by the aulacogenic trough of the Damodar. This region forms a highland migratory land bridge with the western Baghelkhand, which is used by leopards. A mountain in these highlands contains the marble temple, the Cottage of Golden Grace, and the Jal Mandir, and is the holiest mountain in Jainism, the Parasnath Hill. FTP, name this collection of highlands including the Hazaribagh, Kodarma and Ranchi lying between the Mahanadi and Ganges and found in Jharkhand State in Eastern India.
A: Chota Nagpur Plateau
Q: The Huacrupe Hills and Pomac forest form upland breaks in this eco-region, containing savannas populated by its critically endangered sapote, palo santo and hualtaco trees, though it also contains low wetlands like the San Pedro de Vice and Chuyillache mangrove estuaries, which are sanctuaries for sanderlings, plovers and other birds. Those birds created the guano deposits of the Isla Lobos de Tierra to the west of this region's Illescas Peninsula. The climate of this region necessitated engineering projects such as the Ascope Aqueduct, which was constructed by a civilization whose Lady of (*) Cao is its continent's first evidence of female leadership. That mummy was recovered from the El Brujo archaeological complex of this region's Chicama Valley and belongs to a culture which still uses its neoraimondia genus of psychoactive cacti in local ceremonial brews known as cimora. The Chancay River Delta supports one of this region's urban centers which was built on the royal tombs of Sipan, which supplanted the aforementioned Mochi civilization. Flooding may fill this region's Bayovar Depression during wet episodes that fishermen working off the coast of this region first named El Nino. FTP, name this coastal desert containing the cities of Chiclayo and Piura created by upwelling of cold equatorial waters off Lambayeque, the northernmost desert in Peru.
A: Sechura Desert
Q: The founder of a city on a marsh on the edge of this river famously compared trade on it to the throat of an ostrich. An island in this river's delta hosted an entertainment center which was part of an effort to extinguish its basin's dominant religion in H.G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come. That island hosts the world's largest breeding ground of crab plover and is protected as the Mubarak al-Kabeer reserve. Increased salt from a strengthened tidal bore on this river has killed up to forty percent of the world's largest date palm forest (*) . Two winged genies and two Lamassu Bulls are among the archaeological treasures to be found at the bottom of this river after being lost to a pirate raid, a disaster named for a town at this river's origin which also contains the Tomb of Ezra; that town also saw the beginning of a successful voyage by reed boat to Pakistan by Thor Heyerdahl. In addition to the aforementioned island of Bubiyan, an upstream island in this river was the focus of Operation Kheibar which ended with mustard-gas attacks, and is the center of the Majnoon Oilfield. Another large oilfield is found on the Al-Faw Peninsula on the south end of this river. This river probably formed as a western river merged with the existing channel of the Karun. FTP, name this short but critical waterway which sustains the city of Basra, formed by the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates.
A: Shatt al-Arab or Arvand Rud or Dijla al-Awarna
Q: The Regel's tulip, known for its red fan-shaped, highly folded leaves, may be found growing in this location in especially wet years. A road passing from Kopa to Kanshangel is a modern aberration that crosses this site. This site contains an image of an iron age horse with a medieval superimposed rider which covers all but the horns of a bronze age carved ox image; those images began with the Andronovo Culture, whose wolf-masked archers were overprinted by images of Saiga antelope, kulans and bulls created by the Saka, who also created this site's elephant and rider images. One of the Kurgan mounds found at this site contains stone ridges, similar to the whiskered barrows of the more northwestern (*) Ulytau Range, but its more numerous and more ancient graves are of the box-and-cyst enclosure style. Vertical lines end at disc-like solar images, the largest and most widely visible of the images displayed at this location, which were worshipped at altars found at the south end of this location, which is separate from its outer residences. FTP, name this petroglyph-covered gorge, necropolis and holy site, the largest and longest-used of the bronze age Zhetysu, or Seven Rivers rock art sites, located in the Anrakay region of the Chu-Ili Mountains of Kazakhstan.
A: Tamgaly Gorge or Tanbaly Canyon
Q: Agriculture at this site was enabled by causeways such as the La Rejolla and the Hatzcap Seel, as well as several terraces at Chaquistero. A stone box unearthed beneath its structure A6, known as the Temple of the Wooden Lintel, contained a pool of mercury and a jade mask. Stelae at this site record the capture of the Lord of Ixkun, two axe wars, and the first of the Star Wars, which resulted in this site's victory over Lord Double Bird. This site's most successful ruler concecrated a non-Honduran Hieroglyphic Staircase after defeating its nemesis, Naranjo, in a series of Destruction Wars, and was K'an II; pieces of that staircase have also been found at nearby (*) Xunantunich. This site also contains its nation's tallest building, which is associated with a notable Painted Royal Tomb, likely containing the remains of queen Batz' Ek'. This site is unique in that it is found among a mixture of lowland tropical and upland pine forests, being one of its ethnic group's highest ancient settlements. This site was discovered by Rosa Mai while clearing land for a mahogany plantation and first described by A.H. Anderson. FTP, name this huge Mayan ruin containing the Sky Palace of Caana, located on the Vaca Plateau south of San Ignacio in the Cayo district of Belize, so named because the Chiquitbul access road leading to it winds like the shell of a snail.
A: Caracol
Q: The Wada estate located just north of this construction was engaged in regulation of the saltpeter trade, and is the largest of its city's gassho-style farmhouses; this construction itself begins in a grove of ancient cedars. According to custom, before passing this site, ancient travelers would oftentimes change into costumes decorated in fourth-moon flowers and wild roses. The Ogimachi Castle eventually supplanted one of this site's functions, and it had to be rediscovered and marked by a shrine by Matsudaira Sadanobu nearly 1,000 years later. This geographic metaphor for loneliness and separation often featured in waka poems, and Matsuo Basho mentioned passing it after visiting the Clear Water Flowing Willow with Sora in his travel narrative the Narrow Road to the Deep North, following which his party forded the Abukuma River. During that time, this place marked the northern termination of the (*) Oshu Kaido highway. It is today located in its namesake city's neighborhood of Hatajuku. FTP, name this large earthwork moat and double-palisade fortification constructed during the Kofun period as a bulwark against the Emishi tribes, the northern border of the Yamato state which today marks the southern boundary of Fukushima prefecture.
A: Shirakawa Barrier or Shirakawa no Seki
Q: A diasporic population originally from this region dwells mainly in the neighborhood of Barkas and is known as the Chaush, who introduced the sword-and-dagger dance Marfa to Hyderabad. That dance derived from this region's kettledrum-accompanied tradition of Bar'a dancing. A mythical artifact brought from this region, the ngoma lungundu, the "drum that thunders," was said to cause instant death to those who touch it, and is carried into battle before a people who use a ghost town in this region as an endonym. In addition to that town of Sena, ancestral home of the (*) Lemba, this region contains the Dar al-Mustafa, a well-respected Islamic university in a town with the world's highest concentrations of descendants of Muhammad. That town also contains its nation's tallest minaret, the gleaming white tower of Al-Mudhar. The fort Al Ghwayzi, which is perched on a steeply angled overhang, stands above a slum in a coastal city in this region which also contains a port which gives its name to the Arabic word for ambergris. That port of ash-Shihr was also the chief port on the maritime frankincense route. FTP, name this region known for its towers of gypsum-and-mud-brick architecture displayed in the towers of Shibam, known as the "Manhattan of the Desert," which shares its name with a Governorate ruled from Al-Mukalla in eastern Yemen.
A: Hadhramaut
Q: A people group dwelling in these mountains harvests an aphrodisiac made from the resin of the Ko-tach bird. Another people of these mountains may assume the role of the Fire King, the Wind King, or the Water King, one of which is associated with a syncretic snake messiah whose veneration once led to a revolt which a largely Christian colonizing power attempted to suppress by introducing Buddhism. That syncretism is found in an anomalous metamorphic block of these mountains, the Kontun Massif. In addition to the Pacoh and (*) Jarai peoples, a red-rumped striped rabbit is native to these mountains which are also the only remaining habitat of the saola and the eastern limit of the gaur. The gradual western slopes of these mountains are ensconced by forested stairstep topography which includes the central Nakai tablelands and a southwestern highland which contains a buried astrobleme, the Bovalen Plateau. These largely karstic mountains are known for river caves like Xe Ban Fai and a cave discovered by an agar logger which is known for its doline rain forests. Much of the lowland forests of these mountains have been replaced by bamboo as a result of actions of Operation Barrel Roll, which especially targeted the Mu Gia pass. FTP, name these mountains whose tallest peaks, Phu Xai Lai Leng and Phou Ba, lie mostly on the Laotian side of the border with Vietnam.
A: Annamite Mountains or Phou Louang or Day Truong Son
Q: The southern hillsides of this landmass are so steep that inclined tricycles known as "bao-bao" must be used to scale street slopes which reach angles of nearly forty degrees. That chain of hills is indented by the Lison Valley, a copper, gold and molybdenum mining region. It's not in Egypt, but during lent on this landmass, penitents climb the three thousand and three steps to Mount Linabo during the "Sacrificial Katkat" festival. A Marian apparition in a city on this landmass is credited with saving a fortress from a tsunami; that fortress, Ft. Pilar, was built using imported labor which gave rise to a creole language incorporating elements from languages as diverse as Nahuatl, Quechua and (*) Hiligaynon. Islands named Santa Cruz are found off the northern and southern ends of this Chavacano-speaking landmass-one of those is noted for tidal destruction of red organ pipe coral which create its famous pink sand beaches. This center of exile's city of Dapitan features a hospital constructed by Jose Rizal after his banishment for writing Noli Me Tangere, and its largest city was the de facto capital of the breakaway Bangsamoro Republic. FTP, name this long peninsula between the Moro Gulf and the Sulu Sea, home to cities like Ipil, Pagadian and Dipalog, which makes up its nation's Region IX and whose Catholic heritage stands out from the rest of the largely Islamic island of Mindanao.
A: Zamboanga Peninsula (or Sambuangan) - prompt on "Mindanao"
Q: One of these types of structure in this country contained the grave of Queen Helen of Anjou until an invading party chased its inhabitants off with her sarcophagus, which is now lost. A painting in one of these structures in this country comprised the first broadcast image sent from Europe to the United States, and was later sent into space. That fresco, "Myrrh-bearers on Christ's Tomb," contains a striking figure known as the White Angel which was discovered after having been painted over for three centuries. The Vratna Gates, a series of natural bridges, serve as the entrance to one of them. The cliff-anchored (*) Black River example is active today, preserving the staff of Peter of Korisa, though a similar cliffside one overlooking the Gornjak Gorge did not survive the Turks. A unique Italian style of architecture is on display at the aforementioned Gradac example. Many of these buildings of this country contain schools of transcription, such as one named for the Resava River which is an example of the Morava architectural style. Many of these buildings overlook the Ibar Valley, this country's "Valley of Kings," which in addition to its most famous structure, includes the Hermitage of St. Sava and many built by Uros II. FTP, name these religious buildings in this country, which include Studenica, which contains the grave of that country's Stefan Nemanja and Stefan the First Crowned.
A: Serbian Monasteries or RascanMonasteries
Q: Certain villages in this non-French speaking nation may participate in direct democracies known as krutu, which take the place of councils like the lo lanti under urgent situations. Those councils are found in native capitals like Langatabiki and Witagron, home to the Matawai and Kwinti, who are primarily of African descent. Another African people group in this nation once dwelled in the former plantation Klaverblad, but were evicted with the discovery of bauxite. Native peoples like the Tiriyo and Wayana often do not recognize village hierarchies, but had leaders called (*) Granman appointed for them in the 20th Century. The Eilerts de Haan Mountains are a protected portion of this nation's principal mountain range, which also includes the large granite dome, the Voltzberg, found above the Raleigh Falls on the Coppename River. This country's religious architecture includes the largest wooden church in the western hemisphere, as well as the Neveh Shalom Synagogue, which sits across Keizer Street from its largest mosque, and a Hindu temple which caters to its large Javanese population. Creoles like Taki-Taki are used to communicate between this nation's diverse ethnicities. A portion of this country southwest of the Corentyne River is the source of a border discrepancy with its western neighbor. FTP, name this Dutch-speaking South American nation with capital Paramaribo.
A: Suriname
Q: The Bastak Reserve hosts sable and racoon habitat in this polity, which are prey to an apex predator which its native Nanai people call the Amba, and which is its official symbol. Heavy industry in this polity primarily focused on its iron-manganese mines, and this polity contains important carbonate-hosted deposits in Kostenga, Kaylan and Poperechny, as well as the detrital hematite of the Sutara River, which flows from its highest peak of Studencheskaya. This polity was established on a tract of land referred to as the Green Wedge. A drama by Viktor Fink promoted marriage and cohabitation with (*) Koreans in this polity, though poet David Bergelson who promoted this place was executed as part of its nation's "rootless cosmopolitan" purges, which left only its Valdgeym Farming Cooperative intact. The oldest headstone established in this polity is found in the Neyfeld Cemetery, which, along with cemeteries in Londoko and Birakan contain the remains of settlers who arrived as part of the Ambijan Colonial Project, and whose names are inscribed in the first house of worship of its type in its country established with state funding. That Beit Menachem synagogue is found in a Hannes Meyer-designed capital city named for two tributaries of the Amur River. FTP, name this autonomous oblast in eastern Siberia with capital Birobidzhan which is today less than 1% Yiddish-speaking.
A: Jewish Autonomous Oblast or Yevreyskaya Avtonomnaya Oblast'
Q: Local myths contrast a feature on this mountain with the snows of Muhavura, where dwell the honest dead, while this mountain is considered the tomb of a rival of Ryangombe who gave birth to a demon who haunted Ibirunga. A particularly destructive episode on this mountain destroyed the suburb of Buhene; that episode also created the northern cinder cone Murara. The current physiographic expression of this mountain, which includes the spatter cones of Gisi and Guberabia, overlaps the older stratovolcanoes of Shaheru and (*) Baruta, which it has covered with sheets of extrusive melilitites and nephelinites, which are characterized by low silica and lack of feldspars. These produce especially fast and hazardous flows which in the past have inundated satellite towns like Moniki and Kibati. Those flows also commonly bury the only paved route to Beni, and have reached across the border to Gisenyi. The geologic hazard, known as the mazuku, or "evil wind," was first documented from this volcano, whose lava flows have the added threat of disturbing the methane-rich meromictic Lake Kivu. FTP, name this southernmost active volcano in the chain of the Virungas, best known for its large lava lake and for threatening refugee camps with fiery lava flows from its position above the city of Goma.
A: Nyiragongo
Q: A canal in the modern-day territory of these people displays the Suruaso Inscription, which mentions their immortal rice gardens, and contains a notable allochthonous occurrence of the Nagari script; these were found in their ancestral Luhak Nan Tigo region. This people's initial devotion to Tantric Buddhism is evident from the Amoghapasa Inscription, which was found in their Padang Roco Temple Complex near the source of the Batanghari River. This matrilineal people are led by male penghulu, although it is the female suku which determines land ownership, which may include large estates notable for curved-spired roofs which mimic the (*) horns of water-buffalo. Traditional marriages among these people involve the crown suntiang, which may be the lesser pasumandan, which is worn during dance ceremonies, or the heavy gadang, which symbolizes the weight of relationships. According to the Salalat al-Salatin, the eldest of three princes appearing on Mount Siguntang following the marriage to a daughter of Kida of a certain "prince of Rum" became the first ruler of these people, though they more likely originated with a line of kings descended from the Pararuyung Kingdom, which fell to the Netherlands following the Padri War. FTP, name this southwesternmost Malayic ethnic group of western Sumatra who claim descent from Iskandar Zulkarnain, also known as Alexander the Great.
A: Minangkabau
Q: A copper selenide mineral named for this lake is a form of recrystallized umangite associated with hematite and pitchblende. That pitchblende was sourced from mines like the Lorado and Gunnar Mines on its northern Crackingstone Peninsula, which gave birth to its settlement of Uranium City. This lake was the final resting place of the Obed Mountain Waste Plume, a failure of a coal mine pit, which contaminated the water supply for a fort town that was once known as the Little Athens of the North due to a library established by a certain trader of (*) Terrebonne. Nottingham House was an early trading post on this lake until Samuel Black drove his rival out of it, though Fidler Point was eventually named for that rival. This smaller of the three daughter lakes of proglacial Lake McConnell hosts the largest boreal dune field in the world on its shores. The Riviere des Roches drains this lake into the Slave River via an inland delta on its western shores that shares its name with the Peace River which is the last natural habitat of the Whooping Crane. Fort Chipewyan is a gateway town for Wood Buffalo National Park on the western shores of this lake. FTP, name this large lake which straddles the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
A: Lake Athabaska
Q: Two of the first European explorers to describe this region collected word lists named "Mimi," which were assigned to now-extinct languages subscripted D and N, for Decourse and Nachtigal. The northern reaches of this region are the home of the Assangori People, and its central ethnic group also names a language group which includes Karanga and Masalit. A prefecture named for this region began to be dismembered beginning with the split off of the Djouf el-Ahmar Department in the early 21st Century. The dominant city in this region, now the fourth largest in its nation, is arranged around the Palace of the (*) Kulak, capital of a realm founded by its native Maba Tribe which waged jihad against the French from a fortress known as the Tata, and controlled a trade route from Baguirmi to Cyrenaica. The modern watercourse, the Batha, rises in this sloping region, and ends in Lake Fitri to its west, while the now ephemeral Yellow Nile once began on this southern counterpart of the Ennedi Plateau. This region is the stronghold of the Rally for Democracy and Liberty movement, whose attack on a border garrison in this region precipitated the Adre Crisis in 2005 and opposed the party of Idris Deby, causing a brief war with Sudan. FTP, name this large region which shares its name with a historic sultanate that ruled from its dominant city of Abeche, found in eastern Chad.
A: Ouaddai
Q: This city's greenspace of the El Wahch Mountain Forest overlooks its neighborhood of Serkina. This city's spinning market mosque served as the church of Our Lady of Seven Pains during an occupation of this city. This city's principal university contains the Hall of the Zouaghi Slimane Geography and Earth Sciences, a collaboration between Rashid Hassaine and Oscar Niemeyer, and its Emir Abdelkadir University and Mosque are located in a neighborhood locally known as the Swika. A memorial arch in this city inspired by Trajan's Arch in Timgad lies opposite to a military hospital which saw the discovery of the (*) protozoa which causes malaria. Another architectural collaboration in this city involved Chiavino of Genoa and Al-Khatabi, which produced a structure of two hundred and sixty-six marble columns, gardens of palm and orange trees and walls depicting its inhabitant's travels to Istanbul and Cairo. When this city was known as Cirta, it was ruled by an emperor whose mausoleum is now found in its outlying district of El Khroub. Flash floods along the Boumerzoug River are the chief hazard associated with the lower portions of this city. FTP, name this city containing the tomb of Masanissa and the Palace of Ahmad Bey perhaps best known for bridges like the Sidi Rached and the Sidi M'Cid which cross the Rhumel River, Algeria's third largest city.
A: Constantine or Qusantina
Q: Spondylus thorny oyster shells associated with these objects are found at platforms common to northern examples of them, leading to speculation of their use in water rituals, and geologist Paul Johnson noted that some of them may indicate the location of aquifers which were then tapped by puquias such as the nearby aqueducts of Cantalloc. The Usaca Dunes are believed to obscure western examples of these objects, and erosional and wind patterns lead to speculation that more may be found in the hills south of San Pablo. The greatest concentration of these objects is found just south of San Miguel de la Pascana. One archaeologist noted their similarity to textiles found on burial shrouds of the Weri Kayan necropolis, while others have noted a spatial relationship with the temples of (*) Cahuachi excludes all purposes except ceremonies. Maria Reiche collaborated with Paul Kosok on the first study of these objects, some of which they noted converge on the horizon of the setting sun during the winter solstice. Like similar objects created by the earlier Paracas Culture, these objects were made by removing their region's hematite-rich topsoil. FTP, what are these designs, which perhaps represent constellations, including hummingbirds, spiders, lizards, and monkeys, etched into the plains of the Pampas de Jumana on their namesake Peruvian plateau?
A: Geoglyphs of the Nazca Plateau or the Palpa-Nazca Lines (also accept Palpa Lines before the end of the first line).
Q: This city's Perungudi Landfill leaks chromium and cadmium into its chief wetland, the Pallikaranai Marsh, which is also polluted by sewage from its district of Alandur, but hosts birds like purple swamphens and whistling ducks; another bird habitat in this city is the only one of its nation's national parks found inside an urban area, Guindy National Park. This city's wetlands largely drain to the Buckingham Canal which connects its northernmost and southernmost rivers. This city's Chepauk Palace now houses its nation's National Green Tribunal. This city's Andhrodyamami adherents started the Mount (*) Road Riots following the death by starvation of a Komati leader, bringing about reorganization of his country's administrative divisions along linguistic lines; that hunger strike of Potti Sreeramulu took place at this city's Sambamurti House. This city's government meets in the neoclassical Ripon Building. This is the largest and southernmost of its country's urban areas served by undersea fiber optics, and like Bangalore is known for its semiconductors and software and Dravidian temples like the Kapaleeshwar in Mylapore. FTP, name this tech-producing city on the Koovam River and the Coromandel Coast named for a Vijayanagaran general, the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, which hosted Fort George back when it was named Madras.
A: Chennai or Madras (before mentioned)
Q: Ancient terraced villages like that of Wad Abu Agib stand above inselbergs above one of these features which is guarded by the fortified town of Jebel Irau near where it splits between the natural break of Rauwiyan. The southernmost of these features forms the most effective barrier due to the danger caused by the resistive qualities of the Sabaluka Ring Complex. The Stele of Merymose overlooks one of these features at Tombos, which is north of the Island of Badeen and features a fortress overlooking the former southern border of the Sanjak of Mahas in addition to the Temple of (*) Soleb. The alternate name of Ishmyk used for one of these features at the Isle of Tina records a historical passage during the month of Akhet; that one ends a particularly rough corridor whose name in one language means "the belly of stones" and in French shares a name meaning "slab" with a city on a similar feature in Oregon. Two of these features below that one, the Dal, defined the limits of the ancient region of Wawat. The fourth one cuts through the Manasir Desert, but has largely been submerged beneath Lake Merowe, while another dam created at one of them owes its power to the confluence of the upstream Wadi Atbara. FTP, name this series of six rapids which impede navigability on the longest river in the world, the first of which occurs above Elephantine, although most of them are found in Sudan.
A: Cataracts of the Nile
Q: Quarries in this county serve as the type locality for the mineral hellandite, one of two minerals to contain stoichiometric ytterbium, as well as for the chlorine-end member of the apatite group. Those quarries, like the Dypedal phosphorus Mine, are found in a city that was termed the "pearl of the coast" by a painter who created the canvases The Sun and Alma Mater at his Skrubben Studio. This county's Eidanger (*) Peninsula is home to its country's largest limestone mine, the Kjørholt, and overlooks the lighthouse Langøya. The Birkeland-Eyde process was pioneered in this county at its town of Rjukan, the setting of the Jules Verne's novel The Lottery Ticket, which describes a waterfall in this county which Odd Hassel later discovered was central to deuterium production. Another hydro plant in this county is found on the Tinnelva River. This county's city of Lardal contains the Eidsborg Stave Church, one of its nation's best preserved. The estate of Venstøp is found on the outskirts of this county's seat, which inspired the society depicted in Rosmersholm. FTP, name this home of Edvard Munch's favorite city of Kragerø, which was part of a brief and unsuccessful union with neighboring Vestfold, ruled from Henryk Ibsen's hometown of Skien, which gives its name to a type of toe-binding-only downhill skiing.
A: Telemark
Q: The eastern extension of these mountains is occupied by a people who follow village elders known as Ajmuz who interpret the mountain code Izerf, control the pass of Tazazert, and expanded south from their traditional capital of Igherm Amazdar. Transhumance focused on the pastureland of Bougemez, often called Paradise Valley, depends on a critical weathermaker for that extension of this range whose name means "drought" to those people, the Ait Atta. That rain-making summit is that of Amalou Mansour. In addition to the Jebel Saghru, which extends to (*) Tafilalt, these mountains contain the citrus-growing Bani subrange, whose southern slopes produce a fruit used historically as Etrog. The rainier western slopes of these mountains are the center of an intangible heritage focusing on the knowledge of bark, oil and nuts of a forest which has colonized this range from the adjacent Sous Valley. These Argan-covered mountains are the central stronghold of the Silha people, who dwell around the cisterns of Tafraout at the base of the pink granite massif of Jebel Lekest. Its highest point is the core of a stratovolcano which forms a bridge to a higher and more northerly range parallel to this one. FTP, name this mountain range which is bisected by the Draa River Gorge, which peaks at Jebel Sirwa, and is lower and further south than the central High Atlas.
A: Anti-Atlas Mountains (prompt on "Atlas"). Accept Little Atlas.
Q: Caves found in the Dawna Hills above this river shelter colonies of hog-nosed bats which are called "bumblebee bats" and are the smallest bat species in the world. A local name for a gorge of this river, the Valley of Beer, refers to the habits of the Derung People; that gorge also forms part of the Khora pilgrimage route through Cawarong. Another people celebrate the March 15 Fairy Flower Festival in memory of a girl named Arong who built a spider-web-inspired bridge across it; the name for those people is a homonym for their section of this river, which means "angry." The Wa people in addition to the aforementioned (*) Nu were often enslaved by an empire which followed this river to southern conquests. An attempt to find the source of this river saw Ronald Kaulback walk from Bilugyun Island to Lake Cona, discovering large footprints which gave rise to the legend of the Yeti. Downstream, this river zigzags torturously through the Shan Plateau as it absorbs tributaries like the Hka and Pang, entering karst country at its junction with the Moei in the lands of the Karen, and becoming navigable only after reaching the state of Mon. FTP, name this westernmost of China's Three Parallel Rivers, a teak-transport corridor which reaches the Gulf of Martaban at Moulmein after briefly forming the border between Thailand and Myanmar, which is longer but wilder than the Irrawaddy.
A: Salween River or Nagqu or Thanlwin or Nu Jiang (before Nu are mentioned) or Hong River
Q: The Choubara Branch project will double the impact of land reform projects in this region which were initially aimed at settling immigrants from the east. One of those immigrants, Lekh Batra, got his start in mycology scouring this region's hillsides for edible mushrooms. Isolated interfluves in this region have recently given rise to the Saraiki dialect of its mother tongue, though Thlochi is still the main dialect spoken in this region. The Soan River recycles some of the quartz-poor sediment introduced to this region from the (*) Kohistan Arc, which support medicinal plants such as the salve Kartuma and the digestive aid Harmal, which is necessary due to chronic stomach ailments in this region. Northward-advancing seasonal rains mostly peter out over this region before reaching the Portholar Plateau, and its northwestern end is found at the edge of the Salt Range. Liaqatabad, Qaidabad and Jaiwharabad are mill and textile centers in this eco-region which has been transformed by the Jinnah Barrage. FTP, name this desert found between the Chennab-Jhelum Junction and the main trunk of the Indus River which is now a large swath of irrigated agricultural land known for its recently planted forests, cotton, wheat and rice, found in Pakistan.
A: Thal Desert (not the Thar Desert)
Q: The Cave of Tifale contains the graves of two of these islands' first Muslims, where they had been kidnapped from a sultanate which began with an eating contest. A proposed language family named for these islands includes Biga, spoken only in one village, and As, whose speakers were displaced from them by nickel mining on their homeland of Gag. These islands are known as the Kalana Fat by the most widely spoken member of that family, Maya, spoken around the Mayalibit Gulf which nearly bisects their largest member. Their city of Wayiwai contains a stone idol said to be the seventh of a series of eggs, one of which hatched the wife of Manseren Manggundi, the recreator of the universe. That island is also known for its population of double-ended (*) pipefish. The easternmost member of these islands is separated from a larger island to its east by a strait sometimes known as the Strait of Revenges. This area's main attraction begins at the Fam Islands, on the western end of Dampier Strait north of Batanta, and extends north to the reef shark caves of Palau Uranie in the Wayag Group, and south to the coral gardens of Misool, which features sea life from both the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Also including Salawati and Waigeo, FTP, name these islands located off the tip of the Vogelkop of Papua known for their marine biodiversity and given a name meaning "the four kings."
A: Raja Ampat Islands
Q: A massacre on this river took place when a warlord overcame the strategic high ground of the Togbao Hills, and a reprisal massacre later took place at a city on its western banks named for the now-endangered Mser people. The neighborhood of Moursal on the northern bank of this river is known for its pari-vente events, which involve women getting rich by re-selling drinks to singing guests, and the Farcha district along this river hosts the Dary Festival. This river served as a migratory corridor for descendants of the Gajiganna Culture, the Sao, whose terracotta masks have been found along this river which now waters the farms of their descendants, the Kotoko and the (*) Sara. The Bahr Salamat, which drains Zakouma National Park, is an ephemeral tributary of this river. Another tributary, the Aouk, forms the chief national boundary within this river's basin before joining it at Golongosso. This river accounts for most of the remaining cases of dracunculiasis, better known as Guinea worm. This is the northernmost of the two rivers involved in a scheme of Herman Sorgel to create lebensraum with a dam above the Kasai to irrigate the Sahara; those plans later involved the Ubangi, with whose name this river names a former French colony. FTP, name this river which, along with its tributary the Logone, is the primary feed for Lake Chad, along which the city of N'Djamena is found.
A: Chari River
Q: A spring in this city is commemorated by a mausoleum topped by four successively built domes which reflect this city's evolving architectural styles, including a conical "tent" dome; that spring, the Chashma Ayub, is attributed to the Staff of Job and contains a Museum of Water Supply. This city formerly hosted many pools known as Hauz, one of which still lies outside the Simorgh-displaying Divanbeg Madrassah, but were largely eliminated during the 20th Century. This city's Uldukhtaron Mosque was built over the watery grave of forty virgins, and lies within a structure containing the marble throne Kurinesh, onto which its occupant was hoisted via (*) carpet. The Chor Minor gatehouse functions as a dhikr-hana for this city's Sufis, and is flanked by four ceramic blue-domed towers which nod to this city's four great religions. Genghis Khan proclaimed "if you had not committed great sins, Allah would not have sent such a scourge as myself" from this city's Namazgokh Mosque before sparing only a single tower in this city. Sack-tied prisoners were later executed by being thrown from that tower. Prisoners in this city were held in the Zindan, which hosted a notorious dungeon into which spiders and scorpions were dumped. FTP, name this Uzbek city containing the Kalyan Minaret and the "bug pit," arranged around Shakhristan Square, once ruled by Nasrullah Khan from its Ark Fortress.
A: Bukhara or Boxoro
Q: A dam on this river has submerged seven of the eleven defensive towers of the fortress of Sarda, which is linked to a culture which was originally discovered in the graveyard of the upstream castle of Dalmaca. One branch of this river is sourced at the Zhleb Massif, may be connected to a lake in the Sleeping Beauty Cave, and begins its course after emerging from underground with a 75- foot waterfall. That branch flows beneath the triple-arched Fshajt Bridge in its short canyon before merging with the waters of the Istog and the Lume in the region of (*) Trektan. The highest city on that branch of this river was the first settlement of any type nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which occurred in the year 2000. The longer branch of this river rises above the monastery of Sveti Naum. An international incident resulted from the building of the Fierza Reservoir in the narrow defiles of this river's Dukagjin Highlands. After passing the Vau i Dejes Dam, one distributary of this river flows past the remains of the Selimiye Mosque, which was once the church of St. Nicholas of Lezhe, and another, the Buna, passes the Rozafa Fortress on its way to Lake Shkoder. FTP, name this river whose Lake Ohrid-sourced Black branch meets its White branch at Kukes and flows into its namesake gulf in the Adriatic Sea, the chief river of Albania.
A: Drin River (do not accept "Drina" or "Drino," but accept the Macedonian word, Drim)
Q: A dubious drawing of this city by the geographer Mallet implies that its wealthiest portion once occupied an island in the river Cuama. The only waterways of this city's current remains are the small rivulets which dissect the Praia de Nhanvuvho. This formerly prized port is now located on a silted harbor protected by the Island of Misato whose dangerous shoals only allow dhows to approach at high tide, and its stagnant mangrove swamps and lagoons like Maboto make it especially malarial. This (*) Ndau- speaking city's name appears in the official titles of captains of the colony which became its nation. Stones from this city's Fort Sao Caetano were later used to build the main cathedral at Rio Sao Vicente as the old district of this city sank beneath the waves of the bight that bears its name, its nation's largest. In weaker days, this prized port shipped gold under King Mutasa of Manyika, but artifacts from independent states of this city have been found in colonies as far south as Cape Corrientes, though the lack of a mention of this city by Zheng He likely means the Treasure Fleet never made it far past Cape Delgado. FTP, name this Somalian colony on the estuary of the Buze River, in one of its heydays the chief port of Mwanamutapa, whose northern district was built over by the city of Beira, which is now the capital of its namesake province in Mozambique.
A: (Nova) Sofala (if someone buzzes in and says "Beira," prompt for the old quarter)
Q: This province's neighborhood of Subbi Kush was home to the ganzibra Ram Zihrun, who is famous for reviving his religious community after a devastating cholera epidemic, though many practitioners of that religion have migrated to cities like San Antonio in the 21st century. The city which contains that neighborhood is also famous for a combination arched bridge and dam known as Caesar's Bridge which was the forerunner of this province's hydraulic system. Several rivers in this province, including the Bellerau, are said to contain the bones of a figure whose presence is believed to alleviate drought. One of those places is said to be indicated by the presence of (*) goldfish and cause instant death to passing infidels; that location, revered by this province's Jewish population, was somewhere along the ancient river Choaspes. This province contains the southernmost and most widely accepted location of the Tomb of Daniel. In addition to the aforementioned Mandaeans in Shushtar, this province contains the winter quarters of its nation's Qashqai nomads. The Aqa Jari Well is located in this province, whose product is shipped from Kharg Island after being refined at Abadan. FTP, name this province which is roughly continuous with the ancient kingdom of Elam and contains the ancient capital of Shushan, known for producing three quarters of Iran's oil, and ruled from Ahvaz.
A: Khuzestan
Q: This province contains a system of tunnels built for use in case of nuclear war called Underground Project 131.The Purple Cloud Institute takes its name from a Daoist temple in the mountains of this province. The city of Yichang in this province is near the Gezhouba ("guh-joh-BAH") Dam. In 2022, a huge bronze depiction of the Green Dragon Crescent Blade was removed as this province demolished a 190-foot statue of Guan Yu. This province's capital, where the hot dry noodle dish reganmian("ruh-gan-mʼYEN") is traditional, is often described as a "triple city" formed from the merger of Hankou ("han-KOH") and two other towns. This province's name alludes to its location north of Dongting Lake, which contrasts with a province to its south where Mao Zedong was born. For 10 points, name this Chinese province where "wet markets" were a likely origin for SARS-CoV-2 first detected in Wuhan.
A: Hubei province [or Hubei sheng; prompt on HB; reject "Hebei" or "Hebei sheng"; ask players to spell their answer if their intended first vowel is unclear; reject "HE" or "HEB"] (The province to its south is Hunan.)
Q: The bilingual radio station KILI operates out of this state's town of Porcupine, which was proposed as the capital of a breakaway nation-state in 2007. The local grocery store chain Buche ("BOO-ee") Foods, spelled B-U-C-H-E, and its convenience store affiliate Gus Stop operate entirely in this state. During World War II, the US evicted Indigenous residents for practice bombing runs in this state's Stronghold District, which took off from Ellsworth Air Force Base. Each April, this state's flagship university in Vermilion hosts a Wacipi ("wah-CHEE-pee") powwow. The Rosebud Indian Reservation is in this state, where a rideable jackalope statue sits outside the road stop Wall Drug. A region with eroded buttes ("byootz") sacred to local Indigenous people names Badlands National Park in, for 10 points, what state, where some Native residents object to Mount Rushmore?
A: South Dakota [accept SD] (Activist Russell Means proposed Porcupine as the capital for the "Republic of Lakotah.")
Q: A flag used on this landform is divided into a right side showing red, white, then red horizontal stripes, and a green field on the left with five white stars in an X shape. A traditional "black stuffing" made with shredded turkey and topped with an egg is served on this landform. A pointed arch in the city of Kabah in this region marks the end of an ancient sacbe road. This landform, whose name may have come from an Indigenous person saying "I don't understand," is where footwork-heavy jarana("huh-RAH-nuh") dance first developed. This region's port of Progreso was an arrival site for Koreans who worked on henequen ("HEN-uh-ken") plantations. The most populous city named Merida is on this landform, as are the states of Campeche ("cahm-PAY-chay") and Quintana Roo. For 10 points, name this peninsula where the ruins of Chichen Itza stand in southeastern Mexico.
A: Yucatan peninsula [prompt on Mexico; prompt on North America or Central America] (The flag is that of the State of Yucatan.)
Q: Women on this island weave bags known by a word meaning "womb," bilum. A Catholic priest on this island founded a weekly newspaper named for a system of social obligations called wantok. This island's Maprik area contains many examples of tall, triangular haus tambaran worship buildings. A traditional sing-sing gathering occurs each September in Goroka in this island's Eastern Highlands area. In 2008, UNESCO recognized a swampy area on this island as the Kuk Early Agricultural Site. This island's Sepik peoples practice "crocodile scarring." The Mount Hagen Festival unites tribes from across this island, some of whom make headdresses with bird-of-paradise feathers. Tok Pisin is the most common of over 800 languages spoken on, for 10 points, what island split between Indonesia and a country whose capital is Port Moresby?
A: New Guinea [or Papua or Niugini; accept Papua New Guinea]
Q: This city's notoriously unfinished Foreshore Freeway Bridge became known as "Solly's Folly." This city's "Second New Year" celebration, usually hosted on January 2, includes a minstrel carnival that features troupes called klopse("KLOP-suh"). Bree Street is a hip area in this city, where Michael Elion installed a giant pair of stainless steel Ray-Ban Wayfarers overlooking the ocean in 2014. Corrugated iron shacks house thousands of "backyard dwellers" in poor areas of this city such as Mitchells Plain and its namesake "Flats." Pastel-colored houses on this city's Signal Hill line a neighborhood once named for its Malay population. Over one million of this city's residents are of a multiracial ancestry known legally as Coloured. For 10 points, Bo-Kaap is in what city overlooked by flat-topped Table Mountain, the legislative capital of South Africa?
A: Cape Town [or Kaapstad or iKapa] (The sunglasses face Robben Island.)
Q: This is the larger home country of the first tree put in genus Parrotia, an ironwood closely related to witch hazel. A very wide cypress tree of religious significance that is at least 4,000 years old is found at Abarkuh in this country. The Clarence Strait contains many of this country's Hara mangrove forests. In this country, whose north contains most of the Hyrcanian ("hurr-KAY-nee-un") forests, a convention on wetlands protection was signed in the resort town of Ramsar. Trees line the island of Qeshm off this country's southern coast. Crocus fields in this country grow about 85% of the world's saffron. A word that can mean "rose garden" names Golestan National Park in this country, whose North Khorasan province is just south of Turkmenistan. For 10 points, name this country where oaks grow on the Zagros mountains due north of the Persian Gulf.
A: Islamic Republic of Iran [or Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran; prompt on Persia] (Parrotia persica is the Persian ironwood, which is also found in Azerbaijan. The cypress at Abarkuh was allegedly planted by Zoroaster.)
Q: In 2024, a fort named for this city got an Indigenous name meaning "harmonious meeting place" and changed its English name to The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland. Land acknowledgments in this city often mention the Indigenous name Moh'kinstsis ("mo-KIN-stiss")and the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. Two princesses, including one from the five nations of Treaty 7, are chosen as Royalty at an annual event in this city. Some Indigenous groups call the area around this city "elbow" because of a sharp bend in it where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet. This major city is west of Siksika 146, a Blackfoot reserve. Stephen Harper represented a riding in this city, where a First Nations camp is built each July for an event that also uses the Scotiabank Saddledome. For 10 points, a rodeo "Stampede" is held in what city southwest of Edmonton, the largest in Alberta?
A: Calgary [accept Moh'kinstsis until read; accept Wicispa; accept Fort Calgary; accept Calgary Stampede]
Q: For decades in this country, a hermit named "Moose" McGregor baked apple pies beside the C14 highway for travelers who must refuel at the extremely remote settlement of Solitaire. In this country's north, four populous regions that share a starting letter are informally called the "Four-O" area. This country's hot spring resort Ai-Ais is near its ultra-wide Fish River Canyon. "Big Daddy" is a massive orange sand dune in this country, whose Blanky Flats and Moon Landscape were used as filming locations outside Australia for Mad Max: Fury Road. This country's beach town of Swakopmund abuts a desert from which this country derived its name. Rusted shipwrecks dot the Skeleton Coast north of Walvis Bay in this country, which contains the western edge of the Kalahari Desert. For 10 points, Germany once controlled what southwest African country?
A: Namibia [or Republic of Namibia] (The country's name is derived from that of the Namib desert.)
Q: This state's white marble Dilwara Temples are by the sacred peak Guru Shikhar near its hill station of Mount Abu. This state's Ranthambore ("RUN-tum-bore") National Park is named for one of six "Hill Forts" in its Aravalli ("uh-RAH-vuh-lee") Range. A Lake Palace that was turned into a hotel appears to rise directly out of this state's Lake Pichhola. The Dargah Sharif, the tomb of Mo'inuddin Chishti, is a pilgrimage site for Sufis in this state's city of Ajmer. A language group named for this state includes Mewari and Marwari and is also spoken in a neighboring state's Malwa region. This state is northwest of Madhya Pradesh. To welcome Edward VII, this state's capital was painted pink, mirroring its "Blue City," Jodhpur. For 10 points, Udaipur and Jaipur are cities at the edge of the Thar Desert in what largest Indian state by area, whose name means "land of kings"?
A: Rajasthan
Q: In this archipelago, an island that was closed from 2014 to 2016 due to unexploded ordnance houses roots calcified by wind-blown sand, forming a caliche forest. Boats owned by Island Packers stop at this chain's Scorpion Cove. A huge breeding site for elephant seals is on a beach at this island chain's Point Bennett. In 1972, George and Molly Hunt discovered chicks raised by pairs of "lesbian seagulls" in this archipelago, where a different island is the only home of an unusually bright-colored scrub jay. A cat-sized island fox is endemic to this chain, where pygmy mammoths once lived. These islands were once navigated in pitch-covered tomol canoes by the Tongva and Chumash peoples; ferries now sail southwest from Oxnard to reach them. Anacapa and Santa Catalina are among, for 10 points, what islands off the coast of Southern California?
A: Channel Islands of California [accept Channel Islands National Park; anti-prompt on San Miguel Island, San Clemente Island, Anacapa Island, Santa Cruz Island, or Santa Catalina Island by asking "what larger island group is that part of?"]
Q: In this country on the Tuesday after Pentecost, a jumpy dance procession ends above the crypt of Saint Willibrord. A dish of smoked pork collar and broad beans from this country is known partly by the possibly anti-Semitic word Judd ("yood"). A standard morning greeting in this country is the word "Moien." Marc Serres ("SEH-rez") runs a Space Agency in this country that is positioning it as a hub for asteroid mining companies. About 15% of people in this non-Iberian country speak Portuguese, including many residents of Echternach ("ESH-tur-nahkh"). A free travel agreement was first signed in 1985 in a town in this country, whose flag has the same layout as, but uses a lighter shade of blue than, the Netherlands'. Schengen is in this home of a ruined fort once called the "Gibraltar of the North." For 10 points, name this Grand Duchy between France, Germany, and Belgium.
A: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg [or Groussherzogtum Letzebuerg; or Grand-Duche de Luxembourg; or Grossherzogtum Luxemburg] (The flags of the Netherlands and Luxembourg both feature a red stripe above a white stripe above a blue stripe.)
Q: In a village just northeast of this city, a man whose wife requested a potato cellar spent 23 years digging a "Divine Underground" tunnel complex. This is the largest city home to stone drinking fountains called pulpulaks. A massive white travertine staircase, the Cascade, was long abandoned in this city's Kentron district. Buildings made of volcanic pink tuff surround this city's Republic Square. Gray basalt was used to build this city's Matenadaran manuscript archive. Zvartnots International Airport is west of this city, whose eastern edge is the site of the Erebuni fortress built by the ancient Urartu kingdom. This city's Tsitsernakaberd hill houses a genocide memorial. A 500-dram banknote once honored this city's Soviet-era architect Alexander Tamanian. For 10 points, Mount Ararat is visible from what capital city of Armenia?
A: Yerevan [accept Arinj until "largest" is read]
Q: On a coat of arms adopted in 1845, this landform appears below the zodiac symbols of Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer, and above a ship whose mast is a caduceus. In 2003, two outdoorsmen found a SAETA airplane that crashed into this mountain 27 years prior. Baltazar Ushca was the last man to earn a living gathering ice from this mountain. It's not the Matterhorn, but a hut named for Jean-Antoine Carrel and a set of needlelike rocks named for Edward Whymper are on trails up this mountain. Templo Machay is a cave in this mountain, the namesake of a province whose capital is Riobamba. The Naturgemalde("nah-TOOR-guh-MEL-duh") is a cross-sectional map of this mountain made after an 1802 attempt to climb it by Alexander von Humboldt. For 10 points, since Earth is an oblate spheroid, the spot of land farthest from the center is on what inactive volcano in Ecuador?
A: Chimborazo (The coat of arms is on Ecuador's flag.)
Q: Do not read this question to Toronto B. The facade of a theater in this city displays 105 life-sized portraits of residents etched on aluminum shutters. Frederick Gibberd designed this city's Catholic cathedral, which is nicknamed "the Pope's launching pad" and is shaped like a truncated cone with sixteen supporting trusses. This city's coat of arms features a cormorant with a piece of seaweed in its mouth. The Cunard building is among the Three Graces that line this city's waterfront. The Queensway and Kingsway tunnels connect this city to Birkenhead and the Wirral peninsula. In 2021, UNESCO stripped this city of its World Heritage status. The stadium Anfield houses a football club in this city, whose inhabitants are nicknamed for a stew called scouse ("skowss"). This city is at the mouth of the River Mersey. For 10 points, John Lennon Airport serves what northern English city?
A: Liverpool (The first clue describes the Everyman Theatre.)
Q: This country's Maba people are found primarily in its Ouaddai [wah-dye] region. One of this country's World Heritage Sites, the Lakes of Ounianga, are a series of eighteen freshwater lakes that are supplied by underground fossil water. Emi Koussi, the highest point in the (*) Sahara, is found in this country, which disputes the Aozou Strip with Libya, with whom this country shares the Tibesti mountains. For 10 points, name this landlocked African country, in which the Chari River feeds its shrinking namesake lake.
A: Republic of Chad
Q: This river is home to the largest earth-filled dam in the world, the Tarbela Dam, which was built to compensate for water lost in a namesake water distribution treaty negotiated by the World Bank in 1960. Bhulan is another name for this river's namesake dolphin species, which is blind. The Rimo Glacier is the origin of the Shyok River, a tributary of this river which is also fed by the (*) five rivers that name the Punjab. For 10 points, name this river, which once flowed past Mohenjo-Daro in its namesake valley civilization in Pakistan.
A: Indus River
Q: The Fallbrook Avocado festival is held to the north of this city, which is the headquarters of Bumble Bee Foods. The airport serving this city's county was formerly known as Lindbergh Field and only has one runway to service the eighth largest city in the U.S. The Children's Pool Beach is in this county's namesake city, where the first Jack in the Box restaurant was opened on El Cajon Boulevard. This city is the home of the Torrey Pines Golf Course, and its (*) Balboa Park contained a successful panda breeding program at its famous zoo. For 10 points, name this southern California county, whose namesake city lies across the border from Tijuana, Mexico.
A: San Diego
Q: This state's original capital of Cahaba became a ghost town by 1900, and the last remaining year-round water delivery route by the US Postal Service serves residents of this state's Magnolia and Fish rivers. The eastern half of the Black Belt Prairie lies in this state, whose official state bird is the Yellowhammer. This state's Jefferson County is home to the "Pittsburgh of the South", while (*) Muscle Shoals lies on the south bank of the Tennessee River in this state. The first capital of the Confederate States of America was in this state's capital of Montgomery. For 10 points, name this US state which is home to Birmingham.
A: Alabama
Q: One of these locations, Howland Island, was intended to be the next destination for Amelia Earhart before she disappeared. The Buck Island Reef National Monument is located on St. Croix, a district of one of these places. The Chamorro are the indigenous peoples of an archipelago which is divided into two of these jurisdictions. Nine of these administrative divisions, such as (*) Midway, are not permanently inhabited, while Pago is the capital of the only one of these places which is not guaranteed birth citizenship. For 10 points, name these subnational regions of a North American country.
A: U.S. Territories [accept answers mentioning Territories of the United States; prompt on "Midway"; prompt on "Northern Marianas"; prompt on "Guam"]
Q: The world's largest stalagmite, the Hand of the Dog, is found in this country in a cave that contains its own rainforest, the Garden of Edam. This country's Perfume River is named for the scent given off from flowers which fall in it from upstream orchards. Fansipan, this country's highest mountain, lies adjacent to the Red River Fault, whose namesake river empties into the Gulf of (*) Tonkin. After exiting Cambodia, the Mekong River passes through the south of this country before discharging into the South China Sea. For 10 points, name this country bordered by China to the north and Laos and Cambodia to the west.
A: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Q: The Draa River is formed by two rivers that rise in this mountain range, the Dades and Imini. A mountain range in the eastern portion of this mountain system is the Aures mountains. A lion native to this mountain range was hunted to extinction for use in gladiatorial combat and was called the Barbary Lion. The highest peak in this range is Mount (*) Toubkal, and these mountains are inhabited primarily by the Berber peoples. For 10 points, name this mountain range which stretches across northern Africa from Morocco to Tunisia.
A: Atlas Mountains
Q: The indigenous Pemon peoples call this place Kerepakupai-Meru[ke-ray-pah-koo-pie may-roo]. The man for whom this geographic location is named landed his plane nearby in 1937, where it remained stuck in mud until 1970. This natural feature is located in Canaima National Park, where it originates on the Auyan- (*) tepui. Laime's Viewpoint, a spot commonly used to photograph this phenomenon, is named for the first recorded European to reach its base. Name this natural wonder found in Venezuela, the tallest uninterrupted waterfall in the world.
A: Angel Falls [accept Salto Angel]
Q: The Channeled Scablands were created after ice sheets caused water to flood into this body of water's namesake plateau. The Wallula Gap can be found on this river, which makes use of "fish ladders" to ensure salmon are able to cross it. This river's namesake treaty paved way for the development of dams on it, including one that created (*) Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, the Grand Coulee Dam. Tributaries of this river include the Willamette and the Snake. For 10 points, name this river in the Pacific Northwest that forms much of the border between Oregon and Washington.
A: Columbia River
Q: The earliest inhabitants of this area called it Awooni, or "place of the big mouth." Galen Clark was named this place's first "guardian," and until 1968 embers from a bonfire were regularly shoved off of this location's Glacier Point in a spectacle called its "firefall." The Raker Act allowed for a dam to be built in this area's Hetch Hetchy Valley, while its (*) MariposaGrove was first protected by Abraham Lincoln. Thousands of tourists visit this park every year to see sites such as El Capitan and Half Dome. For 10 points, name this National Park found in the Sierra Nevada of California.
A: Yosemite National Park [accept Yosemite Valley]
Q: This island's Wineglass Bay gets its name from the blood-stained color of the water caused by whaling in the mid 1800s. Tourists can see the Cataract Gorge from the longest single-span chairlift in the world in this island's town of Launceston. This state's indigenous Palawa people's called it lutruwita, and the world's largest surviving (*) carnivorous marsupial shares its name with the first European reported to see this island. For 10 points, name this smallest Australian state, with capital at Hobart, that is home to a namesake "devil."
A: Tasmania [accept lutruwita before mention]
Q: Jankaea heldreichii is a species of flowering plants that is endemic to this mountain. The Agia Triada Monastery is located on the southwestern slopes of this mountain, which is separated from Mount Ossa by the Vale of Tempe. The alpine tundra region of Bara is located in this mountains namesake massif, and the town of Litochoro lies in its foothills. (*) Mytikas is this mountain's highest peak. For 10 points, name this tallest mountain of Greece that is legendarily home to gods such as Zeus.
A: Mount Olympus
Q: On this landmass, Terre Adelie[tare ad-uh-LEE]isa French district surrounded by Australian territory. The western portion of this landmass includes Marie Byrd Land, Ellsworth Land, Vinson Massif, and coastline along the Amundsen Sea. (*) McMurdo Stationis near Mount Erebus at the southern end of this landmass's Ross Ice Shelf. The Southern Ocean surrounds, for ten points, what least-populated continent on Earth, the home of the South Pole?
A: Antarctica
Q: The rain shadow created by this mountain range is home to the city of Antofagasta. This range's Aburra Valley is home to a former candidate of "most dangerous city in the world," Medellin[med-ay-YEEN]. A landlocked country maintains a (*) naval fleet inthis range's Lake Titicaca. The capital cities of Bogota, Quito, Lima, and Santiago are all found in, for ten points, what longest single-continent mountain range in the world, spanning from Chile to Venezuela in South America?
A: AndesMountains
Q: On an island in this sea, archaeologists near Heraklion can study the palace complex of Knossos. The Saronic Gulf is an arm of this sea. An edge of this sea is home to the (*) Dodecanese, a group of way more thantwelve islands that includes Kos, Patmos, and Rhodes. The Aegean and Adriatic Seas separate the peninsulas of Greece, Italy, and Turkey as part of this larger sea. For ten points, name this sea found between Europe and Africa.
A: MediterraneanSea (prompt on "Aegean" or "AegeanSea" before it is read by asking the player, "Whatlarger sea is that a part of?")
Q: A pipeline system in this state runs from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez, and its oil sales support a Permanent Fund that gives annual payments to this state's residents. On Good Friday 1964, the most powerful (*) earthquake in North American historydropped part of this state's Seward Highway below the high tide mark and caused tsunamis in Whittier and Kodiak. The busiest cargo airport in the U.S. is in Anchorage in, for ten points, what largest and coldest U.S. state?
A: Alaska
Q: This country's islet of Kolbeinsey, near Grimsey, is about to disappear. A NATO air base at this country's Keflavik[kef-lah-vik]Airport was threatened withclosure during the informal (*) Cod Wars, which this country won against Britain. Although negotiations are on hold, this country could become the least populated member of the European Union. The Arctic Circle passes just north of the main island of, for ten points, what country in the North Atlantic whose capital is Reykjavik[ray-kya-vik]?
A: Iceland (acceptIsland)
Q: This river widens into the Pool Malebo, which the British formerly called Stanley Pool. When this river re-narrows after the pool, it goes through the (*) Livingstone Falls, preventing ship traffic to the ocean. The smallest distance between two separate world capital cities is a ferry ride across this river between Brazzaville and Kinshasa. For ten points, name this deepest river in the world, which names both a Republic and a Democratic Republic in Africa.
A: CongoRiver
Q: In this state, El Morro National Monument and Chaco Canyon are on the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway. An art colony formed in this state's city of Taos depicted (*) pueblo scenes in the early twentieth century. The Trinity nuclear test took place in this state's White Sands Missile Range after being planned in its Los Alamos labs. For ten points, name this southwestern U.S. state, home to the end of the Santa Fe trail and the city of Albuquerque.
A: New Mexico
Q: This state's Fort Saint Charles is in the Northwest Angle, which sits on the Lake of the Woods and crosses north of the forty-ninth parallel. This state is home to Lake Itasca, the source of the (*) MississippiRiver, and its city of Duluth is on the western tip of Lake Superior, just near its border with Wisconsin to the east. The "Land of Ten Thousand Lakes" is, for ten points, what U.S. state whose capital is Saint Paul, a "twin city" with Minneapolis?
A: Minnesota
Q: Tourists in this city can take a cable car up Mount Namsan to an observation tower and teddy bear museum. In 2022, this city's Blue House stopped being a presidential residence and became a public park. This city, home to the upscale (*) Gangnam district, has a greaterpopulation than the next two cities in its country, Busan and Incheon, combined. The Demilitarized Zone is about 35 miles away from, for ten points, what capital city of South Korea?
A: Seoul
Q: This region's geology is divided into sections like the Zoroaster Pluton and Brahma Schist. The naturally-carved Vishnu Temple overlooks this region, as does a man-made U-shaped glass "skywalk" near (*) Eagle Point. The Bright Angel hiking trail goes through this region, and John Wesley Powell surveyed this region by rowing the Colorado River, which created it over millions of years. For ten points, name this 277 mile long, one mile deep natural landmark in Arizona.
A: Grand Canyon (acceptGrand CanyonNationalPark)
Q: Pirates steal the key to a city on this body of water in a festival run by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. A city on this body of water is the more northern claimant to a sandwich made of mojo pork and cheese invented by immigrants. The American Salvador Dali Museum is in a city on this body of water connected to Terra Ceia by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Big Bend Power Plant near this body of water's Apollo Beach releases warm water that attracts (*) manatees. Cigar factories in Ybor City along this body of water drew in Cuban immigrants. Tropicana Field is in St. Petersburg, a city on this body of water that forms a metropolitan area with Clearwater. For 10 points, name this large bay in western Florida.
A: Tampa Bay [accept the Lower Tampa Bay; accept Old Tampa Bay; accept Tampa; prompt on the Gulf of Mexico; or Atlantic Ocean; prompt on Hillsborough Bay or McKay Bay by asking "what larger body of water is it a part of?"]
Q: Interesting insects from this country include Rhytidoponera mayri, a gold-collecting ant, and the cathedral termite, which build 26-feet-tall towers and feast on spiky spinifex grass. The name "Benjamin" was wrongly given to the last-known member of a species in this country noted for its stiff tail. Another mammal from this country with electroreception delivers venom through (*) spurs on their hind legs. Long-toed stints gather at the salty Lake Paruku in this country's Great Sandy Desert. A part of this country provides the common name for the now-extinct Thylacine. To protect sheep farmers in this country, a gigantic fence was erected to keep out dingos. For 10 points, name this large country home to the kangaroo.
A: Australia [or Commonwealth of Australia]
Q: In 2019, the "scaly-foot" Chrysomallon squamiferum became the first species from one of these habitats to be added to the IUCN Red List. In 1996, the 60-meter-tall "Godzilla" structure at one of these habitats near Oregon collapsed. One species that congregates in these habitats has hair-like extensions of their shells where colonies of chemosynthetic bacteria live, and is commonly described by the adjective (*) "yeti." The Knorr discovered the first of these habitats in 1977 about 250 miles northeast of the Galapagos. In 1979, researchers from Scripps found the first of these habitats powered by a Black Smoker while using ALVIN. For 10 points, name these deepwater habitats that can get as hot as 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
A: hydrothermal vents [or geothermal vent; accept Black Smokers or White Smokers until "Black Smokers" is read; prompt on underwater or deepwater or deep ocean]
Q: The years-long closure of one of these systems named for Elijah V. White has hurt the economy of Poolesville, Maryland. A hand-cranked chain device is still used in one of these systems that serves Mount Baldhead Park in Saugatuck, Michigan. One of these systems called the AMHS that serves the Inside Passage town of Hoonah extends as far south as Bellingham, Washington. Another of these systems connects Woods Hole to the vacation town of (*) Vineyard Haven. One of these systems that is serviced by Whitehall Terminal near The Battery is how Cornelius Vanderbilt earned the nickname "Commodore" and offers a low-cost way to see the Statue of Liberty. For 10 points, what type of system connects Manhattan with Staten Island?
A: water ferries [accept water taxis; accept car ferries or vehicle ferries; prompt on boat or steamboat or steamship or water transport systems or public transit]
Q: It's not pancakes, but a specialty of Phnom Penh ("puh-NAHM PEN") is a THC-infused "happy" version of this food. Sao Paulo's Bexiga neighborhood has many restaurants selling this food with calabresa sausage. Velveeta was originally used in a variety of this food named for the Altoona Hotel. Canadian contributions to this food include ginger-flavored "Indian-style" ones offered at Supreme and a polarizing variety invented by Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos named for a brand of canned (*) pineapples. A popular variety of this food whose colors represent a national flag was named for Queen Margherita of Savoy and contains green basil and white mozzarella. For 10 points, name this food that is often sold in Chicago deep dish shops.
A: pizza [accept margherita pizza or deep dish pizza or Hawaiian pizza or Indian pizza or desi pizza or Punjabi pizza or Altoona pizza or happy pizza]
Q: A giant one of these structures along the A93 Perth-Blairgowrie ("blair-GOW-ree") Road, dating to the Battle of Culloden, is named for the town of Meikleour. The Sherman Rhinoceros was developed to destroy these structures in the bocage of Normandy following D-Day. The Midland style of these structures slopes towards heavy bullocks. To enforce a salt tax in India, British officials built a 1,100-mile-long "Great" one of these structures. In the 1607 Newton Rebellion, commoners tore down these (*) living structures to protest enclosure. British formal gardens once routinely included mazes made from these structures. For 10 points, name these closely-placed shrubs that are widely used as fences and barriers in the UK.
A: hedge [or hedgerows or hedgebank or Devon hedge or Cornish hedge; prompt on plants or shrubs or trees or bushes; before any of these terms are read, prompt on mazes or labyrinths or barriers or live fences or walls by asking "what were they made of?"]
Q: Folk dances from this country are combined with pop music by "Electric-Techno Neon Gods." TV stations in this country widely cover a 200-kilometer annual pilgrimage of a litter containing flamethrowers and a statue of this country's unofficial national goddess, Mazu. This country's nuclear waste-filled Orchid Island is known as the Island of Human Beings to its indigenous Tao people. A group called the Benshengren arrived in this country prior to 1945, unlike (*) "mainlanders," and includes many Hakka people. This country north of the Luzon Strait controls the Penghu archipelago in the strait it shares a name with. For 10 points, name this country home to the Formosan black bear, with a capital at Taipei.
A: Taiwan [accept Republic of China or ROC; prompt on China; prompt on Formosa before read; reject "People's Republic of China" or "PRC"]
Q: The Ai-Petri mountains border this region's Grand Canyon as well as a resort city home to the Massandra Palace. A port on the southwestern Heracles Peninsula in this region contains a monument to the storming of its Mount Sapun. This land region is separated from the mainland to its north by the hypersaline Syvash Sea. This region's town of Livadiya has a "Great Three" monument depicting FDR. Greeks established the colony of (*) Chersonesos Taurica in this region. Since 2022, a new bridge to this region spanning the Kerch Strait has been repeatedly attacked. This region is home to the resort city of Yalta and the Black Sea port of Sevastopol. For 10 points, name this Ukrainian peninsula now controlled by Russia.
A: Crimean Peninsula [or Crimea; or Autonomous Republic of Crimea; accept Crimean Mountains or Yayla Mountains; accept Tauric Peninsula or Tauris before "Taurica" is read; prompt on Southern Ukraine or Russia; anti-prompt on Kerch Peninsula by asking "can you be less specific?"]
Q: A knot garden is featured in a larger period-appropriate garden named for this man designed by Jens Jensen at Northwestern University. A John Quincy Adams Ward sculpture of this man in New York draws from the Chandos portrait. A building named for Angus Bowmer was constructed to meet demand for a summer festival named for this man in Ashland, Oregon. A nonprofit named for this man got around opposition from Robert Moses to construct the (*) Delacorte in Central Park, used for free performances. The Huntington Library in San Marino, California, owns four copies of this man's First Folio. For 10 points, New York's free "In the Park" performances stage what playwright's plays, such as The Tempest?
A: William Shakespeare [accept Shakespeare Gardens or Shakespeare in the Park]
Q: This modern-day country is home to millennia-old stone shelters called bunja ("BOO-nya"). The sport of Picigin ("peets-EE-geen") originated at the beaches of a city in this country that used to be called Spalato. A military unit composed of the majority ethnic group of this country helped popularize the necktie. The only Roman amphitheater that still has its four side towers fully preserved is in this country's city of (*) Pula. Knin ("ke-NEEN") was the capital of this modern country's breakaway Serbian state of Krajina ("kra-YEE-na"). The former Venetian colony of Rovinj ("roh-veen-nya") is a highlight of this country's Istrian region. This country's coastal city of Split is the largest city in its region of Dalmatia on the Adriatic. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Zagreb.
A: Croatia [or Republic of Croatia; or Hrvatska; or Republika Hrvatska]
Q: Motorized wooden canoes called pinasses work ports on this river such as Korioume ("koh-RYOO-may"). This river flows due north at its origin in the Fouta Djallon highlands. In the 19th century, Hamdullahi in this river's internal delta served as the capital of the Massina Empire. A Scottish explorer who both mapped this river and died on it was named (*) Mungo Park. This river is called the Joliba in the language of the Mandinka people. The upper portion of this river terminates at the Sotuba Dam near Bamako in Mali. Over thirty million people live in the "Oil Rivers" of this river's delta on the Gulf of Guinea. For 10 points, name this river that shares its name with an African country with capital at Niamey.
A: Niger River [accept Joliba until read]
Q: In 1987, two earthquakes struck on the same day in this country's Coca Valley, now home to the sinkhole-plagued Coca Codo Sinclair Dam. The ancient Canari city of Tumebamba in this modern-day country sat at the confluence of four rivers and is mostly buried under its city of Cuenca. This country's most populous city is on the west bank of the largest Pacific-discharging river in South America. Tourists can head to the Teleferico district in this country's capital to take a gondola up the (*) Pichincha Volcano. Another volcano in this country is home to the farthest point from the Earth's center and can be seen from Guayaquil. For 10 points, name this country home to Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, whose capital is Quito.
A: Ecuador [or Republic of Ecuador]
Q: Antofagasta and a mining company in this state merged to form Twin Metals, whose copper-and-nickel mine in this state have stalled over a 20-year moratorium imposed around the Boundary Waters. In this state, Toua Xiong ("twah s'yong") and Nou Vang ("noo vahng") plan to open a second location of an ethnic market in early 2025 at Maplewood Mall; vendors in that market's original location serve dishes such as kooj tis qaib ("kone tee KYE") and papaya salad. In the 1970s, this state's two largest cities were home to the largest (*) Swedish American neighborhoods in the United States. Little Mogadishu is located where I-94 and I-35 intersect in this state and where I-94 crosses the Mississippi River. It's not California, but this state houses the second-largest statewide population of Hmong Americans. For 10 points, name this state home to Representative Ilhan Omar.
A: Minnesota [or MN]
Q: Caesar's dam is part of a tunnel system built to transport water from this mountain range's Karun River. In this range, the Si-o-se-pol is the largest of 11 historical bridges that cross the Zayanderud. This range contains ruins at Hegmataneh near Baba Tahir's mausoleum. Neanderthal fossils were found in the Shanidar, Bisitun, and Wezmeh Caves in this mountain range. The Lurs are an ethnic group in this mountain range, whose highest peak is (*) Qash-Mastan on Mount Dena. A trilingual cuneiform inscription was discovered at this range's Mount Behistun. This mountain range separates cities like Qom and Shiraz from Mesopotamia. For 10 points, name this mountain range south of the Alborz in western Iran.
A: Zagros Mountains [accept Alvand Mountains]
Q: It's possible to see Fallen Jerusalem Island from this territory's Devil's Bay and The Baths National Parks. Bubbly Pool is a naturally occurring "hot tub"-style swimming hole on the northeast shore of Jost Van Dyke in this territory. Anegada is a geologically distinct region of this territory, being composed of carbonate reef deposits. This territory's highest peak is Sage Mountain on (*) Tortola. Since 2013, Richard Branson has lived in this territory, which shares part of its name with Branson's conglomerate. In 1741, this territory's capital was moved to its current location at Road Town. For 10 points, name this former crown colony and current overseas territory in the Caribbean located to the east of its American counterpart.
A: British Virgin Islands [or BVIs]
Q: The Binder-Lere ("BEEN-dare-LAY-ray") Faunal Reserve in this country was designated as a Ramsar site in 2005 and contains Gauthiot ("go-tee-YO") Falls. The Bahr Salamat is the primary inflow to an endorheic lake in this country, Iro Lake. During the rainy season in this country, the Batha flows west from the Ouaddai ("wah-DYE") Highlands and the Guera ("GAY-rah") Massif to Lake Fitri. This country's capital city is located at the confluence of the Chari ("SHAH-ree") and (*) Logone ("lo-GOHN") rivers. The shield volcano of Emi Koussi is located in this country near the disputed Aouzou Strip on its Libyan border. This country's tricolor flag is nearly identical to that of Romania. For 10 points, name this country that used to share a maritime border with Nigeria on its eponymous lake.
A: Chad [or Republic of Chad or Republique du Tchad]
Q: Description acceptable. The 606-Pilsen Demolition Permit Surcharge Ordinance and Encuentro Square project are intended to prevent gentrification near one of these places in Chicago. The revitalization of Charlotte's South End neighborhood has been credited to the Lynx Blue Line and adjacent one of these places, which currently exists in two discontinuous segments. The longest one of these places is partially located above the Viaduc des Arts in Paris, and is the oldest one of these places to result from a (*) repurposing project. Overlooks at the intersection of Gansevoort St. and Washington St. and 10th Avenue and 17th St. are popular tourist attractions along one of these places in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood. For 10 points, name this type of very long urban park that includes the Coulee verte Rene-Dumont and the High Line.
A: rail trail [accept linear park; accept answers that describe a disused railway converted to a park; prompt on answers describing urban greenways; prompt on railroad bed or railway bed by asking "what is it now?"]
Q: In a performing art originated by this ethnicity, two balls are connected by a string and twirled over musical accompaniment. To incentivize cultural tourism, this ethnicity granted a 99-year lease on a geyser hotspot near the destroyed Pink and White Terraces. The geographer Evelyn Stokes appeared on American television to demonstrate the "long" style of this ethnicity's art of poi swinging. After three days of mourning at a marae, recently deceased members of this ethnicity are buried in (*) tangi funeral rites. Raymond Firth classified four levels of this people's genealogy, which is recited to enforce cultural identity and lend authority to personal mana. Before rugby games, the All Blacks perform rhythmic shouts over feet stamping as part of this ethnicity's haka dance. For 10 points, name these indigenous Polynesian inhabitants of New Zealand.
A: Maori [prompt on Polynesians before "Polynesian" is read; prompt on indigenous New Zealanders or indigenous people of New Zealand before "New Zealand" is read]
Q: This island's cuisine features a sometimes sweet ajilimojili ("ah-hee-lee-MOH-hee-lee") sauce, which is often featured alongside pasteles at Christmas celebrations. A jello-like coconut pudding similar to maja blanca from this island typically topped with cinnamon is called tembleque ("tem-BLEH-keh"). The aji caballero ("ah-HEE cah-bah-YEH-roh") is a hot pepper native to this island used to make its Pique ("PEE-keh") sauce. People on this island often use breadfruit to replace plantains when making (*) tostones ("tohs-TOE-nehs") de pana. Broth, meat, and chicharrones typically accompany a bowl or dome of mashed plantains in a dish from this island called mofongo. A type of shaved ice served in a cup native to this island often flavored with tamarind or guanabana are called piraguas. Arroz con gandules is the national dish of, for 10 points, what Caribbean island territory of the United States?
A: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico [or Free Associated State of Puerto Rico or Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico; or Boriken or Borinquen; prompt on PR]
Q: One end of a bridge connecting this city with its northern neighbor houses the Woodlands Checkpoint. The Ayer Rajah and Pan-Island Expressways both begin in this city's planning area of Tuas. In 2023, this city relocated an aviary from its former location north of Jurong Island. A nature park in this city on the island of Pulau Ujong has a nature park featuring so-called "supertrees" is called (*) Gardens by the Bay. The Suntec City mall in this city is a block away from the original Raffles Hotel, which is named after its founder. This city still employs corporal punishment in the form of caning. The world's tallest indoor waterfall is housed in this city's Changi Airport. The Johor Strait separates this city from the mainland. For 10 points, identify this city-state located off the end of the Malay peninsula.
A: Singapore [or Republic of Singapore]
Q: Note to players: The answer is a person, but the names of places referenced are also acceptable. The banks of a section of the Pearl River north of a city named for this person are home to LeFleur's Bluff State Park. The Cummer Museum is located in a city named for this person that hosts the Gate River Run. The St. Louis Cathedral is adjacent to a so-called "square" named for this person in New Orleans. In a city named for this person home to the Eudora Welty House, the August 2022 failure of the O.B. Curtis plant led to a (*) water crisis. A city named for this person is the eastern terminus of I-10, which merges with I-95 to cross the St. Johns River. In 2030, the U.S. Treasury will start phasing out currency with this person on it in favor of currency featuring Harriet Tubman. For 10 points, identify this former president who lends his name to the most populous city proper in Florida, as well as the capital of Mississippi.
A: Andrew Jackson [accept Jackson, Mississippi; accept Jacksonville, Florida; accept Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana]
Q: This country's city of Bariloche lies on the shores of Nahuel Huapi National Park, which is partially in Neuquen Province. The Perito Moreno is one of the namesake attractions of a national park in this country. The Cresta del Guanaco connects the north and south peaks of a mountain in this country near the city of Mendoza. A national park in this country accessible via a train from the city of Ushuaia lies north of the (*) Beagle Channel. This country's border with Brazil contains the Iguazu Falls. This country is home to the tallest mountain in South America, and its capital lies across the Rio de la Plata from the city of Montevideo. This country owns the eastern part of the main island of Tierra del Fuego. For 10 points, the eastern portion of Patagonia is in what country whose capital is Buenos Aires?
A: Argentina [or Argentine Republic or Republica Argentina]
Q: The removal of four dams beginning in the 1990s created a stretch of wild water in a tributary of this state's namesake river named the Baraboo River. This state's capital city lies between Lake Monona and Lake Mendota on its namesake isthmus. The majority of the Driftless Area is located in the southwest of this state. A city in this state has the Paine Art Center located on the eastern side of the Fox River. Many water parks inhabit this state's namesake (*) "Dells." This state's city of Appleton lies on the northern end of Lake Winnebago. According to 24/7 Wall Street, 41 of the 50 drunkest American counties are in this state, one of which includes the city of Green Bay. For 10 points, "The City of Four Lakes" is a nickname sometimes given to what Midwestern state's capital of Madison?
A: Wisconsin [or WI]
Q: Unlike similar forms that focus on war or political histories, an artistic form originating in this province that makes use of "five methods" and "four skills" focuses on love stories like "The Purple Hairpin." This province's second largest metropolitan area is a triad of cities at the center of its Chaoshan region, home of the Teochew people. The name of this province places it to the east of a similarly-named autonomous region with which it comprises Liangguang, home to the (*) Yue people and the Pearl River Delta. Cuisine that originated in this province includes dim sum and wonton noodles. This province names a language that contains between 6 and 9 tones, at least two more than Mandarin. For 10 points, name this southern coastal province with capital at Guangzhou, the most populous in China.
A: Guangdong [accept Canton or Kwangtung]
Q: Funeral processions for fallen soldiers often travel through this province's "Highway of Heroes." A city in this province contains the PATH underground shopping network and the Casa Loma mansion. Contact with the Wyandot may have led this province's founder John Simcoe to name a lake after himself. GO Transit provides public transit service in this province's (*) golden horseshoe. Ferries head south from this province's city of Thunder Bay to Isle Royale. This Canadian province's "Tri-Cities" region contains Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo. The CN tower is in, for 10 points, what largest Canadian province is home to Toronto?
A: Ontario
Q: A lagoon east of this body of water is described as promoting the Garabogaz salt industry in Konstantin Paustovsky's 1932 book Kara-Bugaz. The Neft Dasları ("NEFT DAHSH-lah-ruh") settlement became the world's first oil platform after its construction on this body of water. An extinct tiger named for this body of water was previously an Apex Predator in the Hyrcanian forests. This body of water's Absheron Peninsula is north of its southern bound, the (*) Alborz mountains. Oil pipelines near this body of water on the Volga Delta connect Astrakhan ("AST-ruh-kan") and Baku. For 10 points, name this "sea", the largest lake in the world that borders Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan.
A: Caspian Sea [accept Kaspiykoye More, Kaspiy Tenyizi, or Hazar Denizi]
Q: This state's town of Dinosaur is located near its Yampa River State Park in Moffat County. The vast majority of the Front Range urban corridor is located in this state and connected by the "Valley Highway" section of Interstate 25. Parts of this state's "Black Canyon" only receive 33 minutes of sunlight a day. The Gunnison River merges with a river named for this state near the city of (*) Grand Junction. This state's "Grand Mesa" should not be confused with dwellings found in its site of Mesa Verde. This state's ski industry is driven by the cities of Aspen and Vail. Pike's Peak is located in, for 10 points, what state with capital at Denver?
A: Colorado [accept CO]
Q: This country's constitution unusually requires that 60% of its land must be covered in forest. Rather than establishing direct diplomatic relations, this country maintains connections with embassies in a neighbor's capital. This country's "no China policy" refers to its refusal to recognize either the PRC or ROC. This country's official language of (*) Dzongkha is used by its ruling Wangchuck dynasty. This country's government measures Gross National Happiness instead of GDP. This Buddhist "Thunder Dragon Kingdom" has a white dragon on its flag. For 10 points, name this small Himalayan kingdom east of Nepal with capital at Thimpu.
A: Bhutan [or Kingdom of Bhutan; accept Druk Yul or Druk Gyal Khap]
Q: The largest lake on this non-American island contains a small wooded island named Coney Island. Traversing from north to south on this island is referred to as going "Mizen to Malin." A puffin reserve exists on Skellig Michael, a smaller island on this island's southwestern coast which was used for filming the Star Wars sequel trilogy, as were the Cliffs of (*) Moher in its County Clare. The River Shannon bisects this island, whose northern coast is home to a landmark consisting of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. For 10 points, name this island in north-western Europe home to the Giant's Causeway.
A: Ireland
Q: Two regions named for this place are home to the scenic 300-kilometer-long Garden Route. The Cederberg is part of a series of Fold Belt mountain ranges named for this place. This place gives its name to the smallest of the six floral kingdoms, which is dominated by shrubby fynbos vegetation. In 2021, the largest city of a province named for this place was renamed to Gqeberha ("kuh-bear-ha") from (*) Port Elizabeth. This place partly names a mixed-race ethnic group of primarily European and Khoi-San ancestry. The largest city named for this place is a legislative capital overlooked by Devil's Peak and Table Mountain. For 10 points, identify this place that names South Africa's largest coastal city.
A: the Cape of Good Hope [or Kaap die Goeie Hoop; accept Western Cape or Eastern Cape; accept the Cape; accept Cape Town after "The largest city named for this place"; reject "Cape of Africa" or other random Capes]
Q: In this country, an abandoned monument shaped like a flying saucer sits on its Buzludzha ("booze-looj-jah") Peak. A monastery in this country with arches of alternating white and black stones is named for its Rila Mountains. Most people in this country's Kardzhali province belong to a Muslim minority group living in the northern part of the (*) Rhodope Mountains. Muslim speakers of this country's main language known as Pomaks now mostly live in its southeastern neighbour. The Maritsa River begins in this country and flows through its city of Plovdiv. The northern part of the Thracian Plain is located in this country, whose capital is named for a church dedicated to Holy Wisdom. For 10 points, name this Balkan country across the Danube from Romania which is governed from Sofia.
A: Republic of Bulgaria [or Republika Bulgariya]
Q: A facility for creating this product would stay standing "so long as the coconut palm lives" according to the El Coco prophecy. Coral limestone is used to filter a substance for an "English-style" variation of this product at Mount Gay. A company primarily known for this product commissioned Havana's first skyscraper. In 1960, that company was forced to relocate to a region known for this product's Don Q brand. The San Juan suburb of Catano is home to a "Cathedral" of this product owned by a company whose logo references the (*) fruit bats living in its original distillery. This is the main alcoholic ingredient in a Cuba libre or Daiquiri, which typically use this product's Bacardi brand. Puerto Rico is a hub for the production of, for 10 points, what molasses-based liquor associated with Caribbean pirates?
A: rum [or ron; accept Cathedral of Rum; prompt on alcohol or spirits or liquor]
Q: Instead of "commiting the crime" of building a high-rise in this city, I.M. Pei designed a low-slung hotel with white stucco walls and grey tiles in its Fragrant Hills district. A Mausoleum in this city contains an alabaster statue of a leader sitting cross-legged. The Western Mansions section of a park in this city was designed by Michel Benoist and Giuseppe Castiglione near three now-destroyed gardens. Two (*) huabiao columns and two large placards decorate a gate in this city featured on a National Emblem. An obelisk Monument to the Peoples' Heroes and the Great Hall of the People are located in this city's square named for Heavenly Peace. Visitors to this city pass through Tiananmen Gate when entering the Forbidden City. For ten points, name this capital city of the People's Republic of China.
A: Beijing [accept Peking]
Q: A university in this U.S. state houses the largest collection of dzong architecture outside of Bhutan. The world's largest natural spring-fed pool is operated by this state's Balmorhea State Park near the Davis Mountains. An art haven in this state contains Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation focused on exhibiting large-scale minimalist works; that town in this state also names a nearby installation depicting an unperturbed Prada boutique. Ten objects stuck in the ground at an angle form this state's (*) Cadillac Ranch. The town of Marfa lies north of this state's largest national park, which is named for a 'Big Bend' in the river that forms this state's border with Chihuahua. For 10 points, name this state whose sparse western half contains Lubbock and El Paso.
A: Texas [or TX; accept West Texas]
Q: It's not Kentucky, but the first KFC opened in this state. The world's heaviest tree, a quaking aspen called Pando, can be found in this state. This state's Dixie National Forest is adjacent to its Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument. This state's Wasatch Range overlooks its cities of Ogden and (*) Provo. This state's city of Moab lies between its Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. This state changed its flag in 2024 to include a beehive design. For 10 points, name this largely Mormon western state, whose capital lies on the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: A female corpse dragged out of this river is the basis for the face on most CPR dummies. An island in this river whose name translates to "Island of the Swans" contains a 37-foot replica of the Statue of Liberty. The Rouen Cathedral overlooks this river. This river separates twenty (*) arrondissements into banks known as the "Gauche" ("gohsh") and "Droite ("dwat") ." This river passes through the wine-making region of Burgundy near Dijon before flowing into the English Channel near Le Havre. The Ile de la Cite in this river is spanned by the Pont Neuf bridge and is the location of the Notre-Dame cathedral. For 10 points, name this river in Paris.
A: Seine River
Q: This country became the first to legalize marijuana in 2013. By duration, this country has the longest national anthem of any country on Earth. A sculpture of fingers jutting from the sand can be found in this country's resort town of Punta del Este. This country's Estadio Centenario hosted the first FIFA World Cup in history, which this country won. This "Oriental Republic" is separated by the widest river in the world from from a neighbor's capital of (*) Buenos Aires. For 10 points, name this South American country whose capital of Montevideo is seperated by the Rio de la Plata from Argentina.
A: Uruguay [or Oriental Republic of Uruguay or Republica Oriental del Uruguay]
Q: Dental floss was invented in this city, where the U.S.'s first pharmacy was founded. A "Singing Oak" can be found in this city's botanical garden near the creatively-named Big Lake. A "pyramid tomb" in this city can be found among its many unusual, above ground cemeteries. Poboys are sandwiches native to this city, whose signature coffee is infused with chicory root and may be found in its (*) Cafe du Monde. A streetcar line on Canal Street parallels Bourbon Street, which marks the entrance to this city's French Quarter. For 10 points, name this Louisiana city at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
A: New Orleans
Q: The Alem Center houses the largest indoor one of these structures in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. One of these structures at the southern end of the Jubilee Gardens can be found along the Queen's Walk. A yellow one of these structures in Pripyat has become an iconic symbol of the Chernobyl disaster. The (*) "High Roller" is one of these structures in Las Vegas, while the "Big O" is one in Tokyo. The tallest of these structures in England is the London Eye. For 10 points, name these circular amusement rides that offer high views in cabins.
A: Ferris wheels [or observation wheels]
Q: Culex molestus is a unique species of mosquito living in this system. Electrical engineer Harry Beck created a series of popular maps for this system. Three of the four bombs in the 7/7 ("seven seven") attack detonated in this system. An extension to this system led to the opening of Battersea Power Station. The phrase (*) "mind the gap" was popularized by this system, which contains the Jubilee and Piccadilly ("pi- kuh-DILL-lee") lines. This system, whose logo contains a horizontal blue bar crossing a red roundel, serves locations like South Kensington and Heathrow Airport. For 10 points, name this public transit system in the capital of England.
A: London Underground [accept the Tube; prompt on descriptions of trains in London or the London metro]
Q: This city's "Thames Town" neighborhood is themed around British architecture. Denmark controversially sent the original Little Mermaid Statue to this non-American city for the 2010 Expo, for which its Mercedes-Benz Arena was built. Many European-style buildings are located in this city's area of the (*) Bund. The tallest building with a hole in it is this city's namesake World Financial Center. This city's Lujiazui district is on a peninsula separated by the Huangpu River from the Pudong district, the location of the Oriental Pearl Tower. This city is at the mouth of the Yangtze River. For 10 points, name this largest city in China.
A: Shanghai
Q: Lyme disease was named for this state's coastal city of Lyme. This state's highest point is on the southern slopes of Mount Frissell. "Nutmeggers" are a nickname for people from this state, which is home to White Clam "apizza" and the Mystic Pizza restaurant. A now-defunct NHL team in this state was called the Whalers. This state's namesake (*) river flows through its capital, the "Insurance Capital of the World," before emptying into Long Island Sound south of this state. Bridgeport and New Haven are cities in, for 10 points, what New England state whose capital is Hartford?
A: Connecticut
Q: Nearly seventy percent of the world's soccer balls are produced in this country's city of Sialkot. Mahodand Lake is one of many stunning natural wonders in this country's northern Swat district. This country's northern border was defined by the Durand Line. China constructed a port in this country's city of Gwadar as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. The (*) Karakoram Highway runs from this country's city of Abbottabad north to its border with China, where its highest point of K2 can be found. For 10 points, name this Muslim nation northwest of India, governed from Islamabad.
A: Pakistan [or Islamic Republic of Pakistan or Jamhuryat Islami Pakistan]
Q: A body of water named for this person was stretched by a "Great Chain" from Constitution Island. Astrait named for this person separates Baffin Island from Quebec. The Mohawk River is a tributary ofanother body of water named for this person . Fort Severn and Churchill lay on a body of water named forthis person that is indented by James Bay in (*) Ontario.A river named for this man runs through Albany beforeemptying into the Atlantic west of Manhattan. For 10 points, name this British explorer who names a large Canadianbay and a major river which runs past New York City.
A: HenryHudson[acceptHudsonStrait; acceptHudsonRiver; acceptHudsonBay]
Q: On the eastern coast of this island, a system of natural and artificial waterways comprise the Canal des Pangalanes. This island is home to jagged limestone needles in areas called tsingys ("SEEN-geez") , whose name means "the place where one cannot walk barefoot." About eighty percent of the world's vanilla comes from this island. This island's western Menabe region includes an (*) "avenue" of its native baobab trees. Fossas and aye-ayes are native to this island that is separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. Lemurs are native to, for 10 points, what island country off the eastern coast of Africa?
A: Madagascar [or Republic of Madagascar or Republique de Madagascar or Repoblikan'i Madagasikara]
Q: Convict Lake can be found in this mountain range's Sherwin subrange in Mono County. The Merced and Tuolumne rivers have their source in this mountain range. Kings Canyon National Park is located in the west of this mountain range. To the west of this mountain range sits the (*) San Joaquin Valley. Granite summits such as El Capitan are located in the Yosemite valley in this range. Many sequoias are found around this range's highest point, Mt. Whitney. For 10 points, name this tall range which straddles the border between California and its namesake state.
A: Sierra Nevadas
Q: The city of Hinthada is located on the delta of this river, which flows into the distributary of the Pathein River. The third defile of this river is marked by the city of Kyuakmyuang, which is a few hundred kilometers down stream of the river Mogok. This river gives its name to a dolphin which is found in the surrounding sea, and this river receives much of its flow from the river N'mai, whose confluence with the river Mali forms this river. This river was wrote in the Ruyard Kipling poem "Mandalay" which is about a city on this river. This river is, for 10 points, what river which serves as the main water way for a country that is officially named Myanmar, but colloquially known as Burma
A: Irrawady River
Q: It contains the Berg Strait, which joins two of its arms separated by the Kokaral island. Its southern ports include Muynoq, which sees frequent dust storms, lying in the area of Qoraqalpoghiston. West of it is the Ustyurt plateau, and projects for restoring its "small" region has focused on efficient irrigation. One of the river that connects to it flows from the Fergana valley near the Alai mountains, while another river that drains to it also goes to lake Sarykamysh, and rises from the Pamirs flowing northward past the Garagum canal, which is responsible for diverting water away from this body. Lying south of Kazakhstan and north of Uzbekistan, it receives the Syr Darya and Amu Darya, but is quickly receding. For 10 points, name this "lake" of central Asia found west of lake Balkhash and east of the Caspian Sea.
A: Aral Sea
Q: In 2012, this archipelago's town of Old Massett allowed geoengineer Russ George to dump over 100 tons of iron-rich dust in the ocean to restore fish stocks. A national park reserve that combines the second word in this archipelago's name with Haanas was established due to indigenous anti-logging demonstrations on Lyell Island. Passengers like Dogfish Woman are guided by a shaman as part of a sculpture titled for the (*) "Spirit" of this archipelago by Bill Reid. A former hub of the sea otter pelt trade in this archipelago, Skidegate, inspired many paintings by Emily Carr. The indigenous people of this archipelago speak a language isolate and historically sent war canoe parties to raid the nearby Tsimshian and Tlingit. For 10 points, the Hecate Strait separates what archipelago from the mainland of British Columbia?
A: Haida Gwaii [accept Queen Charlotte Islands]
Q: A weir along this river at Okhla forms one of the Important Bird Areas. The source of this river, whose name comes from a word meaning "twin," is the westernmost site in the Chhota Char Dham and is named for its utri, or "descent," on the Bandarpunchh massif. This is the alphabetically second of two rivers that name a syncretic high culture or tehzeeb that emerged in Awadh in the Doab, a region bounded on the south and west by this river. Pilgrims flock to Mathura and Vrindavan on this river, the birthplace and home of Krishna, or to this river's confluence with its (*) mother at the Triveni Sangam, the site of the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj. On the banks of this river, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri designed the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. For 10 points, name this second-holiest river of Hinduism, which flows through Agra.
A: Yamuna River [or Jamuna River or Jamna River; or Kalindi; accept Jumna River or Gemini River or Gemna River; prompt on Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb]
Q: The tourist site La Portada, located just to the north of this city, is a 140-foot tall and 70-foot wide rock arch jutting out of the ocean. This city's government set up a controversial Barrio Transitorio to encourage migrants to move out of the campamentos that dot this city's hillsides. In the desert 40 miles southeast of this city, a massive concrete hand designed by Mario Irarrazabal ("ee-ra-RAH-zah-bull") is located near Route 5. The Mejillones Port Complex, located 35 miles north of this city, is undergoing a consolidation under its owner (*) Codelco. This is the namesake of, and the largest city in, the region that contains the mines of Escondida and Chuquicamata. The lithium and copper industries make this city's GDP the highest in Chile. For 10 points, name this city south of Iquique, the largest in the Atacama Desert.
A: Antofagasta
Q: This national park was given its name by Bob Marshall, the founder of the Wilderness Society, while he lived in Wiseman. The Arrigetch Peaks are in a range in this national park that was fully traversed by Roman Dial. In a national park located just to the west of this one, Onion Portage is a major hunting site alongside a large animal migration. Aufeis can cause canoeing dangers in the six Wild and Scenic Rivers of this national park. 50 miles west of this national park, a yearly migration of half a million (*) caribou transits 25 square miles of sand dunes in Kobuk Valley. Boreal Mountain and Frigid Crags are the namesakes of this national park, which is the US's least-visited. The Dalton Highway separates this national park from ANWR. For 10 points, the name of which national park refers to its location in northern Alaska?
A: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Q: Early scientific research into this material was done via "Shergin's shaft," used by Adolph Erman to first measure Zero Annual Amplitude. It's not used in Disney theme parks, but this material creates engineering challenges that cause the construction of "utilidors." Regions characterized by the "continuous" form of this material only have the occasional talik, while discontinuous regions of it often develop peat mounds called palsas. "Zombie (*) fires" burn slowly under this material and are also called "holdover fires." Destruction or movement in this material is the most common cause of "drunken trees." A hypothesis that is now broadly rejected posited a mass, one-time release of methane from the undersea example of this stuff. For 10 points, name this type of ground or soil that remains below 0 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive years.
A: permafrost [prompt on soil]
Q: This modern-day country's uninhabited island of Goli Otok was once the site of a political prison. A series of 16 mountain lakes connected by waterfalls comprise this country's Plitvice ("PLEET-veet-suh") Lakes National Park. This country's ancient Palace of Diocletian is located in its city of Split. Game of Thrones was filmed throughout this country's region of (*) Dalmatia, which is home to the historical port of Dubrovnik. Bordered by other countries such as Serbia and Hungary, this crescent-shaped country surrounds most of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For 10 points, name this Balkan republic with capital at Zagreb.
A: Croatia [or Republic of Croatia or Republika Hrvatska]
Q: In this city, a set of granite benches made to look like eyeballs were designed by Louise Bourgeois for the Agnes R. Katz Plaza. This city contains the Aztec Gold-colored "Three Sisters" bridges. Speakers of a dialect centered on this city are known as "yinzers," and a Brillo Box-themed parking attendant booth sits outside this city's (*) Andy Warhol Museum. This city's Point State Park, home to Fort Duquesne ("doo-CANE"), lies at the confluence of the Monongahela ("muh-NAHN-guh-HEE-luh") and Allegheny Rivers. A university in this city is partially named for Andrew Carnegie, who founded its steel industry. For 10 points, name this western Pennsylvanian city, the second-most populous in the state after Philadelphia.
A: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Q: A museum dedicated to this island's taxis contains one that was clipped by the wing of an ATR 72 that crashed on takeoff from Songshan Airport. A codeword used to begin Pearl Harbor referenced this island's tallest mountain, known as Mount Jade. To counteract gusts of wind, four floors of a building on this island are partly dedicated to a tuned mass damper. That building on this island preceded the (*) Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building and is named for its 101 floors. Tapioca pearls and milk tea make up boba, a drink that originated on this island. For 10 points, name this island, once known as Formosa, that contains Taipei.
A: Taiwan [accept Formosa before mention; accept Republic of China or ROC; reject "China" or "People's Republic of China"]
Q: In this state, the series "Fridays with Frank" follows a deputy in Pinal County. Paul Penzone defeated "America's Toughest Sheriff," Joe Arpaio, in this state's most populous county. This state's city of Window Rock is the capital of a reservation that completely surrounds the (*) Hopi Reservation. Robert McCulloch funded the reconstruction of London Bridge in this state's Lake Havasu City. Maricopa County is home to this state's capital, whose metro area is called the "Valley of the Sun." A horseshoe-shaped "Skywalk" allows people to look through a glass floor into a natural feature in this state created by the Colorado River. For 10 points, name this state home to the Grand Canyon.
A: Arizona [or AZ]
Q: A river named for this concept meets the Athabasca, forming Alberta's Slave River. A monument named for this concept has a statue of a wire crane above the head of Sadako Sasaki. North Dakota license plates reference an international garden named for this concept on the border with Manitoba. It's not "propaganda," but a North Korean village is nicknamed "[this concept] Village" and contains a 525-foot tall flagpole. A park named for this concept was designed by (*) Kenzo Tange, and memorializes Hiroshima's role in the atomic bombing of Japan. For 10 points, what concept does the United Nations aim to maintain between nations?
A: world peace [accept Nobel Peace Prize; accept Peace Palace; accept Peace Village; accept International Peace Garden; accept Children's Peace Monument; accept Peace River]
Q: In the 1950s, a railroad constructed in this region decreased the population of the Khulan, a donkeylike species of onager. This region's deposits of copper and gold are extracted by a controversial mine at Oyu Tolgoi. A nature reserve in this region protects the newly-reintroduced Przewalski's ("pur-shuh-VAHL-skees") horse. Paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews documented tales about a supposed (*) "death worm" that lives in this region. Home to the two-humped Bactrian camel, this desert is bordered by the Taklamakan Desert to the west and the Tibetan Plateau to the south. For 10 points, name this cold Asian desert which spans parts of China and Mongolia.
A: Gobi Desert [accept Gobi Death Worm; prompt on Mongolia or Mongol Uls; prompt on Inner Mongolia]
Q: It's not Brazil, but the Maracana Stadium was built in this country as part of the Cinta Costera project. This country is the westernmost of two that share La Amistad Park. Barro Colorado Island sits inside a lake in this country created by the damming of the Chagres River, Gatun Lake. The northern portion of the (*) Darien Gap prevents the Pan-American Highway from fully crossing through this country into Colombia. The locks of a structure in this country and clearance under the Atlantic Bridge restrict the size of ships that can pass through it. For 10 points, what Latin American country connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans through its namesake canal?
A: Panama [or Republic of Panama or Republica de Panama; accept Panama Canal]
Q: A popular snack from this country consists of unripe mango tossed with chilies and culantro, called "chow." Legendarily, that snack was invented when someone was too lazy to pickle green mango for this country's kucheela relish, made with amchar masala. A long fried flatbread stuffed with potatoes from this country is called aloo pie. A dish from this country is named for looking like a tattered shirt; that roti is called (*) "buss up shut." A traditional dish from this country consists of shark meat on a fried flatbread called bake. A dish originating in this country on the eastern end of the Gulf of Paria consists of two bara flatbreads around a chickpea stew. For 10 points, doubles originated in which Caribbean country off the coast of Venezuela?
A: Trinidad and Tobago
Q: This city is the headquarters of OTR's Project Zazi, which celebrates and provides mental health resources to young minorities that live here. Four streets which met at this city's High Cross were among the places detailed in a 15th-century "Kalendar" compiled by its clerk Robert Ricart. The Society of Merchant Venturers financed much of the development of this city's district of Hotwells. A bridge in this city, which was the site of the first modern bungee jumps in 1979, was designed by William Barlow and John Hawkshaw based on a plan by (*) Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a landmark of this city, where in 2020, Black Lives Matter protesters pushed a statue of slave trader Edward Colston into its Floating Harbour. Travelers from South Wales to London drive past this city after crossing the Severn Bridge. For 10 points, what city near the mouth of the River Avon is the most populous in Southwest England?
A: Bristol
Q: A dish from this country is a mixture of coconut, sugar, guava, and orange wrapped in a palm leaf whose name translates to "cone." This country's version of the French dish chicken fricassee replaces the cream sauce and white meat with dark meat drenched in tomato sauce. It's not Scotland, but a bodybuilder appears on the logo of a soft drink from this country described as a "fruitier Dr. Pepper" and is called Ironbeer. A traditional name for black beans and white rice in this country is translated as (*) "Moors and Christians". Shredded meat is covered in onions, cumin, and bay leaves in a national dish of this country whose name means "old clothes". A regional rivalry disagrees over whether to add salami to a pressed sandwich named after this country that also contains ham, mustard, and pickles. For 10 points, ropa vieja is the national dish of what Caribbean country, whose namesake sandwich was invented in either Tampa or Miami.
A: Republic of Cuba [or Republica de Cuba]
Q: A museum here is home to the garage of Tommy Hinnershitz, a midget car driver specializing in racing with outboard motors. This place is home to a namesake bridge covered in dinosaur footprints on Plum Run. An 1896 Supreme Court case allowed for the seizure of an electric trolley in this place which was used by tourists to visit places like the Copse of Trees. As part of Mission 66, Austrian architect Richard Neutra was commissioned to design the Cyclorama building, which replaced the Zeigler's Grove observation tower at this place. The Doubleday Inn and the (*) Sachs Covered Bridge are popular sites for ghost tours in this place. Tourists to this place visit sites like Cemetery Ridge and Little Round Top. For 10 points, name this town in Pennsylvania where Abraham Lincoln said "four score and seven years ago" to begin an address.
A: Gettysburg [or Gettysburg Battlefield]
Q: Note to players: The answer to this question is a specific locality. In response to sexual harassment issues, in 2023 the sale of alcohol was banned at bars in this place like Gallagher's Pub. A "Terra Bus" punningly named Ivan provides transportation services in this place. The extremely polluted Winter Quarters Bay is a natural harbor in this place which is ironically only usable during the summer. The ANITA neutrino detector experiment was profiled in a documentary film about this place whose score was composed by research diver Henry Kaiser and which was directed by (*) Werner Herzog. This place was the first permanent settlement created as part of Operation Deep Freeze. This place lies near the end of the Hut Point Peninsula alongside the smaller Scott Base. This place, the most populous settlement on Ross Island, is overlooked by Mount Erebus. For 10 points, name this American research base in Antarctica.
A: McMurdo Station [prompt on Antarctica by asking "what specific place within Antarctica?"; prompt on Hut Point Peninsula before "Hut Point" is read; prompt on Ross Island or the Ross Ice Shelf or the Ross Dependency before "Ross Island" is read; reject "the South Pole"]
Q: Every June 30th, hitchhikers get rides to a beach in this country to watch the rising sun the next day during the appropriately named July Morning festival. Anton Novak designed an 85-hectare park in this country that contains the Pantheon to the Perished monument, which is one of two public parks in this country called the Sea Garden. There is one church for every 350 residents in this country's UNESCO-recognized historic town of Nessebar, which lies just south of the resort town of Sunny Beach. (*) Golden Sands is another major resort destination in a region of this country once nicknamed the "Red Riviera", which is divided in half by Cape Emine, the eastern end of a mountain range. Tourists flock to this country's coast via airports in its port cities of Burgas and Varna. For 10 points, in what country do the Balkan Mountains meet the Black Sea?
A: Republic of Bulgaria
Q: An organization named for this body of water was nicknamed "The Machine" during a period in which its members included Jose Moreno and Adolfo Pedernera. Carlo Zucchi designed much of the dockside of a city on this body of water, including the Solis Theatre. A city on this body of water contains an unusual D-shaped stadium whose architect nicknamed it the "chocolate box". A 22-kilometer coastal avenue along this non-Mediterranean body of water is called the Rambla. An airport named for (*) Jorge Newbery, which lies on this body of water, serves the same city as the larger Ezeiza airport. The "Superclasico" rivalry involves Boca Juniors and a club named for this body of water, which is supposedly the widest river in the world. For 10 points, name this estuary formed by the confluence of the Parana and Uruguay rivers, on which Buenos Aires and Montevideo lie.
A: Rio de la Plata [or River Plate]
Q: A people who live on this mountain revere the cornstalk dracaena plant, or "masale". A species named for Harry Johnston and one named for this mountain make up some of its endemic giant groundsels. A rock alleged to be from the "tip" of this mountain is displayed in the Neues Palais in Potsdam. This mountain's northwest slope contains sobjects named for Credner and Great Penck which can be seen from Amboseli National Park and part of its (*) Northern Ice Field. "The Saddle" separates this mountain's highest peak from its secondary peak, Mawenzi. Hans Meyer was the first European to climb this mountain's Kibo cone, which is glaciated year-round despite being near the equator. Uhuru Peak is the highest point of, for 10 points, what highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere, located in Tanzania?
A: Mount Kilimanjaro
Q: Along with eggs, this food is mixed inside bread in Georgia's national dish, khachapuri ("KHAH-chah-poo-ree"). A type of this food named Casu Marzu ("KAH-soo MAHR-zoo") contains live maggots. The enzyme rennet is used to create this food. A competition in Gloucester ("GLOSS-ter") has its competitors race down a (*) hill chasing this food. This food is melted in the Swiss dish fondue. Gouda and feta are types of, for 10 points, what food with examples like Swiss and cheddar?
A: cheeses [accept any specific type of cheeses; prompt on dairy]
Q: A city in this country was planned by Patrick Geddes ("GED-ehs") based on the Garden City movement and contains the "White City," the world's largest group of Bauhaus ("BOW-house") buildings. The Universal House of Justice, the headquarters of the Bahai ("bah-HIGH") faith, is in this country's city of (*) Haifa ("HY-fah"). This country's largest city contains the ancient port of Jaffa ("YA-fah"), and its city of Eilat ("ay-LAHT") is in the Negev desert. For 10 points, name this country which contains Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
A: Israel [or State of Israel]
Q: An egg dish from this city containing creamed spinach, hollandaise, and artichoke is named for Victorien Sardou ("vik-TOR-ee-an SAR-doo"). Cafe du Monde in this city is famous for its beignets ("ben-YAYS"). This city's "red" style of Jambalaya contains tomatoes. Fried seafood sandwiches called (*) po'boys originated from this city's Cajun cuisine, served in its French Quarter. For 10 points, name this city home to extravagant Mardi Gras celebrations, the most populous city in Louisiana.
A: New Orleans [or NOLA]
Q: An island owned by this country was visited in 2018 by John Chau ("CHOW"), who wanted to convert an isolationist tribe to Christianity. This country designates its indigenous people as Scheduled Tribes. The Sentinelese ("SEN-tin-uh-leez") live on one of the (*) Andaman ("AN-duh-man") Islands owned by this country. Many Saint Thomas Christians live in this country's Malabar ("MAL-uh-bar") Coast, which contains the city of Kerala ("KEH-ruh-lah"). For 10 points, name this country which is separated by the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka.
A: India [or the Republic of India or Bharat]
Q: This city's ELEMENTS mall is located in Austin Square. This city's Star Ferry crosses Victoria Harbor. The criminal organization 14K is based in this city, which was formerly home to a densely populated enclave called the (*) Kowloon ("kow-LOON") Walled City. This city, south of Shenzhen ("SHEN-jen"), forms a megalopolis with Guangzhou ("GWAHN-joh") and Macau ("muh-KOW"). For 10 points, name this Special Administrative Region which the UK transferred to China in 1997.
A: Hong Kong [or HK]
Q: This national park can be explored via the Cape Royal trail. This national park is surrounded by the Kaibab ("KY-bab") National Forest. The village of Supai ("SOO-pie") is located within this park, home to a group of rocks named for Vishnu. The Hualapai ("WAHL-uh-pie") tribe owns a glass (*) sky bridge that crosses part of this national park. John Wesley Powell mapped, for 10 points, what national park in Northern Arizona that was carved by the Colorado River?
A: Grand Canyon National Park
Q: Languages from this mountain range, like Ubykh ("OO-bikh") and the Kartevelian ("kar-teh-VEE-lee-an") family, have large consonant inventories. This range's Adygean ("ah-dih-GAY-an") Republic has a large Circassian population. This range contains the disputed territories of Abkhazia ("ab-KAHZ-ee-uh") and (*) Nagorno-Karabakh ("nah-GOR-noh kah-rah-BAHK"). This range lies between the Black and Caspian Sea. For 10 points, name this mountain range that, like the Urals, divides Europe from Asia, and which names an outdated term for white people.
A: the Caucasus Mountains [or Qafqaz or Kavkaz or Kavkasioni; accept Greater Caucasus or Lesser Caucasus or Caucasus Minor; accept Caucasian]
Q: The Pyasina River ("pyah-SEE-nah") empties into a southern portion of this body of water. An archipelagic territory in this body of water has its capital at Longyearbyen ("LONG-yer-byen"). The city now known as Utqiagvik ("OOT-key-AHK-vik"), formerly known as Barrow, lies on this body of water. The Laptev and (*) Beaufort ("BOH-fort") Seas are extensions of this body of water. The Svalbard archipelago and Baffin Island are in, for 10 points, what smallest and northernmost ocean?
A: Arctic Ocean [prompt on Beaufort Sea, Laptev Sea, or Kara Sea before their mention with "What larger body of water is the (insert sea name here) a part of?"] (Longyearbyen is the capital of Svalbard)
Q: A volcano in this country repeatedly destroyed the city of Latacunga ("lah-tah-KOON-gah") and was depicted erupting in an 1862 painting by Frederic Edwin Church. An archipelago controlled by this country is home to marine iguanas, the now-deceased tortoise Lonesome George, and (*) Darwin's finches. This country contains the farthest point from Earth's center, Mount Chimborazo ("chim-boh-RAH-zoh"). The Galapagos islands are part of, for 10 points, what South American country with capital Quito ("KEE-toh")?
A: Ecuador [or Republic of Ecuador]
Q: This country's capital has an urban legend about a silver train that carries the dead to the unfinished Kymlinge ("SHIM-ling-eh") station. This country's capital has a metro called the longest art gallery in the world. This country's province of Scania ("SKAH-nee-uh") is connected by a long bridge to the artificial island of Peberholm ("PEH-bur-holm") and contains the city of (*) Malmo ("MAL-muh"). This country is separated by the Oresund ("UR-eh-soond") from Denmark. For 10 points, name this Scandinavian country with capital Stockholm.
A: Sweden [or Sverige]
Q: An island in this state is connected to the mainland by the Bonner Bridge and contains the village of Rodanthe ("roh-DAN-thee"). The tallest point east of the Mississippi, Mt. Mitchell, is in this state. This state includes the tallest lighthouse in the US on Cape Hatteras ("HAT-er-iss") in its (*) Outer Banks. With Tennessee, this state shares the Great Smoky Mountains. For 10 points, name this state, whose research triangle contains Durham, Chapel Hill, and its capital, Raleigh.
A: North Carolina [or NC]
Q: This body of water contains Kelleys Island, which has glacial grooves. The Sanduskee River empties into this body of water which is home to the Cedar Point amusement park. Port Stanley lies on this lake, into which the state park of Presque Isle extends. This lake is the outflow of the (*) Niagara River. Cities on this lake include Buffalo and Cleveland. For 10 points, name this smallest Great Lake by volume, connected by a namesake canal to the Hudson River.
A: Lake Erie
Q: A status symbol of early 20th-century Baltimore rowhouse owners was well-polished steps made of gleaming white dolomite that Irishmen sourced from this place's oddly named Texas Quarry. Both the lower and upper part of DC's Washington Monument use marble sourced from within this place's city limits, such as Beaver Dam Quarry currently off Warren Road and I-83. This place is adjacent to where Sid Meier established Firaxis and where Old Bay spice blend is produced at McCormick's headquarters. For 10 points, Hunt Valley adjoins what census-designated place in Maryland where JinAh and Jordan Brownstein visited System Source Computer Museum with me?
A: Cockeysville, Maryland [Cockeysville Marble] [prompt on Hunt Valley until read]
Q: Per Ptolemy, this body of water named for a legendary Hun king separated the Parisi from the Coritani. Raised peatbogs were exploited in a national character area west of this body of water called the Thorne and Hatfield Moors where a glacial lake receded to form a floodplain named for its head's levels. Hills separated by this body of water's "gap" are the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Wolds, and South Ferriby is across it from a North town in East Riding. The narrow spit of Spurn Head juts into its mouth east of Hull and Grimsby. For 10 points, the rivers Trent and Ouse form what estuary of the North Sea, the southeastern boundary of Northumbria?
A: Humber River/Estuary [Humberhead Levels, Humber Gap]
Q: Port Colborne lies on this body of water and is the final destination of the Welland Canal. The Maumee [maw-MEE]River flows into this body of water, and Sandusky Bay overlooks this lake's Cedar Point amusement park. The (*) Cuyahoga River flows into this lake's largest port, and the Niagara River connects this lake to Lake Ontario. Toledo and Cleveland are major cities on, for ten points, what Great Lake bordered to the south by Ohio?
A: Lake Erie (reject "Erie Canal")
Q: The Palestinian dessert knafeh[ka-NAW-fuh] is made from the Nabulsi variety of this foodstuff. Annatto is used to dye one of these products named for Leicester [lester], and a Sardinian delicacy of this product infested with maggots is known as casu martzu. (*) Rennet is used to produce this food, and the Brie de Meaux [bree de moh] variety of this food is banned in the United States due to its use of raw milk. For ten points, name this food, examples of which include mozzarella.
A: cheese [accept Nabulsi cheese, accept Red Leicester, accept Casu martzu, prompt on dairy]
Q: A creole of this language is spoken by the inhabitants of the San Andres Archipelago, while speakers of its Samana variety are descended from freedmen who emigrated to Hispaniola. This language is synthesized with Akan in Patois [pat-WAH], and is the official language of (*) the Cayman Islands. Saint Lucian poet Derek Walcott wrote in this language. This language is the primary language of reggae. For ten points, name this official language of Belize, Guyana, and Jamaica.
A: English
Q: Chefchaouen, Morocco is known as "the Pearl" of this color. The Sar-i-Sang mine produced a stone with this color. An anoxic sinkhole off the coast of Belize is named a "Great Hole" of this color. The former presidential palace of South Korea and the Sultanahmet Mosque in (*) Istanbul are named for this color. Indigo and lapis lazuli were both used to create pigments of this color. For ten points, name this color that, along with white, makes up the flags of Finland, Israel, and Greece.
A: Blue
Q: This body of water's source is in the Bayan Har Mountains, which contain the Gyaring and Ngoring Lakes. The Sanmenxia Dam was the first dam built on this river which flows through the Ordos Basin. This river empties into the Bohai Sea, and the (*) Loess Plateau on this river gets much of its silt from the Gobi Desert. For ten points, name this colorfully-named river whose valley formed the cradle of ancient China alongside the Yangtze.
A: Yellow River (accept Huanghe)
Q: Resort cities on the border of this national park include Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Dollywood is located in this national park, whose highest point is Kuwohi, or Clingmans Dome. It's not the Blue Ridge Mountains, but (*) volatile organic compounds released by trees in this national park create a fog which lends it its name. For ten points, name this national park and mountain range on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.
A: Great Smoky Mountains National Park (accept Smokies, Smoky Mountains, and other word forms, prompt on Appalachian Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains before mention)
Q: This mountain range is bordered by Massif Central and the Jura Mountains. The Eiger [eye-ger] contains the largest north face on this mountain range that is the location of the Great Saint Bernard Pass. The edelweiss is a flower native to this mountain range, in which the corpse of (*) Otzi the Iceman was discovered. Lake Constance is located in this mountain range, which contains Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. For ten points, name this European mountain range which covers Austria and Switzerland.
A: the Alps
Q: The super-saline Garabogazkol [CAR-uh-bohg-OZ coal] is located on this body of water. This body of water's endangered sturgeon population is harvested to produce beluga caviar. Fuel from Russian missile launches was blamed for wildlife die-offs in this body of water. The oil-rich (*) Absheron Peninsula lies on this body of water fed by the Volga River, the largest inland body of water in the world. For ten points, name this inland sea which borders Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
A: Caspian Sea
Q: This city's Inner Loop is surrounded by Beltway 8. Bayou Place is located in this city's theater district, while NRG Stadium hosts this city's rodeo. Sugar Land is a suburb of this city, nicknamed "Clutch City." This seat of (*) Harris County is home to the Rothko Chapel and is connected to Katy by I-10. The Johnson Space Center is located in this city, the largest in Texas. For ten points, name this city named after Texas's first president.
A: Houston
Q: Nevado Tres Cruces National Park contains this country's highest peak, Ojos del Salado. This country's Juan Fernandez Islands provided the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, and it was devastated by the 1960 Valdivia Earthquake. This country's legislature meets in the port city of (*) Valparaiso, and it contains thedriest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert. For ten points, what country controls Easter Island and is governed from Santiago?
A: Republic of Chile (accept Republica de Chile)
Q: The Bridge Between Continents crosses a tectonic plate boundary in this country. The Diamond Circle tourist route in this country contains the Dettifoss waterfall, which contains the geothermal Blue Lagoon. The volcanic island of (*) Surtsey lies off the coast of this island. Thingvellir National Park in this country was the site of this country's legislature, the Althing. For ten points, name this island country whose capital is Reykjavik.
A: Iceland (accept Island)
Q: Bomba is a syncretic music style originating on this island. The islands of Culebra and Vieques lie off the coast of this island, which is home to the coqui[KO-kee] in its El Yunque National Rainforest. This island's largest city contains the (*) Castillo San Felipe del Morro. The Arecibo Observatory on this island collapsed in 2020. For ten points, name this American Caribbean commonwealth governed from San Juan.
A: Puerto Rico
Q: The camel horn tree is native to this geographical region, in which the Kiwano melon is a water source and staple food. The Khoisan people live in dried riverbeds in this region known as omiramba, which flow into the remains of Lake (*) Makgadikgadi [mah-GAD-ee-GAD-ee]. This desert's "bushmen" are among the last hunter-gatherers in the world. The Okavango River empties, for ten points, into what desert located in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa?
A: Kalahari Desert
Q: The Spring Break Quake in this state impacted Multnomah County, which includes the Tualatin Mountains. Mill Ends Park, the smallest park in America, is located in a "City of Roses" in this state which lies fifty miles northwest of (*) Mount Hood. This state's namesake university is headquartered in Eugene. Crater Lake is located in this state. The Willamette River flows through, for ten points, what Pacific Northwest state's cities of Salem and Portland?
A: Oregon
Q: This country's Orchid Island is home to some of the Tao people. The Natives of this country, such as the Paiwan and Rukai, call themselves the "Children of the Sweet Potato." Haklo and Hakka are spoken in this country's city Kaohsiung ( "cow-SHIUNG" ). The tallest of this country's "100 Peaks" is called (*) Yushan, and lies on the Tropic of Cancer. A tuned-mass damper stabilizes a skyscraper in this country, formerly known as Formosa, that resembles bamboo and has 101 floors. For 10 points, name this island in the South China Sea with its capital at Taipei.
A: Taiwan or Republic of China [accept Zhonghua Minguo ; reject "China," reject "People's Republic of China"]
Q: Ismaili Shiites run a museum in this city named after their leader, Aga Khan. This city contains the busiest road in North America, Highway 401. The Bata Shoe Museum in this city is near the St. George subway station. This city is home to the Scarborough Bluffs, and its Subway Line 1 runs along (*) Yonge ( "young" ) Street. Pearson Airport is located in neighboring Mississauga. This city's Bridle Path neighborhood is home to the birthplace of Drake, whose album Views depicts this city's CN Tower. For 10 points each, name this capital of Ontario and largest city in Canada.
A: Toronto
Q: A company named for this body of water carried out the Putumayo genocide. Percy Fawcett disappeared while searching for the Lost City of Z on this body of water. In 1835, Ribeirinhos (reeb-aye-rinyos) along this body of water launched the Cabanagem revolt, and occupied the city of (*) Belem. Francisco de Orellana named this body of water after being attacked by female warriors. An opulent opera house was built in Manaus during a rubber boom along this river. In the 1850s, Emperor Pedro II authorized steamship travel down this river. For 10 points, name this river in Brazil.
A: Amazon River [accept Rio Amazonas ]
Q: An extinct language from this region is the origin of the untranslatable word "Mamihlapinatapai." A gold rush in this region was led by Romanian immigrant Julius Popper. It's not in Greece, but this region's Navarino Island is home to a museum of the Yaghan culture and the town of Puerto Williams. This region is home to an invasive population of (*) beavers. The Selk'nam genocide took place in this region. Many tourist trips to Antarctica begin in this region's town of Ushuaia, which lies near Cape Horn and the Strait of Magellan. For 10 points, name this region shared by Argentina and Chile whose name translates to "land of fire."
A: Tierra del Fuego [prompt on Patagonia ]
Q: Cheese and chili peppers make up the national dish of this country, called ema datsi. The ethnic cleansing of this country's Lhotshampa minority was strongest in the 1990s. This country's Gangkar Punsum is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. The leader of this country is known as the (*) "Druk Gyalpo," which means Dragon King in this country's national language of Dzongkha. Gross National Happiness was championed by a king in this country as a replacement for GDP. That king was Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Like Nepal to its west, this country borders India and China. For 10 points, what Himalayan country has its capital at Thimphu?
A: Bhutan
Q: This city Ole and Steen, or Lagkagehuset bakery chain is known for its smørrebrød.Rene Redzepi's restaurant Noma in this city has been recognized as the best in the world multiple times. Carlsberg beer is brewed in this city. A star-shaped fortress named Kastellet is located in this city and includes the (*) Little Mermaid sculpture based on the Hans Christian Andersen work. This city contains the third-oldest amusement park in the world, Tivoli Gardens. This city is separated from Malmo by the Øresund strait and is primarily on the island of Zealand. For 10 points, name this capital and largest city of Denmark.
A: Copenhagen [accept København ]
Q: Settlements on this body of water include Rankin Inlet and Arviat. This body of water includes islands such as Akimiski and Mansel. The Belcher islands are located within a portion of this body of water that may be a crater, called the Nastapoka Arc. Rupert's Land used to surround this body of water. The port city of (*) Churchill on the coast of this body of water services southern Nunavut. Its southern extension, known as James Bay, meets the northernmost land boundary between Ontario and Quebec. For 10 points, name this large body of water in Canada which is named after an English explorer.
A: Hudson Bay
Q: To start its current and only dynasty, Francesco Grimaldi seized the "Rock" of this nation. C. taxifolia was detected under this nation's Oceanographic Museum, which was directed by Jacque-Yves Cousteau. The "most expensive street in the world" is in this nation and is named for a princess of it, (*) Grace Kelly. One route in this city features a hairpin turn leading to a tunnel; that hairpin is the Grand Hotel Hairpin. Port Hercules is the only deep-water port of this second-smallest nation in the world, which has no income tax. For 10 points, name this principality, the home of the Monte Carlo Casino.
A: Principality of Monaco
Q: One park in this city, opened in 1870 by its then mayor, Joseph Hubback, includes a building that was recently renamed the Isla Gladstone Conservatory. One of this non-Irish city's cathedrals is colloquially known as Paddy's WigWam. It's not London, but a football stadium under construction in this city's district of Vauxhall will replace one in (*) Stanley Park. This city's Cavern Club names a museum on Mathew Street dedicated to a band that used to perform there. Two tunnels named for Wallasey and Birkenhead link this city to the Wirral Peninsula. This city's Pier Head features a statue of The Beatles. For 10 points, name this English city located on the bank of the river Mersey, whose inhabitants are often referred to as "Scousers".
A: Liverpool
Q: After rain settles on a salt flat in this mountain range, it transforms into what is often referred to as the "world's largest mirror"; that salt flat is part of this mountain range's Lithium Triangle. In this mountain range, the 'Staff God' was carved into the Gate of the Sun by the Tiwanaku culture. Due to pale markings around the eyes, an animal native to this mountain range is known as the Spectacled Bear. The world's largest bird of prey is this mountain range's namesake (*) condor. Due to dry conditions, the Very Large Telescope was built in this mountain range, which also contains the Altiplano. This mountain range contains the point on Earth's surface furthest from its centre, Chimborazo. For 10 points, name this longest mountain range in the world, which runs down the Western edge of South America.
A: the Andes [or Andean mountains; accept Andean Condor; accept basically any answer that mentions the Andes, anti-prompt on Salar de Uyuni with "what region is that a part of?", prompt on any answers involving Bolivia or Peru]
Q: A population of wild boars can be found on this river's uninhabited Great War Island. This river surrounds 'Rye Island' on both sides until the town of Komarno, near this river's confluence with the Vah ("vak"). Until 1923, this river was home to a Turkish exclave named Ada Kaleh. One of the continent's oldest permanent settlements, Lepenski Vir, is built on this river's 'Iron Gates'. A chain bridge built across this river is named after its major benefactor, Istvan (*) Szechenyi ("EESHT-vahn SAY-cheh-nyee"). This river is linked to the River Main ("mine") by a hundred-mile-long canal, and its lower course forms the northeastern boundary of the Balkans. For 10 points, name this river which flows through Budapest and Belgrade before draining into the Black Sea.
A: Danube [accept Donau, Dunarea, Duna, Dunaj, and Dunav]
Q: In this city, a five-tiered terracotta fountain named for Henry Doulton was opened for the 1888 International Exposition. Along with her husband, Margaret MacDonald designed this city's Art Nouveau 'House for an Art Lover'. The former Spanish Navy ship Galatea is now this city's museum ship Glenlee, which can be found at its Riverside Museum. An equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington located in this city is infamous for traffic (*) cones being placed on its head.An 80 foot Doric column commemorating Sir Walter Scott stands in this city's George Square. Ibrox and Hampden Park are stadiums in this city, whose Central train station is the Northern terminus of the West Coast Main Line. For 10 points, name this city on the River Clyde, the largest city in Scotland.
A: Glasgow [or Glesca; or Glesga; or Glaschu] (Margaret MacDonald's husband was Charles Rennie Mackintosh)
Q: This country is home to Building 63, a gold-plated skyscraper which houses the world's highest art gallery. The world's largest underground shopping mall, the Starfield COEX ("co-ex"), is located in this country's capital. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is located around this country's highest peak, the Hallasan volcano, which is found on (*) Jeju ("jay-JOO") Island. This country's Sangam Stadium was built to host the 2002 World Cup with Japan.Companies based in this country include Samsung and Hyundai ("hee-UN-day"). For 10 points, the wealthy Gangnam district is part of which Asian country's capital of Seoul?
A: South Korea [accept Republic of Korea; generously prompt on Korea]
Q: A replica of this structure lies in the town of Maryhill in Washington state. A circle of holes around this structure have been named after John Aubrey. The menhirs, part of this structure, were acquired from the Preseli ("pru-SELL-ee") Hills. The A344 was shut due to many tourists visiting this structure, while the A303 passes this structure to the south near the settlement of Shrewton. The nearby monument at (*) Avebury co-names this structure's UNESCO World Heritage Site. This monument was designed to be aligned towards the sunrise on the summer solstice. As well as Old Sarum and a cathedral with a "123 metre spire," the suspects of the 2018 Novichok poisonings claimed they were tourists to see this monument on Salisbury plain. For 10 points, name this circle of rocks that make up a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire.
A: Stonehenge
Q: An 'Amphibious House' named for this non-Asian river that rises and sinks with the tide is named 'Formosa'. The wreckage of the SS Richard Montgomery is located in an estuary of this river. One bridge over this river is nicknamed the "wobbly bridge" after it was shut on its opening day. That bridge over this river was opened in (*) 2000. The Henley Royal Regatta is an annual rowing event that takes place on this river. A branch of this river flowing through Oxford is called the Isis. The Boat Race is held on this river, which runs from Putney to Chiswick Bridges in Hammersmith. For 10 points, name this longest English river that flows through London.
A: Thames [accept Henley-on-Thames]
Q: One of these places, which was briefly owned by Chupa Chups, is located next to the Sagrat Cor basilica atop a namesake hill overlooking Barcelona. Yas Island is home to a Ferrari-branded one of these places which is opposite the circuit for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Until it was abolished in 2023, the RCID gave effective control of the city of Bay Lake, Florida to the owners of four of these places within it including (*) EPCOT. A gravel pit was partially flooded to create an "island" location for one of these places in Berkshire. Merlin Entertainments owns that example of these places, as well as another which contains scale models of world landmarks made out of LEGO. For 10 points, name these places such as Thorpe Park and Alton Towers.
A: amusement parks [accept theme parks; prompt on parks] (clues are, in order: Tibidabo in Barcelona; Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi; Walt Disney World in Florida; Thorpe Park and LEGOLAND)
Q: It's not the Isle of Wight but this county's cliffs at Ballard Down are located near three 'needle-like' stacks named the Old Harry Rocks. A hill figure of a 'giant' lies cut into the hill overlooking the River Cerne ("SERN") in this county. The music video for Coldplay's song 'Yellow' was filmed near this county's town of Studland. This county contains the amusingly-named settlement of Shitterton. The coastline of this county features a natural arch, the Durdle (*) Door, as well as a long shingle barrier beach, Chesil Bank. This county's Isle of Purbeck is home to Corfe Castle. The Jurassic Coast around Lyme Regis in this county received its name from the many fossils discovered there by Mary Anning. For 10 points, name this county in South West England, whose largest urban area is the Bournemouth-Poole conurbation.
A: Dorset
Q: An indigenous language term meaning "bright water" names the Ibera Wetlands in this country's northeast. This country is home to a 71 metre tall obelisk located in its capital's Plaza del Republica. This country's town of Benavidez was the production location of the TV game show Total Wipeout. This country's Chubut Province is home to a community founded by 19th-century (*) Welsh settlers named Y Wladfa ("er oo-LAD-va"). The widest road in the world is the July 9 Avenue located in this country's capital. This country controls the southern portion of the grasslands known as the Pampas, which were historically home to this country's cowboy-like gauchos. For 10 points, name this South American country with its capital at Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina
Q: The 2020 collapse of Flybe ("fly-bee") disproportionately impacted this city's airport, which has a statue of the Spitfire fighter plane at its entrance. A geothermal power station located near this city supplies heat and energy to its nearby Westquay shopping centre. The Liberal politician Richard Cobden names a bridge in this city that spans one of its two rivers.This city's namesake body of water experiences the (*) "Double High Water" phenomenon, in which it has two tides per day. The cruise line P&O Cruises are based in this city, whose two rivers are the Itchen and the Test. In 1912, the Titanic departed on its ill-fated voyage from this city. For 10 points, the Solent is located near Portsmouth and which other British city on the south coast?
A: Southampton [accept Soton]
Q: The Landsker Line is a line of castles that separates this county's north and south. A Celtic archeological site called "Castle of the Old Court" lies near to this county's village of Nevern. This county's islands of Skomer and Skokholm are some of the largest colonies of the Atlantic puffin. In 2017, a statue was unveiled in this county's namesake town to commemorate the birth of King Henry VII in its castle. The Tudor Merchant's House lies in this county's town of (*) Tenby. This county's namesake National Park has a 186 kilometre coastal path, and is one of three in Wales. For 10 points, name this county in South-West Wales which borders Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion ("ke-rer-DIG-ee-on"), and contains the towns of Fishguard and Haverfordwest.
A: Pembrokeshire [or Sir Benfro; accept Pembrokeshire Coast National Park; prompt on Pembroke by asking for the county]
Q: In 2018, this country's government chose to repaint the buildings of its second largest city, generating the nickname "the white and blue city". In this country, a volcanic island sometimes named for its population of crocodiles lies in the middle of the most alkaline lake in the world, Lake Turkana. The Kakamega Forest is this country's only tropical rainforest. Hell's Gate National Park is in this country, whose Lake (*) Naivasha marks the highest elevation of this country's section of the Great Rift Valley. This country's namesake mountain is the second highest in Africa, and at its base live a number of ethnic groups including the Embu and the Maasai. For 10 points, name this African country whose capital is Nairobi.
A: Kenya (the "white and blue city" is Mombasa)
Q: On this island, blue flames and a lake with a pH of 0.5 can be seen at Mount Ijen, whose surrounding nutrient-rich plateau is used to grow Arabica coffee. The Tengger Mountains on this island include Mount Bromo. A sweet pink drink is named after this island's major city of Bandung. The (*) Hindu temple Prambanan (PROM-buh-non) and the Buddhist temple complex Borobudur (BOR-uh-buh-dor) are both located near this island's city of Yogyakarta (YOH-gyuh-KAR-tah). This island is located immediately west of Bali. For 10 points, name this island which contains Indonesia's capital, Jakarta.
A: Java [or Jawa]
Q: Richard Haag designed a park in this city containing remnants of the last remaining US coal gasification plant. This city's Harbor Island is located where the Duwamish River empties into Elliott Bay. This city's Climate (*) Pledge Arena is serviced by its monorail, which passes through the Museum of Pop Culture and was built for the Century 21 Exposition in 1962. This city, which contains Pike Place Market, houses a tall structure overlooking Puget Sound, the Space Needle. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Washington.
A: Seattle
Q: Many Paleolithic remains were found near a river named for this adjective at the Ordos Loop. The Hai River flows into a body of water named for this adjective whose islands include Kongdo and Jeju. The Bohai Sea is the innermost bay of a sea named for this adjective that contains the (*) Liaodong (lee-OW-dong) Peninsula. A river named for this adjective is nicknamed China's Sorrow for its frequent flooding. The second-longest river of China after the Yangtze River is named after, for 10 points, what color?
A: yellow [or Yellow River; or Yellow Sea; or Huang He]
Q: Prior to beginning a journey to the national capital elsewhere, workers in this province were organized by Arthur "Slim" Evans for the "On to Ottawa" Trek. The 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush occurred in this province. The Tsimshian (SEEM-she-ann) and Kwakiutl (KWA-kil-to) mainly live in this province on an (*) island named for a British naval captain. A city in this province was the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific transcontinental railway and hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. For 10 points, name this province whose most populous city is Vancouver.
A: British Columbia
Q: A district on this island, called the Bay of Islands, is near the Aupouri Peninsula. The Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island surround this larger island's Hauraki Gulf. The dormant stratovolcano Mount Taranaki (TAH-rah-NAH-kee) lies on the west coast of this island, which became a legal personality along with the Whanganui (won-guh-NOO-ee) River. This island is home to the cities of (*) Hamilton in the Waikato (wai-KAH-toh) Region and its country's capital, Wellington. Auckland is found on, for 10 points, what island with three times the population of New Zealand's South Island?
A: North Island [or Te Ika-a-Maui]
Q: Near this feature, over 500 bird species inhabit Soberania (soh-bay-rah-NEE-ah) National Park. Part of this structure is formed by the Culebra (koo-LAY-brah) or Gaillard (gai-YARD) Cut, which links to a lake whose islands include Barro Colorado. The formation of this feature led to the diversion of the Chagres (CHAH-grays) River, which feeds Lake (*) Gatun (gah-TOON) to the south of Colon (koh-LOAN). This feature cuts across an isthmus whose east is divided by the Darien (dah-ree-AYN) Gap from Colombia. For 10 points, name this man made waterway that connects the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific through a Central American country.
A: Panama Canal [or Canal de Panama]
Q: The Royal Feast of the Sun was observed at a mach'ay cave at this location located north of the Condor Stone. An archaeologist discovered this location while searching for the lost city of Vilcabamba (VEEL-kah-BAHM-bah). At this site, the Temple of the Three Windows is located near the "The Hitching Post of the (*) Sun," Intihuatana (IN-tee-wah-TAH-nah). This site, which may have been an estate for Pachacuti (PAH-chah-KOO-tee), was rediscovered by Hiram Bingham. For 10 points, name this citadel north of Cuzco in the Andes that was built by the Incan Empire.
A: Machu Picchu
Q: This city is the main place where a form of tripe called Lampredotto(LAM-pray-DOH-toh) is served by street vendors. Bernardo Buontalenti (BWON-tah-LEN-tee) is often credited with inventing gelato in this city. This city is the namesake of a meat dish based on a large, rare T-bone steak from the Chianina(kee-ah-NEE-nah) breed. A dish named for this city is similar to, and predates, (*) Eggs Benedict. The adjectival form of this city's name refers to dishes made with Mornay sauce and sauteed spinach. For 10 points, name this city at the center of the Tuscan food region.
A: Florence [or Firenze]
Q: A bell tower was omitted from a church in this city on the Turgot (tur-GOH) Map that detailed its streets in the 1730s. This city's Royal Road leads to a Catholic church here named for Saint Madeleine. A Baroque church in this city named for Saint-Sulpice (san soolp-ees) is slightly smaller than the Church of (*) St. Eustache (OOS-tosh) and is located in the Latin Quarter. This city's Roman Catholic church of Sacre-Cœur (SAK-ray-ker) is located at the summit of Montmartre (moh-MAR-tuh). A 2019 fire damaged much of, for 10 points, what capital city's Cathedral of Notre-Dame?
A: Paris
Q: Eko Atlantic City is being constructed near an affluent suburb named for this person that serves as the main business center of Lagos State. A large community of people with albinism lives on Ukerewe (OOK-uh-RAY-way) Island in a body of water named for this person, which supplies the Owens Falls Dam. A feature named for this (*) monarch, often translated as "The Smoke That Thunders," sits on the Zambezi (zam-BEE-zee) River and is the world's tallest waterfall. The White Nile flows from a lake shared by Uganda and Kenya named after, for 10 points, what British queen?
A: Queen Victoria [or Lake Victoria; or Victoria Falls; or Victoria Island]
Q: Along this region, the Arabat Spit runs near the Henichesk (heh-NEECH-esk) Strait and the Syvash lagoons. The Isthmus of Perekop (PER-ek-ahp) connects this region to the mainland. An infrastructure project that began in 2015 connects this region to the mainland over the (*) Kerch Strait. This region, which contains the cities of Simferopol (SIM-fur-AH-pul) and Yalta, was the site of the siege of Sevastopol during a 19th-century conflict. Kherson Oblast is connected to this region on the northern coast of the Black Sea. For 10 points, name this peninsula that Russia occupied in 2014.
A: Crimea [or Crimean Peninsula]
Q: In this country, the Jola people have led a multi-decade separatist movement in the Casamance (kah-sah-MAHNS) region. This country's namesake river, whose tributaries include the Faleme (FAL-uh-may) and Karakoro Rivers, has its mouth near the city of Saint-Louis (san loo-ee). The "River of Gold" was a epithet for a river (*) named for this country used by the Wolof Empire. This country, which controls the island of Goree (GOR-ay), is home to the westernmost capital on the African mainland. For 10 points, name this West African country that surrounds the Gambia, governed from Dakar.
A: Republic of Senegal [or Republique du Senegal]
Q: This city's Torre Latinoamericana (TOH-ray lah-TEE-noh-ah-MAY-ree-KAH-nah) was the world's first skyscraper constructed on a highly active seismic zone. This city's longest avenue, the Avenue of the Insurgents, is located near the Monument to the Revolution and the wide Promenade of the Reform. This city's (*) Tlatelolco (tlah-tel-OAL-koh) section was the site of protests in the leadup to the 1968 Summer Olympics. This city, which contains Chapultepec (chap-OOL-tep-ek) Castle, is home to the Templo Mayor (mai-OR) and Frida Kahlo Museum. For 10 points, name this city built on the ruins of the Aztec capital.
A: Mexico City [or Ciudad de Mexico]
Q: In this province, the Ha! Ha! Pyramid monument commemorates a flood in the city of Saguenay (SAG-uh-nee). This province's northern region, Nunavik, includes its northernmost point on the Ungava Peninsula. A citadel in a city in this province is located south of (*) Montmorency (mah-mor-eh-SEE) Falls, across the river from Levis (LAY-vee). The neighborhoods Mile End and Outremont (oo-trem-AHN) are in a city in this province that hosted Expo 67 and is home to McGill University. The 1976 Summer Olympics were held at a city in, for 10 points, what province, which includes Montreal?
A: Quebec
Q: The Triple Five Group opened one of these places on the site of the former Metropolitan Stadium that hosted Camp Snoopy. In addition to serving as a transportation hub, Manhattan's Oculus Center is one of these locations. By some metrics, the largest of these locations dates to 1963 in the Philadelphia (*) suburb King of Prussia. Other large examples of these places include New Jersey's American Dream and a five-level complex in Bloomington, Minnesota. For 10 points, name these places that may host "anchor stores" such as Macy's or Nordstrom.
A: shopping malls [prompt on shopping centers]
Q: The Meroitic (MER-oh-IT-ik) script was used in a culture around this river, which earlier supported kingdoms based around Napata and Kerma. The term kemet, meaning "black land," referred to the area near this river. Seasons named Akhet, Peret, and Shemu formed a calendar based on the regular (*) flooding of this river. The area beyond this river's first cataract was the home of the Nubian civilization. White limestone blocks were floated down this river to build an Ancient Wonder at Giza. For 10 points, name this river that sustained ancient Egypt.
A: Nile River
Q: In this region, Moshe Safdie included a pond at the center of the Crystal Bridges Museum. The Bagnell Dam impounds a lake in this region, on which the city of Osage Beach sits. The U.S. Interior Highlands are made up of the Ouachita (WASH-ee-tah) Mountains and this region, which includes the Boston and (*) St. Francois (fran-swah) Mountains. This region includes Fayetteville, Springdale, and Bentonville, the last of which houses the corporate headquarters of Walmart. For 10 points, name this mountainous region on the border of Missouri and Arkansas.
A: Ozarks [or Ozark Mountains; or Ozark Plateau; or Lake of the Ozarks; prompt on Missouri; prompt on Arkansas]
Q: This modern-day country contains the giant stone arch Taq Kasra near the riverside town of Salman Pak. This is the southernmost country the Great Zab river flows through as it passes near the Neanderthal site Shanidar Cave. This is the westernmost country in which mashoof canoes are used by Ahwaris or Marsh Arabs, who were targeted by this country's minority Sunni government in the 1990s. In this modern-day country, a river supposedly ran black with ink after a Mongol attack destroyed the "House of Wisdom." This country's city of Basra is located near the Shatt al-Arab's mouth on the Persian Gulf. For 10 points, the Tigris flows through what country's capital of Baghdad?
A: Iraq [or Republic of Iraq; or Jumhuriyyat-al-'Iraq]
Q: Art Deco buildings in this city are concentrated around its Oval Maidan and Marine Drive. A 27-story private residence in this city, the Antilia, is owned by the head of Reliance Industries, which is headquartered in this city. Large religious sculptures are located on Elephanta Island in the harbor of this city, where both the airport and a UNESCO-listed gothic railway station are named for Shivaji. In this coastal city, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel is located next to the Gateway of India in Maharashtra. Unlike Telugu works like RRR, films produced in this city are primarily in Hindi. For 10 points, Bollywood is in what port on the Arabian Sea that is the most populous city in India?
A: Mumbai [or Bombay]
Q: This city's metro area is home to a university commemorating indigenous leader Joe Capilano. Supposed indigenous prophecies about "warriors of the rainbow" inspired an organization founded in this city, Greenpeace. The indigenous-led Senakw housing project in this city is on False Creek near Granville Island. The Burrard Inlet is in this city, where works by indigenous artists like Ellen Neel are displayed in Stanley Park. The Whistler Blackcomb resort hosted a 21st century Winter Olympics for this city, where a pavilion showcased art from its four host First Nations. For 10 points, the 2010 Winter Olympics were hosted in what most populous city in British Columbia?
A: Vancouver [reject "Vancouver, Washington"]
Q: In this body of water, the Jabuka Pit is an important breeding ground for hake ("hayk"). Rivers flowing into this body of water host Softmouth and Marble Trout, including the dam-threatened Neretva north of the Neum ("NAY-oom") corridor. Popular fishing spots in this body of water include Stari Grad on the island of Hvar and Novigrad on the Istrian Peninsula. A region east of this body of water names the Dalmatian Pelican, which has returned to wetlands drained by Enver Hoxha ("HOH-jah"). The north of this body of water has Tegnue ("TEN-way") reefs north of Ravenna and west of Trieste ("tree-EST"). For 10 points, what arm of the Mediterranean Sea separates Italy and the Balkans?
A: Adriatic Sea [or Mare Adriatico or Jadransko more or Jadransko morje or Jadran or Adriatiki thalassa; accept Gulf of Venice or Golfo di Venezia or Beneski zaliv or Venecijanski zaljev; prompt on Mediterranean Sea before mentioned]
Q: Family units in this archipelago called 'aiga feature in Leaves of the Banyan Tree by author Albert Wendt. This archipelago's Rainmaker Mountain provides the setting for a story about the sex worker Sadie Thompson written by W. Somerset Maugham ("mom"). Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson moved to and died in this archipelago. Visits to this archipelago's Manu'a Islands informed works on "social organization" that were criticized by Derek Freeman. A 1928 anthropological work depicting lessened sexual mores in this archipelago was written by Margaret Mead. For 10 points, what Pacific Island archipelago includes a namesake "American" territory led from Pago Pago?
A: Samoa [or Independent State of Samoa; or Malo Saʻoloto Tutoʻatasi o Samoa; accept American Samoa; accept Coming of Age in Samoa] (The Maugham story is "Rain.")
Q: This non-Algerian country hosts the "White Lady" rock art that was the subject of a 1955 book by priest Henri Breuil ("on-REE broy"). A 1969 discovery date names the Apollo 11 Cave in this country, where a Karst region contains Dragon's Breath Cave and the large Hoba meteorite. A tiny area of this country's extreme east borders the Zambezi River via the Caprivi Strip which, like the Spitzkoppe ("SPITZ-koh-puh") peaks, gets its name from its time as a German colony. Rock art is preserved in a desert bordering the Atlantic Ocean in this country which includes the Skeleton Coast north of Walvis Bay. For 10 points, the western part of the Kalahari Desert is in what southwestern African country led from Windhoek ("VIND-hook")?
A: Namibia [or Republic of Namibia or Republiek van Namibie or Republik Namibia or Republiki Namibiab dib or Orepublika yaNamibia or Republika zaNamibia or Rephaboliki ya Namibia or Namibia ye Lukuluhile] (The Caprivi Strip is named for a former German chancellor.)
Q: In this mountain range, the "Snow Star" festival celebrates the Pleiades, which are used by farmers to predict low rainfall when obfuscated. Zonda winds are formed by this mountain range, where in 1947 the plane Star Dust crashed by unknowingly flying into the jet stream. This mountain range supports the Yungas region, namesake of a formerly very dangerous "Death Road." This mountain range's northeast end helps create the highest frequency lightning on earth near Lake Maracaibo. This mountain range creates rainshadows on its west in the Atacama Desert and on its east in Patagonia. For 10 points, Mount Aconcagua is in what mountain range in South America?
A: Andes Mountains [or Andean Mountain Range or Anti or Cordillera de los Andes; prompt on American Cordillera] (The "Snow Star" festival is the popular name for Quyllurit'i.)
Q: Fake Peak on this mountain is named for its use in a fake photo of its supposed first summiting by Frederick Cook. Talkeetna is a base for expeditions to this mountain. This mountain's Kahiltna Glacier is the longest in its range. The discovery that this mountain was over 20,000 feet high showed that Mount (*) Logan was not the tallest in its region. This northernmost of the Seven Summits had its native Athabascan name restored in 2015. For 10 points, the 25th US president once named what Alaskan peak, the tallest in North America?
A: Mount Denali [accept Mount McKinley]
Q: Areas for these things may be indicated by sharrows and cordoned by flex posts. The "Copenhagenize Index" measures these things' ease of use. "Boxes" for these things have white images atop characteristic green paint. The largest storage for these things was built in 2019 near Utrecht Central. When (*) electric, these things are capped at 20 or 28 miles per hour. In the US, Divvy and Citibank name major systems with self-locking docks for "sharing" these things. For 10 points, 19th century US roads were first paved for what two-wheeled vehicles?
A: bicycles [or bikes; accept other obvious synonyms]
Q: Many haplochromine species in this lake are called mbuna in Chitonga. One country claims that a disputed border through this lake hugs its eastern shore; another unusual border makes this lake's Chizumulu and Likoma islands exclaves. This lake has the most unique fish species of any lake and is the southernmost lake where adaptive radiation is exemplified by diverse (*) cichlids. This lake is drained by the Shire River into the Zambezi River. For 10 points, name this African Rift Valley lake whose namesake country has its capital at Lilongwe.
A: Lake Malawi [or Lake Nyasa; prompt on Lake Lake]
Q: This country's "Ancient Ksour of Ouadane ("wah-DAHN"), Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata ("wah-LAH-tah")" comprise a World Heritage Site. In 1816, the French ship Medusa ran aground at this modern country's Arguin Bank. This country's Haratin plurality could be enslaved without repercussions until 2007, despite it abolishing (*) slavery in 1981 as the last country to do so. This country's Adrar Plateau contains an eroded geological dome called the Richat Structure, the "eye of the Sahara." For 10 points, name this country directly north of Senegal whose capital is Nouakchott.
A: Mauritania [or Islamic Republic of Mauritania]
Q: The smallest of these administrative divisions is the only one to have Konkani as an official language. A change in Romanization renamed one of these units from "Orissa." Unlike these units, the central government directly controls similar "Union Territories." The creation of a new one of these units is sought by (*) Gorkhaland and was most recently achieved by Telangana. One of these units is the most populous subnational division in the world, Uttar Pradesh. For 10 points, name these federal divisions of a country governed from New Delhi.
A: states of India [prompt on answers mentioning India but without the word "state"; prompt on states and Union Territories of India if both are stated; reject "Union Territories of India" alone]
Q: "Boddens" are examples of these features, a string of which stretches from the Szczecin ("sh-CHEH-chin") one to the Curonian one. They're not sounds, but the largest of these features in the US is the Pamlico-Albemarle system, while the longest is bounded by Padre Island, the longest (*) barrier island in the world. Subsistence of a central island results in these features forming in atolls. These features are defined as saltwater bodies separated from larger bodies by narrow land. For 10 points, what bodies of water are named for the one surrounding Venice?
A: lagoons
Q: This island's Central Highlands contain Walls of Jerusalem National Park and its highest point, Mount Ossa. This island's capital lies on Storm Bay, the estuary of the Derwent River. This island's temperate rainforests include the Tarkine, home to a predator devastated by a (*) "facial tumor disease." The extinct thylacine, once the world's largest marsupial, is also called this island's "wolf" or "tiger." For 10 points, the Bass Strait separates what island with a namesake "devil" from mainland Australia?
A: Tasmania
Q: This place's Ahwahnechee people provided its name, which means "they are killers" in Miwok, whose chief Tenaya now names a lake and canyon here. Burning embers were once dropped from Glacier Point in this place to create a manmade "Firefall," which naturally occurs at Horsetail Fall in February. An (*) Alex Honnold climb in this park is the subject of Free Solo. The damming of Hetch Hetchy Valley in this park was criticized by Sierra Club naturalists like John Muir. For 10 points, name this national park home to Half Moon and El Capitan.
A: Yosemite National Park [accept Yosemite Valley]
Q: Volcanoes next to this lake include Mombacho, home to a cloud forest reserve near its port of Granada. The Tistian Isthmus links the two volcanoes in this lake that name its Ometepe Island. This lake's bull sharks reach the Atlantic by leaping the rapids of the (*) San Juan River. As the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty has expired, a canal connecting this lake with the Pacific is being built by HKND, a Chinese firm, to compete with the Panama Canal. For 10 points, Lake Managua drains into what inland lake sharing the name of a Central American country?
A: Lake Nicaragua
Q: The Mercier Bridge connecting this city to Kahnawake was blocked during a 1990 land dispute crisis. This city's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood hosts the Osheaga Indie Music Festival, and this city also hosts the world's largest jazz festival. This city's underground city connects to nearby (*) Laval. Buckminster Fuller designed a geodesic dome for Expo 67 in this city, called the "biosphere." This city's "Big O" stadium was built for its 1976 Olympics. For 10 points, the home of McGill University is what most populous city in Quebec?
A: Montreal
Q: The title character of Legend of the White Snake is trapped under this city's Leifeng ("LAY-fung") Pagoda. This city's Longjing or "Dragon Well" tea is grown near its scenic West Lake. A bay named for this city has the world's largest tidal bore, the Silver Dragon, and is the estuary of the Qiantang ("ch-YAN-tahng") Jiang, lying directly south of (*) Shanghai. Marco Polo called this city the most splendid in the world after its growth as the capital of the Southern Song. For 10 points, what capital of Zhejiang Province is the southern terminus of the Grand Canal?
A: Hangzhou
Q: This region's highway AP-8 nicknames a "Derby" played by its two main soccer teams, one of which plays in Donostia. Vitoria-Gasteiz is a de facto capital in this region. The motto "Zazpiak Bat" refers to this cross-border region's seven traditional provinces, controversially including a region whose capital hosts the (*) running of the bulls, Navarre. The largest city in this cultural region is Bilbao. For 10 points, what region in Spain and France is named for an ethnic group speaking a non-Indo-European language isolate?
A: Basque Country [or Basque Autonomous Community or Euskal Herria or Pais Vasco or Pays basque; prompt on Pyrenees]
Q: A pink rabbit named Serge can be seen on stickers in this system. A Navigo pass can be used to navigate this system and the overlapping RER, which are both controlled by RATP. Glass canopies and iron rails painted green are characteristic of (*) Hector Guimard's entrances to this system in the Art Nouveau style. This system's Line 11 was the first in the world to use rubber-tired trains. For ten points, Chatelet-Les Halles is the largest station in what public transit system in the French capital?
A: Paris Metro [or Metropolitain de Paris; prompt on descriptions of subways that do not include the word "metro"]
Q: In this mountain range, the Terek River cut through the Darial Gorge, an important crossing alongside the Derbent Pass. The medieval poet Shota Rustaveli names a mountain in this range, which is home to the disputed territory of South Ossetia. The (*) Circassian people predominantly live in this mountain range, whose highest peak is Mount Elbrus. The Nagorno-Karabakh region is in this mountain range that was disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. For 10 points, name this mountain range that stretches from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea.
A: Caucasus Mountains [or Kavkaz; or the Greater or Lesser Caucasus]
Q: This country's city of Taunggyi (tahn-JEE) hosts the Tazaungdaing (taz-AUNG-dang) festival, which includes deadly fireworks competitions. This country's mountainous Mogok area has been nicknamed the "Valley of Rubies" for its "pigeon blood" rubies. This country, separated from its eastern neighbor by the Salween River, is crossed from north to south by the (*) Irrawaddy River. Many of this country's Rohingya people have recently relocated to nearby Bangladesh. For 10 points, name this nation, which, in 2006, moved its capital to Naypidaw from Yangon.
A: Burma [or Republic of the Union of Myanmar]
Q: This state's capital is home to the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences and sits at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha rivers. This state's eastern panhandle is home to Shepherdstown and Martinsburg. This state's namesake university is located in its city of Morgantown. The (*) creation of this state was marked by two conventions held in its city of Wheeling. This state's easternmost town is Harpers Ferry, where John Brown led a raid on a US armory. For 10 points, name this coal-rich Appalachian state governed from Charleston.
A: West Virginia
Q: This country controls the Los Hermanos (air-MAH-nohs) and Los Monjes (MOAN-hays) archipelagos, as well as Margarita Island in the state of Nueva Esparta. For most of the year, intense lightning strikes occur near the mouth of this country's Catatumbo (KAH-tah-TOOM-boh) River. This country and its eastern neighbor dispute the territory along the (*) Essequibo (AY-suh-KEE-boh) River. Amerigo Vespucci coined the name for this country after witnessing stilt houses along Lake Maracaibo (MAH-rah-KAI-boh) that resembled an Italian city. Angel Falls is located in, for 10 points, what South American country east of Colombia?
A: Venezuela [or Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela]
Q: The Picacho del Diablo is the highest peak in this peninsula's Sierra de San Pedro Martir. Francisco de Ulloa (oo-YOH-ah) led exploration efforts on this peninsula, which was long believed to be an island. The La Bufadora (BOO-fah-DOR-ah) blowhole is located southwest of a city on this peninsula called (*) Ensenada. Many tourists flock to the beaches of this peninsula's city of Cabo San Lucas. This peninsula's cities include Tecate and Tijuana, as well as Mexicali by the US border. For 10 points, name this Mexican peninsula located directly south of California.
A: Baja California
Q: The "Thirty Mile" section of a river with this name extends from Lake Laberge to the Teslin River. A region with this name is crossed by the Pelly and Stewart Rivers and houses the towns of Faro and Carmacks. This name is given to a river that passes by (*) Dawson City and was a route during the Klondike Gold Rush. A territory with this name is governed from Whitehorse and is located directly north of British Columbia. For 10 points, give this shared name of a Canadian river and a territory that borders Alaska to the east.
A: Yukon [or Yukon Territory; or Yukon River]
Q: Richard M. Upjohn designed the Gothic Revival entrance to this region's Green-Wood Cemetery, which includes a statue of DeWitt Clinton. During the American Revolution, fighting took place at this region's Old Stone House and Gowanus (goh-AH-nuss) Creek. John A. Roebling designed a (*) bridge named for this region whose construction was overseen by Tammany Hall. The neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Coney Island are located in this borough. For 10 points, name this borough south of Manhattan, which names a suspension bridge spanning the East River.
A: Brooklyn [prompt on New York City or NYC]
Q: The 42 is a residential skyscraper in this city near the Birla Planetarium, itself situated adjacent to the Victoria Memorial on the Maidan. On the banks of the Hooghly River in this city stands Fort William, located in its neighborhood of Hastings. A monument in this city honors the prisoners of war held by (*) Siraj-ud-Daulah in this city in a prison that was known as its Black Hole. This city, once the capital of British India, serves as the capital of West Bengal. For 10 points, name this primary financial center of eastern India.
A: Kolkata [or Calcutta]
Q: In this city, islands called Bath, Painter, and Rabbits were joined to form Margaret Island, located near Arpad Bridge. This city's Dohany Street Synagogue consists of a Jewish museum where Theodor Herzl's birth home once stood. The Varosliget is linked to Erzsebet (er-SAY-bet) Square in this city via (*) Andrassy Avenue, along which Heroes' Square lies. The Szechenyi (say-CHEN-yee) thermal bath and the Szechenyi Chain Bridge are located in this city. This city used to be two separate cities separated by the Danube River. For 10 points, name this capital of Hungary.
A: Budapest
Q: Two miles south of Ilwaco, this river's mouth hits a sandbar at the fittingly named Cape Disappointment. A tributary of this river called the Kootenay extends into the Beaverfoot Range and flows through a panhandle that houses Coeur d'Alene (KOR dah-LEEN). Fish-ladders assist salmon in crossing this river near the (*) Bonneville Dam. This river, which is straddled by the Grand Coulee Dam, is fed by the Willamette and Snake Rivers. For 10 points, name this river of the Pacific Northwest that flows along the border of Washington and Oregon.
A: Columbia River
Q: While living in this place, Richard Garriott filmed the comedy Apogee of Fear. Bose-Einstein condensates are created in this place's Cold Atom Laboratory. This place will be destroyed in 2031 when it is brought to a "cemetery" in the south Pacific. JAXA and the ESA contribute to the upkeep of this place, which is made out of (*) interlocked modules. As part of a twin study, Scott Kelly lived for one year in this successor to the Soviet Union's Mir. Earth's ionosphere is home to, for 10 points, what "global" satellite habitat?
A: International Space Station [ISS]
Q: The Nahoon and Buffalo River cross a city in this country served by King Phalo Airport called East London. The Augrabies (awg-RAB-eez) Falls is located near this country's town of Upington, which sits on the banks of a river that flows through the Drakensburg (DRAH-kenz-burg) Mountains. The hand-dug (*) Big Hole in this country is situated in its city of Kimberley in Northern Cape province. This country, which is home to the city of Durban, has three capitals, the judicial one of which is Bloemfontein. For 10 points, name this country governed from Pretoria and Cape Town.
A: South Africa [Republic of South Africa]
Q: Underground passageways called fogou were excavated at sites on this island, including Carn Euny. Neolithic flint mining complexes, likely designed for religious observance of the god Grim, were unearthed on this island's site of Grime's Grave. The enclosure of (*) Durrington Walls on this island may have housed the creators of a nearby site surrounded by 56 chalk pits called Aubrey holes. Druid ceremonies were held on this island at a site often paired with Avebury. For 10 points, name this European island whose Salisbury Plain houses Stonehenge.
A: Great Britain [prompt on England, Scotland, or Wales; do not accept or prompt on "Ireland"]
Q: An activist from this country named Berta Caceres (BAIR-tah KAH-sair-ayz) was murdered in this country for leading the Lenca in opposing a Gualcarque (gwal-KAR-kay) River dam. Many Garifuna (gah-ree-FOO-nah) people live in this country's second-most populous city of San Pedro Sula. The Mayan site of Copan (koh-PAHN) is located in this country, whose first female president is (*) Xiomara (show-MAH-rah) Castro. This country and its southern neighbor share the Mosquito Coast. This country borders El Salvador to the east and Nicaragua to the north. For 10 points, name this Central American country governed from Tegucigalpa (teg-oo-see-GAHL-pah).
A: Honduras [Republic of Honduras; or Republica de Honduras]
Q: After deliberately making a mistake in his calculations, Andrew Waugh was jokingly called "the first person to put two feet on" this location. Since 2013, visitors to this site have been required to bring eight kilograms of trash back with them. A 2015 film named for this location was inspired by the 1996 deaths of eight people at its (*) peak. Andrew Irvine and George Mallory may have been the first people to summit this mountain, but Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary were the first to return alive. For 10 points, name this highest mountain above sea level on Earth.
A: Mount Everest [or Sagarmatha, or Chomolungma, or Zhumulangma Feng]
Q: Each year, this tourist destination holds a contest whose name translates to "the most beautiful mask." This city's district of Murano is the center of its glass blowing industry. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is located near the mouth of the Po River. This city's MOSE(MOH-say) flood barrier is intended to protect its namesake (*) lagoon. Streets in this city are regularly submerged during acqua alta tides. This city's principal public square is the Piazza San Marco, and its Rialto Bridge spans the Grand Canal. For 10 points, name this Italian city whose canals are famously traversed by gondolas.
A: Venice [or Venezia]
Q: In the mid-1960s, tracts of land at this location were purchased by the "Latin-American Development and Management Corporation," a dummy corporation utilized to avoid provoking speculation. The winter-themed waterslide Summit Plummet at this site was previously the tallest waterslide in the United States and is located at the Blizzard Beach water park in this location. The pop culture-themed (*) All-Star hotels are among the most affordable in this place, which also features the ritzy Contemporary and Grand Floridian Resorts. Rides such as Expedition Everest, Test Track, and Space Mountain are located in four central Florida theme parks at, for 10 points, what "happiest place on Earth?"
A: Walt Disney World Resort [reject "Disneyland"]
Q: This river joins one of its largest tributaries at the Meeting of Waters. Very dark, fertile, charcoal-rich soil in this river's basin is known as terra preta. This river's most distant sources are the headwaters of the Apurimac and Mantaro Rivers. Complex civilizations developed on the island of Marajo(ma-RA-sho) in this river, which has no bridges crossing it. The largest city on this river is (*) Manaus. (mu-NAWS). This river's modern name was likely derived from female warriors who attacked European explorers. For 10 points, name this South American river that runs through northern Brazil and has the largest watershed of any river in the world.
A: Amazon River [or Rio Amazonas]
Q: The only legally recognized Christian church in this country is located in its Italian Embassy. This country was the site of the world's tallest standing Buddha statues before they were destroyed by this country's government in 2001. A black, red, and green tricolor was recently replaced as the flag of this country, which grows ninety percent of the world's (*) opium. In August 2021, a suicide bombing killed over 100 people at this country's Hamid Karzai airport, which was the last major location in this country to fall to a militant Islamist group. For 10 points, name this landlocked Central Asian country currently ruled by the Taliban.
A: Afghanistan [or Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan or Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or Da Afganistan Islami Jumhuriyat or Jumhuri-yi Islami-yi Afganistan]
Q: The Kagera River feeds into the western section of this body of water. The disastrous introduction of various species of tilapia to this body of water has led to a drastic increase in its algae and oxygen concentrations. Major ports on this body of water include Bukoba and Entebbe.(en-TEB-bay). This body of water lies between the two branches of the (*) Great Rift Valley. This body of water's sole source of drainage is its branch of the Nile River. This lake is divided among Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. For 10 points, name this largest African Great Lake, which shares its name with a 19th century English queen.
A: Lake Victoria [or Lake Nyanza or 'Nnanubale or Nam Lolwe or Ukerewe]
Q: A city in this country built around Cathedral Square was badly damaged by a 2011 earthquake. Another city in this country is centered on Otago Harbour. This country's Chatham Islands were home to an indigenous people who followed a pacifist culture known as Nunuku's Law. The active volcano Whakaari is located in this country's Bay of Plenty. Dunedin("duh-NEE-din") and (*) Christchurch are located on this country's South Island, which is separated from the North Island by the Cook Strait. The southernmost capital in the world is this country's capital of Wellington. For 10 points, name this Oceanic country inhabited by the Maori people, whose largest city is Auckland.
A: New Zealand [or Aotearoa]
Q: Zaha Hadid's 2012 plans to redesign a stadium in this city were scrapped before it could be used in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. This city is home to both an Eiffel Tower-inspired structure in this city painted white and international orange, and a namesake "Skytree" that is the tallest tower in the world. This city on the (*) Kanto Plain forms the most populous part of the Taiheiyo Belt. This city is home to the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, Shibuya Crossing. One of this city's 23 special wards, Chiyoda, is home to the Budokan arena, which saw the Olympic debut of karate in 2021. For ten points, name this capital of Japan.
A: Tokyo Metropolis [or Tokyo-to]
Q: A tourist attraction in this state is a water tower that was repainted to say "Florence Y'all." In 2018, Reba McEntire was the first woman cast as the mascot for a fast food chain founded in this state. The longest cave system in the world is this state's (*) Mammoth Cave. A horse race at Churchill Downs in this state is the first leg of the Triple Crown. It's not Ohio, but Cincinnati's primary airport is located in this state 75 miles north of its capital, Frankfort. For 10 points, name this state whose namesake derby takes place in Louisville.
A: Commonwealth of Kentucky
Q: This country's Chagga people live on the slopes of its tallest mountain. Early stone tools and other paleolithic artifacts have been uncovered at this country's Olduvai Gorge. The tallest mountain in this country consists of three volcanic cones, including Kibo, and contains Uhuru Peak. This country's capital is (*) Dodoma, while its largest city is Dar es Salaam. Wildebeest and zebra migrate across the grasslands of the Serengeti in the north of this country. This country is home to the tallest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. For 10 points, name this country formed from the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
A: United Republic of Tanzania [or Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania]
Q: This country's Ferrari World theme park features the world's fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa. Residents of the uppermost floors of a building in this country have to wait three extra minutes for the sun to set to break their Ramadan fast. The most populous city in this country is home to archipelagos of small artificial islands in the shapes of (*) palm trees and a world map. This country surrounds the Musandam Governorate, an exclave of Oman that juts into the Gulf of Hormuz. This country is home to the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. For 10 points, name this Middle Eastern country home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
A: United Arab Emirates [or al-ʾImarat al-ʿArabiyah al-Muttahidah; prompt on the Emirates]
Q: The Aran Islands are visible from this island's Cliffs of Moher. Large polygonal basalt columns form the Giant's Causeway on this island. A 1600-mile driving route on this island called the Wild Atlantic Way runs from County Donegal to County Cork. The four traditional provinces of this island include Leinster and (*) Ulster. This island's namesake sea to its east contains the Isle of Man. This island is the site of cities like Galway and Limerick. A brewery on this island started compiling world records in 1955. For 10 points, name this island where the Guinness Brewery is located in Dublin.
A: Ireland [or Eire]
Q: The largest blackwater river in the world merges with another river in this country at a popular tourist destination called the Meeting of the Waters. The west of this country is home to the Pantanal wetlands. The Kawahiva people are an uncontacted tribe in this country's state of Mato Grosso. The largest cities in the North Region of this country are (*) Belem and Manaus. Cattle ranching in this second largest beef producer in the world has led to deforestation in the most biodiverse rainforest in the world. The entire country of Portugal contains fewer Portuguese speakers than this country's city of Sao Paulo. For 10 points, name this country home to most of the Amazon rainforest.
A: Federative Republic of Brazil [or Republica Federativa do Brasil]
Q: Inhabitants of these sites can suffer from winter-over syndrome. A 2018 stabbing at one of these sites allegedly occurred after the victim spoiled a book ending. South Africa operates one of these sites named SANAE IV in Queen Maud Land. The Chapel of the Snows is located at one of these sites named after (*) McMurdo Sound. The coldest measured temperatures in the world were recorded at the Vostok one of these man-made sites above a large subglacial lake. One of these sites at the South Pole is named for the explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott. For 10 points, identify this kind of location where scientists conduct polar research.
A: Antarctic research stations [or reasonable equivalents like science bases; prompt on less specific descriptions of places in Antarctica]
Q: A federal division in this country is the only officially Jewish jurisdiction outside of Israel. A 1908 explosion generally attributed to a meteor occurred above this country's Tunguska River. The largest constituent republic in this country is Sakha, whose capital is the world's coldest city, (*) Yakutsk. This country is home to several volcanoes on its Kamchatka Peninsula. Olkhon Island is a sacred island in this country's Lake Baikal. The longest railway line in the world connects this country's capital to its city of Vladivostok. For 10 points, name this country that contains the large, sparse region of Siberia.
A: Russian Federation
Q: This is the easternmost location where wonky holes can be found. The Traditional Owners are descendants of people who used to live in this location, including the Yiithuwarra people who left rock art at Flinders Group National Park. This incredibly biodiverse site stretches from Lady Elliot Island to the Torres Strait along northeast (*) Queensland. This was the first available location in Google Underwater Street View. This largest single structure made by living organisms has lost over half of its mass to bleaching. For 10 points, name this massive coral reef system off the coast of Australia.
A: Great Barrier Reef
Q: This state's capital is laid out in a compass street grid pattern whose namesake meridian is at the southeast corner of its central square. This state is home to the northernmost extent of the Navajo Nation. A 2024 redesign of this state's flag features a beehive against five white peaks. Tall, thin spires of rock called hoodoos can be found in this state's Goblin Valley State Park and (*) Bryce Canyon National Park.A national park in this state contains the Fiery Furnace and "Landscape" and "Delicate" examples of its titular rock formations near the town of Moab. For 10 points, name this state home to Arches National Park and the Great Salt Lake.
A: Utah
Q: This province is allegedly home to the Ogopogo lake monster. The main TED Talk conference has been hosted in this province's largest city since 2014. The 2010 Winter Olympics were hosted in cities in this province, including its resort town Whistler. The Hecate Strait separates the Haida Gwaii from this province's mainland. This province's capital (*) Victoria is home to a museum whose First Nations artifacts include totem poles. The Strait of Juan de Fuca runs across part of this province's southern border with the state of Washington. For 10 points, name this westernmost Canadian province, home to Vancouver Island.
A: British Columbia
Q: In this region, the door jambs of houses built on artificial mounds feature male-female pairs of figures with large noses called jovo or tale. A set of buildings in this region feature programmable glass louvers and slats made from iroko wood imported from Africa, and are divided into three "villages" each based around a "Great House." Houses in this region feature spires called fleches faitieres ("flesh fet-YAIR"). "Cases" with jutting ribs make up this region's (*) Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, one of the signature designs of Renzo Piano. In this region, conical thatched roofs characterize the architecture of the Kanak people. For 10 points, name this special collectivity of France in the Pacific Ocean whose capital is Noumea.
A: New Caledonia [or Nouvelle Caledonie; prompt on Melanesia or Oceania]
Q: In this cultural region, the author of a poem "upon the Wifely Duty" lived in a town known for its production of massive side-blown horns called siwa. Fears of underwater magnetic mountains were invoked to explain the use of coir ("COY-er") twine in this cultural region's sewn boats, whose use dates back to the ancient emporium of Rhapta. Kutchi merchants developed a creole in this cultural region, which names a style of door with ornately carved (*) wooden frames. In this region, blocks of coral were used to build the palace of Husuni Kubwa. On Pate and Lamu islands, some residents of this cultural region's "stone towns" trace their heritage back to Zheng He's visit to its city of Malindi. For 10 points, name this cultural region whose medieval city-states included Sofala, Kilwa, and Mombasa.
A: Swahili Coast [or Swahili Corridor; prompt on East Africa or the Indian Ocean; prompt on Lamu archipelago or Zanzibar archipelago by asking "the islands are part of what larger cultural region?"] (Mwana Kupona, who wrote the utendi The Advice of Mwana Kupona upon the Wifely Duty, was born in Pate Town.)
Q: Objects called "starvationers" were used in an underground one of these things in Worsley. Charles Darwin's grandfathers, Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood, became friends while co-funding one of these things nicknamed the "Grand Trunk." British enthusiasts of these systems are called gongoozlers. James Brindley designed one of these systems for Francis Egerton after the latter observed one constructed in (*) France under Jean-Baptiste Colbert. A speculative frenzy of the 1790s led to the construction of many of these systems; that namesake "mania" was inspired by one of these structures that the Duke of Bridgewater built to transport coal to Manchester. For 10 points, name this type of waterway that features locks.
A: canals
Q: The characteristic "spur marks" of one of these places were nicknamed "sesame seeds." "Egg-shaped" examples of these places gradually superseded the "horseshoe-shaped" ones popular in the north and the lengthy "dragon" ones built up hillsides in the south. In the 19th century, French enthusiasts began retrospectively classifying products of these places into familles of rose, verte ("vairt"), noir, and jaune ("jone"). The "five great" ones of these places were Ru, Jun, Guan, (*) Ding, and Ge ("guh"). The establishment of these places in Chantilly and Meissen ("MICE-in") hurt the exports of the city of Jingdezhen ("jing-duh-jun"), where a massive complex of these places was established due to rich deposits of kaolin. For 10 points, name these places where products like celadon were molded and fired.
A: porcelain kilns [accept anything indicating places where porcelain or ceramics are made, such as porcelain factory]
Q: A poem by Bai Juyi describes the 35-man orchestra that traveled from this river to the Tang court in 802 CE. People who called themselves the Tircul migrated from Qinghai Lake to the valley of this river, kicking off a "millennium" that ended due to raids from the Nanzhao kingdom. On the banks of this river, a half-ogre queen named Panhtwar ("pahn-TWAHR") legendarily ruled the city of Beikthano ("bake-thuh-NO"). Massive circular walls and brick (*) stupas were characteristic of first-millennium cities along this river such as Hanlin and Sri Ksetra. The Glass Palace Chronicle begins with this river's Pyu city-states. For 10 points, name this river whose valley was once the center of the Pagan ("puh-GON") Kingdom of Burma.
A: Irrawaddy River [or Ayeyarwady River]
Q: A community in this geographical feature inspired the utopian "Nobody's Island" in The Golden Man by Mor Jokai and was known for its exports of rose jam and baklava. This geographical feature names a Mesolithic culture that built trapezoidal houses and made anthropomorphic stone sculptures of fish. Patrick Leigh Fermor's Between the Woods and the Water ends with him reaching this feature, where he visited a Turkish exclave that was (*) submerged in 1970, Ada Kaleh. Just east of this feature near the present-day city of Severin ("seh-veh-REEN"), Apollodorus of Damascus designed a massive bridge for Trajan's army. For 10 points, two hydroelectric dams have been built on what gorge between Serbia and Romania on the Danube?
A: Iron Gates [prompt on Ada Kaleh or Lepenski Vir by asking "what geographical feature is that located in?"; prompt on the Danube River until "gorge" is read]
Q: Anthropologist Alan Klein's books about this activity as a source of national pride include one partly named for "sugar" and one subtitled "A Tale of Two Laredos." A site for this activity named Latinoamericano in Havana is the second largest of its kind in the world, while another site in San Juan's Hato Rey district is named for a pioneer in this activity, Hiram Bithorn. Bottle caps are used in a variant of this activity called vitilla. Young boys are recruited by buscones for this activity's academies in the Dominican Republic. This activity is less popular in the Commonwealth Caribbean than a similar sport from Britain that [emphasize]instead has bowlers and wickets. For 10 points, name this American sport whose foreign-born players have given credence to the title of "World Series."
A: baseball [or beisbol; or juego de pelota; prompt on sports until read] (Alan Klein wrote Sugarball: The American Game, the Dominican Dream and Baseball on the Border: A Tale of Two Laredos. The British sport is cricket.)
Q: This country's Monte Pissis was first summited by Polish climbers whose expeditions also inspired the name of the Polish Glacier on the way to this country's highest peak. This country's far northern city of Formosa coincidentally lies near the antipode of Taiwan. In 2022, wildfires ravaged Ibera National Park in this country's northeast, whose two rivers reminded settlers of Iraq and is thus called Mesopotamia. This country's capital is home to the neighborhoods Palermo and the Italy-influenced La Boca. The use of pig's blood in paint may explain the color of this country's presidential palace, which is near the widest street in the world. For 10 points, La Casa Rosada is in what large South American country named for the Latin word for silver?
A: Argentina [or Argentine Republic; or Republica Argentina] (The Polish Glacier is used to ascend Aconcagua.)
Q: The southern shore of this body of water is home to the large Granot Loma log cabin mansion. The remnants of a floating hopper on this body of water is nicknamed "Uncle Harvey's Mausoleum." Birdwatchers flock to Whitefish Point on this body of water, which is part of an aquatic "Graveyard" where a shipwreck museum houses a salvaged bell. The cartoon-inspired Pickle Barrel House is in one of two towns on this lake named Grand Marais. This lake is connected to others to its south via a lock between two cities named Sault Ste. Marie ("SOO saint muh-REE"). This lake is home to the furthest inland oceangoing port in the world and the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. For 10 points, Duluth, Minnesota, is on what largest North American Great Lake?
A: Lake Superior [or Gichi-Gami; or Kitchi-Gami]
Q: The first undersea roundabout is part of a tunnel system in one of this country's territories, whose coat of arms shows only a single ram on a blue shield. The entire northeastern portion of one of this country's islands makes up the world's largest national park. In 2022, this country and Canada added a land border when they partitioned an island to end the peaceful Whisky War. This country's territories include an archipelago in the North Sea whose capital is Torshavn ("TORS-hown") and an island home to Thule Air Base. The strait of Skagerrak is north of this country's portion of the Jutland Peninsula. For 10 points, what country administers the Faroe Islands and Greenland?
A: Denmark [or Kingdom of Denmark; or Danish Realm; or Kongeriget Danmark; or Kongsriki Danmarkar; or Kunngeqarfik Danmarki; accept Danish Empire; prompt on Greenland until read] (The island in the third sentence is Hans Island.)
Q: A ghost town and former mining village in this desert, named for ox driver Johnny Coleman, is a popular filmmaking locale. This desert's town of Sandwich Harbor is now a RAMSAR wetlands conservation site. A 1,000-foot tall dune nicknamed "Big Daddy," as well as Dune 45, are part of a region of picturesque orange-red dunes in this desert called the "Sand Sea," found near the salt pans of Sossusvlei ("SOSS-us-vlay"). This desert is bordered to the east by the (*) Naukluft ("NOW-klooft") Mountains, which are part of the Great Escarpment. This desert, often considered the oldest in the world, is frequently covered in fog thanks to the cool air of the Benguela ("ben-GWAY-luh") current. A shipwreck-laden part of this desert is called the Skeleton Coast. For 10 points, what African desert lends its name to a country whose capital is Windhoek?
A: Namib desert [or Namibe; reject "Namibia" or "Namibian desert"]
Q: In 1998, this city cut its minimum lot size for single-family homes to 1,400 square feet, leading to a townhouse construction boom. When completed, the "Grand Parkway" around this city will be the world's largest ring road. Based on 2023 census bureau data, this city's suburb of Fulshear was dubbed the "fastest-growing small town in America" by officials in Fort Bend County. This city's chief hospital system, partly named for George Hermann, built floodgates that protected against (*) Hurricane Harvey in part because floods are exacerbated by pavement and sprawl. This is the most populous US city withno zoning laws. It's not LA, but this city's metro area includes the suburbs of Bellaire, Katy, and Sugar Land. Part of this city near Galveston Bay contains NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center. For 10 points, name this most populous city in Texas.
A: Houston
Q: Fatty meat marinates in a sauce made from this primary ingredient in a Filipino dish called hamonado, which is cooked afritada-style. Taiwan street vendors sell a buttery pastry centering on this ingredient called fenglisu. In a Watergate salad, a canned type of this ingredient is mixed with Cool Whip and pistachio pudding. This ingredient is put between ham, cheese, and a maraschino cherry in a dish sometimes called "German Toast." Hong Kong chefs prepare a (*) bun named after this fruit, the top dough of which resembles its texture. In the Thai fried rice dish Khao pad sapparot, this fruit often serves as the plate. This fruit, which is commonly served with tacos al pastor, was mass-cultivated by James Dole on Maui. For 10 points, name this tropical fruit that controversially appears on Hawaiian pizza.
A: pineapples [accept pineapple jam]
Q: An island whose name comes from this language contains the Soggy Dollar Bar and a natural jacuzzi called the Bubbly Pool, and is found just northwest of Tortola. A formal apology for slavery written in this language was given to president Chan Santokhi in 2021. This language was the main superstrate of the now-extinct creole of Berbice("bur- BEESE"), named for a river in the Rupununi region. This is the official language of a country where citizens commonly use a creole called Taki-Taki or (*) Sranan Tongo, as well as that of an island where many residents speak Papiamentu. The [emphasize]southern, smaller half of the island of Saint Martin mainly uses this language which, along with Saba, is one of the "SSS" islands that speak it, just like Bonaire and its fellow "ABC" islands. For 10 points, name this European language which is official in Aruba, Suriname, and Curacao.
A: Dutch [or Nederlands] (The first clue refers to Jost van Dyke, the smallest of the British Virgin Islands.)
Q: In 1852, a mob of villagers showed up to one of these places armed with pitchforks to defend their town, only to encounter a pair of ponies from the Aldourie estate. Unlike most similar nearby features on the surrounding carse, a location called Menteith is [emphasize] not referred to as one of these places. Queen Victoria visited the wishing tree at one of these places called Maree, while St. Columba is said to have blessed one called Morar, which is the (*) deepest of them. While visiting one of these places, Robert Wilson took the so-called "surgeon's photograph." The line "you'll take the high road and I'll take the low road" comes from a song about the "bonnie banks" of one of these places named Lomond. For 10 points, give this local term for large bodies of water, including one supposedly home to a serpentine monster named Nessie.
A: Scottish lochs [accept Loch Lomond or Loch Ness; prompt on islands by asking "inside what sort of body of water?"; prompt on lakes by asking "what is the local term?"]
Q: This country plans to build a so-called "city" consisting of a park and wildlife reserve, connected by "inhabitable bridges," on a plain near Gelephu. Though this country maintains a "high value, low volume" tourism policy, in 2023 it reduced its Sustainable Development Fee from 200 to 100 dollars, but tourists still pay the fee for each day they stay. This country's Paro International Airport, which has only one runway and is considered one of the (*) hardest to land at in the world, is near its iconic Tiger's Nest monastery. Druk Air carries passengers to this country just north of the narrow Siliguri Corridor. Under the rule of the Dragon Kings of the Wangchuck dynasty, this country has sought to maximize Gross National Happiness. For 10 points, Thimphu is the capital of what ardently Buddhist Himalayan nation?
A: Bhutan(Gelephu is called a "Mindfulness City.")
Q: To reduce clan-based politics, this country's constitution only allows three national parties, with its current president from the Waddani party. Since February 2023, this country's National Army has fought against the breakaway SSC Khaatumo government, led by a local garad, in the Las Anod conflict. In December 2024, this country's then-president Musa Bihi Abdi signed a 50-year lease with a large landlocked neighbor for 19 kilometers of coastline around its largest port, (*) Berbera, which was once a British colonial stronghold. This country, whose capital is Hargeisa, declared independence in 1991 after a former Italian colony fell into chaos due to the fall of Siad Barre's government. For 10 points, name this largely unrecognized East African country whose similarly-named neighbor has its capital at Mogadishu.
A: Somaliland [or Republic of Somaliland; or Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliland; reject "Somalia"]
Q: Before a linguist in this country found the sole remaining speaker Blas Jaime ("HIGH-may"), the language of its Chana people was thought to be extinct. Welsh settlers established the Y Wladfa ("uh LAHD-vah") colony in this country's Chubut Province. Sorrentinos, a type of ravioli dish, was created by Italian immigrants to this country where they settled in cities like Rosario along the Parana River. This country's city of (*) Ushuaia ("oosh-WHY-uh") is in the eastern half of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. A neighboring country's capital of Montevideo lies opposite this country's capital across the mouth of the Rio de la Plata. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Buenos Aires.
A: Argentina [or the Argentine Republic or Republica Argentina]
Q: Frederick Cook falsely claimed to have summited this mountain, cropping a picture of a site now known as "Fake Peak." This mountain's North and South Peaks are named for Winston Churchill. The corpse of Chris McCandless was found in an abandoned bus near Eielson ("ILE-son") Visitor Center in a national park centered on this mountain. The West Buttress route ascending this mountain begins at the (*) Kahiltna Glacier, which runs down its southwest slope.In 2025, this mountain was renamed from a Koyukon Athabascan term meaning "high one" to the name of a former U.S. president. For 10 points, name this Alaskan mountain, the highest point in North America.
A: Mount McKinley [or Denali]
Q: Impoverished sections of this city successfully petitioned for the restoration of a hat-wearing man to traffic lights in 2005. A clock in this city displaying time via the principles of set theory may be the key to deciphering the CIA's Kryptos sculpture. This city's three airports were replaced with a single one opened in 2020 after a decade of administrative blunders. A cyberpunk-themed glass roof was built over this city's (*) Potsdamer Platz, which was once the site of a structure crossed at the nearby Checkpoint Charlie. The Brandenburg Gate is located a block down the street from the Reichstag ("RIKE-stahg") in this city. For 10 points, name this capital of Germany.
A: Berlin
Q: This country's Diamond Mountain was formerly the center of a specially-designated southern tourist region. Gifts received by this country are housed in its International Friendship Exhibition museum. This country shares Heaven Lake with its northern neighbor at the top of Mount (*) Baekdu ("BECK-doo"). A pyramid-like skyscraper in this country has been under construction for four decades and is nicknamed the "Hotel of Doom." In this country's capital, the River Taedong flows past the torch-shaped Juche Tower. This country's southern border is defined by a demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel. For 10 points, name this country whose capital is Pyongyang.
A: North Korea [or Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK or Choson Minjujuui Inmin Konghwaguk; prompt on Korea; reject "Republic of Korea" or "South Korea"]
Q: The Green River flows through a national park in this state whose four districts include the Needles. In this state, tourists wade sixteen miles through the Virgin River to traverse a gorge called "the Narrows." Canyonlands National Park is in this state, where the world's highest concentration of hoodoos can be found in (*) Bryce Canyon. Many land speed records have been set at the Bonneville Salt Flats in this state. A "Delicate" one of the namesake landforms of a national park in this state is near its city of Moab. Zion and Arches National Parks are located in, for 10 points, what state whose capital is on the shores of the Great Salt Lake?
A: Utah [or UT]
Q: This city's strict building height limits were created in response to the construction of its Cairo Hotel in 1894. The "half-smoke" hot dog is served at Ben's Chili Bowl, a restaurant located on this city's historically-black U Street. This city's NoMa neighborhood is home to the country's only deaf-serving college, Gallaudet University. This city's largest (*) Metro station is named for its planner, Pierre L'Enfant. Daniel Chester French designed a statue for a monument in this city at the western end of the National Mall. For 10 points, name this capital of the United States.
A: Washington, D.C. [or the District of Columbia or D.C.]
Q: A meeting about this status between eighty nations in Washington, D.C. led to the signing of the CITES treaty. 54 items have been taken off of a list of over 1,000 maintained by a 1973 act named for this status that was signed by Richard Nixon. The IUCN Red List contains information on both this status and a more severe form of it prefixed (*) "critically." This status is a step more severe than "threatened" and "vulnerable" on a seven-tiered list. The WWF protects groups with this status. Sealing off protected areas and captive breeding are two ways to save species with this status. For 10 points, name this status of species at risk of extinction.
A: endangered [accept endangered species or critically endangered species; accept the Endangered Species Act]
Q: Latvians were stopped from performing this activity in Svalbard following a historic 2023 Norwegian Supreme Court decision. Villagers in Ceylon facing shortages during World War II developed the now-dying practice of performing this activity on stilts. The prevalence of this activity in Newfoundland created an ecological crisis at the Flemish Cap and (*) Grand Banks. Tamilians engaging in this activity via bottom trawling have regularly been arrested for encroaching on Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone. The UK and Iceland engaged in three 20th-century "wars" over this activity in the North Sea. For 10 points, name this activity done to acquire cod and salmon.
A: fishing [or catching fish or seafood or equivalents; accept catching crabs; accept fishmongering; accept catching cod or salmon or other specific types of fish until read; accept the Cod Wars until "cod" is read]
Q: A temple was relocated from this river's Philae ("fee-lay") Island in the 1960s to avoid flooding. The 6th of October and 15th of May cities were built during expansion initiatives in a metropolitan area located along this river, which has more recently included a New Administrative Capital. Saqqara ("suh-KAH-ruh") is the necropolis of (*) Memphis, a site on this river where the Karnak and Abu Simbel complexes can be found further south. This river is home to the largest crocodile species in Africa. The city of Alexandria is located in this river's delta, where it empties into the Mediterranean. For 10 points, name this major Egyptian river.
A: Nile River [or the River Nile; reject "White Nile" or "Blue Nile"]